The Rouge Angel (Book 1) - HTTYD

6| Eret, son of Eret

|RUFFNUT|

I stand on the deck, my eyes as wide as they possibly can stretch, staring into the clouds where Astrid had disappeared.

"No..." I whisper as I finally am able to believe what just happened.

She was there five minutes ago, walking to the front of the ship. I was still laying up against the side, moping about Tuff.

I saw the entire thing.

The guy with the big black wings swooped down, grabbed her, and flew off into the clouds before anyone could could register what had just happened. I remember seeing the black, sleek, and glossy feathers as they thrusted the masked man and Astrid into the air. The large wings dwarfed the man and Astrid, looming above them like it was going to wrap itself around them and squeeze the life out of them...

"What do we do?!" panics a Viking, and a few more join in.

I furrow my eyebrows, formulating a plan in my head. Slowly, an idea surfaces and I click my fingers, turning to the nearest Viking.

"Go back to Berk" I say to the Viking. "Tell only Gobber what has happened...and...and tell him...tell him exactly what you saw..."

"Was it...was that the Rouge Angel?" another Viking gulps, his face pale in pure fear.

"I said tell him exactly what you saw" I spit, looking away from all the Vikings. "We must keep going, we have to sign that peace treaty."

All the Vikings nod, sharing looks before they all break away, leaving me. I feel my shoulders slump, and my eyes fill with tears.

Astrid...

I feel the same way as I did, the day Tuff passed away...numb. Just numb. I feel nothing. No emotion, no pain, no sadness, nothing...just...I'm just numb...

But slowly, something rises from the pit of my stomach, and I feel my hands balling into fists, so hard my nails slightly dig into my palms.

"COME ON!! WE ARE HEADING THERE NOW! EVERYONE GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND MOVE IT!!"

All the Vikings jump to attention as I shout this, and I see the Viking I instructed to go back to Berk, pushing a small row boat into the dark blue ocean, hopping in before he thrusts the paddles, slowly heading back towards Berk.

A Viking pulls down the sails, and a large wind blows through, and the boat starts to gradually increase it's speed.

"We head to the village, and tell them what has happened" I say, turning to the Vikings on the ship. "We can rally an army, and go after this guy."

"And we will get our chief back?" asks a Viking.

I nod, turning to face the vast ocean around us. The breeze pinches my skin, and determination grows within my gut, my hands balling into fists.

"We will go and get our chief back."

• • •

Fog starts to surround the ship as the sun dips down behind the deep, almost glittering ocean. Small speckles of stars appear in the night sky, and the hairs on the back of my neck softly prickle.

Something is not right...

I hear the sound of the ocean as it laps against the boat, and I relish the feeling of the cool, night breeze. I stand at the very front of the boat, leaning on the wooden dragon head that traditional Vikings have on their ships. I remember once, Tuff and I used the large, wooden dragon heads for target practice one day, and we ended up sending the entire fleet of ships on fire.