Captain Fury: Pirate of Berk

12: ...I trust you

 ...I trust you

"Now is our chance!" Eret sneered as he paced the little cabin. In the absence of anywhere else, Astrid was now in there with Stoick, Eret and the Captain. Safely locked up, Eret had regained his confidence and courage and was pacing back and forth, expounding his plans to storm the crew, capture the ship and sail into Berkisport as a hero. "They are distracted so we can overrun them and take the ship-and that damned pirate, Fury!" The Captain-Svein-rolled his eyes. A man with twenty years and more at sea, he had rapidly come to the conclusion that Eret was a complete ass.

"They are distracted by sailing us away from the damned armada they rescued us from!" he snapped.

"He sailed us into the trap as the ship chased us!" Eret snapped. "What kind of fool sails yourself into an ambush?" The Captain gave him a venomous glare.

"I would think about your next words, son," Stoick growled, angered on behalf of his Captain and his friend. "He got us away from a vessel the like of which I've never seen-and again, he and his crew escaped from an impossible situation."

"Fury is a criminal!" Eret snarled. "Our duty is to capture him!"

"And we have no idea where we are!" Svein growled. "They probably do but I didn't see any charts. And this crew is feared throughout the Archipelago. Did you see their gunners? Absolutely insane! And I heard rumour the Captain slaughtered a dozen enemy soldiers single-handedly during our escape..." Every eye turned to Astrid and she paused, then nodded. It had probably been a dozen, despite the injuries he had clearly suffered talking to Drago. Her mind slid back to those wounds, quietly concealed by the pirate which he wouldn't have even had tended unless she had forced him.

"Definitely a dozen," she confirmed. Eret stared at her.

"Slut!" he snapped. "Remember who you are married to!" She glared at him.

"I could hardly forget," she hissed bitterly.

"And yet you just simper over that damned thief!" Eret sneered in jealousy. "You dance attendance on him when you should look to me for your direction!"

"I am a Hofferson," she snapped. "I need no direction from..." Her glare expressed her utter contempt for him.

"You will obey me, wife!" Eret snarled, his fists bunching. "What were you doing with that man? Were you whoring yourself, bitch?"

"I was tending his wounds and those of the boy," she said tightly. "I suggest you get your mind out of the gutter! I have not slept with anyone and you dishonour yourself by your evil tongue!" Stoick looked at her thoughtfully: she was the daughter of his greatest rival, a man he loathed and she was the reason why his son was dishonoured and disowned-but it was clear she was condemned to a loveless and frankly disastrous marriage to Eret. And she had behaved with propriety and practicality throughout. To put it bluntly, she had been about ten times more use than her husband. "Governor, will you rule on this? I fear my husband's wounded pride would lead him to a miscalculation."

Very diplomatic. She didn't say 'my husband is a total ass and is about to make a catastrophic mistake!' Quite...

"Take no action for the moment," Stoick said. His eyes narrowed. He couldn't forget that they had been boarded and robbed by Fury before Drago's vessel had attacked. "Wait until we are close to Berk when we will have the upper hand and they will be weary from the voyage. There may be an opportunity there-but only on my word!" She nodded and settled herself sitting on the bed. The Governor had insisted she take the bed while the men took the chairs. Eret had been livid as he had wanted the bed but couldn't deny the lady the most comfortable position when the Governor had granted it to her. But he was casting her hateful glances and she wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she had made the other choice. Maybe that wouldn't have been as bad as being married to General Eretson.