The Voyager and the Rogue

Chapter 53

Zephyr directed us where she saw a dark shadow dart ahead of us, recognizing Bluehearts form.

"I'll be honest, every time I see Blueheart, I somehow expect to see Toothless..." Zephyr admitted to me. I mustered an awkward half-smile, unable to comprehend that feeling. We followed the direction where Blueheart flew; as we approached where we saw her, I glanced down, spying the body of a man on the boat where Zenn, Zyrah, and Bronwynn were. I noticed Bronwynn helping Zyrah up off the deck as she rebalanced herself.

As we landed and ran to the group, I realized that Nuffink was holding Saoirse in his arms. I couldn't determine what was happening but saw blood on her clothes. I already knew that wasn't good. Eyarr stood by me as we found Ana and Dustin, who stood to the side as Hiccup, Astrid, and Zephyr rushed to Nuffink's side.

"Ana? What happened? Is Saoirse okay?" I questioned upon joining her side. She gave us the rundown of what happened, a final altercation between Saoirse and her father, who was the body I noticed earlier.

"Who killed him? Saoirse?"

"No, Saoirse's dragon fired the fatal shot." The altercation left Saoirse's father dead and Saoirse injured. I'd never seen Nuffink cry; seeing his face warp with intensity like that was heartbreaking. I wanted to comfort him, but I knew it was best to give him space.

The battle was over; with Saoirse's father dead and the Ravagers in shambles. No lives were lost on our side... but many were injured.

But now the focus shifted towards getting Saoirse back to the village and for Ana to figure out the extent of her injuries.

Due to her blindness, Zyrah was disoriented and was immediately rushed back to New Berk with her family and Blueheart for rest and recovery. As everyone attempted to regain some composure, I stood on the deck of a burning ship, observing as the chaos simmered down, ignoring the sizzling, cracks, and pops of the sparks of scorched wood. My ears could only tune in to the sound of creaking wood. My heart was racing a million miles a minute, my hands trembling, and my club falling out of my hand.

I came back to my senses upon feeling Eyarr's hand brush soot off my cheek.

"Laeli, are you hurt?" He asked, worry filling his voice. I stared blankly at him, slowly shaking my head. He wordlessly pulled me into a hug, gently squeezing me.

I said nothing, still trembling slightly as Eyarr called our dragons over. He hoisted us up on Cliffire's back, instructing Riptide to follow us back to the village. I buried my head in his neck and closed my eyes.

I woke up suddenly, unsure of what exactly woke me up, but I was immediately comforted to see Eyarr asleep next to me, limbs sprawled out, but not invading my space. I didn't know how long I'd been asleep, but upon craning my head around to look out the window, it was the middle of the night.

Which still didn't tell me how long I was out, but it'd been a while. I didn't know what to do with myself. Should I wake up my fiancé? Go for a walk? I didn't know.

I heard him shift when I sat up in bed. His eyes fluttered open, and he tilted his head when he noticed me. I couldn't help but crack a smile at his messy hair.

"Babe..." He mumbled as he sat up. I exhaled slowly, moving to sit next to him. He pulled me in for a hug, pressing a kiss on my head.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked him.

"Eh, like half a day. You were knocked out when I brought you home."

"Wow." That was all I could say, but then an important question came to mind, "wait, is Saoirse okay?" That's when I noticed his expression change.

"I don't know; last I heard was that she was struck in the scarred eye. But we don't know the damage. I caught Zyrah mumbling about Saoirse possibly losing sight in that eye." I cringed at the thought of it, on her behalf at least. I'd been looking forward to getting to know her better, but that would have to wait.

"I guess we'll ask in the morning." He nodded slowly.

I couldn't find anything else to say, I presumed we were both still processing the violence we witnessed.

Despite being exhausted, I couldn't get myself to fall asleep. My body was tired, but my mind was wide awake, and I felt restless. And I think Eyarr could sense that.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, rubbing my back. I shrugged, unsure of how to articulate my words.

"I... I don't know how to describe it. My mind has a million thoughts, too many to explain. But... at the same time, my body is just... exhausted. The last time I felt like this was when I first came to New Berk," I paused, rubbing my eyes with the bottom of my palm, pressing them into my eye sockets, feeling some relief, "I hate this feeling."

"I think that's just your anxiety, babe." I turned to him.

"I didn't think of that... but you're right."

"Maybe it's because I know that feeling." I scoffed a bit.

"Eyarr? Feeling anxiety?" He gave me a look, and I exhaled sharply from my nose."Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I've been able to hide it well, I trained myself to mask my anxiety for years while being on my own. I didn't have anyone close to me to figure it out." I gave him a half-smirk, nudging him slightly.

"Guess it's good you've got me now, huh?" He nodded, giving me a gentle smile back.

"It is a good thing, I'd say. I can finally release all this tension and the need for self-preservation. It's nice not to be alone anymore."

"That's why we're a perfect match," I assured with a soft peck on the cheek.

"Exactly." With that being said, I felt my eyelids become heavy, and I yawned, despite an attempt to fight it off.

"Come on, let's get some sleep, and we'll figure out everything in the morning, hm?" He offered, laying back down on the pillow. And how could I resist?