For Milady

FOURTEEN: Through the fires

FOURTEEN: Through the fires

Hiccup collapsed to the floor as the door of the cage clanged, leaving him breathing hard and trembling with pain. The guards laughed as they walked away, leaving the young Viking to curl up, trying to calm down. Unbidden, his mind swung back to when they had been captured.

A boot slammed into his side and he cried out, blinking as his tried to recall what had happened. He was lying prone on a grubby deck, surrounded by armed and brutal-looking men who were eyeing him with hostility. He lifted his head and looked around frantically, searching for the familiar black shape.

"Where's my dragon?" he asked suddenly, pushing himself up to his knees and yelping as he was kicked again.

"It's our dragon now," one of the men said, a thickset man with small pale eyes. "A Night Fury! Who would have thought!"

"So how did you come by the creature?" another, taller man asked, his eyes narrowing. There was a double scar down his left cheek, the edges puckered as if it had been made by heat. Blinking to clear his head, Hiccup gave a smile.

"I met him in a forest," he said, not completely untruthfully.

"Were you...riding...him?" a third man with a mean moustache asked suspiciously. Hiccup sat back on his heels, inspecting the men. But they had captured him and his emerald gaze flicked over the deck, seeing the cages, the winches and dragon-proof chains.

"Whatever made you think that? I was flying alongside him when you shot me down!" he replied, unable to help the sarcasm. A small man behind him looked puzzled.

"But I thought we captured him clipped into a saddle..." he asked in a confused voice. Hiccup cast him a mildly amused glance. There's always one...

"Idiot!" the scarred man snapped. "He's a Dragon Rider-one of those interfering fools who have been attacking our northern comrades!" The man with the moustache drew his sword and advanced towards the imprisoned rider.

"Then we should kill him and be done with him!" he growled and Hiccup tried to scramble backwards but the scarred man raised a hand.

"The Captain will want to speak with him," he snapped. "This Dragon Rider must have some skills and knowledge that may be valuable to us."

"Captain?" Hiccup asked, keeping his voice light. "Sure, I'll be happy to talk to him. You see, I need my dragon and..."

A hand snatched his hair and as they dragged his head up, a fist hit it. He slammed to the deck, head spinning as two of the men grabbed his arms and dragged him back up to his knees.

"Wow, you only had to ask," Hiccup said in a hurt voice. "I mean, I can shut up if you ask..."

The man with the mean moustache punched him again and he groaned. There was an answering warble and Hiccup began to struggle.

"Toothless!" he shouted and the dragon gave a small roar. "Let me go! Toothless!" The scarred man grabbed his face.

"You know that dragon is ours now...but if you co-operate, we won't hurt him," he growled but Hiccup glared defiantly into the man's cold eyes.

"Viggo and Ryker wouldn't kill or harm Toothless because he is priceless," he said calmly. "So I don't believe you're going to permanently destroy such a valuable resource."

He had steeled himself for the blow but he still saw stars as the man punched him again then grabbed his hair and pulled his head forward so the man could glare into his bleary eyes.