Icebound

❄ twenty two

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Elsa.

Elsa was about to go find the source of the scream when Hiccup blocks her path, their faces only inches apart. "No. It's too late. We gotta save ourselves." Hiccup says, softly sternly.

She had no choice but to agree to him. "Let's go, Anna." Elsa grabs her sister immediately, following Hiccup after.

It was as though her mind was completely blank and she was incapable of deciding for a few moments. All she could think of was to put her trust on him knowing he knew what he was doing.

"Uh, what is going on?" Anna asks, both curiosity and fear wavering her voice.

"I'll explain later, but right now, the both of you should leave the castle." Hiccup answers, making Elsa snap back to reality.

As soon as the three arrived at what seems to be a courtyard, where Toothless was already waiting at, Elsa all of a sudden stops in her tracks.

Hiccup locks the wooden door with a nearby chair stuck to the knob.

"What about your friends, Hiccup?" She asks.

There was no need to ask of such question. "They'll be alright. Now hop on."

Hiccup climbs first, then Elsa and lastly Anna.

Toothless grunts. "Oh, no." Hiccup says under his breath, making the two Royals frown anxiously. "Toothless won't be able to carry the three of us. It looks like one of us has to stay behind."

Elsa's frown deepens as she looks at her younger sister. Anna keeps a tight smile to assure her.

Hiccup sighs and unexpectedly hops off his dragon. "You know what to do, bud." He tells Toothless.

"Hiccup, what're you doing?" Elsa asks in shock.

"Toothless will bring you to your castle in the Northern Mountain."

"What? No! Who's gonna drive Toothless?"

"You."

"A-Are you serious?" She stammered with a squeak as Anna snickers.

Knowing she was nervous, he places his hand above hers. "Hey. It's gonna be alright. Plus, all you have to do is step your foot here," he gently places her foot on the stirrup of the saddle. His touch was so electric to her skin. "and pull."

Elsa did as told and the artificial tail wing of the dragon snaps open behind them. Elsa gasps and smiles at the success.

Thunderous bangs begin to arrive at the door. "Go. Now!" Hiccup exclaims, unsheathing his sword.

"Be careful!" Elsa managed to tell him before Toothless could take off from the courtyard in a swift.

It was enough to motivate him to fight and keep fighting, knowing he was fighting for someone rather than something this time.

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Hiccup.

But Hiccup was only one with no army. Blood had cascaded down his face like tears. At least they were blood and not tears, he thought.

"Ah, the famous Dragonrider!" The old man laughs upon seeing a slouched Hiccup in the hands of his big built men. Intently he gives Hiccup an up and down. "Hmm, you don't seem to be looking like your father, Stoik. You're too pretty and young."

"Why the bloody hell do you even care, traitor?" Hiccup says, emphasizing the last word in an attempt to taunt him, though he doesn't seem to be pissed.

Rorke smirks. "Traitor. Does that what you call heroes nowadays?" He asks in a mock pitiful tone. His tone changes into a fiercer one, "now tell me where the damned snow queen is and I'll make this easier for you!"

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" Hiccup scoffs. He swore he saw Rorke's eyes twitched in rage.

Little does the tyrannical general know Hiccup was playing with him. "Of course not. But are you too stupid to not think about your life? Not afraid to have your own sword stabbed on your chest, boy?"

Hiccup doesn't flinch from his smile as he shakes his head lazily. "No."

Now furious, Rorke grabs his chin and levels their eyes, his ones full of fire piercing through Hiccup's half-open ones. "Listen here, Haddock. I have dealt with stubborn Barbarians before and I've killed lots of them since I was your age, so don't make me add you on the list! Take him to the dungeons."

Hiccup was successful of his plan. He had threatened Rorke's inner monster, and he will not stop until it is unleashed.

~ ~ ~

Elsa.

The Night Fury lands safely in the second floor balcony of the Ice Castle.

"Oh my goodness!" Elsa gasps in realization as soon as she gets off Toothless. "I should've stayed. Who knows what's gonna happen with our kingdom?"

"Relax, they'll be alright." Anna reassures her sister, though she worries about what Rorke was capable of.

"Who are the attackers anyway?"

"Rorke and his army, obviously."

"I-I should go back. See if I can negotiate with him-"

"Elsa, no. Negotiating is useless. A tyrant will never trade a kingdom to anything now."

Elsa's fast breathing stops abruptly. "You're right. And perhaps the only way to get our kingdom back is to fight."

Anna shakes her head in disapproval. She remembered the last time Elsa let her powers in control, her demons were freed, resulting the undeserving death of an innocent young boy. "No. I'm sorry, Elsa, but it's for your own good."

"Then I'm sorry too, Anna, because my kingdom needs me." Without warning, Elsa slaps her hand in the air, blasting a barrier of spikes between her and her sister.

Anna gasps, it was as if time had repeated itself. "Elsa! Stop!"

"Take me back, Toothless." Elsa orders to the dragon coldly. Toothless was with Anna here, but he was not in the right to disobey.

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