Storm at Sea Viggo x reader

Chapter 6

A melodic whistle hummed in time with the swaying of a crib. Swirls and stars engraved into the strong oak alongside names etched along the rear end, memorabilia of the families before. A women sat next to the crib gently rocking it, occasionally stroking a babies head. The baby lay content with the women whistling, staying silent appreciating the tune. Outside the sun rested in the crook of the hills, threatening to disappear below the horizon. Before long, the sun, now a mere sliver, casts a final farewell, painting the clouds with a delicate golden outline before disappearing beyond the curvature of the earth. In the tranquil aftermath, the sky transitions into a tapestry of deepening blues and purples, while the first twinkling stars emerge to dot the velvety expanse. The air carries a sense of serenity, as if the world itself is taking a moment to pause and reflect on the beauty that has just unfolded before fading into the quiet embrace of night. The mother went quiet as she admired her child, staring in awe at the life she bought into the world. Silently she placed a small necklace around the headboard of the crib, a small fiery fist engraved into the pendant. Illuminated in the ghostly moonlight, the pendant shone a deep red, as if it was burning from the inside. Rising to her feet she left not once glancing back, seemingly at ease with her decision to leave the sleeping baby. She didn't return. 

The rocking of a ship stirred my stomach first. A wave of nausea washed over me, I didn't deal well with boats. I sat up straight, my back sore from lying straight on wood. 'WAX' my first thought was my dragon. As more of an afterthought I let my eyes wonder around the room. It was less a room and more a cell. Thick metal bars lined the wall furthest from me, the rest I recognised as the curved wood of a ship. 'must've been hunters' I assumed examining the bars holding me hostage, 'dragon proof'. A sharp pain in my thigh suddenly pierced through the haze of adrenaline. With a gasp, I froze in place, my hand instinctively reaching down to the source of the agony. Fingers trembling, I brushed against the fletching of an arrow lodged firmly in my flesh. They'd ambushed me while I was asleep, there was no reason to shoot me, apart from sadistic fun. The reality of the situation knocked me back onto my knees. The ship around me seemed to blur as I struggled to comprehend the situation. How had I not noticed before? The cruelty of the hunters loomed over me as I worried about the state of my dragon. If they shot me I can only imagine what they'd be doing to him. Panic threatened to overwhelm me, but I forced myself to focus, to assess the damage. The arrow protruded ominously from my thigh, a grim reminder of the danger I now faced. With each breath, the pain intensified, pulsing through my body in waves. Fear mingled with determination as I realized the urgency of my situation. I couldn't afford to panic; I needed to act swiftly. With gritted teeth, I clenched my jaw and summoned every ounce of willpower I possessed. Summoning a shaky breath, I reached for the shaft of the arrow, my fingers closing around it with hesitant resolve. A surge of pain shot through me as I braced myself, steeling my nerves for what was to come. In one swift, agonizing motion, I gritted my teeth and pulled. The arrow tore with a sickening squelch, not managing to pull it out completely. My eyes became fuzzy, threatening to go black as a scream escaped my lips. 

A guard appeared at the entrance of my cell, a crossbow in hand. Even the sight of the weapon made my wound pulse and my head to pound. I lay in a puddle of my own blood, avoiding acknowledging the guard presence. "ay, keep it quiet down here, Rykers going to want to see you soon anyway" The mention of the name sent a shiver down my spine, I'd heard the riders talk about him before, all brawn no brain. He had no hesitation disposing of those who refused to help, personally. "maybe I don't care what Ryker wants" I spat back at the guard who only bared his teeth in response, an animalistic attempt to intimidate me. He was about to turn around and leave me alone before I called out, "are you just going to leave me here to bleed out"  I sat up applying pressure to my thigh "I'm not sure Ryker would want his cargo to die on your watch." I watched the guard debate his options before coming closer. The internal warfare evident on his face, Ryker took punishment seriously it seems. He motioned for me to come closer to the bars, allowing him to inspect my thigh from a safe distance. I knew I was too weak to really fight him, but maybe giving him a scare would satisfy me for the time being. Besides being a healer I knew there wasn't anything I could of until I got proper supplies apart from apply pressure. His hand hovered over the fabric partially covering the wound, his arm snaked through the bars between us. I used his hesitance against him, grabbing his forearm and twisting it against the metal eliciting a yelp from the man. I let go as he reached for the crossbow rested against his legs. I let out a quiet laugh as he tumbled to the ground, shocked and confused. He gave me a nasty glare and rubbed the injured arm. I hadn't managed to seriously hurt him, but anything was enough for me at the minute. 

"Ryker will see you now" he huffed opening the cage door, crossbow trained on me. "and dont do anything stupid" he growled through gritted teeth. As the rough hands of the guard seized my wrists, a jolt of fear shot through me. I winced as the coarse rope dug into my skin, binding my hands tightly behind my back. His movements were swift and forceful, leaving no room for resistance. I clenched my jaw to stifle a cry as the knots tightened, cutting off circulation to my fingers. The guard's expression was stoic, proud even, he'd gotten his revenge almost immediately, his grip unyielding as he secured the bindings with practiced efficiency. Each tug of the rope sent tendrils of pain shooting up my arms, a constant reminder of my helplessness.  The air was thick with tension as the guard finished his task, stepping back to admire his handiwork with a cold gaze. With my hands bound tightly behind my back and my skirt riding up against the guard, I felt exposed, vulnerable. Every movement was restricted, every breath a struggle against the constricting bonds. I cursed my fate silently, desperate for a way out of this predicament. But as the guard loomed over me, his presence imposing and menacing, I knew escape was futile. His predatory gaze lingered on my exposed legs torso and chest. "If Ryker wasn't here who knows what I'd do with you" I struggled to maintain my composure, to suppress the rising panic that threatened to consume me. 

I stared at the floor as the guard pushed me out into a dimly lit hallway. His grip strong and his gait fast. Luckily he seemed almost as eager to get away from me as I was to get away from him. I limped infront of him, using his grip on my wrists as support as the protruding arrow sent waves of pain to my core. The walls of the hallway were decorated with artworks of different dragons, no doubt each weighing their weight in gold. Dragon hunting must be a lucrative business. We came to a stop infront of a large wooden door, reinforced steel around the perimeter and garnished by a golden ring in place of a handle. I leaned back into the guards weight, grateful to releive my weight from my injured leg. The guard remained still for a minute, hesitating before knocking three strong knocks. "come in" a thickly accented voice boomed from inside the room. Even his voice sounded menacing. 

Holding my breath as the guard opened the door, he flung me forward, catching me off guard completely as I fell onto the floor directly infront of Ryker. The arrow hit the floor, digging itself deeper inside my flesh, reigniting the searing pain I'd been trying to ignore. I caught my bottom lip in-between my teeth to muffle the scream, biting down until blood trickled from my mouth. "shut the door behind you" the gruff voice ordered the guard as he left. I caught a smirk on the guards face as he exited the room and pulled the door to a close, leaving me alone with Ryker. Who I still hadn't looked at yet. Rising to a kneeling position I looked up for the first time, inspecting the man infront of me. His turtle shell shoulder pads sparking the memory of the stranger at the markets. He'd been at the markets, Ryker had. His goatee all too familiar. He'd been the man at the weapons stall I'd bought my dagger from. Remembering the dagger I clutched the empty holster under my skirt, disappointed and slightly disgusted someone had found it. I'd known the man with the turtle shell armour and dragon scale tunic was a hunter, I just hadn't realised he was the hunter. Ryker stared down at me with a twisted smile before he spoke "if it was up to me you'd be dead, a nice example for the other thieving riders to back off." his smile disappeared morphing into a scowl "but Viggo wants you alive, and what Viggo wants Viggo gets" He finished his sentence off with a defeated huff. The name sent a flutter to my stomach, I convinced myself it was fear."which one are you anyway" he flung his fingers at me, as if something nasty stuck to the end of them, "I dont think I've seen you before" he narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze entirely on me. "I'm not a rider" I said simply, trying my best to mask the agonizing pain I was in. I knew showing my weakness to Ryker would not end well. "then why were you found riding a dragon" he paused as if considering the weight of his next words, "I dont take well to liars". An eruption of sound from the deck interrupted his threat; the thudding footsteps and excited shouts from crew members prompted Ryker to look out a window to his right. I followed his gaze, appreciative of the distraction. 

Similar ships came into view, dozens in fact. I could tell we were close to a dock, Ryker however did not seem pleased. "seems we're here early" he said absentmindedly trailing his eyes back to my slumped figure. "someone will take you to Viggo when we dock" His words lacked the menacing tinge from before. He called for the guard to retrieve me and lock me back up. "goodluck" he murmured as I was almost out of earshot. 

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so srry for not updating, I have absolutely no energy during the week T-T 

mwah x