CHAPTER 16 - WÆLISC
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Hi!
As you can see, this chapter went through a title change, mainly because the old title didn't really fit the story.
You will meet many more characters in this chapter so sit back and enjoy!
Again, I'm not going to linguistically translate the Welsh names. Just read what you see...it will save everyone time!
XD
Here's a map of Wales in 1000AD.
As you can see, there are random coloured dots on the map.
This is why;
- The purple dot at the top is where the dragon riders first landed and where Astrid and Ada were kidnapped.
- The yellow dot is the village that Hiccup and the dragon riders find in this chapter which is known as Ruthin.
- The pink dot is the castle where Astrid and Ada are being held in this chapter.
- The red dot is the village of Llangollen. You'll see what they find here.
- The green dot at the bottom of the map in number 18 is Garlot and you will see who is there...but all in good time.
There is a dream sequence in this chapter so try to remember what happens, because it will be important for the next chapter.
Okay, enjoy! See you guys on the other side!!!
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*UNKNOWN AREA*
OMNISCIENT POV
"This...this is impossible..." Astrid rocked back and forth as she tried to comprehend everything that had just happened. She looked up at Ada who was just as scared as her. "Annelise...is alive?" Astrid croaked, her voice breaking from the pain that had filled her heart.
"And she's the Dark Knight..." Annelise added. "She has the dagger..."
"But how? How can she have it?" Astrid sobbed. "Whoever possesses the dagger retains control of the Dark Knight. If Annelise has the dagger..."
"She retains freewill..." Ada continued. "But the dagger was hidden! No-one was supposed to know where it was! That was her punishment! How is this punishment?" Ada screamed.
"This all makes sense..." Astrid leaned her head on the wall. "She's going to kill me. She's going to destroy my life because I ruined hers. She's going to take away everything from me and I can't do anything about it. I no longer have my magic..." Tears streamed down the Queen's face as she tried to make sense of everything that was happening.
"No...there is something else going on here..." Ada shuffled as close as she could to Astrid. "She is working with someone..."
"Vivienne, maybe?" Astrid replied. "I mean...they both want revenge on Berk. Vivienne wants Hiccup dead so she can put her son on the throne and Annelise has it out for me!"
"There's someone else..." Ada exclaimed. "I mean, how could Annelise have the dagger of the dark knight?"
"Someone found it and gave it to her..." Astrid suggested.
"Or...she never found it...and this is a new one..." Ada continued, Astrid frowning as she looked at her. "Where did the Dark Knight come from?"
"My dad..."
"Who cursed your dad?"
"His uncle, Magnus Hofferson."
"But who gave him the curse?"
Astrid's mouth fell open. "You think whoever gave the curse to Magnus, helped Annelise?"
Ada nodded. "Which means...they're on her side. And we no longer have to worry about Vivienne, Ari, their army or even Annelise..." Ada took a deep breath.
"There is someone much stronger at the heart of this...and all of them are working for that person..."
***
ANNELISE'S POV
I could taste sweet revenge on the tip of my tongue.
And it tasted delicious.
Finally, after almost three years I was doing what even I never expected to do.
Beginning my ultimate revenge on Berk.
And I was going to start with the blonde bitch that just won't die.
That moment when I lost against her...because of her damn magic ruined me.
I woke up on the side of a mountain...in Wӕlisc.
And Alva was right.
My body was so consumed with the pain I couldn't get up.
I lay there for what seemed like two months watching snow and rain as well as glistening sunshine. I watched animals mate, play and socialise.
But no-one came to me and no-one searched for me.
And I felt a dagger twist my insides as I saw Hiccup and Astrid's wedding.
They were peace.
Everything was how it should be for them.
But it should've been me.
They wasted no time in conceiving a baby and I watched it all (part of the punishment I presume).
I heard his heartfelt speeches to his wife and his baby girl.
I heard his promises to them.
I heard it all.
And it killed me inside.
Itshouldbeme.
It should be me.
It should be me!
IT SHOULD BE ME!
But it wasn't me...but rather her!
That bitch had taken everything away from me and I was going to get it back.
That was my motivation to get up from the mountain side and even though my body ached in agonising pain, I knew I had to be brave.
I had to end this.
And...so my journey began.
Cursed as the Dark Knight made me more aware of my surroundings but also allowed for me to focus on energy.
And I needed dark energy if I was going to find the dagger, which I found.
I concentrated on it long and hard as I travelled through the petty kingdoms of Waelisc, arriving in the Kingdom of Morgannwg.
There was strong magic here.
Strong magic that I was attracted to.
My need and determination to find this magic led me through villages, towns, woodlands and valleys, until finally...I found it.
Tugan Castle.
It was large, dark and stood on a large cliff, a deep trench circling it all around.
The only way to get inside was to cross a bridge.
As I dragged myself across, I realised I was weakening and I collapsed at the front of the castle...everything around me went black.
I didn't know how long I had been out for but I awoke in a dark room, candles burning around me.
I was lying on a stone table, my hands were crossed on my stomach and as I slowly sat up, I realised I was no longer in pain.
What had happened?
"You've been cursed?" A dastardly feminine voice asked me from the shadows and I remained tall and nodded, trying to locate the voice. "By who?"
"Depends on who you ask..." I replied. "A girl...who took everything from me. The man who was supposed to be mine...and this is what they did to me!"
I still felt the hatred for Astrid deep within me and the voice chuckled before stepping out from the shadows.
She had pale white skin...like a ghost and piercing green eyes. Her head was titled down slightly but her eyes burnt straight through me as a structured jawline and cheekbone emphasised her beauty. She had long black hair hanging from a high ponytail from the top of her head. Her black gown was fit against her slim-line body as it covered her from neck to wrists to feet. It had a snake-like pattern with a thick black band at the waist and a sheer panel on her cleavage as black lace decorated the sleeve cuffs. On her neck, she wore a large black neck-cuff and another necklace dropped down to her naval which featured a single but large black stone.
"Looks like we both have something in common..." She raised her eyebrows. "I fell in love with someone who didn't me love me back and the pain of a broken heart is unrepairable...unless those that wronged you also feel pain." She explained and she began to circle the stone table. "You see...revenge for a broken heart is the best revenge of all. You get to play with other people's feelings...they played with yours."
I frowned at her. "Who are you?"
She looked at me, her hands going to her hips. "I have many names...Fae, Morien, Morigena..." She stated. "But I'm the creator of the Dark Curse."
It then hit me who she was. "You're..."
"Morgana Le Fay..." She snarled as she remained standing tall. "The most powerful sorceress to ever walk Albion." She was proud and the stories of Morgana had only ever been bad. "And you're Annelise Baumann. Cheated, deceived, left to die...by your own family...all because of the daughter that was born from the lovers who I originally created the curse for."
She knew everything about me and she walked closer to me, but I didn't cower away. In fact, I was intrigued by this magical creature before me. "And I believe..." Her finger, topped with a sharp black nail and a beautiful ring that twisted up her finger, slid down my jawline. "We can help each other." She clicked her fingers and revealed...the Dagger of the Dark Knight.
Of course, the creator of the Dagger would be able to find it and when she gave it to me, I had full control of not only freewill but of the Dagger's power.
And she trained me in the dark arts for the next year as I slowly began to plot my revenge alongside her.
Morgana had explained her plan – how we would get revenge on the Berkians because it turned out she too had a vendetta against them but didn't tell me much else about it.
We headed to Strathclyde and I kidnapped a Night Fury which I trained as my own, naming him Shadowbane as I did my part. With the dagger, I had control over the dragons...which would mean I could make them do what I want.
Morgana had rounded up others with vendettas against Berk.
There was Vivienne Hertz – Stoick's former betrothed.
Magnus Hofferson – Isolde's husband who had cursed them the first time.
And Morgana's son (whose name she had not told me) who also had a vendetta against Berk, but she didn't tell me much else.
Together, we all had different jobs to do and when the time was right, we would unleash hell on all of Albion.
The Darkness was coming and it was coming fast.
And no-body would know what had hit them.
***
*AN UNKNOWN LOCATION IN WAELISC*
OMNISCIENT POV
The dragon riders and their dragons continued their search for their missing comrades.
"Astrid! Ada!" Hiccup cried loudly as frustration engulfed him that he slashed a dying tree with Inferno, setting it alight.
"Hiccup!" Heather ran over to him and grabbed his wrists. "You need to calm down! Setting fire to the foliage is not helping anyone, especially not us! You're going to give our position away!"
"My wife and my sister are missing, Heather!" Hiccup cried as he pushed Heather away. "I should never have brought them here."
"Hiccup...you couldn't have known!" Snotlout assured him.
"I should never have brought them! I should never have brought any of you! This is my problem! I should've done this by myself! I should never have put you guys at risk like this..." Hiccup slumped into a boulder as he felt his heart tear into two.
"Hiccup...we're a team..." Eret stated. "And that means we're not turning our back on you in your time of need. Do you understand? Astrid and Ada might be your wife and sister respectively, but they are our friends, and I for one, never turn my back on a friend."
"Albion is a big place. They can be anywhere!" Hiccup stated.
"And we won't stop until we've found them, do you understand?" Snotlout stated. "We will find them. We're not going to Berk until they are safe and sound!" He looked at the others who all agreed with him.
Their Queen and princess were missing.
They were not going to give up.
"We need a plan. We can't just march through the woodlands expecting to find them..." Ruffnut suggested. "We head back to our campsite, gather our things and then begin searching."
***
The dragons had awoken and were shaken up from their ordeal but as the dragon riders returned to camp (using their trail of fallen leaves, charred wood and kicked-up dirt), they were confused as to where their riders had gone to.
Stormfly and Aurora became anxious; where were their riders?
Hiccup calmed them down, stroking their heads gently. "We'll find them...I promise..."
Stormfly roared and Aurora did too as Toothless nuzzled his mate.
"It'll be okay, Hiccup..." Heather assured him and he thanked her as they continued their camp clear-up.
As Hiccup crawled into the tent to remove the blankets, his hand ran over Astrid's blue tunic. It was like a jacket – metal fastenings at the front like a waistcoat and a high collar but the back of the tunic was long to her ankles while the front was above her knees. Her mother had made it for her after Eira's birth out of an old dress of her own – a Viking tradition. It emphasised Astrid's high status amongst the Berkian as she was his wife, his Queen, but she was also a kick-ass warrior, ready to defend her people.
He held it close, not wishing to believe that this was all that would be left of the love of his life. He didn't think he could go on without her – how could he look his little girl in her eyes and tell her that her mother was no more?
He stood up and walked over to Ada's tent, preparing to pack up her things too as Aurora came over and nudged him gently.
In one hand, the Chief held his wife's tunic.
In the other, he was holding his sister's cloak.
After almost two decades, he had lived not knowing he had a sister and now that she was finally in his life, he didn't want to lose her.
She was his father's memory and the last he had and if he lost Ada, he lost what was left of his father.
"Hiccup..." Snotlout put a hand on his shoulder and Hiccup looked up at him, not even hiding the tears that had formed in his eyes. "We'll find them. It'll be okay..."
Hiccup nodded, standing up as he walked over to the others. Everything had been packed up and the campfire was diffused.
"How do we start this?" Ruffnut asked, but realising that the Chief was not thinking straight, she turned her attention to Fishlegs.
"Tracker dragons..." He suggested.
They looked at Stormfly, Skullcrusher and Firecracker as Hiccup held up Astrid's tunic and Ada's cloak to Firecracker and Skullcrusher, with Stormfly already aware of her rider's scent.
The dragons flinched, their ears perked up and they roared before facing north-west.
Hiccup set his compass as they all climbed onto their dragons and followed the Nadders and Skullcrusher.
They had no idea where they going but the dragons were not going to let them down.
***
*UNKNOWN AREA*
OMNISCIENT POV
Pain engulfed both Ada and Astrid as they hung from the walls. They dangled some feet above the floor as their arms were stretched above them and they had been so for hours by four masked men who were whipping with leather and smacking them with wooden canes.
They were sweating in the humid room and were covered in dirt and their own blood as Ada's drowsy head fell forward and her arms began to ache further.
And her mind went into a trance...
***
*ADA'S MIND*
My eyes opened and I saw I was in...a stone room?
I sat up slowly and saw...light and when I looked down at myself, I was wearing a simple shift dress.
I was dreaming...obviously.
I pulled back the sheets of the unusually large bed as I looked around to see my clothes and armour but also...
Men's clothes?
I put down the shirts and trousers, thinking maybe something went wrong with the washing before I pulled on my clothes, frowning because they were not my normal clothes.
A red jacket dress that fell to the knees, black leather-hide leggings, fur-lined pale brown boots and fur vest, brown leather belts and a braided leather band around my head.
This was weird, but for some reason, I didn't ask questions.
I descended down the stairs and saw a bowl of oatmeal and fruit waiting for me as well as a cup of yak's milk.
There was no note so I tucked in, before washing up...but then I noticed that a wooden high-chair in the corner.
Maybe Hiccup and Astrid had another baby?
But then it hit me that this was not the castle...but rather a home.
And I was living here...with someone.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I mustered the courage to walk outside to see I had stepped out into the plaza of Berk.
I was home.
And a gush of relief swept through me.
I turned to the house and saw it was significantly larger than some of the others and as I faced the plaza one more time, I saw children running.
New children, I had never seen before.
I shrugged my shoulders as I walked towards the castle and I pushed the doors open I was shocked by what I saw.
Everything had changed.
It was all so much lighter and Hiccup's throne was much more ornate.
What was going on?
"Hey!" Heather's voice came from the left and I turned to look at her.
Had she...aged?
Her clothes had changed too – she wore a green tunic, brown trousers and chainmail armour over it all with ornate arm shields and a thick brown leather belt on her waist held together with a brooch and a brown band across her head.
She looked beautiful. "You slept in! You okay?" Heather asked her and Ada nodded as she noticed the shiny ring on Heather's finger, something Heather noticed. "You still get distracted by it? It's been ten years."
I frowned. "Ten years since what?"
Heather laughed. "Ten years since I got married silly!" She hit her arm playfully and I was no even more confused.
Married?
Since when?
"You really must be tired! No wonder you slept in!" Heather teased as she walked past me. I turned to see her walk over to Eret...whose hair had grown longer, had found his missing shirt and was much more muscular...but he looked good with all of that leather.
Like a real Viking.
There was a boy sitting down at the table next to them – aged around 9 – who was eating his breakfast as a little boy hung onto Eret's leg and he himself was holding a baby, wrapped in fur blankets.
Heather kissed her husband and took the baby from him, cooing and I smiled.
They had their family.
I turned to see Ruffnut and Fishlegs – they too had changed. Fishlegs and Ruffnut both looked slimmer, but maybe it was their clothes. Fishlegs was holding a little girl while Ruffnut bounced a baby boy on her legs as they ate breakfast together too.
I saw Valka (her hair was now greying visibly) as she strolled towards Freda and Isolde. All three of them had aged but still looked beautiful, wrapped up in their fur blankets as they chatted about something.
Tristan and Spitelout were no longer as armed s they used to be, but rather only bared single swords, with much less armour and I came to the conclusion that they were in semi-retirement.
No-one was young forever.
Snotlout and...a lady I had seen before who looked ever so elegant, were sat near to the Chief's table with their two children; a girl and a boy and I smiled at how happy everyone was.
I mean, this was what it was all about.
Happiness.
But why was I seeing this?
Three children came running down the stairs and I recognised immediately as Eira.
She had grown into a beautiful eleven-year-old girl. Her brown hair was braided and she was wearing a red tunic and brown trousers and boots with belts.
There were two boys with her and they looked very similar to her.
Hiccup and Astrid had two sons?
My eyes fell on the staircase as Hiccup and Astrid descended down – looking more like Chief and Queen then I had ever seen them.
Astrid was wearing a beautiful red and gold dress with large sleeves as her long blonde hair hung freely down. A red and gold ornate band was around her head as a crown and she looked so stunning.
And Hiccup...
He had ditched most of the leather with only a leather jacket to his knees over dark blue tunic and trousers and brown boots. A black and brown fur cloak hung from his shoulders, held together at the front by a fancy dragon shaped brooch. On his head was the Viking equivalent to a crown. He sported a beard and moustache and his hair had grown a lot too.
They looked untouchable.
As Astrid sat down at the table, I noticed her swollen stomach.
She was expecting a baby.
Which made Hiccup and Astrid's baby count up to 4.
And if they was only ten years later...it could possibly mean more children.
They were both still so young.
Astrid noticed me and waved for me to join them and I nodded, walking towards them until I felt someone patting my leg.
I looked down to see a red-haired beauty with large green eyes, freckles and pale skin.
"Hello..." I squeezed her cheek and she giggled.
"Njala..." A voice called the little girl, who shared my mother's name and I looked up to see...Tuffnut?
"Daddy!" She ran to him and I frowned.
"Is Njala annoying Mummy?" He cooed at her as he picked her up and my mouth fell open.
"Mummy?" I repeated quietly, not even thinking as he came over to me.
"You feeling better?" He kissed my head gently and my mouth fell open.
"You just kissed me? In front of everyone?"
He laughed. "Of course I kissed you! I don't need permission to kiss you! You're my wife!"
"You're what now?"
His wife?
Since when?
"Adelheid...we've been married for five years!" He informed me and it was at this moment that I realised he wore a wedding band.
And so did I.
I stared at it on my finger and his hand came to my face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm...I'm...I'm..." I was babbling. "I'm so confused." I looked up at him and he took my hand, leading me over to the Chief's table.
I was dreading to know what Hiccup was going to do but instead...he smiled at us?
"Ada! How are you feeling?"
I couldn't reply and Tuffnut cleared his throat. "Still a bit ditsy. She must've hit her head harder than we thought..." He explained and I looked up at him.
"Hit my head?" I questioned and he nodded.
"Yeah...you had a bit of an accident yesterday..." Snotlout explained.
"Maybe you should rest a little more?" Astrid suggested. "Go on...don't worry. We'll take care of you."
"We always have..."
***
OMNISCIENT POV
A chain rattled and Ada awoke as the door was kicked open.
She lifted her head and saw the masked men enter and she tried to crack a smile. "Does this make you feel like men?" She mumbled and they released both Astrid and Ada, who fell into lumps on the floor as Annelise marched into the room.
"Hello, bitches!" She was wearing black trousers, knee-high boots, a black waist coat and a matching tailback jacket with puffed sleeves and high collars.
Her hands went to her hips and both Astrid and Ada noticed she had the dagger in her right boot.
"Well...isn't this a turn of events?" She paced before them, taunting them as her high-heeled boots tapped against the stone floors. "I hope you're being treated the same I was treated when you stabbed me with the dagger."
"We didn't do that..." Astrid managed to croak and Annelise glared at her. "That was Alva."
"Same difference..." Annelise snarled as she looked at Ada, walking over to her and pulling her up by her hair. "I knew there was something about you when I did that descendant's spell. You look like Stoick...except your hair is lighter...redder."
"And you still look like Hel..." Ada spat as Annelise glared at her before slamming her against the wall and it felt like Ada's spine shattered.
"And there it is! That annoying Haddock sass!" Annelise bellowed as Ada groaned in pain. "I'm so glad I didn't inherit it."
"Good! Because only the special ones get it! Says so much about you, doesn't it?" Ada sassed back and Annelise chuckled.
"You're really enjoying this aren't you?"
"Let her go, Annelise!" Astrid cried. "This has nothing to do with her! It's me you are after!" Annelise was looking at her and by her being distracted, Ada tried to reach for the dagger.
But Annelise was too fast. She grabbed Ada's hand and slammed it into the wall as anger raged through Annelise's eyes, her hand that originally held her hair now holding her throat.
"Bad mistake you bastard!" She screamed as she threw Ada to the ground. "You tried to take the dagger from me!" Annelise looked down at the injured Ada who used her energy to sit up as Astrid worried for her, trying to crawl over. "You don't take what belongs to me!" Annelise threatened.
"Ada..." Astrid called weakly as Ada looked at her, fear in their eyes as Annelise pouted.
"Because of that...watch this!" She walked over to Astrid and Ada begged for her to let her go as Annelise was handed a dagger by own of the masked men in the room.
"Annelise! No!" Ada pleaded as Astrid felt her breathing become frenzied and her heartbeat increasing as Annelise grabbed her head, held it up as she ran the point of the dagger against Astrid's jawline.
"I can slice her throat or poison her. Both ways you can watch her die..." Annelise offered the choice to Ada who shook her head, refusing to take part in the sick game. "Yay! That means I get to pick!" She cheered psychotically as she threw the dagger to the side and then circled her like a hawk.
Annelise tapped her chin as she decided what to do.
But then she realised something that no-one else knew and Annelise smiled, before turning to Ada.
"I'll keep it simple..." Annelise snapped her fingers and two guards grabbed Astrid, lifting her up and holding her head and arms as Annelise snapped her fingers again and a boulder appeared in her hands.
"No! Don't!" Ada pleaded for Astrid's life, the recipient of the torture remaining unfazed but rather strong as Annelise winked at Ada who looked away.
"Make her watch!" Annelise cried and the two other guards grabbed her, holding her down and keeping her eyes open and her face fixated on what was about to happen.
"Say goodbye..." Annelise blew a kiss to Astrid before throwing the boulder...into her stomach.
And the Queen cried out in pain as the men released her and she fell into a slump onto the floor as Annelise came over and kicked her a few more times, deliberately with the pointy part of her boots as the Queen screamed in pain and Ada sobbed for her sister-in-law, but discreetly managed to swipe a file from the pocket of one of the guards as they threw her too the floor.
Annelise grabbed Astrid's hair and lifted her face up. "How's that for taking away something you love?"
She threw her back down, snapped her fingers and left the room as Astrid wrapped her arms around her stomach and Ada crawled as close as she could to her, apologising and Astrid sobbed and she felt the blood flow out of her and the life within her slowly dying with her.
***
*EDEYRNION, KINGDOM OF GWYNEDD*
OMNISCIENT POV
"The dragons need to rest," Fishlegs called from Meatlug and even though Hiccup was reluctant to land, he realised he had to.
Toothless was losing focus - they had been flying for hours.
"Alright, bud...down..." Toothless roared and obeyed and he landed in a clearing along with the other dragon riders, Stormfly and Aurora.
As the dragons were tended to, Hiccup stroked Stormfly and Aurora who looked up to the sky and wondering, like the others, where were their riders?
"We'll find them..." Hiccup stroked both dragons and they nuzzled him before joining the other dragons to rebuild their strength with water and fish.
"Hiccup..." Heather came over to him and he looked at her. "Come on...hav something to eat and drink."
He shook his head and walked over to Toothless to grab the saddle bag. "I can't think about that right now."
"Look!" She grabbed his wrist and he faced her. "You're upset and frustrated, but making yourself weak is not going to help Astrid or Ada. You need to build up your strength, because chances are, there will be some fighting involved..."
"I know...I'm just..." He sighed. "I'm sorry..." He looked at Stormfly and Aurora. "I can't..."
"Come on..." She took his hand and led him towards the others where no-one spoke, but took care of their grief-stricken chief.
As they all sat down to rest and recuperate, the dragons growled as they picked up footsteps coming towards them.
"Someone's coming..." Eret said as he removed his sword. The dragon riders removed their weapons and pointed them in the direction the dragons faced.
The brush rustled as a man stumbled through.
He saw the riders and was calm.
He saw the dragons and began to panic, crying out for help.
Snotlout grabbed him, covering his mouth as the others remained alert, but focused their attention on the man.
"Are you going to scream?" Snotlout asked him and the man shook his head, so he was released.
He fixed his appearance and looked at the riders. "You're all Northern Invaders?"
They all nodded and Hiccup stepped forward. "We're not here to harm you, I promise..." Hiccup assured him.
"Then why are you here?" The man was abrupt but realising so, he cleared his throat. "I mean, you are quite far away from home?"
"We were travelling to...Hibernia and went off-course..." Fishlegs lied. "And now...two of ours have gone missing. We're trying to locate them..." He said and the man eyed each of them up.
They were exhausted.
"We don't mean any harm and if this is your land, we'll leave..." Hiccup walked over to Toothless and prepared to climb into his saddle and go.
"Hiccup..." Heather's voice was stern and she walked over to him. "We can't just go. The dragons need to rest. You need to rest."
"Heather...I'm not in the mood to fight with you or the natives of Waelisc! I need to find my wife and sister..."
"Maybe my people can help you?" The man suggested and they all looked at him.
"How?" Eret asked, crossing his arms in an intimidating way.
"We have food, shelter and a place for your..." The man tilted his head and turned to the dragons. "Dragons...to rest."
"Thank you, but we really need to get going..." Hiccup replied as he climbed onto Toothless's back, but Heather grabbed his ear and pulled him off, throwing him to the floor.
"Do you have maps? Someone who can tell us where we are and where we can go?" Fishlegs asked and the man nodded.
"Yes...and we also have a psychic..."
"A psychic?" Ruffnut questioned as Eret smirked.
"People who claim to see the future or your deepest desires..." Eret teased as he turned to the man. "Let me guess...she's the village crazy lady?"
The man glared at him. "She's my mother..."
Eret's mouth fell open as Heather face-palmed, dragging Hiccup over to where Eret stood.
"You two boys..." She grumbled, before turning to the man. "Sounds good."
"What's your name?" Snotlout asked as the man smiled.
"Alun Rhydderch..." He replied, dipping his head and he nudged his head for them to follow.
As Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs walked ahead with their dragons as well as Stormfly and Aurora, Eret walked over to a reluctant Hiccup.
"Hiccup...come on. They can probably help us..." Eret said as they began to walk, followed by their dragons.
"What if they can't? What if this is a waste of time?" Hiccup moaned, keeping his voice low so Alun could not hear.
"Or what if Astrid and Ada are there?" Heather added. "I mean, it's a long shot but we've never been here before, so we need all the help we can get, don't you agree?"
A part of the Chief knew his friends were telling the truth.
He knew they were concerned for him and were worried for Astrid and Ada as was he, but he couldn't relax or let his guard down – not until they were back with him.
"Guys...I'm sorry...okay?" He replied, sighing. "I'm just..."
"We know and we are too...but you need to take care of yourself too, Hiccup. What do you think Astrid's going to when she finds you weak to the bone because you didn't take care of yourself while searching for her?"
Hiccup smirked. "I'd never heard the end of it. She can hold a grudge..."
Eret and Heather smiled. "Exactly! You can worry, yes, but you need to be the Chief."
"You guys are right, I know..." He gave them a warm smile as they continued to follow Alun to his village.
"You know...we had some other new faces in the village too!" Alun called from the front and excitement filled the dragon riders.
"Really? Can you tell us about them?" Snotlout asked as they all hoped it was the news they wanted to hear.
"Just a group of men really..." Alun replied as the bubbles of each of the dragon riders burst.
"Oh..." Ruffnut muttered and Alun noticed their upset.
"But hey! They might be able to help you!" He tried to cheer them up but the fact that no-one knew where Astrid and Ada were, only added to the sadness that lingered deep down in the hearts of the dragon riders.
***
*TUGAN CASTLE, GARLOT, KINGDOM OF MORGANNWG*
OMNISCIENT POV
She paced up and down her throne room as she wondered where he was.
Where was her boy?
She groaned in frustration. "Kay!" She screeched, her piercing voice sending shivers down the backs of the guards of the palace.
"Yes, my lady?" Her loyal guard, Kay spoke as he entered the throne room quickly.
"Where is he?" She asked and Kay remained tall and made eye-contact with her. "Where is my son?"
"He has not yet returned, my lady..." He replied confidently and Morgana screeched. She opened her mouth to speak again but Kay cut in because he knew what she was going to demand. "I've already sent my men out to find him and bring him back."
"Good. Because remember this..." She grabbed his face. "If anything happens to my boy, I will burn every single one of you alive..." She said and Kay nodded. Morgana pushed him away and he bowed, heading out of the throne room.
She was not going to lose her lovely little boy.
"Anything?" A voice asked and Morgana turned around to see Annelise.
"You travel fast..." Morgana spoke slyly and Annelise shrugged her shoulders.
"Perks of being the Dark Knight..." She replied as Annelise walked over to her. "Is he not back yet?" She questioned and Morgana shook her head as she snapped her fingers. Two chalices appeared on the table before her filled with red wine.
"It's quite usual for him to do these things..." Morgana sighed. "But I'm more worried now. Those Berkians are out there and I don't know what will happen if he meets them."
"But he knows about his heritage, right? Thus, he knows about his connection to the Haddocks?" Annelise pointed out and Morgana nodded. "So, what? You think he'll hurt them? That's what we want, right?"
"No...we can't! Not yet at least..." Morgana snapped back. "It will throw everything into jeopardy!" She turned to Annelise. "Do you still have them?"
Annelise smirked and nodded. "Yes. And torturing them is liberating..."
"Girls and their toys..." Morgana rolled her eyes.
"Murdering is quite fun too..." Annelise remarked as Morgana frowned.
"You didn't kill them did you?"
Annelise shook her head, frowning as she threw back a mouthful of red wine. "Of course not! That'll ruin the fun!" She noticed Morgana wanted more information so she sighed. "Astrid was pregnant...but not anymore."
Morgana exhaled. "Why do you get enjoyment out of killing children?"
"You get enjoyment out of killing people too!" Annelise protested as Morgana glared at her.
"I have valid reasons for it..." She replied.
"Yes...well my heart was turned to stone the minute I was stabbed by that damn dagger of yours..." Annelise sipped some more wine as she leaned on a table and Morgana raised her eyebrows.
"Well...your heart can't be that damaged seeing as you keep that Berserker around..."
Annelise looked at her. "Who, Dagur?" She laughed. "He has an army and the most skilled swordsmen in all of Albion. He's useful but he doesn't work for free..."
"So what? You sell yourself to him like a common whore? All for an army?" Morgana teased as Annelise frowned.
"You slept with a guy to get pregnant only to then declare war on his people..." Annelise threw back and Morgana pouted as she placed her chalice on the table.
"Fair point..." She leaned on it with her hands. "But...I can never love another. Mordred is my son and I will love him as such but...my heart has no room for anyone else..."
Annelise rolled her eyes, even though Morgana was genuinely upset over the ache in her heart. "Are you still moping over a man that didn't love you back?"
"He was the love of my life!" Morgana cried, facing Annelise who put her chalice down and held her hand down, so she was able to grab the dagger in case Morgana was mad.
"But he didn't love you! I loved someone too, remember? And you made me move on! It's only been 2 years and I'm over it! But you've been whining about for 200 years! He didn't love you, Morgana! Move on!"
"I can't!" She snapped back. "Not until every single one of them has paid for doing this to me! You think I was always so filled with hatred and darkness?"
Annelise eyed up Morgana and shrugged her shoulders. "You could've fooled me..."
Morgana shook her head. "No...I was loved by everyone! I was respected and cared for! People worshipped me – they weren't afraid! They came to me for help and I helped them and healed them."
"So what happened? Why did you become the Queen of Shadows?" Annelise questioned as Morgana turned away from her as her mind flashed to the face that she had tried so hard to remove from her thoughts.
"She came..." Morgana said through clenched teeth. "It was only ever me and him and everything was perfect. He cared for me and I cared for him...and then she came sweeping in and took him from me! Put him under her bewitching spell with her good looks and charm and side-lined me. They loved each other and I couldn't handle it...!" Morgana explained, Annelise surprised she was pouring her heart out of her.
"Is that why you are so bitter to lovers?" Annelise asked and Morgana turned to her.
"If I can't be with the man that I love...if I don't deserve him...then no-one deserves love..." She declared and Annelise smiled slyly.
"Looks like we have something in common..." She teased recalling one of the first things Morgana said to Annelise when she first came before her.
Morgana smiled and remained tall, her hands coming to her hips. "I suggest you go back and keep an eye on those girls. But first...find that fool of yours and ask him if he has seen Mordred."
Annelise saluted her. She called for Shadowbane and they left the castle as Morgana looked at her reflection.
She was the epitome of beauty.
But it wasn't enough for the man who had broken her heart...
***
*UNKNOWN AREA*
Astrid was lifeless.
Ada had tears streaming down her face as she used the stolen file to free herself from the chains on her ankles.
She had been at it since Annelise and the men had left hours ago, and she was getting through the chain, only a tiny bit of metal left.
Astrid had not moved since the brutal attack against her and Ada would never, ever forgive herself for it.
As the chain snapped, she felt relief that she was finally free and they were going to free of all of this.
She crawled over to Astrid and was finally able to touch her sister-in-law but she wasn't moving. She was covered in blood, a puddle around her legs as Ada worried that Annelise had severely wounded her.
She checked her carefully, keeping her hands on Astrid's skin to wake her up before she crawled to her ankles and prepared to file down the chain to free her.
"Astrid..." Ada said repeatedly until the Queen awoke.
"Ada..." She croaked turning her head to see her sister-in-law was at her feet, filing away at the chain. "What are you doing?" She managed to say, but fearful that they were to get caught.
"I might not have gotten the dagger, but I snatched a file from one of the guards..." She said as she filed the metal faster, using all of her energy to free her sister-in-law as quickly as possible.
After several minutes, the chain snapped and relief filled her as she crawled back to Astrid's front. "Come on..." She nudged her head and Astrid shook her head. "We have to go...now..." She said, knowing that Astrid was scared, as she was too. "This is our only chance to be free. Annelise and her men can come back any minute..."
"I can't get up..." Astrid moaned as she tried to pull herself onto her side, but the pain in her abdomen was too much to bare. "You have to go...and get help."
Ada frowned. "Are you crazy? And leave you here alone?"
Astrid nodded. "Go. She doesn't want you...she's never wanted you. You're just a side-effect of being in the wrong place at the wrong time..." Astrid grumbled. "She wants me...she's always wanted me..." Her voice trailed off. "I should never have come back that day. I should've stayed away from Berk. None of this would've happened if I had backed off and accepted her win! I've brought this on myself..."
"No..." Ada stroked Astrid's face, removing the sweaty blonde hair from her face. "This is no-one's fault but Annelise's okay? You do not take the blame for this...okay? I'm not leaving you..." She whimpered. "If you stay...I stay. We're in this together..."
Astrid looked at her.
The innocence was gone.
Ada was being the strong one while she was being the child and she couldn't let that happen.
She couldn't let Ada stay here any longer but she was stubborn – like her brother and their father.
The only way Ada was going to leave...if she would leave.
And she used that as her motivation.
Mustering up the remaining energy within her, Astrid tried to lift herself up, but the pain in her stomach rendered her back to the ground as Astrid screeched in pain.
"Okay...what do I do?" Ada asked as she saw the agonising pain the Queen was in.
"There's nothing you can do..." Astrid said breathlessly before taking deep breaths. "Stand up..." She told her and Ada obeyed. "Give me your hands..." Ada put them out before her and Astrid calm herself down, before reaching up and pulling herself up, despite the persistent pain in her abdomen.
She hunched over and breathed heavy, shaky breaths, before standing up straight.
A cramp consumed her entire left side, but she stretched to the left and rubbed it to ease the ache before they scrambled to the door.
With the file, Ada picked the lock and was surprised at how easily it opened. The door creaked open and after she looked left and right, they closed the door behind them and remained close to the shadowed walls as they went right.
Finding some stairs, they dragged themselves up, finding the energy to lift themselves despite the ache and pain in their bodies.
At the top of the stairs, an open doorway and they were about to walk through but guards walked past, so they threw themselves up against the walls.
Ada ran to Astrid's side as guards came through the doorway and down the stairs and the girls slipped out and travelled in the same direction the other guards had gone.
The floor was dirty and damp and everywhere was dim as they reached another crossroad, but a window opposite them. Ada walked towards it and looked out to see there was open land all around and trees all around the building, which she could only imagine was a castle.
She looked down to try and see if she could see an exit from the castle walls and she noticed a door to the right, so the girls went right.
They descended more stairs and crept through more corridors, dipping and hiding in abandoned rooms and the shadows as they reached the door...which featured a large, gaping hole at the bottom of it.
The girls climbed through the hole, struggling amongst the pain as they crawled out on their hands and knees.
The cool, fresh air of the outside world hit them as they pushed themselves up against the castle walls in the darkness, tip-toeing to the right as they remained against the castle walls until they reached the woods.
And once amongst the trees, they ran as fast as they could with the energy that remained within them.
***
*VILLAGE OF RUTHIN, EDEYRNION, KINGDOM OF POWYS*
"Welcome to Ruthin!" Alun announced, stretching out his arms as he and the dragon riders entered the small village. It was like what Berk looked like years before with wooden buildings lining the main square and three large wells in the centre. There were food stores, farmlands and barns, with villagers pausing with their lives as they inspected the newcomers...as well as their mighty creatures. On a hill were a large house and a connected building, which Hiccup guessed immediately as the Chief's home and the meeting hall.
"It looks very much like our own village..." Hiccup stated. "Well...was similar."
"Meaning?" Alun asked as Hiccup sighed.
"The buildings were replaced with stone. Having fire-breathing dragons and wood was not a very good combination..." Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and Alun looked at the reptiles.
"They won't..." He questioned and Hiccup shook his head, stroking Toothless's nose.
"No...they're calm and they only usually attack if they think someone is hostile. If you don't surround them with weapons, you'll be okay..." Hiccup explained and Alun nodded as he reached forward to touch a Night Fury for the first time.
"Amazing..." He mumbled, surprised at how calm the creature was as his fingers ran up and down his black scales. "I'll let the chief know you're here. Feel free to help yourself to some water..." He gestured to the wells before dipping his head and heading towards the great hall.
Hiccup walked over to the well and dropped a bucket in before pulling it out and then carried it over to the others so they could rehydrate themselves.
"It's a nice village..." Ruffnut remarked as she drank some water. "Nice and quiet."
"Yeah...but for how long?" Snotlout muttered and they looked at him. "Look...I get Alun is trying to help but how do we know we haven't just walked into a trap."
"If we have...you can blame Heather..." Hiccup said as he dragged the bucket over to the dragons who took it in turns to drink.
Heather growled. "Would you rather be running around in circles in woodlands you have never been in before?"
Alun returned, nervous as he fidgeted with his hands. "The Chief has agreed to see you..." Hiccup stepped forward with the others, but Alun raised his hand. "Only two of you..."
"Of course," Hiccup grumbled as he turned to the others. "Fishlegs?" Hiccup suggested and he stepped forward as Meatlug and Toothless followed.
"No dragons..." Alun added sheepishly and Hiccup sighed, gesturing for Toothless to remain behind, Fishlegs doing the same for Meatlug.
"We'll be okay girl..." Fishlegs assured the Gronckle as Hiccup turned the others as Alun walked ahead.
"Be ready for anything..." He whispered and they agreed as Hiccup and Fishlegs followed Alun into the Great Hall, but he left them there and returned to the others.
"What do we do?" Snotlout asked as Heather stretched and yawned.
"I need sleep..." She grumbled and Alun smiled.
"We have guest houses. You can sleep, change, bathe...whatever it is you want to do..." Alun informed them and Heather was elated.
"Lead the way!"
***
HICCUP'S POV
I entered the Great Hall of the village of Ruthin to see a large man seated on a throne, a petite lady on a chair next to him and guards lining the walls of the hall.
Alun gave a single bow and left as Fishlegs stood next to me and I looked at him.
"Welcome to Ruthin, Northern Invaders..." The man spoke, his voice echoed in the large hall and I frowned.
"I prefer the term Vikings..." I remarked.
"And I'd prefer it if your kind did not set foot on my land, but we can't all have what we want, can we?" His reply was abrupt and I shook my head, agreeing with him. "You are very far from home, so what are you after?"
"Nothing..." I said and the Chief was not convinced.
"I know your kind. They send in the weak ones to do the field work...to scope the area out before the warriors come in and pillage and plunder the villages!" The chief announced. "And judging by your statute and physique, I can't be wrong."
"Ouch..." Fishlegs mumbled and I nodded slowly.
"Okay...that one hurt..." I muttered. "Look..." I composed myself and stepped forward, only to step back when one of the guards on the side pulled his sword out. "I swear on my life, that we're not here for any of that. We were...travelling to Hibernia and we went off course." I recalled Fishlegs's lie to Alun. "We made camp to reroute and then we lost two of our group members. We've been trying to find them..." I explained and the Chief was still not convinced with my choice of words.
"What's with the dragons?" The Chief asked and Hiccup pulled a face.
"We use them to travel...it's much easier than boats and horses..."
"You're the dragon master from Berk!" The lady that sat next to him practically screeched and I was taken aback. I saw how excited everyone got over her claim that I glanced at Fishlegs who nudged for me to confirm her question.
"Yes..." I replied and everyone gasped in shock before the mutters got louder.
"We have heard so much about the Northern men who managed to train dragons! I mean...wow!" Fishlegs raised his eyebrows as did I as the lady leaned back in her chair.
"Is she..."
"Swooning?" I continued. "Yeah...I think she is." I shook my head. "Look...we're really not here to cause trouble. We only got lost and Alun said we could rest here and recuperate for a night before we set off again. He said you also have maps which might be able to help us find out where we are and where we are going?" I exclaimed and the Chief raised his hand.
"I'll make that decision!" His voice bellowed. "You're still Northern Invaders and I despise those savages like I despise my three ex-wives."
"Daddy!" The lady snapped. "I told you not to talk about Mum like that!" She pouted and crossed her arms, turning away from him and the Chief rolled his eyes.
"Daddy?" Fishlegs and I mouthed to each other as the Chief groaned.
"You can stay...for a night only! You will leave first thing..."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you..." I put a hand to my chest. "Would you allow us to use the maps?"
The chief exhaled. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"
I was relieved and thanked him as his daughter jumped up and came over to us, throwing an arm over both Fishlegs and I and pulling us closer to her. "I can't wait to show you boys around!" She was ecstatic and my mouth fell open as I raised my finger.
"Okay...we'll do that...just not right now..." I moved away from her. "I need to check on the others first..." I turned to the Chief who waved his hand.
"I can't stop you..." He remarked as I frowned.
"I'm Hiccup by the way..." I introduced myself, curious as to why he hadn't asked me for my name in the first place. "Chief Hiccup Haddock of Berk."
The Chief raised his eyebrows and at up tall. "I'm Chief Idris Jernigan of Ruthian."
"Well Chief Idris...I thank you for allowing us to stay at your home. Now, I'll go see my friends and then take a look at your maps?" He gestured that it was okay and I turned to face Fishlegs, only to have Idris's daughter, slap my shoulder.
"I'll take you!" She cheered and skipped ahead as I looked at Fishlegs.
"That's Eira in ten years..."
"Please don't...."
I shook my head as we followed her out of the Great Hall and across the plaza.
Please do not make me regret any of this.
***
OMNISCIENT POV
Alun had led the others to a large house overlooking a field and a small brook that was away from the main square. "It's far out to maintain privacy. There are five bedrooms inside as well as two washrooms. The fields are large enough for your dragons. Rest up and when you are ready, I will be around the village so come and find me and I will give you a tour of the village?"
The dragon riders thanked him as the dragons ran to the brook to fish and the dragon riders headed into the house.
The house was large; two bedrooms downstairs and three upstairs with a washroom on both floors. The main living area had chairs, tables and even a large pit fire.
Two of the rooms had double beds while the other three had two single beds. Each bed was freshly made with a simple muslin cloth folded up in case the guests wanted to freshen up. The rooms also featured spare clothes, just in case.
As the dragon riders assembled in the main living area, Eret lit the fire and they all rested in the warmth, removing their cloaks and jackets.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this decision?" Snotlout stated as Tuffnut stoked the fire.
"What decision?" He asked and Snotlout sighed.
"The 'agreeing-to-go-with-Alun' decision..." He iterated and Ruffnut sighed.
"We spend the night, big deal!"
"But every moment we waste here, is a moment less out there, looking for Astrid and Ada..." Snotlout explained.
"Snotlout...we can't just go wandering out there! Other than Eret, we've never been here before! I've been to Waelisc but I've been down-south, not in the north! We won't be doing Ada or Astrid any favours if we get lost..." Heather replied.
"Alun said they have maps. We'll reroute and work out where to go...as well as use the dragons to find them. We have three tracker dragons...we will find them..." Eret added.
"And don't forget the psychic! She might be able to help us!" Ruffnut chimed in. "All in all, us being here is not a bad thing. We need to be at the top of our game because we don't know what we'll face at Corbenic Castle."
"You really think Hiccup is interested in finding the Kingsword now?" Tuffnut scoffed. "The second we find Ada and Astrid, he's going to strap them down on their dragons and force us all to return to Berk."
"He's right..." Heather agreed, her voice dropping in sadness. "He's not interested in the Kingsword now. He just wants his wife and sister back..."
"And he'll get them back..." Eret put a hand on her shoulder, seeing her sadness. Heather looked up at him and took his hand as she leaned into him. "We'll get them back and we won't until we do..."
"To Astrid and Ada..." Snotlout raised his hand, no cup or tankard to toast with. "Wherever you guys are...be safe. We're coming for you and we won't stop until we do..."
The doors suddenly swung open and Hiccup entered with Fishlegs as well as a Welshwoman.
"Wow! Those dragons are so cool!" The lady squealed as Eret raised his eyebrows.
"Who's that?"
"The Chief's daughter...whose suddenly become really obsessed with us..." Hiccup replied as Ruffnut handed him a drink. "Are you all okay?"
They all nodded as Fishlegs nibbled on some nuts and fruit. "We're rested...for now. We're just deciding what to do next..." The front door remained open as Tuffnut kept an eye on the princess who was chasing the dragons around the fields like a child.
"How old is this girl?" He asked, turning to Fishlegs and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Beats me...but she has her 'daddy' wrapped around her finger..."
"We can stay for the night. The Chief has given us permission to use the maps to try and find out way around. We still have Stormfly, Firecracker and Skullcrusher to help us with tracking Astrid and Ada..." Hiccup explained as Snotlout stood up.
"What about the Kingsword?"
"Screw the Kingsword..."
"Hiccup!" Snotlout exclaimed. "We came all this way to find that thing and now you're just going to give up?"
Hiccup nodded. "Yes..." He was straight with his answer, stunning them all. "It was a mistake from the start. I should never have set off to find it. All I'm thinking is that it was a trap from the start – the masked dragon rider did all of this just to get Astrid...and Ada was a side-effect of that..." He shook his head. "No...we find Astrid and Ada and we're going home. Let somebody else find the sword. We'll just find another way to defend Berk."
"Whatever you want..." Ruffnut smiled and the sense of pride in the room was overruled by the Princess in the fields, screaming and chasing the dragons.
"Okay..." Hiccup marched outside to see the princess hanging off of Hookfang's tail.
"Hooky!" Snotlout cried as the Princess hung upside down giggling.
"How do I make him fly?" She asked as Snotlout shook his head.
"No! No! You get off my dragon right now, Princess!"
"I want a ride!" She whined as Snotlout snapped his fingers. Hookfang threw up his tail and the princess landed on the floor. "Ow..."
"Yup...that's definitely Eira in ten years..." Fishlegs iterated and Hiccup glared at him.
"Ten years? I'd say five..." Heather corrected and Hiccup groaned.
"Would you two stop that?"
"Hiccup!" Alun called as he came running over and the princess was excited.
"Alun!" She cheered and Alun titled his head, with a frown when he noticed the princess on the floor.
"Princess...are you okay?" He questioned and she nodded, before jumping up.
"What's wrong? Your Chief went back on his word?" Hiccup asked and Alun shook his head.
"No..." He sighed. "The travellers that I mentioned? They're available now if you want to ask them some questions. I told them your situation and they said they would try and help in any way that they could..."
Hiccup nodded. "Thank you..." He turned to Toothless and called him over.
"We'll come with..." Heather added as Eret put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.
"We're in this together..."
Hiccup smiled and he turned to the others. "We'll be right back. See if you an get the maps and start planning..."
They agreed and as Hiccup, Heather, Eret and Toothless began to follow Alun, the princess came running over.
"I'm coming!"
"We can't stop you..." Heather replied as the princess giggled, skipping ahead and singing to herself
"Is she always this..." Eret whispered to Alun and Alun nodded.
"Yes..." They watched her knocking her head left and right as she ran hr hands over the fields, grabbing flowers and threading them together.
"How old is she?"
"Sixteen..." Alun remarked. "And she acts like a six-year-old..."
As they reached the plaza, Hiccup saw the travellers standing in a group. There were only six of them, but they were clad in leather, fur and armour. One of them wore an unfamiliar brooch on his right shoulder, holding together his cloak and Hiccup guessed he was the leader. He had deep-set dark eyes, black hair past his shoulders, a short beard, a broad nose and thin lips but he was smirking.
"These were the travellers I was telling you about..." Alun said and Hiccup nodded, putting his left hand out to greet the man, but the princess grabbed it and yanked it towards her.
"You're wearing a ring?" She cried and Hiccup pulled his hand away quickly.
"Yes...my wedding ring!" He replied, slightly annoyed and Heather saw the disappointment in the princess's face.
"You're married?" The princess asked and Hiccup sighed.
"Why does everybody find that that so hard to believe?"
Eret snickered and Heather reached behind Hiccup to pinch Eret's arm.
"Is she your wife?" The princess pointed to Heather and she pulled a face.
"What...ew! No!"
Hiccup looked at her in shock. "Ew? What's wrong with me?"
Heather blushed. "Nothing...your just not my type. And we're friends...that's it!"
Hiccup turned back to the man before him and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that..."
"No worries..." His voice was deep but he spoke in a strong Ængland accent. "So...who is it you are looking for?"
"My wife...and sister..." Hiccup replied and the princess groaned even louder, but they all ignored her as Alun shooed her away. "They went for a walk, we heard their scream, found a dead body but there was no sign of them."
The man stroked his beard. "I see. What do you they look like?"
"My wife has blonde hair, blue eyes. She was wearing a light brown blouse, black trousers and boots. Carrying an axe? My sister has red-brown hair, braided to one side, green eyes and slight freckles on her face. She was wearing a purple blouse, brown trousers and boots and was probably carrying her bow and arrow?"
The men conferred with each other and they gave the answer Hiccup was dreading.
"No..." The man said simply. "I'm sorry..."
"It's okay..." Hiccup replied. "I understand it was a long shot from the beginning."
Heather put a hand on his shoulder as the man eyed them up. "What are Vikings doing so far away from the North anyway?"
"It's a long story..." Eret replied and the man gestured for him to continue. "We're looking for something...and let's say we ended up off-course and then Astrid and Ada were taken."
"I see..." The man nodded. "Well...I'm sorry we couldn't help...but you know..." The man's voice trailed off. "We know Wӕlisc quite well. Maybe we can help you find your wife and sister?"
Hiccup frowned. "What's the catch?"
"Payment of some sort..." The man replied. "I'll let you know closer to the time..."
"That can mean anything..." Eret snarled at Hiccup.
"We don't really have much of a choice..." Hiccup stated. "You got yourself a deal..." Hiccup put his hand out and the man shook it. "But..." Hiccup pulled the man close. "If you double-cross me...let's just say the last thing you will see is purple, isn't that right, Toothless?" They turned to the Night Fury who roared and then fired a plasma shot into the sky.
"I'm many things...but I'm not a backstabber..." The man pointed out as Hiccup turned to Heather and Eret.
"Let's get those maps..." Hiccup stated and Heather and Eret followed him with Toothless.
"I didn't catch your name, dragon rider..." The man called and Hiccup turned to him.
"It's Hiccup Haddock of Berk..." Hiccup announced proudly. "And yours, traveller?"
The man smiled and dipped his head, placing a hand to his heart.
"Mordred Pendragon...at your service."
***
*UNKNOWN AREA*
Annelise returned to the castle and demanded Astrid and Ada to be tortured further, or rather, she would do the honours.
As she marched over to the dungeon doors, she kicked it open, only to find the girls missing. The chains had been cut with a file and Annelise felt her blood boil and her anger emit.
"They've escaped?" She screeched and her guards were just as shocked. "Find those bitches! Now!" Her voice echoed, causing an earthquake that shook the castle's grounds and soon enough the guards filed out of the castle and headed in every single direction, hoping to find the girls or face their mistress's wrath.
Annelise stood on the tower of the castle, looking out to the vast woodlands as the sun was beginning to set.
"You got cocky..." A voice said from behind her and she didn't have to turn to know who it was. "That's what happens."
"You are not blaming me for this, Dagur!" She spat, glaring at him. "I was with Morgana. Where were you?"
"Doing your dirty work in that village in Dunoding..." He snapped back. "You should know that those girls are slippery."
"Why do you think I tortured them so much and refused to feed them?" Annelise growled. "I wanted them weak...so they couldn't escape!"
"And how did that work out for you?" Dagur teased as Annelise faced him, grabbing his face. "Morgana is not going to be happy..."
"Morgana is not going to find out..." She pushed him away and he frowned. "Because if she does, it won't just be me she goes after."
Dagur smirked. "You're actually protecting me?"
"Don't flatter yourself..." She replied as Dagur came to her and pulled her towards him. "Morgana will have both of our heads...so we both better pray that those men find them."
"My men are the best..." He smiled slyly. "They won't fail..."
"You better hope not..." She grabbed his face and kissed him.
There was no love in this toxic relationship – only lust.
Both of them craved it and both of them shared an ultimate goal:
The end of Berk.
***
*LLANGOLLEN, EDEYRNION, KINGDOM OF POWYS*
Astrid and Ada had been running.
They didn't know for how long but they had been going for as long as they could.
And now, as they reached a river, they decided to take a break and rehydrate their dry mouths, before crossing it to see what awaited them on the other side.
As Ada drank some water, Astrid coped with the aching pain in her stomach as she rubbed it gently and walked towards a bush...noticing some edible berries – blackberries.
She picked off a handful and walked over to Ada, offering her some, before picking off some more and enjoying them herself.
"We don't even know where we are going..." Astrid mumbled as she leaned on a boulder, rubbing her stomach to ease the pain.
"We just need a village or town...anything..." Ada replied as she washed her hands.
Both girls were fully aware of their appearances – their hair was rugged and falling out of the braids loosening greatly. They were covered in blood and dirt and their clothes were ripped from everywhere, while their feet were blistered and sore.
"I just want to go home..." Astrid's voice croaked as Ada came over to her.
"And we'll go. I promise..." She put her hand out and Astrid took it.
"I'm sorry...for not being braver or..."
"No...don't apologise. I'm scared out of my bone too, but we both need to stick together. We can't both show our fear..."
Astrid nodded, and knowing she had to toughen up, she stood up slowly and both girls took hands as they crossed the river. The ice-cold waters of the river numbed the aches and pains in their feet and legs as it washed over all the cuts and grazes from their torture.
As they reached the other side, they heard shouts so they ran into the woods and kept on running, scrambling under and over low branches and jumping over boulders and roots, until they reached a cliff-side.
Astrid put her arm out to stop Ada from skidding over the edge.
"Wow..." Ada was in awe at the size of the castle. It was situated on high rocks surrounded by a deep moat and the only way across was a bridge. "Shall we take a risk?"
As they turned back to the woods, the girls realised they had no other choice. "Come on..." Astrid took the lead as they began to walk across the bridge. Looking down, they saw the moat was dark and very deep as they were careful where they stood.
As they reached half-way thinking all was going good, Ada peered over the edge and frowned. "Astrid..." She said calmly.
"Yeah?"
"There's something moving down there..." She replied and Astrid looked over the edge, shaking her head.
"I don't..." The water growled and there were large vibrations and ripples as the bridge swayed left and right.
And then it stopped – everything was quiet.
"It was probably..." Ada was cut off by a loud roar as a beast flew out of the water and began watching the girls. "What is that?" Ada screamed as it roared again and began splashing the water.
"I don't know and I don't want to stay here to find out!" Astrid began to ran as the beast watched them. He smacked his tail on the rock walls, whipping the bridge and the girls fell.
"Get up!" Ada pulled Astrid up as they ran again, but the best only did it again, only this time, Ada went over the bridge.
"Ada!" Astrid cried as she grabbed her hand and began to pull her up. Ada was holding onto the rope as the beast swam under her. "You have to work with me!" Astrid cried and Ada nodded as she pulled herself up with the help of Astrid.
As she came back onto the bridge, the beast came flying out of the water, mouth open as the girls leaned on the other side of the bridge.
It was large and scaly; it looked like a dragon but wasn't one.
As it slowly retreated back down, Ada was breathing heavily, realisation hitting her that the beast could've eaten her alive.
She put her hand to her heart as Astrid pulled her up and they continued across the bridge, but looking down Ada noticed the beast was no-where to be found.
"It's gone..." She mumbled but they continued across, the castle getting closer...
Until...
The beast, in a smaller form, jumped up from the water and stood on the bridge before them, blocking their way.
Ada and Astrid screamed as they scrambled backwards.
"I have a weapon!" Ada held it out in front of her as Astrid frowned.
"It's a file!"
"At least it's something!" She replied as Astrid held Ada's arm and Ada tried to scare the beast.
She jabbed at it, but it didn't flinch, instead roaring incredibly loud that the girls were covered in slime and fish guts
"Oh, my Thor..." Astrid gagged as Ada wiped away from slime from her face.
"I see it's not afraid of a file..." Ada added as Astrid pulled a face.
"You think?"
As Ada jabbed at the beast again, screaming at it, the beast locked eyes with Ada and it suddenly froze as it realised something.
"What did you do?" Astrid questioned as Ada shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know..." She replied as she checked the file to see if she hadn't stabbed the beast unknowingly. The beast roared to the sky, before bowing its head and then retreating back into the moat below.
"That was very strange..." Astrid peered over the edge as Ada was celebrating.
"Yes! I stopped that thing with a file! A file of all things! This small, sharp piece of metal stopped that magnificent beast! Ha! In your face, Hiccup Haddock! I am capable of defending myself!" She began to dance and Astrid rolled her eyes and grabbed her wrist, dragging her towards the castle.
"Celebrate later. Let's just get inside before it comes back..."
"But I stopped it! It won't come back..."
Eventually, they reached the castle, the rickety bridge behind them and Ada looked up, almost falling backwards at how tall the castle was.
"This is...something..." She mumbled as Astrid dragged herself to the door.
Adrenaline had kicked in when the beast attacked them and she had forgotten the pain in her stomach, but now it was back with vengeance.
She was struggling to stand up and walk that when she knocked on the door, they flew open and she fell through but didn't get back up.
"You guys...should've built a castle like this! This is incredible...although that beast thing is not really needed..." Ada was so distracted by the exterior she had failed to notice an unconscious Astrid. "Astrid?" She called, before seeing her sister-in-law on the floor. Her smile dropped and she ran over. "Astrid!" She turned her over and saw that she was bleeding severely down her legs and Ada began panicking.
"Help! Someone! Help!" She cried, her voice echoing off the empty and silent castle.
But someone did here.
He had been in silence for years – no-one was supposed to enter the castle.
The Afanc was undefeatable -its sole purpose was to protect, thus it could not be destroyed but only by the person who had summoned it.
So, for a person to be in the castle, it meant the prophesized child was present...or someone with their blood.
The man ran through the castle, eager to meet this person as Ada called for help, praying someone would come as tears streamed down her face.
And then the man arrived in the castle foyer and he saw the two girls and he was noticed by Ada.
"Please help me!" She begged and the man looked at Ada, studying her.
She was the sister of the Once and Future King.
"Can you carry her?" He asked, his deep foreboding voice echoing in the quite halls of the castle.
Ada shook her head. "No...I'm too weak..."
"Very well..." The man waved his staff and Astrid was lifted and placed on wooden cart which appeared in a puff of smoke. Ada jumped up, her mouth open in shock as the cart began to move on its own, following the old man into the castle.
"Wait..." Ada followed him, the doors closing behind her as she was shocked by what was happening. "You have magic?"
The man nodded. "Indeed..."
"How?"
"I was born with it..."
Ada was still in shock as they arrived in a large stone room. It had books, shelves, pots, jars, phials, buckets and baskets as well as papers, chairs, scrolls, stones and rocks.
A room of sorcery.
The man got to work on Astrid as Ada looked around the room, opening up phials and smelling the contents as she tried to read the papers and scrolls that were lying around, unbeknownst to her, the man was now standing over her.
He cleared his throat and Ada jumped. "I wasn't prying..." She lied and the man rolled his eyes.
"Your friend will be okay..." He replied, waving his hand as the papers reorganised themselves, the books slammed shut and the scrolls folded back up. "I've given her a little something for the pain."
"Thank you..." Ada replied as she walked over to Astrid.
"You may rest...but don't touch anything..." He warned and Ada nodded, before she jumped up again.
"My name's Adelheid..." She introduced herself and the man nodded as he faced them.
"I know your name, Ada..." He remarked. "And I know she is Astrid Hofferson Haddock."
Ada frowned, looking at Astrid as the man turned away to leave. "Wait...who are you? Where is this?"
He stopped, tensing his muscles before her turned to face her.
His red floor-length overcoat with gold embroidery swept the floor as he faced them. His silvery-grey long hair and matching beard disguised his face as the man tapped his staff on the floor a few times.
A blanket flashed before Ada as well as some fresh clothes and warm soup.
"This...is Corbenic Castle..." He gestured to the building and Ada was shocked that they had found it.
The man placed a hand to his chest and smiled, dipping his head slightly.
"And I...am Merlin."
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Hi!!!
So, what do you all think???
A lot going on but exciting stuff!!!
Morgana, Mordred, Annelise, Merlin and Dagur have all appeared so what happens next?
I have a mood board for the mythological characters that appear that might help you in understanding their appearance and personality.
First up; Morgana.
The thing about Morgana was that she was beautiful (as you will see) but she was also evil. I delved into her reasons for this briefly in this chapter, but more will be revealed as the book goes on.
Next up Mordred;
Mordred is attractive - like really attractive and he has a rather scandalous past with one of the dragon riders.
Finally, Merlin;
Merlin plays a big role in the novel. If you know your Arthurian legends, you will know his connection to not only Morgana but also the lady of the lake.
Okay, here's an idea of what Morgana and Annelise are wearing in these chapters.
Morgana's first look when she saves Annelise;
Her second look when she's worrying about Mordred and talking to Annelise;
And Annelise's look for the chapter;
Gosh, I love Regina (if you can't already tell!) XD
Okay, so the Fisher King is said to be the King of Corbenic Castle, but this will be explained in the next chapter.
Here's Corbenic Castle;
How long do you think it will take the dragon riders to reunite with Astrid and Ada??
The next chapter is titled 'The Holy Grail' and here's a synopsis;
'After meeting with the psychic, the dragon riders, along with Mordred and his men, begin their search for Astrid and Ada. Tensions rise between Annelise and Dagur when they have to confess to Morgana that they no longer have the girls, causing her to change plans abruptly. Astrid and Ada learn more about Merlin, Corbenic Castle and the mysterious object known as the Holy Grail as Astrid is encouraged to embrace who she is and reach inside to unleash the power that she had bound...'
All of this is coming!!!
My review to RTTE S5 will be delayed for a while because I still have to rewatch the episodes, but I've been so busy applying for my postgraduate study as well as recovering from weekend after weekend of weddings, so bare with me.
On the plus side...
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 7 HAS ENDED!!!
AND IT WAS THE BLOODY BEST ENDING EVER!!!
JON AND DANY!! (It's about bloody time!)
SANSA AND ARYA ACTING AS BADASSES.
RIP LITTLEFINGER! (no great loss there!)
JAIME STANDING UP FOR HIMSELF AND WALKING AWAY FROM CERSEI (bye, Felicia!)
TYRION IS UP TO SOMETHING (please don't betray Dany!)
JON IS THE RIGHTFUL HEIR TO THE IRON THRONE! (Bend the knee, Dany!)
AND VISERION IS NOW AN ICE DRAGON!!! (Night King needs to die, like now, please?)
I need season 8!
I'm still in love with Fullmetal Alchemist! This show has become my life.
Ed and Winry are so cute!!! XD
And Alphonse is so adorable! I just want to hug him and protect him that little cutie pie!
OUAT is coming back as is Gotham.
Not sure how to feel about OUAT season 7 as the entire cast has been overhauled, but I believe Adam and Eddie know what they are doing - they have not let me down before!
Is anyone else excited for season of Trollhunters?
For those wondering, Voltron: Legendary Defender will be back with more episodes, October 13th. I don't know why they split the season into two, but DAMN THOSE SEVEN EPISODES WERE FULL ON!
I won't spoil it for anyone, but WOW!
My predictions were correct, let's just say that!
Still obsessed with Moana.
Still obsessed with The Book of Life.
Okay...I'll see you guys soon!
Bye for now!
xxx