For Milady

TWENTY SEVEN: Leverage

TWENTY SEVEN: Leverage

The fourth Hunter base was as unrewarding as the first and as Hiccup soared up on Toothless over the burning ruins, the sunken ships fouling the harbour, he tried to crush his shame at the cries of the men who had fallen, repeating the mantra he had clung to through the fruitless and frustrating search.

This is all for Astrid.

But none of the men knew about the expedition to the island, meaning he still hadn't tracked down the correct group who had captured Astrid. And every day that passed brought Astrid closer to labour and exposed her to more and more chance of abuse and death. Already, dusk was fading into night, the flames casting uneven shadows over the wreckage.

The captain of the base had been uncooperative and the Dragon Rider had few qualms in lifting the man a hundred feet over a rocky death and threatening him until he talked. And the man had talked, explaining the all the hunters were allied to Viggo and were on the lookout for precious Hunter Tribe artefacts that had been stolen by the Dragon Riders-about the size of an eye, hexagonal and containing a glass centre...DragonEye lenses. Viggo was offering a very rich bounty for any man finding any and returning them to him...and though he was angry, a small portion of Hiccup admired the man's ingenuity. And he knew Hunters would do almost anything for money.

Except face down an angry Night Fury, he added with a grim smile.

He had relieved the man of the lens he had located on a remote island, abandoned by the Tribe but bearing the hallmarks of a Hunter ally and as he peered at it, he wondered how well the others were getting on. There was a crash as their Dragon-Root-shooting ballista collapsed into the sea and he glanced back over his shoulder, seeing a couple of men trying to put out the fires. They would pass the word on-that the Night Fury Rider was looking for the man who captured the Rider of the Blue Nadder-and Hiccup wanted them to be aware he was out there. His new reputation would be vital in persuading them he would go to any lengths to rescue Astrid.

Because he would. And though it was hard while all he was doing was facing Hunter subordinates, he knew that when he was faced with the person holding Astrid hostage, the choice would be easy.

His hand closed around the lens, the hard edges digging into the flesh of his palm and he smiled.

"Let's head back, bud, so we can have a look at this and see what else we can learn..."

oOo

For Frida Andersdottir, her life had completely spun on its axis and turned upside down. The beautiful girl of one of the best families in Granite Isle, promised to the Chief had been unceremoniously informed that the Chief was now obsessed by the blonde and admittedly pretty stranger who had crashed from the skies, pregnant and sick and apparently riding a dragon. Frida was acknowledged as beautiful, her long raven hair intricately braided down her back and grey eyes dominating a wide but regular face. She was slender with a small chest and rounded hips, always carried herself with grace and was witty, bright and discreet...but apparently all her accomplishments meant nothing against a golden-haired barbarian and heretic. Especially since that woman had rejected the Chief without hesitation.

She let herself into the Chief's house and the guards cast her the merest of glances as she headed up, carrying a plate of food for the prisoner and as she clambered up the stairs to the upper level, she paused. Astrid had thrown aside most of what she had been offered for the last two weeks, raging against her incarceration and refusing to marry the Chief who had broken his duty of hospitality to her. Her hands closed around the rim of the bowl of soup and then she approached the locked door, nodding for the guards to unbar the door and let her in.