Legends of Darkstalkers and Nightriders

Chapter 12: Alone Again

Sadie’s POV

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Emma was the closest thing I had to family and I’d basically just told her to leave. She had no reason to stay now and Blaze had been against me since I’d helped save him from Drago.

Good riddance, part of me thought. She would have betrayed you eventually. Just like your uncle.

“Emma!” I called as she ran out the door, but she didn’t stop or look back.

At least she’d opened the door. I quickly slipped past the chief and ran outside, taking off as he started after me. I reached the woods and flew down among the trees, landing on the ground a moment later. Angry and frustrated, I pulled a knife from its sheath and sent it thudding into a nearby tree.

Stupid Alvin.

I pulled another knife out and threw it at another tree.

Stupid people.

Another knife thudded into a tree.

Stupid book.

My last knife thudded into a tree and I stood, still angry in the midst of them.

Stupid me.

“Why does everything always go wrong for me?!” I screamed at no one in particular as I sent a blast of air at a nearby tree. The branches shook and a few leaves came fluttering down. Then with a groan, the tree toppled over, landing with a crash on the forest floor and the sound of a few branches breaking echoed through the trees.

“Oh my Thor,” a voice said from behind me. “That was incredible.”

I turned to see Hiccup with his Night Fury beside him. “What good is incredible if everybody is afraid of you for it?” I asked. “In case you’ve forgotten, I'm some insane monster that kills people for the fun of it.” I started to gather up my knives.

“You don't really believe that about yourself, do you?”

“Does it matter?!” I snapped. “Everyone else does! I bring back a little girl that was kidnapped, bandage her wounds, and every one thinks I must have bewitched her or something and are ready to kick her out of the village! Never mind that she's barely 6 years old and wouldn't last a day on her own!” Angry, I threw a knife at another tree, satisfied when it hits its mark with a thud.

Hiccup was quiet for a moment. “How old were you?”

“What?” I turned to glare at him.

“How old were you when you got kicked out?”

I frowned. “I wasn't kicked out.”

“So you ran away?”

I looked away. “That’s none of your business.”

“Okay,” he said. “Fair enough.”

“What are you doing out here anyway?” I asked, looking back at him.

He shrugged. “I was looking for Emma,” he said. “She kind of took off when she heard that my dad caught you. Have you seen her?”

I knew he hadn't meant them to, but the words stung. “She, ah…….she and Blaze are probably long gone by now.”

“Without you?”

“I don't want to talk about it,” I said, pulling the knife I threw from the tree and sheathing it again. “Why were you looking for Emma?”

“I wanted to make sure she's okay,” he replied. “She hit her head pretty good when she fell in the river.”

“She fell in the river?”

He nodded. “Toothless and I pulled her out and took her to our healer, Gothi.”

“Oh. Why?”

“Why what?”

“Did you help her? Anyone else would have let her drown.”

Hiccup shrugged. “Like I told her. I'm not anyone else. People can be misunderstood, just like dragons.” He smiled as his Night Fury nudged his arm, and he turned, rubbing his dragon’s head affectionately.

I studied him. He was different, there was no denying that. Anyone else would have either run or tried to kill me by now, but as he'd just reminded me, he wasn't anyone else. He was kind and understanding. Willing to find the best in people like me. Someone everyone else feared. And honestly, not bad looking either. I looked away as he looked up again and caught me staring.

“Sadie?” he said after a moment. “If you ever want to talk and need somebody to listen, come find me, okay?”

I sighed. “I'll keep it in mind,” I replied, looking back at him.

He smiled and mounted Toothless. “I'll see you around?”

“Maybe,” I said as he prepared to take off. “And Hiccup?”

He stopped and looked at me. “Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“Anytime. Come on, bud.” These last words were directed at his dragon and the Night Fury took to the sky.

I stood for a moment longer before going to find Stardancer.

A bit later we left Berk, flying until dark then finding a small deserted island. We landed and I gathered some wood for a fire, then Stardancer lit it without my having to ask.

I sat down beside it, staring into the amber flames as they danced, reaching for the twinkling stars above. I hardly noticed when Stardancer wandered off to find food, my thoughts focused on Emma and Blaze.

I had been right. Our campsite had been empty when I'd gotten back, and though I hadn't been surprised, it had hurt. Still did. It didn't seem to matter how hard I tried. People always left me eventually.

My thoughts drifted to my parents. The way my father said my name, my mother's laugh, the way they smelled, how they held me, told me they loved me.

Something wet landed on my arm and I realized I was crying. I swiped a hand across my face, but I couldn't stop the sob that was torn from my throat and I sat, hunched over with my arms wrapped around my middle as I cried.

I never heard the footsteps behind me or the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. Never realized I wasn't alone until someone grabbed me and brought the knife to my throat.

“Make one sound and I'll kill you,” Dagur said in my ear. “Right here, right now.”

Weakly, I nodded, unwilling to even fight back as he tied me up, tossed me over his shoulder and carried me back down the beach.

Written by: Ultimate_Dreamer7