Allen?
"Come on, Alaya, wake up." Allen chuckled, shaking her awake. Alaya blinked awake, her vision blurry.
"What? Allen?" Alaya asked.
"Hey, sleepy-head. It's 1 PM, get up!" Her big brother grinned at her, rubbing the top of her head and messing up her already knotted hair.
Alaya chuckled lightly. She felt like something was missing, but what, she couldn't quite tell.
"Brunch is ready. Guess what it is?"
"My gut says grilled cheese sandwiches."
"Correct! Come on, they're getting cold!"
Alaya smiled and got up, changed, and then opened the door. The wood beneath her feet creaked.
"What does your gut say?" She heard someone downstairs ask. Suddenly, she felt like her mind was disconnected from her body, sent into a world with water and sky and nothing else. She felt like she was floating and spinning and falling all at once as she heard a different voice. "What does your gut say?"
Suddenly, a silver-and-black blur whizzed by in front of her. She gasped. Moon! Lightning flashed, lighting up the suddenly dark sky and striking her friend. Then, on the island, an invisible being appeared in scales of flame as their fangs sparkled in the light. A flashback of boulders, of Moon being pinned and Amber doing nothing as she spotted the winged silver lizard but instead fleeing. Images of training, and flying, and falling, and feeling this feeling so many times, where her mind was disconnected from her body, and she was a bystander, and she was just watching as everything was taken out of her control as she plunged to her doom.
And then she reconnected.
Alaya's eyes flung open. She heard frantic screeches, cackling, and dangerous words being spoken, yet she hadn't come to quite enough to decipher them.
She felt the cold dirt beneath her. The nighttime air was even colder and settling into her skin, sending a violent shiver through her.
"Alaya?" Moon asked, her tone frightened. Alaya gritted her teeth and blinked a few more times before pushing her head up, her arms supporting her weight against the ground, as she looked around.
Dragons. The Riders were in the air, which was good, it meant Meatlug and the others got out successfully and alive. Moon was there, as well, eyes wide and frantic.
Alaya's gaze shifted from the sky to the ground. A man about Stoick's size that she didn't know, covered in grays, was glaring up at someone behind Alaya to her right, completely ignoring her. She turned to see who he was looking at and gasped.
On a ledge nearby, attached to the mountain, two berserker guards were holding swords in a cross over Stoick. The blades were sharp and clean and clearly ready to cut at the chieftain if necessary. Alaya looked at Dagur to see that, to her surprise, he wasn't looking at the gray man or Stoick or even the Riders.
He was looking at her.
Alaya's heart sunk. She had a feeling she knew why Moon was so terrified.
She looked to her right to see Savage holding a sword, pointed straight at her.
That is the worst plan I have ever seen and it's actually not it's actually kind of smart but FOR ALL THE WORLD DID I HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO FALL? Alaya was surprised to find herself more irritated than terrified.
"Well? It's up to you, brother." Alaya looked back at the speaker, who had returned his gaze to Hiccup. "Your father, or your dragon. I suppose I can give you a day or so to decide - if you so wish."
Hiccup grunted, tightening the grip on his saddle. "Let them go, Dagur."
"And why would I do that?" Dagur asked in a mildly psychotic tone.
"Alaya, at the very least. Let her go." Hiccup said.
He knows he's not going to get Stoick without a plan or giving Dagur what he wants, so he's trying to get me instead, to calm Moon's nerves so she can be helpful if anything. Alaya realized.
"No. You care about her, too, don't you, brother?" Dagur grinned and gestured for Savage to come up to him. Alaya's spine prickled as she realized she was about to be trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean with Dagur, someone that admittedly terrified her.
Hiccup gritted his teeth. "Tell you what, I'll give you that day to decide, but if I see one dragon following us, rider or not - well, you're going to be looking for a new trainee, aren't you, brother?" Dagur chuckled as Savage dragged her on the ledge with him. She couldn't force herself to meet anyone's gaze.
Dagur and Savage led them onto a Berserker Boat, which Alaya expected. But it was even worse when Dagur decided to put her on the boat with him, as well.
She genuinely didn't understand why Dagur was giving me so much more attention than the chieftain. He was, in fact, the chieftain, and therefore was the one that mattered most here, so - why focus on her?
She was trapped on a wooden boat in the middle of the ocean. What was she meant to do here?
Wait until we get to land, I guess. Then maybe I can hide out in the dragon pit again. Shellie was good company.
"So, I assume you've enjoyed your stay on Berk?" Dagur asked Alaya. She really wanted to jump overboard but was trapped in what seemed to be a corner of above-deck storage, yet was empty. The curved end of the boat was hollow and had an entrance, so she was 'stored' there.
Alaya nodded nervously. "Good, good. Any useful information to share?" Dagur asked, venom lightly layering his tone.
Oh, She realized. I'm the trainee, and he knows I'm scared of him. He knows he has better luck getting information out of the newbie that's scared than the experienced chief that'd rather die than speak to him.
Well then fine. Be brave, Alaya, be brave. You know Hiccup will be there to help you.
Alaya gulped and shook her head. Her gut told her to lie, but she ignored it. For once in her life, she was going to try what she thought was best, and see if it worked better. Her gut hadn't done much for her so far. Maybe her mother was wrong.
"Really, now? Because I doubt Hiccup and Toothless would keep you around this long without at least training you." Dagur said, his emerald green eyes narrowing. "Makes you wonder what else they'd keep around you."
"Not much." Alaya shrugged, trying to keep her voice was shaking. (Newsflash: it wasn't working.)
"Aha, I see," Dagur said thoughtfully. "So if I were to throw you overboard right now -"
"I can swim," Alaya said boldly. Lie lie lie! Her gut screamed. Still, she ignored it.
"With ropes? I'd like to see you try. In fact, I would like to see you try..." He added, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her over to a pile of ropes.
Lie lie lie!
Keep fighting!
OKAY! I'LL LIE!
"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Alaya said, struggling feebly.
"Oh? Why should I?" Still, Dagur hesitated, rope in hand as he gave her a curious look.
"Because I can - I can tell you what - what Hiccup will do." Alaya nearly choked on her words. She gave Stoick a quick glance, and she could tell he was furious even with that split-second.
"Really now? Well then, don't hold it in. Tell me, what would Hiccup do?" Dagur asked.
"He would...uh...um...he would wait until nighttime to attack, then repeatedly hit the land around the island for a distraction. Then, when all of the men are distracted, he would hit the heart of the island." Alaya said, hoping she was convincing enough.
Luckily, it seemed this was enough for Dagur, as he shoved her back into her little empty storage corner and went to speak with Savage. A sharp piece of wood was poking out of the back corner, so Alaya grabbed it and stored it in her pocket just in case she needed to stab someone with a piece of wood. It makes sense, right?
Finally, they came to Outcast Island. The air was foggy, the gravel was black and dark, and all around there was just a grey, sad energy around it.
Alaya wanted to make a break for it immediately, but her gut warned her not to, reminding her that they also had Stoick in their clutches as well and also would probably catch her before she found the dragon pit, even if she called for Shellie or any of the others.
So she let them bring her to the prison alongside Stoick. They were put in the same cell and then left to keep each other company.
"So. How's it going?" Stoick asked.
Alaya sighed. "Not great." She admitted.
"Why's that?"
Alaya gestured helplessly around them.
"That was fast thinking," Stoick commented.
"What?" Alaya asked.
"Well, the fake plan of course." He lowered his voice.
"Oh," Alaya said, suddenly feeling warm in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time. "Well...uh...thanks."
"You don't get enough appreciation within the Riders, y'know," Stoick said.
"What do you mean? It's not like I do much." Alaya said.
"Well, you trained two dragons on your own and convinced a third to come back to Berk with you," Stoick explained.
"Stella was an accident," Alaya clarified. "It was her choice."
"But the other two weren't accidents, now, were they?" Stoick asked. Alaya sighed. "Aye. I know the feeling, doing everything on your own and not being included, you know."
Alaya chuckled. "How do you know that's what's happening?"
"I've watched ye', Alaya. You spend the day alone sometimes helping the twins with pranks and wandering the outskirts of the village while everyone is out on their missions." Stoick said.
"Maybe that's my choice, not there's."
"Perhaps, except they don't even say hello when leaving. It can be a heartbreaking feeling, las, watching those you thought were your friends drifting away as quickly as they came."
"How do you know the feeling, exactly?" Alaya asked curiously. Stoick seemed to still.
"We need to find a way out of here, don't we, las? Let's focus on that." Stoick said with a half-hearted smile. Alaya knew there was something he wasn't telling her, but didn't push it.
She pulled out the sharp wood from earlier. "Already got it." She grinned. She quickly cut Stoick's ropes, then glanced up at the hole in the ceiling.
"My, my, my, we meet again," Alaya murmured.
"Hm?" Stoick asked with a raised eyebrow. Alaya nodded at the ceiling. "Ah."
"Okay, I'm going to sneak out, get a dragon that I know can help us with this, and then get you out. You just - stay quiet, try to not do anything that makes anyone want to come to the cell." Alaya said. "Alright?"
"I don't think so." Dagur's voice sent a chill down Alaya's spine. Has he been listening this whole time? "Do you really think I'd be so stupid to put you in the same cell twice without a plan?"
"Wait - but - I thought -" Alaya stammered.
"The arena? Covered." Dagur smirked. "Meanwhile, I think there's something you and I need to discuss, little escapee."
You can make it. Alaya knew she was fast, and she knew it didn't take her too long to escape the first time. If she was lucky, and Stoick could hold them off...
But what if they threatened Stoick again?
Do it. He'll be fine.
Alaya tensed, ready, but suddenly, Dagur pulled out a glowing crystal-like orb that levitated in its hand. It held the image of a sparkling lake, towering trees, and a moonlit island.
Alaya felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. No.
How?
No.
No.
No.
He has it. He has my family.
And there's nothing I can do to stop him.