Acceptance (A Httyd Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: Hardship

(Hiccup's pov)

"Row you bastards!! ROW!!!"

One of the ships taskmasters whipped a nearby slave and that man cried out in agony as the whip stripped flesh off. My muscles ached and I felt like I'd pass out any minute; we've been rowing Svens ship for days, the Viking slaver and his crew were heading to Iceland and informed of us that that was where we were to go and where work was needed to be done by us slaves.

I groaned in pain as I rowed, my auburn strands sticking to my forehead and my tunic sticking to my sweaty skin and I took slow breathes while trying to ease the pain on my side, I stepped out of line and received a whip lash near my hip. Thankfully Sven allowed my wound to be treated so I could continue to help row the ship, but the pain spread up to my body it burned.

In front of me, I could hear Edgar coughing and gave raspy breathes, I spoke up over the waves. "Edgar!! Are you alright?" My friend turned his head and nodded. "I-I need rest." He wheezed out, I honestly couldn't blame him, some of these men rowing the ship with us? They'd been slaves for their whole lives, and they all looked like they'd drop from dehydration.

I looked up to see Sven glaring down at me, he then smirked at he unclipped a water skin from his belt and began drinking, he then approached to where I was seated and crouched above deck to look down on me. "Are you thirsty Lord Haddock?" He asks in a taunting tone, I glare at him and continue rowing, he then snickers and continues speaking. "Food. Water. Clothing. Shelter. These... necessities are beneficial to our survival as a species, and yet its amazing how men can take for granted of such the little things such as water and food." He cocks his head at me and grins wickedly. "You will fetch a high price in the auction upon arriving to Iceland. I have friends who would love to own a traitorous Christian slave and use said slave as target practice."

I swallowed thickly and groaned loudly while still rowing, I tried shoving away any thoughts of being sold like an animal. Its bad enough that I'm already a slave with Edgar by my side, but to be separated even further from Toothless, my mother and my wives? It would tear me apart piece by piece.

Sven then roared out. "STOP!!" As his voice rung in the air, the slaves let relieved sighs and began gulping down air as if it would be the last breath they'd draw, and for some of the slaves here? That theory might just happen. Sven then stood back up and turned to his crew. "Give the slaves food and water. They all look half dead and the last thing I need is to lose half our stock before reaching Iceland."

"Yes Master Sven."

The slavers crew took out bags filled with bread loaves and began tossing them to the nearest slave, when mine hit my lap, I took a big bite and savored the breads flavor. As I began chewing, I couldn't help but wonder if my wives were dead. What if Hans and his thugs managed to end Elsa and Anna's lives and... and I wasn't able to protect them? Or my mother, I had just gotten her back and the thought of losing her caused tears to swell in my eyes. And what of Toothless? For all I know he's the last of the Night Fury species and he could've been killed too.

"Hiccup? What is it?"

Edgar's voice snapped me back into reality as I turned to my friend, I sniffled and let tears slide down my face. "What if Hans and Chadwick killed my family? Those traitors have usurped true rulers for their own... selfish desires. Now the whole of England is in peril." I stated, Edgar nodded in agreement, he had just swallowed a bite of bread and spoke. "You're right. And believe me, being chained up and rowing to our possible deaths isn't the most charming thoughts I've had these past few days and nights. But we need to be calm. Our time will come." He reassured me, I nodded at him, he was right. We were warriors and when the time came? We'd kill every slaver on this ship and liberate all these wretched souls who've been forced to bow and scrape to scum like Sven.