Duplicity || HICCUP

CHAPTER ONE

A thick layer of fog hung over the ocean, preventing anyone on board from being able to see beyond the tip of their own nose, shrouding the wooden ship in a cold, damp blanket. Aja stood at the bow, her fingers gripped tightly onto the railing as the large boat swayed back and forth, avoiding the intense gaze of the tall man beside her. They had been there for a few minutes in silence, minutes that felt like hours to her, before she exhaled a small breath, emitting a misty puff out from between her parted lips.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," she whispered.

She waited, keeping her blue eyes locked onto the endless expanse of water, preparing herself for the man's response. There wasn't much time left before they were expected to reach Berk, not much time left to convince him to turn around.

He spoke, voice deep and slow. "You wish to let the monster free?" He was testing her.

"No!" She hated how quickly she said it, hated how scared she was of upsetting him, it made her feel like a child despite being twenty-one years old. "But every dragon you've taken hasn't brought her back. This one won't change that. You don't even know it's actually there."

Aja faced him, hoping she'd be able to instill some doubt, convince him it wasn't worth it anymore. Eight long years passed since he finally completed his senseless revenge, since he slaughtered the "last" Night Fury. Only, it wasn't the last. Three weeks prior, they were tipped off that one still lived, residing on Berk. One had escaped his grasp, tucked away all this time, and his desire and taste for blood came surging right back, as if the years were nothing.

"I vowed to rid this world of the devils, for as long as I live. Shame you do not wish to avenge your mother the same." His brown eyes were narrowed at her, his gaze hard and unyielding. She shrunk just a bit under his stare, fighting to ignore the sting in her chest and tried again.

"It seems too rushed, Berk will not welcome us as strangers." Vikings were naturally distrustful, she knew first hand, generations of pillaging and raids tended to do that, and Aja would've rather not be met by angry, and most likely armed, Vikings.

"We are there to establish trade, as a small island with diminishing resources." He answered matter of factly. "Perhaps you should've been left with Magnus if you doubt your Chief this much."

She kept her face still, trying to not let her father's words sink their teeth. The salty spray of the ocean kissed her freckled cheeks as she inhaled, ready to speak again, but it was not her voice that came from her open mouth, instead one of man's.

"Ragnor! We need to discuss our course, it's urgent!" One of her father's men emerged from behind the curtain of fog, his gloved hand raised to shield his eyes against the pick up of wind.

Ragnor's thick, dark brows furrowed together. The skin between them wrinkled into deep lines, lines that had been permanently forged by the many years of grief. He dismissed the man and faced his daughter.

"There's a few more days before we reach Berk, I suggest you realign your loyalty, or you will remain on the ship. Your mind cannot be distracted." His voice then softened, as if remembering he was still her father, and added, "Go rest, you will need your strength."

He left her alone at the bow, his wolfskin cloak being the last thing to disappear as he walked into the fog. Aja squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed the growing lump in her throat, determined not to cry. She would try again tomorrow, she had to.

The stairs creaked beneath her boots as she climbed down to the lower deck, each step a reminder of the distance between her and the man she once knew. She crawled into her hammock; the thin fabric cradled her while she pulled the wool blanket tighter around her shoulders. The sway of the ship was supposed to be soothing, but it only served to amplify her thoughts. She attempted to summon a memory of her mother's face, but all that came were blurry features, a jigsaw puzzle of indistinct shapes and brown hair. She attempted to recall the warmth of her embrace, the sound of her laughter, but the details remained elusive, like grains of sand slipping between her fingers. A hollow, painful, ache formed in Aja's chest, realizing how much of her mother had been lost to time, replaced instead by her father's darkened heart. Tears pricked the corners of her shut eyes, and she let out a shaky breath, curling up tighter in her hammock and drew the blanket closer, as if it could shield her from the world outside. The exhaustion of her thoughts eventually took its toll, and the rhythmic rocking was able to lull her into a restless sleep.