renegades, httyd

lii. Liar Liar

renegades
chapter fifty-two

    I hated how part of me was hurt.

    I don't know how it happened. I don't know when. I just know that as I stared at the Dragon Eye lens in my hand by the fire in the Longhouse with Camicazi, I felt tears of frustration brim in my eyes. I don't know how I let myself forget why I was here, what had happened, what Harald had done and what he'll always do. He had tricked me━not just by making me get him what he wanted, but by feeding me stories of home, of young, innocent Harald who saw the village burn and his family die ... poor, broken Harald ...

    He made me pity him, almost sort of like hanging around him so much that I let myself ignore who he was: that no matter what, he'll always be a backstabbing thief. He always looked out for himself.

    He once told me my loyalty will be what will get me hurt the most.

    I thought he meant Hiccup and the others.

    I never realised that perhaps it would be him. Again.

    My fingers brushed the edge of the Dragon Eye lens, knowing deep down, I suspected this would exactly be what it was━otherwise, I never would have fought to see it.

    "So," spoke up Camicazi, done with waiting for me to say something. I met her gaze. It was tense. She had a bruise under her eye. "You're not here to steal it and our dragons?"

    "No," I said, annoyed.

    "Then how come you are with him?" she pointed at me, brow arched.

    "Because," I snapped, glowering at her, "he took me away from my dragon and my friends. I didn't have a say in it."

    "What? And had no chance to escape before now?"

    I hated how she was right in so many ways. I set my jaw, clenching my grip around the Dragon Eye lens. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here now."

    Camicazi shook her head, "No," she leaned back in the chair, eyeing me with every suspicion in the world━or perhaps with hurt pride. "No, we can handle ourselves against Harald without your help."

    "Where I'm from," I pushed, holding out the lens for her to see, "Hiccup━my friends, they protect dragons. They find them and protect them from people like Harald and Viggo."

    "Hiccup," mused Camicazi. She narrowed her eyes at me even more. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third? Son of Stoick the Vast? Helping dragons? I'd believe Harald before I'd believe that."

    "It's true," I said. "He's the best dragon master━dragon rider there is. He trains them, tames them, ventures the seas with them. His companion is a Night Fury." Her eyes widened a little at that. "He's one of the best people I know."