Dragon's Heart ~ Hiccstrid

Chapter 4

Astrid silently dropped to the ground just outside of the fort borders, wordlessly motioning for Fishlegs and Ruffnut to follow. The sun shone as they slid off of Barf & Belch, (they had left Tuffnut and Meatlug behind, along with Valka.). Astrid pulled out the map Valka had handed her in haste just before they left, and scanned the island's layout as Ruffnut and Fishlegs took out the wall guards, forcing the doors towards the heart of the mountain open. 

"Wait, Ruff!" Ruffnut stopped from her hurry to bash everyone and everything, stopping for a moment to listen to Astrid.

"Do you guys hear that?" Ruff and Fishlegs seemed to cock their heads slightly, listening for any strange sounds.

"I do!" Fishlegs jumped in excitement, his face suddenly falling as he realized what she was talking about. 

"Oh. That sound."

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The three friends scrambled up the small hill to peer over the wall that harbored the shrieks of pain, coming from the outdoor courtyard. Astrid sweated, not from the climb, but from the pounding of her heart as she peeked over the edge, her heart aching with hope for the shrieks to not come from Hiccup.

She and the others sighed in relief as they saw three young men backed up against tall wooden poles, seeming to have been whipped. They all cringed as another shriek was let out by a younger seeming boy, as another slash was cast into his already bloody back. Two of the younger looking boys were already on their knees, shrieking in pain. 

As Astrid's gaze swept over the two adolescents, it settled on a familiar looking auburn haired young man. Her eyes suddenly widened and her breath became ragged as she stumbled back, unable to comprehend what she had just seen.

It couldn't be Hiccup. It couldn't. It couldn't, it couldn't, it couldn't.

Her two friends had seen it before her. They grabbed her, attempting to keep her stable.

"Astrid, it'll be fine." She shrugged them off as their voices seemed warp and bend, muffling themselves along with the pounding of her heart.

"H-Hiccup.." She stammered as she grabbed the wall for support, taking the scene in with horror. 

While the other two boys were on the ground wailing, the tall, thin, but still strong, auburn haired young man was standing, not letting out a single cry whenever the cord slashed into his bare back, only wincing and slightly losing his balance. 

As the piercing mystery class dragon symbol on his back was covered with another wave of blood, Astrid felt tears beginning to sting and blur her vision.

"Fish,..Ruff.. we have to do something.." She felt herself choking against sobs as Hiccup silently let the guards cut deep into his blood stained back, most likely to cause multiple scars. At another stiff jerk, the sound of the cord snapped through the air just before it embedded itself into Hiccup's back once more.

Astrid gasped in shock at the sound, and lunged to jump over the wall, prepared to kill them, she had to kill them all, every single one of them!

She struggled, whimpering and kicking against the hold of her two friends, who apparently didn't realize realize how painful it was for her to stand.

"No - Fish, you don't understand.." Astrid choked on her tears, "I - I need.. Need to - to get to Hiccup...."

"Astrid, it won't do any good." Fishlegs and Ruffnut finally managed to sit her on a rock, holding her down as she attempted to escape their hold, trembling with anger and grief.