Captain Fury: Pirate of Berk

44: Before I'm Sent To Die...

Forty Four: Before I'm sent to die...

"This is utter madness!" Snotlout's voice was angry as trailed up the hill to the jail, following his shackled and manacled cousin as he was hauled up the steep slope toward the jail. "You have to realise that the Governor has completely lost his mind! Hic...Captain Fury...here is the best chance that Berk will survive and resist Drago's attack...and he's planning to lock him up and just hand him over?"

"Sorry, Lord Snotlout," the lead guard said in a mildly apologetic tone. "But the Governor has spoken...and the man is a convicted felon!"

"He's the Governor's son!" Snotlout spluttered. "It is entirely Stoick's fault that he's in the mess!"

"Um...not entirely true," Hiccup said quietly. "I did have to make some choices myself. Admittedly the first was between starving to death or going with the pirates but hey, it was a choice!"

"But this is wrong!" Snotlout protested, speeding up to walk alongside Hiccup's guards. The lanky pirate stared thoughtfully ahead, his green eyes locked on the sturdy building mere yards away.

"A lot of things are wrong," he sighed, "and this was probably inevitable. We both know my father-and you have always been his favourite out of the two of us! If he could have outlawed me or executed me for being small and sarcastic and disappointing, he would have done it years before he finally found an excuse! So don't stress yourself...cuz...because I need you for something more important." The guards shoved him through the doors and into the cells...and his heart sank as he inspected the three new locks on each cell, the chains around the bars and the posts for guards to be stationed in the cell block at all times... He sighed as they undid his chains and shoved him into the cell then flinched as the door slammed.

"Hiccup..." Astrid murmured, "why did you stop us fighting our way out?" He twitched a smile at her stern tone and turned back to face her. Gods, she was beautiful, even wind-blown and standing on the other side of the bars, incredibly hacked off in her old training outfit.

"Apart from us all getting killed?" he asked her wryly. "He's stupid, cold as the frozen north and the least paternal father since the dawn of time, but he is thinking of his people and the enemy has offered him an alternative to war. Admittedly, Drago won't keep the deal."

"How do you know?" she asked him, her tone concerned. He spun round and his hands gripped the bars, knuckles white and face twisted in anger.

"Because I've spoken to him!" he hissed. "Because I know what he was asking about when I spoke to him!" Breathing hard, his green eyes flashing with brief anger, he suddenly sagged. "He wants war, Milady. He wants to destroy us. And giving me to him won't make a difference."

"You-you're not going, are you, Dad?" Arild asked quietly. He had refused to stay behind and had determinedly walked up the hill with Astrid. Wincing as he pulled his fresh wounds, Hiccup dropped to a crouch to face the skinny boy, his jet hair as scruffy as ever and big green eyes scared. He slid a hand through the bars and rested on the boy's shoulder.

"I may have no choice, bud," he murmured, seeing the little face crumple. Arild swallowed and his eyes shone.

"Please don't go, Dad," he whispered. "M-Mom already d-died and Gunnar d-didn't want m-me and n-now you m-might l-leave..." Stretching his arms through the bars, the pirate pulled the boy against him and hugged him awkwardly as well as he could through the bars.

"If I have any say, bud, I won't leave you...but if I give to give my life to make you safe, I won't hesitate..." he said roughly then lifted his head to stare into Astrid's eyes. "You too, Milady..." he added tenderly.