Snowfall on Berk

Chapter 24

~Astrid~~one week later~

It was Hiccup's birthday, and the village threw him the biggest party I have ever seen. I was tending to the dragons and came in late. I found Hiccup with the gang sitting at a table in the back of the Great Hall. Toothless had followed me all the way here, and was now following me through the Great Hall.

I dodge the crowd and join them at the table. Tuffnur finished telling one of his jokes and everyone laughed. I snake my arms around Hiccup's neck, and he laces his fingers with mine.

"There you are," He said turning his head to face me.

"Hey. I did your chores today. The least I can be is a few minutes late to your birthday," I say sitting down next to him.

I need to find an excuse to get Hiccup out of here to tell him about my present to him. We sit and listen to Tuffnut tell more jokes.

After a few I lean into Hiccup and ask, "Hey why don't we go for a ride down to the cove?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to give you your present, and that is the most private place I could find."

He smiles. "Keeping secrets are we?"

"Hopefully not for long. Now let's go." I pull on his arm, and he stands.

"We'll be back in a little bit," Hiccup says to the group. They all mumble their Yeah rights, and we take off.

We mount Toothless and fly into the night sky. The starts shine bright lighting our way to the cove. We land by the pond, and Hiccup helps me down from Toothless. We sit by the pond looking at the stars reflecting into the pond.

"So what is this present of yours that you couldn't give me in the Great Hall?" Hiccup asks.

I laugh nervously. "Well it's a little more complicated then that. The present will always have a presence here, but it's not going to be known for a few more months," I say.

He looks confused. "I don't understand."

"I figured you wouldn't. But it's okay. I'm still going to make you guess."

"Come on Astrid. Please just tell me."

"No. I want you to guess. Let's see. This will change our lives forever. It should be a good change. A change that we will welcome with open arms." I subconsciously place my hands on my stomach.

He looks down, but that's as far as he gets. A loud explosion is heard from the front of the island. It shakes the ground all the way over here.

"We need to go. We'll finish this conversation later," Hiccup says standing.

I follow him, and we quickly mount Toothless. We fly over the island to see nearly a hundred ships in the harbor. Hiccup drops me off at the hut, and I mount Stormfly. We meet the other dragon riders in the sky.

"Okay dragon riders take out the ships! Make sure no one escapes, and don't get hit!" Hiccup tells.

Down below villagers had began to fight hand to hand, and others on land with their dragons. The Riders head out to the harbor and begin to sink the ships.

I sink ten ships, but after the tenth ship ten more begin to take their place. They all fly the same colors. Drago Bludvist. He was finally launching a full scale attack on us. And we weren't ready for it.

In my brief moment of realization an arrow comes right for Stormfly. I steer her away from the open water, and onto the land. We miss the arrow, but we don't miss the next. I get knocked off of Stormfly. Luckily a rider was nearby to catch me before I fell to my death. It was Snotlout. He gently sets me on the ground, and I begin to fight the hunters.

I hear Toothless's cry as he and Hiccup sink more ships in the harbor. Three burly men come running up to me, but I was ready. I fought with everything I had. But in the end a hunter twice the size of the other two came from behind, and pinned me to the ground.

"Take her to Drago. He'll want to meet her," one of the hunters said.

I'm pulled up and forced forward. I'm lead onto a ship. It's bigger than any of the other ones. It must be Drago's. Sure enough I am brought to my knees in front of Drago Bludvist himself.

He turns and I see his scarred up face. His complexion was so much darker and sinister then the last time we met.

"Is this her?" Drago asked the hunter.

"We are very certain she is. Just wait in a matter of moments he'll be here with the alpha," the hunter replied.

"Good."

He gave a dark smile to me as I tried to resist the bonds that the hunters had secured me in. Not even a minute later I hear Toothless's cry, and Hiccup's yelling. Drago pulls me up, and olds a knife to my throat. Not this again.

Toothless lands on the deck and Hiccup dismounts him. He runs up to Drago, but the hunters stop him.

"Let her go!" Hiccup yells.

"Give me the alpha!" Drago yelled back.

"No!"

Drago laughs. It's darker and more sinister then I remember. It sends chills down my spine.

"You see young chief, I always get what I want. And what I want is your alpha, to replace the one that failed me," Drago said.

"Well you aren't going to get him. Now give me the girl!"

"No."

"Then how about a deal?"

"Hiccup, no," I strain.

"Quiet! What is this deal of yours."

"Give us two weeks to come up with our answer. You can take Astrid, but you can't harm her. We'll give you an answer in fourteen days," Hiccup says.

"I will leave a map. You won't meet me, or the girl. You will give your answer to them, then they will bring only you and the alpha to me where we'll trade off. If I think for any reason you are playing me for a fool, I will kill her. If you follow us past the horizon, I'll kill her, so you let us peacefully. After the fourteen days if you refuse to hand over the alpha, well, I think you get it," Drago said tightening his grip on me.

No. Hiccup can't do that.

"Deal," Hiccup said.

"Good. I will see you in fourteen days. Until then."

I'm getting dragged away from Hiccup, and away from Berk. Hiccup leaves the boat and we take off. A guard takes me from Drago, but Drago still follows us. I get thrown into a cell.

The hard wood is cold and rough against my skin. "You won't get the alpha from Berk," day through gritted teeth.

Drago laughs. "One meal a day. We want to make sure he gives us the alpha," Drago said.

He left, and there was one guard stationed outside my cell. I crawl into a ball and hold my stomach. I wasn't scared of death, but I was scared for the future of our unborn child. The child Hiccup didn't even know about. He had three things to save now. Toothless, me, and our unborn child. And that's what scared me.