Chapter 14 (Chapter 99!) 3/?afterandalasiaAugust 21 2016, 11:17:42 UTC
He had to say one thing for Alvin: the communication on Outcast Island was certainly efficient. Hiccup refused to let show how much his legs shook when he was pulled to his feet again, the fish and cheese of the previous evening not doing anywhere near enough. He had found a nook in the wall in which to tuck the onion away, but was fast coming to consider it a viable dinner option. He rolled away the stiffness in his wrists as Swordripper took the keys and went to close the door again, only for Alvin to speak up.
“No,” he said. “Her as well.”
“What?” said Heather. Hiccup could not blame her for either the surprise or the fear in her tone, considering that she did not know quite what was going on, but that it involved dragons. She tried to hold her hands away as Swordripper stepped into the cell and grabbed at her, and planted a determined kick on his knee. His leg almost buckled beneath him, but he grabbed the manacles and used them to drag her sharply sideways, almost pulling her over, before unlocking them.
“Hey!” said Hiccup. “There’s no need for that!”
“She wants to fight, she gets to fight,” said Alvin, in an infuriatingly reasonable tone of voice. Swordripper took hold of Heather’s arm and pulled her to her feet, even as her legs gave way and she had to catch herself on the wall. “Come on, I’m sure after all that time in that cell you’re just itching for a stretch.”
Heather glared at him from beneath her hair, and dragged herself upright with pain flickering visibly in her tight lips and winces. But she made it to upright, just as Swordripper took the opportunity to shove her in Hiccup’s direction.
It was only a couple of steps, but she stumbled, and Hiccup dodged in to catch her more from instinct than clear thought. She hissed angrily, fingers digging into Hiccup’s arms, but allowed herself to be helped upright and gave him a nod that he knew was still one of thanks.
“It’ll be all right,” said Hiccup quietly, as he released her arms. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Don’t worry, girl,” said Alvin. “You’ve been honoured! Wasn’t so keen on teaching us what he knows, were you, Hiccup? Now, get moving, all of you, and if I hear a word of Arendellen in front of those dragons you’ll all be working with gags on.”
Hiccup slowed his pace when he realised that Heather’s steps were still a little faltering, and put on a slight limp as a way of explaining it. It was harder to argue with a prosthetic foot, after all, and doubtless Outcast Island had more than enough of them to speak to that. He did not dare look over his shoulder, however, and had to trust that they were both still behind him as he led them directly down the tunnel to where the dragons were being held.
The air still made his head reel, made bile rise in his throat, but it was not as bad as it had been the day before and he only hesitated for a step before continuing. He heard Elsa’s sharp gasp, but before he could turn Alvin snapped at them to keep going, and given the circumstances he did not have much choice but to obey.
Just inside the room he stopped, and turned to them both. Elsa looked even paler than usual, almost ashen, and fear flickered in Heather’s eyes as she looked around. There was a muted, strangled roar from one of the Gronckles, and Heather jumped, almost darting backwards before the man who had joined Alvin stepped into her way. She bounced off him.
“It’s all right,” said Hiccup. “They’re just angry because they’ve been chained up.”
“They?” said Heather.
Hiccup looked at Alvin, expecting him to take over at this point, but Alvin just looked amused with the whole thing and nodded for Hiccup to explain. “The dragons,” said Hiccup, finally. “There are seven of them, one to a pen,” he nodded down along the line. “Alvin wants me to show them how to work with the dragons.” Unable to help himself, he gave Alvin a venomous look. “I’m not sure how much they’re actually learning.”
“No,” he said. “Her as well.”
“What?” said Heather. Hiccup could not blame her for either the surprise or the fear in her tone, considering that she did not know quite what was going on, but that it involved dragons. She tried to hold her hands away as Swordripper stepped into the cell and grabbed at her, and planted a determined kick on his knee. His leg almost buckled beneath him, but he grabbed the manacles and used them to drag her sharply sideways, almost pulling her over, before unlocking them.
“Hey!” said Hiccup. “There’s no need for that!”
“She wants to fight, she gets to fight,” said Alvin, in an infuriatingly reasonable tone of voice. Swordripper took hold of Heather’s arm and pulled her to her feet, even as her legs gave way and she had to catch herself on the wall. “Come on, I’m sure after all that time in that cell you’re just itching for a stretch.”
Heather glared at him from beneath her hair, and dragged herself upright with pain flickering visibly in her tight lips and winces. But she made it to upright, just as Swordripper took the opportunity to shove her in Hiccup’s direction.
It was only a couple of steps, but she stumbled, and Hiccup dodged in to catch her more from instinct than clear thought. She hissed angrily, fingers digging into Hiccup’s arms, but allowed herself to be helped upright and gave him a nod that he knew was still one of thanks.
“It’ll be all right,” said Hiccup quietly, as he released her arms. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Don’t worry, girl,” said Alvin. “You’ve been honoured! Wasn’t so keen on teaching us what he knows, were you, Hiccup? Now, get moving, all of you, and if I hear a word of Arendellen in front of those dragons you’ll all be working with gags on.”
Hiccup slowed his pace when he realised that Heather’s steps were still a little faltering, and put on a slight limp as a way of explaining it. It was harder to argue with a prosthetic foot, after all, and doubtless Outcast Island had more than enough of them to speak to that. He did not dare look over his shoulder, however, and had to trust that they were both still behind him as he led them directly down the tunnel to where the dragons were being held.
The air still made his head reel, made bile rise in his throat, but it was not as bad as it had been the day before and he only hesitated for a step before continuing. He heard Elsa’s sharp gasp, but before he could turn Alvin snapped at them to keep going, and given the circumstances he did not have much choice but to obey.
Just inside the room he stopped, and turned to them both. Elsa looked even paler than usual, almost ashen, and fear flickered in Heather’s eyes as she looked around. There was a muted, strangled roar from one of the Gronckles, and Heather jumped, almost darting backwards before the man who had joined Alvin stepped into her way. She bounced off him.
“It’s all right,” said Hiccup. “They’re just angry because they’ve been chained up.”
“They?” said Heather.
Hiccup looked at Alvin, expecting him to take over at this point, but Alvin just looked amused with the whole thing and nodded for Hiccup to explain. “The dragons,” said Hiccup, finally. “There are seven of them, one to a pen,” he nodded down along the line. “Alvin wants me to show them how to work with the dragons.” Unable to help himself, he gave Alvin a venomous look. “I’m not sure how much they’re actually learning.”
“Enough commentary,” said Alvin sharply.
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