Guardians Rising

16: The Trap

Jack poked suspiciously at the small rabbit before him. Merida had shot and cooked it for them, along with a fat red squirrel, and both animals smelled delicious. "Eat up, Frosty," she said, grinning at his hesitation.

"Yeah," said Hiccup as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "it's great. Well done, Little Red-" Merida punched him before he could finish the hated nickname. "Whaaat?" he said, a rare smirk creeping across his face.

"Shut it, Haddock," she snapped.

Rapunzel watched this exchange with some misgivings. "So," she said, after a short pause. They all glanced at her. "I was just thinking, shouldn't we learn more about these nightmares and who leads them?"

Jack answered instantly. "Pitch," he said. "Pitch Black is their leader." The other looked at him, confused. "The Nightmare King," he said. "Y'know, the boogeyman." At the last word, understanding dawned on them. Then Hiccup looked puzzled again.

"But isn't the boogeyman just a myth?" he asked.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "And isn't Jack Frost just a legend?" 

———

The creature gazed at them with passive curiosity. After all, it didn't really care what happened to their merry little bunch, its job was to lure the white-haired one into the trap. But first, it had to draw him away.

———

'What am I doing here?' thought Hiccup. 'I should be back on Berk, with Astrid, looking after everyone.' At that, he chuckled. 'Not that they really need looking after.' Toothless shook his head as he rose from the ground. "What is it, Toothless?" asked Hiccup. But Jack answered his question by dropping to the ground and hissing,

"Get down! Nightmares!" The other three obeyed, but the dragon shot his head up, and, despite the urgent whispers from his master, let out a roar that echoed through the woods and hurt their ears. Jack didn't take his eyes off the nightmare, even for a second. Amazingly, it barely seemed to hear, but only cocked it's head slightly, then trotted away.

Merida narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are y'u sure that was-" but got no further, as Jack jumped to his feet, hissed, "Wait here," and ran off after the nightmare, grabbing his staff as he went.

"No, Jack!" Hiccup yelled in a whisper, rising in his turn.

"Com'on," said Merida, rising and picking up her bow and quiver. But Hiccup grabbed her shoulder and said, in a more normal voice this time, "Merida, don't." She looked at him furiously.

"And why should I listen t' you?!"

"Because," said Hiccup, his own voice rising, "I'm actually trying to-"

"Shut up, both of you!" said Rapunzel, and they did, looking like naughty children who have been caught pulling a prank. "Like it or not, we're in this together, so we might as well start acting like it."

"Fine," they said at the same time, then glared at each other.

———

Jack sped through the forest after the nightmare, but, fast as he was, it was faster, and he soon lost sight of it. He slowed down for a moment, thinking, 'Gosh, this is way faster than the one Rapunzel and I saw. Ach! If only I could still fly.' A sudden flash broke into his thoughts, and with renewed energy, he ran toward it.

A strange sight met his eyes. A tall girl in an ice blue dress stood there, her platinum blonde hair hanging down her back. Jack smiled and said, "Hello there." The girl, apparently startled, turned quickly, saw him, and ran.

"Wait!" he called, staring after her. "I didn't mean to scare you! Come back!" But she kept running, just fast enough to stay ahead of him, but not so fast as to disappear from view.

Perhaps that perfect speed alone should have been enough to warn Jack, but he didn't see the trap until it was too late.

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