Never Belonged

Chapter 72: Somewhere You Shouldn't Be

Hiccup

My head was banging in distress and bones felt sore from every corner. My eyes wandered towards the light as they tried to open and all I could about was "I'm gonna kill her...my Thor am I gonna kill that bitch," I tried to reach for my head but found my arms would not move and I knew what that meant "Who you gonna kill?" a voice piped up from out of nowhere "Hayley, who the hell else?" that's when it hit me and I recognised the voice who answered me, "Wait, what?" I lifted my head immediately to see sat in the cell opposite me was Merida. "Didn't think you'd see me again did you?" her next words spoke, I sat upright and looked at her shaking my head "You shouldn't be here," she just shrugged at me and moved closer to the bars of her cell "Maybe not, but then who would here to watch out for you," I rolled my eyes as I pushed myself the best I could to the bars of my own cell "Why are you in those manacles?" she stated the most obvious question "Why do you think? Viggo doesn't wanna lose me as easily as last time...idiot," I mumbled the last part hoping she wouldn't hear me, thankfully she did not.

"How did you even get here Merida?" I questioned her motives of even being here, I mean after everything nobody knew what happened to her, she just completely disappeared. "I was trying to save Snotlout and the twin's dragons but it didn't end so well," she answered me with irritation in her own voice "Why were you trying to save them? Wait what were you even doing with them in the first place?" I spoke with exasperation "Astrid never told you, probably not with timing and everything, but she came looking for me because she realised I was part of Viggo's plan so she came looking for information and when she did I gave her no choice in the matter with me coming to help get you back but look where that got me," she explained the whole story to me. Astrid must have been quite desperate to go to Merida looking for answers but then I guess where else could she have gone. "Well being totally honest Merida you didn't have to go in the first place if you were worried about getting caught...unless," she lifted her head at me raising her eyebrow "Unless what?" I tilted my head up and looked at her "Unless you wanted to get caught in the first place."

"Oh looks who's getting smarter," she teased me by sharing her azure eyes with me but I slammed mine at hers "So why did you wanna get caught?" she sighed "I guess I want a front row seat for what I'm about to face, besides it's like I said I came to make sure nothing happens to you and I gave Astrid a note on where to find us or get there before us more like," I nodded "And I told her I would do anything to keep you safe." I looked at her directly, trying to consume all the information that she was telling me. It was like this girl has changed in some way that I couldn't explain but she needs to understand that there probably is no way of saving me, because she needs to know that I'm probably already dead. But then we sat in silence, all I could hear were the crashing of the waves hitting against the wood at the ship and the winds screaming from outside. The manacles around my wrists were tearing at my skin from the tightness and they made my position uncomfortable as they had nowhere else to go except from behind my back. "Merida I still don't understand why you did what you did, you keep saying you did all of it to keep me safe but after we last saw you, it seemed like you couldn't give as much as a damn about me, what changed?" I tilted my head back to look at her through the bars.

She shrugged trying to find the right words to speak "I guess people change over time Hiccup but you need to understand, my feelings for you were true even if yours were not the same for me. I never stopped caring about you Hiccup which is why I took it upon myself to some and help you, friend or foe, I still care," I felt like a huge hole burst in my stomach, something that felt like guilt but also relief, these two feelings I felt had no meaning towards anything because I didn't understand them. That's when my mind swayed back to Astrid, the look in her face as our arms enveloped around each other, her amazing ocean sapphire eyes sparkling at me when we gazed into each other's eyes. I needed it back and I needed her warmth back but then I felt like I was reliving the same nightmare. I left her in a battle where she could have got hurt or worse even, killed. I lifted my knees up to my chest and buried my head into them mumbling uncontrollably about how much I've let her down. "You haven't let her down Hiccup, she probably feels the same way you're feeling right now but I'm sure their fine, just relax this is Astrid we're in about, she never gives up no matter what condition she's in," I moved my head very slowly to face Merida and I spoke "What do you mean 'their fine'?" Suddenly Merida's eyes popped out of her head as she mumbled "Shit."