"I Do.... NOT!!"

Chapter 8: Podless

.... Hiccup's POV....

Was I hearing things? Had Astrid really just offered to help me out? Why would she help a dragon? I mean I guess she felt obligated to help me since I helped her... but really I was quite surprised she had let me be around her this long. I was very happy about it though, spending time with her was the highlight of my day. I surveyed sea stacks carefully as I passed, looking for our temporary den. I soon found it, complete with sleeping dragonets and all my podmates. They were finishing evening prey and talking quietly, clearly worried.

2 encounters from vikings today. The big one's stick came to close for comfort. We're sitting ducks out here Hook fang hissed.

I sighed and made my way to the corner of our cave. I'd need to move my pod. During the night. That's when it would be safest. Spike tail. Let me lead the pod somewhere safe tonight. I've got a few ideas, if the pod was spotted by vikings tonight would be the best time to move out. I told Spike tail.

He hissed and clawed the ground, clearly annoyed. Shut up runt. You were the one that got us into this mess. I don't trust you to lead this pod anywhere. We will go where I lead tomorrow. Now we rest. I growled in anger. This foolish nadder had no idea how dangerous that would be! NO! don't you see? We can't live under the queen anymore, and we can't go back to the den unless she is gone. We need to rule ourselves, and until we gain our freedom we have to hide from the vikings during the day! They will kill you and your pod if they see you, or worse, capture you! I roared

GET OUT!! I'll kill you if I see your face again! Spiketail roared, he was now up on his talons and spiked up. His tail hovered dangerously close to throwing position. I ducked my head and backed away. There were dragonets here, they didn't need to see me hurt their father. If we got in a fight I would win, at great cost to Spiketail and Stormfly.

I could only watch from the shadows now and rescue them, when or if they got captured by vikings. I turned and flew from the tension and cold silence of the den, my heart heavy at the thought of never seeing some of my podmates again. I couldn't come back- at least not while Spiketail led them.

I flew into the night, under the starry skys. That was one thing I loved about being dragon. There were few feelings better than flying, and no better way to clear my head. As I circled high above Berk, longing filled my heart. I wanted a life with Astrid, but that wasn't possible if her family or anyone else knew the truth. Who knew what she would do if she found out my real name... she probably wouldn't want a life with me either. I started as an axe whizzed passed my tail- I had accidently dropped to low in my circles over Berk and the firelight of the watch towers must have caught my scales as I flew over. I pulled myself up and pumped my wings hard, dodging whizzing weapons and a net or two. I nearly reached the cloud cover as a well aimed mace knocked me hard enough to disorient and land me in the way of a net hurtling past me.

Panic and shock raced through me as my wings tangled and my tail snapped up painfully to my side. I roared in agony as another arrow lodged in my side and wind raced passed my dive bombing body. The gravel of the watchtower base raced toward me, I struggled to transform and then stopped mid way, realizing I could never get out of the net fast enough with my wounds. I braced myself for impact, hoping for a speedy death.

I woke in the dark and quickly adjusted to realize it was a cage most likely underneath Berk's arena. The smell of dead fish and old dragon blood assaulted my nose, my body quickly began to remember the arrow lodged in it, as well as vicious bruising from my crash land. I groaned in pain and tried to light my plasma, only to realize my mouth was chained shut. Some kind of heavy metal contraption weighed my head down and chained me to the cage entrance, where a slight amount of light snack underneath. I took a few painful breaths and considered transforming again. It might kill me though... I had never tried to do this with an arrow lodged in my rib cage. I dropped my aching head and tried to rest, hoping another idea would come.

" The beast is heavily secured Stoick! Any other preparations for dragon killing ya need before tomorrow?" A viking voice asked above me. I started and groaned in pain, the arrow felt worse than ever! Cold dread swept over me as my father's voice replied to the viking. Of course he had no idea who I was. All he knew was that both his wife and his only son were taken in 2 different dragon raids. He was out for blood.

I knew the two were right above me in the arena stands. My hearing was incredibly sharp and enhanced in my night fury form, but right now I wished it wasn't. The fact that my own father was planning to kill me made me sick. My captors footsteps quieted and ceased all together as a familiar voice yelled for them to wait. Hope rushed through me as I realized it was Astrid. She must have heard about my demise... maybe she would help me escape.

"Stoick. I heard of the night fury. As future chieftess of Berk I would love to see this beast myself- I'll even feed it for tomorrow. The show will be more fun to watch if the beast has just a little fight in it," she said. "Very well. But under no condition will you do anything but feed it and remove the arrow. I hope you're ready for the fight tomorrow. I personally don't find it advantageous to combine the berserkers and our tribe... but I had to agree that you would at least give the chief's son a try to keep peace and good relations," Stoick replied. I shuddered. If only I knew how to show my face again... maybe Astrid wouldn't have to consider another chief's son. Footsteps simultaneously left and came closer. Then the doors of my prison began to creak, and light seeped in. I moaned in painful anticipation, all I wanted was relief from this arrow.

" Toothless... it's ok, I'm gonna get you out of here. This war has gone on long enough. No way I'm gonna be around for that party tomorrow," she whispered to me. I shuddered as she placed a soft hand on my head. "OK. Let's get this thing out of you," she mumbled. She set down her bucket of supplies and a delicious smelling basket of fish, then got to work.

I wailed through my mouth bindings as Astrid applied pressure and yanked the arrow from my side. It was one of the worst things I'd ever felt. Hot tears leaked down my nose as she apologized and began washing the area with a rag. She brought out some leaves and then undid my mouth after looking behind her. "Lick these quick. I'm so sorry I can't leave this thing off your face." She whispered. I licked weakly, shaking from the effort. She put the sopping wet leaves on my wound and carefully bound a bandage snugly around my waist.

"OK. Just try to eat a few of these," Astrid told me, and laid three fish from her basket on front of me. I managed to get the first one down and then rested my head, exhausted from the effort. "You poor thing. You lost a lot of blood. I'm so sorry I couldn't come sooner," Astrid whispered, and bent over to give me a gentle face hug. I moaned in gratitude and liked her cheek, hoping it wouldn't make her nervous. She giggled and smiled at me. "That was strangely ticklish", she said. I gave her a half smile and leaned my head in her hands. She dumped the rest of the fish to my side after a few moments and then stood.

"Now to pretend I'm doing my job," she said with an eye roll. I perked my ears and waited as she left the cage and locked it, then a hatch above me opened. One of my chains connected up at the top, and after some maneuvering she started dropping a few fish she had saved through the hatch. "Now I'm gonna pretend to knock you out," she whispered. I nodded and closed my eyes as a large hollow stone with and opening for my head crashed down from the ceiling and covered my head. I soon heard rustling and then rough hands sized my head and shoved my head to the ground. The headgear was back on in moments and the vikings were gone before I opened my eyes.