Snowfall on Berk

Chapter 26

~Astrid~

I hasn't even been a day here, and I was already hungry. Drago's plan was to starve me so Hiccup would save me instead of Toothless.

I'm still sitting on the floor when the guard comes to my cell with a small tray of food. He throws it through the bars, and it spills all over on floor next to me. He walks away, and I salvaged what I could. I piece of meat, and an apple. I crawled to the the back of the cell and ate. This is the only time I can remember being actually scared for my own life. But I knew Hiccup would find a way to save Toothless and me both, but it would cost him.

The boat began to shift directions. Waves crashed against the side. I knew a storm was coming, and it was going to be bad. Another wave crashed against the side of the boat, which sent me toppling over to one side. I sat back up, and looked for the window in the cell. Standing on my toes I was able to see out of the window. The sky was dark, and it was starting to rain. I sank back down.

I hugged my knees to my chest as I sat. The wind began to blow making my cell cold. I pull my hood up, and just sat and thought. I thought about a life with Hiccup, and our unborn child. What life would be like if Drago wasn't around to ruin everything. We might have more then one kid, but for now we can't be sure.

I roll over to my side, and face the wall. I let go of my legs, and lay my hands on my stomach. It was small, but if you looked close enough you could see something was growing inside of me.

I wondered what it would be like. Me as a mother, and Hiccup as a father. I wondered what our child would look like. Would it have blonde hair like me? Or brown auburn like Hiccup. What would its eyes look like? Would it be a boy or a girl? All of these questions filled my mind. But then there was the lingering question of what if we didn't get the chance to be parents. What if Drago robbed us of our chance?

I close my eyes and let the rocking of the boat lull me into a sleep.

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Pain wakes me up. I sit up and feel it again. It's coming from my stomach. I place my hand there and feel it again. This time it doesn't feel as bad anymore. Instead I can identify what it is. It's the baby kicking me. It's soft, but it scared me enough to wake up, and have it hurt. I sit there with my hands on my stomach.

Then the shouts come. "We're going under!", "Go wake Drago!", "Hurry! Transport the dragons!"

I stand only to be knocked back over by the ship violently move, and knock me back off my feet again. I see a dark figure that could only be Drago walk in front of my cell. He stops and turns to face me.

"Lock her in shackles, put a hood over her, and bring her. She's the only thing that is making sure we get Beth's alpha. If she dies, no alpha," Drago said to the guards around him. He continues down the hall.

The guards pick up shackles that were next to the door, and they unlock the door. I let them shackles me, and blind me. They lead me up to the deck where the wind and rain hits me hard. My breath gets sucked away from me, yet I am still forced forward.

I don't know where they lead me, but I'm told to brace myself. So I do. The next thing I know I'm thrown through the air before someone catches me. I can't tell if I was dropped, or thrown, but I knew I wasn't on the same ship.

I'm lead once again through the ship, and into another cell. The hood gets taken off, and the shackles released. The cell closes, and I am once again in another cell, and Hiccup still isn't here.

I go back to the corner again, and sit. I rub my stomach as I try to settle it. I have not been one for boats. Especially in storms. I guess the baby was the same way. I could feel it fighting in my stomach, but there was nothing I could do but wait it out.

Thunder crashed outside the ship, and I saw lightning flash outside. I pulled my knees in closer to my chest and quietly cry. I don't know why I do, but it just has to come out of me. I've kept every emotion inside of me. It was the warrior side of me that did that, but now it was failing me. Now everything was coming out.

I just wish Hiccup was here to calm me down. He would know what to do. He always knew how to calm me when I was upset. But I was on my own out here. Nothing but me, our unborn child, boats full of hunters, and the open sea. I began to pretend that Hiccup was here. That he was rubbing my back to calm me.

I laid down, and pretended that I saw his face up next to mine. I felt his strong arms around me, holding me. I closed my eyes again and felt the ship rock me.

I thought of our wedding. How handsome he looked. I thought of Snoggletog when I punched him in the face, and then found him asleep at his desk. I thought about all of the adventures we had with the gang. I thought about how he is constantly saving me from danger, only to save me again.

Then I thought about our future. Of our unborn child's future, and what would be in store for it. That is what kept me fighting.