14A/N: It's here! The last chapter! Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, you guys are the best! Once again, I don't own How to Train Your Dragon, or Hiccup, or Astrid, or... anything really. I am but a poor soul who borrows from those who are blessed with more than she. Reviews are much appreciated! Enjoy!
As he tore over the edge of the cloud, Hiccup's eyes locked on the mast of Dagur's ship. Astrid was tied there with Dagur in front of her, inches from her face, his hand stroking her cheek. Hot fire rose up in Hiccup's chest and he realized why he had been so focused, so obsessed, with finding Astrid. He loved her, and he hadn't ever told her that.
Toothless seemed to sense his friend's urgency, so he folded his wings into a falcon dive. The dive got them close enough for Hiccup to hear the first alarm right as they fired on Dagur's ship. The first shot took out the starboard rail just before Dagur looked up and saw the deadly pair. Toothless' plasma blast shook the ship a second time and Dagur shouted something to his men, cutting the ropes that tied Astrid to the mast and dragging her toward the side of the ship. CRACK! As soon as he saw Astrid clear the mast, Hiccup fired a powerful blast at its base and it broke off, tumbling into the ocean. The ship rocked from the weight shift, and Hiccup had time to fire a shot near enough the crew so that most of them had to jump overboard. Two more blasts took care of the rest of the crew, and Hiccup landed on the deck to deal with Dagur.
Hiccup dismounted. As he advanced, Dagur shoved Astrid behind him and backed her dangerously close to a gaping hole in the ship's railing.
"Well if it isn't my favorite brother! How nice you came to visit. I've been having some lovely conversations with your friend here," Dagur glanced behind him at Astrid, who looked threatening even through her bedraggled appearance. "but she's not very talkative."
"Are you alright, Astrid?" Hiccup asked, his eyes still trained on Dagur. Astrid nodded weakly, but dropped her eyes. Hiccup stared daggers at the man in front of Astrid. "If you've done ANYTHING to her-" suddenly, Dagur shoved Astrid backwards and lunged for Hiccup.
"Hiccup!" Astrid screamed as she toppled over the side of the ship. Hiccup jumped over Dagur, causing him to thud into Toothless, and sprinted towards the gap in the railing, unstrapping his metal leg as he ran.
"Hold him, bud!" He yelled at Toothless just before he plunged into the icy water. Though it took him a moment to focus properly in the water, soon he spotted a wreath of beautiful golden hair not too far below him, but it was sinking fast. He propelled himself downward as best he could with his one leg. Hiccup could see Astrid struggling with the ropes that tied her hands, but the chains on her feet were pulling her down faster than he could get to her. He kept swimming toward her though his lungs burned and his muscles screamed in protest. All he knew was he had to keep going.
Suddenly Hiccup heard something plunge into the water above him, and he felt an enormous weight on his back, pushing him downward. It had knocked what little breath he had out of him, but he didn't notice, he was getting closer to Astrid.
When he was almost within reach of her, Hiccup saw Astrid's eyes close and her body go limp. He wanted to scream, to yell at her to wake up, but his lungs were empty. With his last bit of strength, Hiccup grabbed Astrid's hand and wrapped his arms around her. His head pounded and stars danced across his eyes as he felt himself being pulled upward by the back of his shirt. He knew he should have been worried about what exactly was pulling him, but his mind was too cloudy to care. He had Astrid, and that was all that mattered.
When Hiccup's head finally broke the surface of the water he gasped for air. Even before his lungs were filled, he started pulling himself and Astrid toward the side of the boat. He felt a gentle shove on his back and turned to see Toothless pushing them along.
"Thanks bud." The Night Fury only warbled in reply and climbed up on the ship, towing his humans up after him. Hiccup landed hard on the planks with Astrid on top of him. He scooted them back from the railing and laid Astrid gently on the deck, cutting the ropes on her hands and removing the chains from her feet. He had just put his fingers to her wrist to check for a pulse when a voice interrupted him.
"Brother! You came back! How disappointing." Hiccup had completely forgotten about Dagur up to that point. He strapped on the metal leg that Toothless had just brought to him and stood up. "Get her warm Toothless," he said. He walked toward Dagur, who was trapped under a crate and two barrels.
"Ah, good to see you," Dagur said between wheezes. "That dragon of yours if very bad mannered. Aren't you going to get me out from under these boxes?" Hiccup didn't answer him.
"It was all in good fun!" Dagur said uneasily, seeing Hiccup draw his Dragon Blade as he advanced toward him. Hiccup pointed his sword at Dagur's chest, close enough for Dagur to feel the heat on his face. Then Hiccup spoke.
"Put yourself in my shoes Dagur; someone has kidnapped your best friend, probably tortured them, tried to drown them, and you are almost killed trying to save them. Ask yourself what you wouldn't do to that person if you had the chance," the crazed grin left Dagur's face. "Now look at me," Hiccup said, and he saw Dagur go pale. "You are going to pay. You'll pay for all the crimes you've committed over the years, the assaults, the robberies, the murders. And if that girl over there doesn't wake up…" Hiccup shoved over the barrels and crate and grabbed front of Dagur's shirt, sword still trained on his chest. Hiccup brought Dagur's face within inches of his own, close enough to see the sweat stand out on Dagur's forehead. Hiccup stared in his eyes until Dagur looked away. "But you don't need to worry about me," Hiccup said quietly. "I'm not like you." He pushed Dagur into a cage on the deck and locked it.
Hiccup retracted his sword and went over to where Astrid was, her back now propped against Toothless' side and his tail curled protectively around her. The dragon had set a small box ablaze, and it was providing a good amount of heat. Hiccup crouched next to Astrid and listened for her breathing. He held his own breath, waiting for the sound that meant she would be alright. He stayed that way for seconds, minutes, hours, he couldn't tell. Finally he hung his head. Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her forehead over and over. No he told himself. No, this isn't how it happens. It can't be like this. I never got to tell her... He leaned back against Toothless, who chirped concernedly and sniffed Astrid's hand. Hiccup put his hand behind her head and pressed his forehead to hers, squeezing his eyes shut. This wasn't happening.
A sharp intake of breath made Hiccup open his eyes, and when he did, his own eyes were reflected in a sea of clear blue. Astrid's eyes grew wider and she lunged forward, coughing up seawater. Hiccup didn't wait. He hugged her around her waist and rested her head on his shoulder even as she threw her arms around his neck.
"Don't you ever do anything like that again, Astrid!" Hiccup said as she coughed seawater and bile down his arm. "I can't lose you! Understand! Promise me that you won't!"
"Promise." Astrid said after she had breathed enough air. Her voice was so weak and utterly un-Astrid-like that Hiccup's heart broke when he heard her.
Astrid laid her head back on his shoulder and they were still for a moment before she jerked up again.
"Stormfly!" she said, alarm written all over her face. "He took Stormfly when they captured me. Who knows what they've done to her!" Astrid stood, steadying herself by placing a hand on Toothless's back. Hiccup stood too, and watched Astrid totter a few steps, then collapse. She never hit the ground though, Hiccup was right there, lifting her up to set her on his dragon's back. Hiccup climbed up behind her and let her lean back against him.
"Where do you think she is, Astrid?"
"Probably below deck. Dagur has all sorts of cages and- other things -down there." Astrid shuddered and Hiccup wrapped his arms around her tighter.
Toothless climbed down the hatch on the deck into the hold. They were in a narrow corridor lined with solid iron doors. Hiccup got down from behind Astrid and went to the first door. He pressed his ear against it, hoping to hear something, but the metal was too thick.
"We're going to have to open it. Toothless, plasma blast!"
Toothless shot his blast at the door and it creaked open angrily. As the smoke cleared, Hiccup drew his sword and advanced into the cell. Empty. He came back out and went to the next cell.
"Ok, bud. Now this one." Blast, enter, empty. Next one. Blast, enter, empty. They went all the way down the left side and halfway up the right before they found something. Blast, enter.
"Stormfly!" Astrid slid off Toothless and crouched next to her dragon's head while Hiccup took his dagger and started cutting the ropes from Stormfly's muzzle and wings. Once her mouth was free, Stormfly let out a weak screech and licked Astrid's face before laying her head back down. Astrid sat down and leaned up against her dragon, laying her head back on its side. Hiccup realized how tired he was, and sat down next to Astrid. She leaned her head on his shoulder and Hiccup put an arm around her as Toothless laid down at their feet, chirping contentedly. Hiccup was almost asleep when his eyes shot open and he remembered what he had come to say.
"Astrid?" Hiccup started quietly. Astrid opened her eyes slowly.
"Yes?"
Hiccup took a deep breath, willing himself to spit it out. "Astrid, when you went missing I was desperate to find you. I didn't know why, but I knew that I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you. It wasn't until I saw Dagur up close to you that I realized what you meant to me, and if you had died without me telling you that, I- I would have… I don't know what I would have done. So to avoid panic like that in the future, I'm telling you now: I love you Astrid Hofferson, and I'll do anything to stop something like this from happening again." He paused, waiting for her response. When she didn't say anything Hiccup looked up at her, but her expression was unreadable. He dropped his eyes.
"And if-," Hiccup went on, more uncertainly, "if you don't feel the same way, it's ok, I can pretend I never said anything and we can go on like before, with nothing changed." There was still silence, and Hiccup suddenly realized how very unlike himself his outburst had been, and he wondered if he had startled her. He opened his mouth, but shut it again, deciding that, until she said something, he would be quiet.
Astrid leaned over and pecked him quickly on the lips. He looked up at her with the world in his eyes, and he saw that she had the same in hers. She was smiling.
"It took you long enough," she said. Hiccup kissed her again, this time more deeply, and then hugged her tightly. Despite his elation, his adrenaline was running out, and his eyes drooped.
"I love you, Hiccup." Astrid said in almost a whisper. He smiled.
"I love you too, Astrid." And I always will.
Somehow (miraculously) the dragon riders had succeeded in doing enough minor damage to the rest of the fleet to cause it to leave after Dagur's ship had been destroyed. As the last of the fleet's tattered sails were disappearing , Fishlegs landed on the deck of Dagur's ship. When he didn't see any sign of the two humans or the Night Fury he feared the worst, but as he walked to the other end of the deck, and saw Dagur glaring at him from the cage, a smirk crept over his face and he made his way to the hold.
So he found Hiccup and Astrid in the safest place in the world: asleep on an enemy ship, locked in each other's arms, under the warmest blanket of dragon wings.
A/N: I hope you liked it! Tell me if you did (or if you didn't). Thank you so much!