Never Belonged

Chapter 60: As Long As You Trust Someone, That's All That Matters

Hiccup

Our heads shot towards the direction of the village as we watched smoke scrape the air. We looked back at each other before I took her hand and we raced back to the village. Destruction. That was the only word I could use to describe the sight. Fire struck from one corner of the village to the other. My skin felt scorched by the touch of the fire close to me. People were running, screaming, fighting...fighting. That didn't make sense. But once my eyes adjusted pushing through the flames I could see the crest of the Outcasts on the men's belt buckles. "We need to find the others," I told Astrid as she nodded. We began our run once more dodging each man that came our way so we could find the others but the smoke just clouded the Viking's from eyesight. "Hiccup! Astrid! Look out!" We heard of names cry from across the village. But as we turned the Outcast's fired a fire boulder towards the set of houses I and Astrid stood before. I immediately thrust Astrid to the side tumbling us to the ground as she cried in pain "Sorry," I mumbled against her, I felt her shake her head as I helped her stand back up. We ran to the other side of the village to meet our friends who shouted the warning. "What happened?" I exclaimed.

"We don't know, they just started firing out of nowhere," Jack explained. The place was getting more and more humid by the second from the smoke and fire. We helped gather all the children up to the Great Hall as most of the Viking's blocked whatever blow came their way. The dragons fired the best they could dragging away any Outcast they came in contact with. What confused me the most was they didn't seem to have an agenda. They came to fight but what for exactly? If Alvin wanted to take back the island he would have made his presence known, but he hasn't so what was going on. I looked around to my friends but saw Hayley was nowhere in sight. "Where's Hayley?" I asked them, but they all shook their heads. She shouldn't be alone during something like this, so my weight suddenly pushed itself on Toothless's back. "Hiccup where are you going?!" Astrid called my name "I have to find her she could be hurt, they could be looking for her," Astrid growled silently but I could still hear it. I slammed my eyes at her before I flew away.

Toothless flew high above the debris that kept occurring. The smoke was rising and so were the flames. From high above I could see the splatters of blood that were discarded around the village from different Viking's wounds. Some Outcast's lay on the ground motionless and for what, an agenda no one knew of. But I carried on my search, I needed to find Hayley and make sure that she was alright. The chaos which had corrupted began to die down and the man started to scatter as if they had failed their job and were now going back to pay the consequence. The fire and debris began to die down also giving me and Toothless a better chance of looking for her. We searched every corner of the village until I found her lying by the edge of the forest. "Toothless down there," I pointed in the direction and he shot down there with no hesitation. I jumped off her falling down to her side placing her into my lap "Hayley, hey Hayley look at me," I pushed away the hair that lay on her face, her face was covered with ash by the flames but I could see no blood which was good. I shook her to get her to wake up but I kept receiving no response, but I knew she was alive as I could hear her heart pounding out from her chest.

"Hayley," I groaned "Come on." Her arms started to twitch within my grasp as her eyes started to flutter open. "Hayley are you okay?!" I nearly screamed at her, she coughed a few time before nodding and answering "Yea I'm good," I hugged her tightly "What happened?" she pushed herself up slowly answering me "Got hit by one of the blasts," I held her tight in my grasp "Thank Thor you're okay," she buried her head in my shoulder wrapping her arm around me giving the sense of not letting go – I didn't mind. "Do you think you can stand?" I asked her, she nodded against my shoulder slightly, so I took her hand in with mine and helped her to stand. She wobbled as she stood falling against me so suddenly; I caught her quickly off guard causing me to stumble in my own wake. "Sorry," she whispered as I helped her back up. I laced her hand in with mine still and walked back up to the Great Hall where everyone was gathering. "Everyone calm down," my father started his speech as I and Hayley headed towards the others, they didn't seem in the mood of talking because as we waltzed over to them they all shared a glare but it wasn't towards me but in fact Hayley. "So where have you been?" Snotlout crossed his arms leaning against a pillar next to Astrid "Knocked out by a blast, are you all okay, have I done something to upset you or something?" Hayley asked the hurt visible in her voice.

The twins exchanged looks for once not arguing or judging with opinion, Jack and Heather exchanged looks sighing with one another shaking their heads while looking at Fishlegs who just shrugged leaving Snotlout and Astrid to exchange looks and neither one looked annoyed or pissed off at one another but instead on the same page. This wasn't like them and all my gaze could do was stay fixated on Astrid fire boiling in my veins. "Astrid a word please," I demanded my voice sharp like ice. She stood willingly though Snotlout held her back making my blood boil even more especially when I saw the look he was giving her. His eyes weren't fluttering but concerning, the concern you would give for someone's safety; what did he think I was going to do? I mean seriously. She shook her head leaning up to his ear whispering something, she leant back as he nodded and we both left the Great Hall back into the woods for a private talk – once more. "I thought I told you to let it go Astrid, but you go and get the others to turn against her just to feel pride in your accusations," I placed my hands on my hips frowning at her.

"If you must know they already knew before tonight and no I didn't tell them to feel pride I told them because they wanted proof and that is exactly what I gave them," My hands left my hips and fell into my side as my attitude somewhat changed – ever so slightly though – "What are you talking about proof?" she crossed her arms as she spoke "Yes I snooped around in Hayley's house, not to find a necklace but to find something and I did. Hiccup upstairs she has all these weird looking liquids which look identical to potions for Thor's sake they could be for all I know and then I found this cloth on her desk I didn't think it was harmful until I took it home which soon caused me to pass out for a month. She's followed me off the island and then I find that Viggo is looking for her and now tonight she mysteriously disappeared, don't you find that strange?" I was appalled about what was coming out of her mouth, was she accusing Hayley of being a witch. "Astrid I'm sure there is a perfect reason for all that and all you have to do is ask, she's a good person why can't you see that or are you too blinded by hatred to see the good in people anymore because of Merida."

She stumbled backwards in hurt, as if daggers had plunged at her heart sharply. "Until you've decided to leave her alone stay away from her and stay away from me," and I went to make my leave "Go then! If it makes you feel so much better about yourself just leave!" Astrid shouted at the top of her lungs, I spun back around to see the rage in her eyes and her hands form into fists turning her knuckles white highlighting the rage firing through her body "As long as you trust her nothing else matters right? So don't come running back to me when you find out that I was telling the truth!" She stepped forward emphasising her point before turning storming away from me. I was left there dumbfounded, left not knowing what to say, and from that moment I knew I was way too harsh on her blinded by something I shouldn't be blinded by. But I knew that it couldn't end like this.

"Astrid wait!" I called out to her. Immediately I felt my voice get blocked by this ghastly smell of something across my face, the grip against my mouth was unyielding. I struggled against their grasp around me but I was entrapped with no escape. Astrid spun round screaming "What?!" her expression changed once she examined the scene in front of her. "Hiccup!" she cried my name advancing towards me only for her to be blocked by...by...Hayley! I struggled against whoever's grasp more and more as my vision started to darken. "Sorry Astrid, but I can't have you following us," she spoke with a hint of evil to her voice. I clearly watched as she plunged a dagger into Astrid's side, Astrid holding in her scream. I cried out her name through the rag held against my mouth the best I could but was muffled. Vision fading I watched as Hayley kicked Astrid to the ground removing the dagger whispering "Goodbye Astrid," kneeing her in the face, unconsciousness taking over her body leaving me alone with Hayley and whoever else had hold of me. Body shutting down slowly I felt myself be dragged away from the girl I love and with that being the last image before I passed out.