Trust Must Be Earned | Eret Son of Eret (HTTYD)

CHAPTER THREE - DANGEROUS SITUATIONS & HANDSOME MEN

Atlas' eyes were wide with shock, and she was clutching Crimson's horns so tight her knuckles were white. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure Hiccup and Astrid could hear it. What was this place? There was what looked like large pieces of ice and bits of what used to be a fort blasted everywhere. "Stay close." Hiccup had warned. Well, you didn't have to tell her twice. She shivered. This place gave her the willies.

"What happened here?" Hiccup asked.

Atlas couldn't help but wonder the same thing. Toothless growled at what he saw. Atlas didn't blame him.

"A-alright, e-easy bud."

"Hiccup!" Astrid said, noticing something. Atlas immediately looked in the same direction.

"FIRE!" A man's voice yelled. Then, Atlas saw them. Men. Arrows. A catapult.

"ASTRID LOOK OUT!" Hiccup yelled, even as the net caught Stormfly and Astrid. Stormfly began to fall from the sky, as her wings were tangled.

"ASTRID!" Atlas screamed, desperate for her friend, as she saw her fall from Stormfly's back. She began to stand, to leap off Crimson's back to save her. Fortunately, she regained common sense as Crimson sent her a warning growl.

"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled, falling through the air.

Atlas breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing her brother catch Astrid, but not before the trappers got their grubby hands on Stormfly.

Then, as she was vulnerable and unbalanced, standing up in the saddle, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a net. It tangled itself around her, and suddenly, there was no scaly back underneath her feet. There was nothing. She was falling through the sky. She heard her dragon's deafening roar, and her brothers' panicked shout, as well as the triumphant shouts from the trappers. And then, cold, icy water. She struggled to swim toward the surface, because of the metal weights on the rope. But then, just as she was about to run out of air, strong arms reached out and pulled her onto dry ground.

She coughed and sputtered, gasping for breath. When she finally caught it, she looked up- into the eyes of the most attractive man she had ever seen.

He had beautiful brown eyes, with flecks of golden in them, and long, black hair, tied into a loose bun. He had strange, tattooed markings on his chin, of the like she'd never seen before. He had large, bulking muscles of arms, with several old scars along them. And did she mention attractive? Like, seriously good-looking.

She's brought back to reality as the man grins at her, and pulls the net off her with ease. She mentally scolds herself for thinking such things. What is she doing? This man has captured her. He is her enemy.

"Well, isn't this the luck of the day? A dragon and a rider, with more to come it seems!" The man's voice is rough, and deep, with an insanely attractive accent. But Atlas will not let down her guard this time. She sneers at him, hatred in her eyes.

But the man isn't phased. "Well, aren't you a feisty one! Come on, up you go." The man says, pulling her up off the ground, then securely tying her hands with rope. "Come with me, sweetheart."

Atlas growls at him. "Don't you dare call me that!"

The man simply smirks, and then drags her over to some other men. "Watch her. Don't let her get away. Drago may pay a hefty price for a rider." Then the man grabs some rope and runs off to a struggling Stormfly. "Watch the tail! Tie those legs up!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Atlas sees her faithful Crimson, hovering near a large piece of ice. Atlas sends a hand signal, telling her to hide, and wait.

Then, the men pull her closer over to Stormfly and the gorgeous- I mean strange man, where she can get a full view of what is happening.

Toothless comes flying in at full speed from the other direction. The trappers give gasps of disbelief. "Is that what I think it is?" The strange man asks in wonder.