Never Belonged

Chapter 65: People Never Change

Astrid

No matter how many times it happens people are never what they make themselves out to be. I know this because it has happened before my eyes so many times I could lose count. But you need to look below the darkness and find the light...that is if there is any left to be found. But searching through the darkness also allows you to see who is being deceived by the lies and hopelessness because the people who are can be left damaged beyond repair and there can be no saving them once they have sucked in and destroyed. That's always their plan though. They will deceive you to gain their trust so you will destroy the people who really do mean something to you. That's why you need to save them before they can be lost...forever. All because...People Never Change.

I wake with a start. Toothless came to my side nudging his nose against my hand cooing asking if I were okay. I looked at him and gave him a meaningful smile, "I'm okay Toothless, just a nightmare that's all," I held my hand against my stomach to see the bump getting clearer but not clear enough for people to notice. When I say people I mean Hiccup...that is of course when I see him and who knows when that will be. I got notice from Dagur that he arrived on Outcast Island but he was shocked to see else was on the island – Viggo. It got everyone uptight and edgy with each other, everyone started back firing comments at each other such as 'Where's Hiccup when we need him?' surprisingly that was Snotlout. But the arguments carried its way on through the night, in the end I and Toothless decided to leave and think of something this morning because we were too tired to think with them screaming at each other all the time. "Hungry Toothless?" I questioned my own rumbling stomach with how he would be feeling. His head perked back up in a heartbeat making me laugh as we took our exit.

We entered the clubhouse to see everyone sat in the middle all sharing the same dull expressions of tiredness and drowsiness. "Have you guys been in here all night?" I questioned their motives "It was Snotlout's fault he wouldn't stop coming up with stupid plans to get Hiccup back," Tuff moaned lifting his head off the table "Hey! That was you not me!" Snotlout retorted back at Tuff who raised an eyebrow wondering "Oh yea it was," I slammed my hand against my face in distraught before heading over to get Toothless's basket of fish and feeding the other dragons. "Astrid shouldn't you be resting not working because of you know what?" Heather commented. I shrugged "Well it doesn't look like any of you are going to be feeding or cleaning the place now does it and just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I stop doing things," I spoke agitated at them "And it's started," I heard Fishlegs whisper to Snotlout from across the room. Feeling furious I threw my dagger across the room at him "It's not starting..." but then I stopped and thought "Oh my Thor it, Fishlegs I'm so sorry," he waved it.

"Astrid we'll handle the mess in here and confide in an appropriate plan to regain Hiccup okay, just go and rest for a bit as you already seem stressed as it is." Jack placed a hand on shoulder, I sighed in defeat knowing that he was right but I didn't want to rest, I'll rest when I get him back and I know that he is safe by my side and I can apologise for everything that I said to him. "Yea why not take a walk or something to calm your nerves," I didn't retaliate at Ruff's comment just nodded and left without another word. I started at the top and made my way down to the bottom which lead me into woods which felt enormous to me. I shook it off and kept wandering. The whisper of the trees kept me calm as it spoke with wind. I didn't interfere just kept walking until I heard the crack of a twig come from the direction behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks taking a peak behind me to see if anyone was there. I saw the shadow within the trees of the outline of a person but I acted as if I saw nothing and instead clutched my stomach protectively. As I carried on walking I waited for the figure to keep following me until I was in an open area in the woods and made my place in the centre.

"I know your there Hayley, but please you can stay in the shadows if you wish," I turned around slowly as I spoke to watch her come out from the darkness. "What makes you think I would do that?" she smirked placing a hand upon her hip "I was hoping you would answer that for me," I stood still clutching my stomach as protectively as I could. "How did you know that it was me?" I scoffed at her remark "Who else could it have been and besides I remember your shadow shape the day I saw Viggo on that island looking for you, you're not that hard to forget you know," she raised her head and mumbled something I could not hear. "What are doing here?" I wondered at her as she took a few steps closer towards me "You know Hiccup's very worried about you and believes that you are dead after what he saw before he passed out I sort of feel sorry for him." I looked at her deeply down into dark chestnut she has for eyes and saw the pain and despair she was going to put him through and what she already had done. "Is that why you've lied to him already, let me guess for you to gain his trust you spoke the words of Viggo killed your family and threatened to kill us in the process if you didn't deliver Hiccup to him," she stopped in her tracks and looked at me closely, examining me in some way "How did you figure that?" I never lost eye contact with her even though I knew it to be dangerous "Because you can tell a lie but your eyes speak the truth." She nodded taking in everything I was saying.

"You've seen something like this be done before haven't you?" she questioned me suddenly acting very wary of each step she would take. "People never change Hayley, they can deceive you in so many ways until they have someone under their skin to manipulate and turn against the others and I won't let you do that to Hiccup," I clutched hold of my stomach tighter knowing I couldn't let this child live without a father. But she watched my motives and scanned it perfectly "Your pregnant," my speechless form gave it all away "That's what everything about you has heightened," she pulled the puzzle together until it made a perfect picture. "This game just got a little interesting," and there it was, the word, the word that everyone wanted to hear – game. "You're playing a dangerous game, well hold on tight sister because guess what I can play that game to," my voice scolded at Hayley "Now let Hiccup go!" I demanded, her cackle of a laugh echoed through the trees "It's against me," I stepped forward and demanded "Then put it above you!" and once again her laugh came "Until you give Viggo what he desires Hiccup stays put," I lunged for her without any hesitation but her figure disappeared from my grasp as she stood behind and forced me to the ground. My face crashed into the grass as she pulled me round to face her "You're brave Astrid I'll give you that but listen carefully you can never over power me, I'm stronger than Merida ever is and I'm even stronger than Viggo ever is," she whispered down in my face; she pushed harder down into my chest making it difficult for me to breathe; she grabbed my axe loose within my hands smashing it into the top of my head. My vision started to fade as I heard her last whisper "Sleep tight Astrid, I'll see you soon." I blacked out.