Another Nightmare Book 3: Facing Nightmares

Chapter 31

Hiccup crouched behind a grouping of bushes, moving frustratingly slowly while carrying Heather's axe along with his spear, shield, and the little dragon that refused to leave. At least the knives he had hung from his belt and didn't have to carry in his already full hands. Heather herself followed him with nothing to carry, but at least she was moving just as stealthily and hadn't done anything to expose Hiccup, so far. He peeked over the bush and into the village, especially towards one building, the Chief's house. There was no one out. Even those villagers who didn't join the rebellion wouldn't wander around with how tense things were.

For Hiccup that was just fine.

"How long are you going to keep my axe?" Heather complained.

"What are you going to do if I give it to you? Try to strike me in the back?"

"You are such an idiot, you know that? If I wanted to kill you, I would not have dropped it in the first place."

"Maybe," Hiccup muttered and continued moving. "Stay quiet."

"Where are we going? You never bothered to tell me what you're planning."

"I know," Hiccup said. "We are going to break into the Chief's house."

"Why?"

"To get the keys to the arena and its dungeons. I just hope Hakon has kept them where Chief Hemming did."

"And how do you know where that is?"

"Ivar once stole them to see Shortclaw.

"And now we are doing the same. Great."

"No, this time Shortclaw isn't in the arena, but freeing the people should help us get to the dragons."

"And which are more important to you?" Heather asked. Hiccup stopped for a moment before continuing.

"You might have learned about dragons, but you still see them differently from people, like animals. I don't see that difference, just how each of them has treated me and what responsibility I have accepted for them."

He hurried alongside path walls to the large house, crouching low to avoid detection. Heather's footsteps followed. Once there, Hiccup looked around. There was an open hatch on the second floor. Hiccup sighed. Maybe there was some good in Sharpshot coming along. He turned his head to look at the little dragon standing on his shoulder. No spoken words were needed as Sharpshot hopped off and flew into the house with tendrils of Hiccup's thoughts following and guiding him. Soon the little dragon flew out of the hatch with the set of keys in his mouth. Hiccup tried to pick them up with the hand already holding his spear, but crouching for the keys turned out tricky with a shield and an axe in the other hand.

"You know it would be easier for you to just give my axe back. If I wanted to hurt you, I could just start shouting."

"Fine, I need you for the next part anyway," Hiccup responded and let her take the axe before kneeling to pick up the keys.

"And what exactly do you need me to do?"

"Oh, just go tell the guards you found me but couldn't catch me, pretty much the truth, or part of it anyway. There is no way to free people through the open arena front, but with these I can try to sneak in through the back, if the number of guards is as low as you said. There should be weapons too."

"That's your plan? Do you actually think it will work?"

"Maybe, there is only so much two people can do with no time to prepare."

"You do understand that failure means death?" Heather asked.

"You can still try to pretend you were on their side the whole time. I could have come here on my own after getting away from you."