The Art Of Thawing A Frozen Heart

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The morning light fell too bright on my eyes. I ran a hand over my face, rubbing at my eyes as I tried soothe the headache I felt approaching. The covers were warm, but the air around me was cool with the leftovers from the night's darkness. I sat up, wincing at the temperature change on my back. I heaved a large sigh and slid out of bed. Careful to keep on the rug until I could reach my slippers and robe, I mentally prepared myself for the day ahead. I left my room, not really knowing where I would go. I didn't know where the girls were. Perhaps they were being questioned. They'd probably be crying, and though they were annoying, I didn't want them upset. They really were sweet, after all… just a bit noisy.

I briefly wondered if Jack had or would be questioned as well. The guards and knights would obviously be suspicious of anyone that had come in contact with the castle's food supply, including the gardeners. How would he prove himself innocent? It was clear that he'd been some sort of criminal before, even if he tried not to let it on. What if they took his background as some sort of indication…? I pushed the thought from my mind. I had enough things to worry about as it was without Jack being added to the pile, but even so, the thought wormed itself into the back of my mind. I found myself avoiding the dining room, unable to face my father or my mother's empty seat. Instead, I wandered back to my room, restless, to put on some normal clothes.

Skipping breakfast, I went outside to the stables, their confines having often been a haven to me before. There I was met with another voice, the same one as last night, only this time it sung a lively song with an upbeat tempo and rhyming lyrics. Peeking inside, I saw Jack swaying slightly with his broom, dancing as he swept. I leaned in, about to say hello when my foot caught on a loose brick in the floor. The clang of falling buckets and utensils caught the attention of Jack, who turned around in surprise. "Hiccup?! Are you alright?" He asked, offering me his hand. I took it and pulled myself up. After dusting myself off, I told him I was fine. He laughed, "Spying on me again, were you?" I rolled my eyes, but felt heat on my cheeks at the accusation. "No… I just got here, actually."

Having fully recovered from the fall, I walked over to Toothless, who's ears shot up in excitement, a whiny escaping him. "Morning, bud. Wanna go for a ride?" I asked him. The horse neighed a happy yes as I opened the gate to his stall. While I proceeded to ready him for the ride, I turned to Jack. "Well, are you just going to stand there or is Stormfly getting a ride as well?" Jack's eyes lit up at the invitation, and he immediately went to go free the other horse. For someone that appeared so stubborn he sure was easy to win over. I saddled Toothless and led him out, but Jack had beaten me outside this time. He was already perched atop Stormfly waiting for me as I mounted the black horse and set off at a slow trot.

"So, last time I did most of the talking, now it's your turn." I said, twisting a little on the horse so I could face him. "Tell me about you. My life's been an overall boring experience, so you might as well tell me about yours." At this he gave a look of worry, but before he could protest, I interrupted, "I already know that you were a criminal, if that's what's kept you so tight-lipped. I was outside when they drug you to the dungeon. When Aster brought you out to meet me I immediately recognized your white hair." I told him. His features held a look of reserved panic, but he was oddly composed despite. "Well I… guess there's no point in lying, then…" He sighed, "I had wanted to keep it from you, but I guess that just wasn't meant to be. You would've found out sooner or later anyway. So, yes, I've been a criminal, but I honestly never did anything worthy of that dungeon… damn chicken." He said, scowling into space.

I must have stared at him with a very confused expression because he began to elaborate on the reason he'd been thrown in the dungeon. I listened to the story, laughing as he got to the part where he fell off the roof right onto a royal guard on his horse. He told me more about his family and his parents and how he didn't know where his baby sister was. Then he lightened the mood with tales of his travels across the world. He told me about deserts and wide plains and oceans that went on forever. I could listen to him talk about it for days. "Ah… I wish I had as exciting of a life as you, Jack. You make the outside world sound so amazing." I tried to picture all of the things he had told me. I'd seen some of them in paintings before, so I had a good idea of what the ocean was like, but the desert was a hard thing to imagine. Jack laughed, "'Outside world'? Just how sheltered of a person are you?"