Fan-Fic Fridays: "On the Edge of Mystery" Chapter 32: "Heartbreak" & Chapter 33 "Made It by That Much"

(I nearly got this first chapter done I was going to do.  There is quite a bit here, so at least I got this done.  I will be working on the chapters over the next few days when I have free time during the family camp I am attending.  I may get the rest of this and the next chapter done, I just won't have a way to post them.)

         Fredrick and I flew towards the western side of the island in search of Annabeth again.  As we were coming up on that area, I saw a strange sight.  I am seeing something I thought I would never see: Annabeth is walking with Dagur to their ships; Star Scream is sitting on an adjacent ship while Anora was walking in between Annabeth and Dagur.

         “That can’t be right,” I thought.

         Fredrick saw it too and landed before I gave him a nudge to; Fredrick landed on the beach about ten yards from a dock wher several ships are docked.  In the same split second that Fredrick landed, I dismounted and ran to Annabeth, grabbed her by her right hand with my left, and started to run back to Fredrick who also had run with me.

         “What are you doing?” she asked in a demanding voice.

         “Uh, rescuing you,” I replied.

         Just as I was about to get on Fredrick, Annabeth pulled away from me.

         “What’s that matter?” I questioned.  “Dagur is coming over here!  We need to get out of here.”

         “No,” Annabeth plainly said.

         I froze in my actions and answered, “What did you say?”

         “I said, ‘No,’” she returned.

         Confused, I responded slowly, “Why?  I-I don’t understand.”

         Dagur but in, “Oh I’m sure you don’t.  It is her destiny.  The Berserker blood flows through her veins and-.”

         “What have you got to do with this?” I said irritated at him.

         Annabeth replied, “He has everything to do with this.  Jarl, he is my brother.”

         “And that’s… good?” I said, puzzled.

         Annabeth said while walking around in somewhat of a pace, “I have been looking for my family for years now… my real family… my blood family.  I am a Berserker, sister to the chief of my tribe… enemy of Berk.”

         “You are no such thing, Annabeth,” I assured.  “You are Dagur’s sister, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

         Just then, the rest of my friends, who I had rescued, landed twenty yards behind Fredrick and I.  They did not move on us because if they did, there were a hundred Berserker soldiers ready to fire.

         “That doesn’t mean anything?” Annabeth repeated.  “Jarl, he is my brother.  My brother.  I have dreamed of having a family for a long time.  A real family.  When I thought I had lost mine forever that one night, I said to myself I would do anything just to spend one last time with them.  I have found my family, Jarl.  And I am going with them.”

         “Annabeth, you are not thinking straight right now.  I don’t know what they have done or said to you to make you change your mind, but you are coming back with us,” I replied grabbing her hand again.

         “No I am not!” she shouted while jerking her hand away from me.

         Annabeth then drew her sword and pointed it right at my face, “Don’t make me hurt you.”

         The air went from a heavy stillness from the sudden change in Annabeth to high tension between friend and now foe; even Fredrick behind me started to growl.  Fredrick had stepped forward, but without looking I put my left hand down in front of his snout to keep him from continuing.

         “Annabeth, what are you doing?!” I demanded.

         “I am taking my rightful place alongside my brother,” she said, still holding up her sword.

         “Don’t look so surprised,” came a voice from above on the ship Annabeth had been walking towards.

         A figure started to climb on to the edge of the stern.

         “Throst!” I exclaimed.

         “Oh come on,” Throst replied.  “How did you not see this coming?”

         “I guess you can’t trust anybody you meet these days,” I told Throst.  I then looked back down Annabeth’s sword to look straight at her, “Anybody.”

         After a moment of us standing there, I said, “You know if you make this choice, there is no turning back.”

         “I know,” she said, dropping her sword.

         Not even a tear was coming to her eye.

         She returned her sword to its sheath.  Annabeth started to turn away, but stopped.

         “Oh,” Annabeth remembered.  “You can take this too.”

         Annabeth reached for something around her neck.

         When she started reaching, I nearly lost it, “No, Annabeth don’t-.”

         She ripped what was around her neck by jerking it with her right hand and throwing it in the sand at my feet.

         It is a locket I gave to Annabeth last Snoggletog.  It was for our close friendship and what it could become.  Now it lays in the sand at my feet.

         Annabeth turned and told me while walking away, “Goodbye and don’t come after me.”

         I just stood there as the ships set sail.

         The rest of my friends walked over to me.

         “Are we going to go after him?” wondered Elsa.

         She was asking me, but when I did not respond, Hiccup replied, “As much as I would like to capture Dagur when he is this close, he has too many ships.  Going after him now would result in being recaptured ourselves or worse.”

         “So what are we going to do now?” Astrid asked.

         “We go home,” I finally said.

         As I turned to start walking away, my right foot kicked the locket in the said.  Looking back at it, stared at it for a moment.  Thinking for a second, I did bend down to pick it up.  I grasped it tightly in my right hand and then dropped in my left inside pocket in my tunic.

When I did start to walk away, Asvord whispered, “I’m… I’m sorry Jarl.”

         Without looking at her I continued on, but I did acknowledge her by laying my left hand on her right shoulder.  Walking for a bit, I waited for Fredrick to come over.  I mounted my dragon and flew off towards Mystery.

         The whole trip was all done in silence.  Fredrick and I were further out in front, apart from the others.

         By the time we got back to Mystery, it was late afternoon.  Hiccup and Astrid said, before they continued on back to their outpost, that they are sorry it had come to this.  I was too.

         Hiccup looked at me, his right hand on my left shoulder, “If I hear anything or find out anything, I will let you know.”

         “There you guys are,” came a familiar voice.

         “Mother?” I responded, turning around to see her and father.  “What are you guys doing here?”

         “We came here to ask you to come back to Berk,” father stated.

         “What’s wrong?” I questioned.

         Mother responded, “Time is slightly of the essence, so we can tell you on the way home.  Asvord and Elsa.  You two should come home too.”

         “In short,” wondered Asvord.  “What is wrong?”

         Father said, “It has to do with Dagmar and the Thorvalds.  Not to get you worried or anything, they are fine; but I think what has been happening around the area with the disappearances of dragons and vikings alike, what they have found out will shed some new light on your mystery.”

         “Okay,” I said.

         I could tell both my parents looked like they saw something was wrong, although they did not press for answers.

         “I’ll go pack a few things and be right with you,” I replied.

         My sisters agreed they should probably do the same, so they did.  We packed some of our clothes, most of our weapons, and a few other various items.  I nearly left the locket in my room, but decided to take it with me.

         When we came back out and was ready to go back to Berk, Hiccup and Astrid said, “So long,” and we said the same to our friends who were staying behind on Mystery to protect and defend our outpost.

         Our parents said in more detail on the way back, father said, “Vemund had been gone for a while and then would come back, be gone and come back, until one day he was gone for a while and now just came back.  He says he does not remember a thing leaving but a few small things… but one important detail.”

         “Remember that symbol you saw on Annett’s book and then those others ships when you met Hari?” asked mother.

         “Yeah,” I replied.

         “Well,” mother continued.  “He saw that symbol being used in connection with green cages and dragons.  But that is all he remembers.”

>>>New for Chapter 32

         For the entirety of the trip, I caught things here and there, yet I was hardly paying attention; even to flying.  We arrived at Berk late afternoon.

         The rest of my family went home while I interviewed the Thorvalds at their house.  Dagmar was also there.  When I walked in, I set the locket down on the desk so I could concentrate.  Really, I did not learn anything knew I had already known of what Annett said before in her travels or what our parents said on the way back to Berk.  I got to the point of being bored with the whole thing because I did not find out anything new.  How girls will do, and apparently women too, Dagmar and Annett got off on a tangent, Vemund walked up stairs, and Adam was at the desk.  I did not see the locket where I had set it, so I got up and went over.

         “What are you doing, Adam?” I asked.

         “Oh, just sketching,” he replied.  “Before I was sketching your… or Annabeth’s locket, I was sketching drawings of pictures that if you looked at them just from the top, they don’t look like much.  The drawings look anything but a drawing, more like a mess.  If you look at them from just the right angle, everything comes into focus and you see the whole picture.  Sometimes it takes just the right angle before you see the picture.”

I was about ready to try and pick up the locket because I did not want anybody else to touch it, but then I am starting not to care too much about the locket anyway.

         “This is a really nice locket,” Adam said looking at it with his left hand while drawing with his right.

         “Well you should know, you made it,” I said.

         “Yeah, just wanted to see if you were paying attention,” Adam said.  “You don’t seem very engaged with the conversation.  You seem like you are going through the motions.”

         I sighed, “Well, I have had a long and rather bad day.”

         “You come back to Berk and all you hear is more mystery,” Adam responded.  “Yet, it is pretty much all previous known information.”  There was a slight pause and Adam continued, “Since this is a fairly large locket, did you know I made a compartment in the back?”

         “No, I didn’t,” I replied.

         “Since I knew who it was for and once you gave it to her, I told Annabeth about it so she could keep something important in there,” Adam said.  “Having a sister, as I’m sure you know doubly as much as I do, girls want to have keep sakes, not-really-secret things to themselves.”

         “How do you open it?” I asked.

         “It is pretty simple, but you have to do it just right,” Adam answered.  “You close the front part of the locket with the latch on the right side clicked on lock, then at the same time press down the censored on the top of the locket at the same time you push the pin on the latch into the locket.  There is a small hole this pin fits into.  Then while both are pressed down, give a slight turn to the censored, clock wise around a half turn.”

         Adam had to give it a few tries.

         “See easy to say, a little more effort to put into it to open it,” Adam said as he gave the locket too me.

         “Do you think I should see what is inside of it?” I questioned.

         “After what I found out about your day, do you think it matters at this point?” Adam declared.

         “How’d you-?”

         “Listen Jarl,” Adam said.  “Even though I have only one sister, I have been around her for a long time; even though there was a gap there for a while, I still have a lot of years on you.  Years and experience.  This is not the first time I have seen a boy and a girl have their differences.  I’ve seen it first hand with my sister and almost with myself and Dagmar.  Our first fight?  We all have our differences and our bad days.  But even the best of friends fight.  If you really deep down care for the other person, you will make up because no fight is worth giving up a friend… or even a love.”

         As Adam was talking, at the same moment he ended with his last word, the locket opened and Adam gave the locket to me.  It revealed to have a piece of paper with a small, flat gem of some kind in it.  On the paper it read, “I love you.”

         My whole demeanor changed from there.  My heart started to race as stepped back.

         “What?  What is it?” asked Adam.

         “It’s a clue,” I replied grasping the locket in my right hand and giving it a couple small pumps.  “And the best one.”

         “What does it say?” questioned Adam.

         I ignored him and asked Annett if she knew where all her journals were.

         “Yes, they’re over there on the book shelf,” she said pointing at the other desk on other side of the room near the back door.  “Why do you need them?”

         I ignored that too as I was too focused in at the revelation of the clue.  I took all of Annett’s journals, opened them up, and laid them down on the floor.

         “What are you doing?” demanded Annett.

         “Solving the mystery,” I said, putting the book covers together like a puzzle.

         Each book cover had a pattern on the material.  I never paid much heed to it as Annett had said just a little bit ago that they were made out of some old material she got from her elders from her old clan.

I rushed back over to Adam, who was still near his desk but standing up now, “Could I borrow some paper?”

         “Sure-.”

         “Thanks,” I replied, barely giving him enough time to finish the word.

         I took with me also a charcoal pen.  Putting the larger piece of paper on top of the book covers, I shaded over the covers to copy the pattern of images on the covers.

Standing up and looking at the image, Vemund had just come down stairs and asked, “What’s all the commotion?”

         Dagmar asked, “What’s that?”

         I darted to the door as Annett asked, “Do you recognize it?”, immediately followed by Adam asking, “Where are you going?”

         “Saving a friend not worth giving up over a fight.”

         When I gave Annabeth the locket last Snoggletog and she would leave the locket somewhere for me to find.  If Annabeth does not wear her locket, something is very wrong.  The moment I gave her the locket, she never took it off.  Between her acting as if I had never helped her and her throwing the locket at her feet, something is clearly wrong.

(The chapter is quite long, but the point where I could have two-parted it caused the second part to be "under par".  So I left it one giant chapter.)

Chapter 33

Made It by That Much

         Without hesitation or waiting for an answer, I jumped back on my dragon and flew towards the northwest.  I had not unpacked anything, so I have all I need already with me.

         As I was flying, I reviewed the mystery and what I have figured out.

         It seems like it is ages ago when Annett’s locket was found in the bag in the one lake and meeting Ali Clar the Kind and her dark blue Thunderdrum for the first time.  Finding there was a mystery brewing was a delight to me, but sometimes you get more than you asked for and have second thoughts.  Accounts of people on other islands along with dragons start disappearing.  Investigating a ship graveyard that we stumbled upon when we were hoping to warn Hiccup and the gang about the Giant Eels.  Going back to the graveyard and using Garth’s underwater saddle to retrieve a Dragon Eye lens.  Unfortunately, meeting Hari Oldeson aka Harold Forkbeard for the first time; he is the kind of guy you wish you only meet once, but know you are going to meet him again and cause trouble for you.

Annabeth goes missing.  The whole trip down to the one island which a Snaptrapper and a green Death Song called home; and dealing with them all the while not trying to shot ourselves.  Going through a slight inactive time in the mystery, though “slight” is a relative term.  When Hiccup and his “old” Academy Riders thought of building an outpost and actually did, me and my friends figured on doing the same when we are dealing with a mystery that keeps us far away from Berk.

I do not know if Harry was on the trail of us or we were on the trail of him, but our paths crossed yet again.  When a group of ships came close to sailing in our waters near our Edge of Mystery, they were initially identified as Berserker ships.  However, on closer inspection and capturing of the ships, the crew were not Berserker but a band of pirates and scavengers.

         Annabeth has been dealing with quite a lot ever since she arrived at Berk; and when she found out she is a Berserker, I did my best to assure her that did not matter.  What she chooses to be today is what matters.  Still, dealing with that revelation and having dragons that are not common to the Isle of Berk and the surrounding lands, the stress just kept building.  With stress, comes clouded judgement and rash actions.  While on those pirates were invading our waters around Mystery, Annabeth finally found out what happened to Sirena as she had gone missing.  The dragon disappearances had hit close to home; the mystery is very real.  Annabeth found out from another pirate on another ship that Sirena, her light purple Death Song, was in danger, so Annabeth raced after her.  In trying to stop her/help her, I injured myself.

         The natural “fog” to the northwest of our Outpost has certain chemicals that if breathed in for too long causes lightheadedness.  This plus the fact the fog made it difficult to see, I hit a sea stack and crash landed on an island.  Within the next day or so, the rest of my friends returned in hopes of finding Annabeth when she did not come back.  Using Anora to our advantage we tracked the Razorwhip to find Annabeth.  Any dragon, even if not in the Tracker Class, has a natural ability to search and find their rider.  Anora did help us, but meeting back up with Harry again proved not what we were expecting.

         After fighting through to see if Annabeth was even there or not, Harry tricked me and escaped; but not without kidnapping Cazi too.  Harry said “he” did not kidnap Annabeth, but he is most certainly an accomplice.  Cazi managed to escape and return crucial information to us about the whereabouts of Harry’s next stop.  We concluded it could be a trap, but we had to take the bait to save Annabeth.  As the saying goes, “The trapper’s trap can trap the trapper.”  We also met Throst who looked like he was going to be a friend, but ended up betraying us.  I am usually careful around new comers, even if they eventually do become a true friend, but I was preoccupied; being preoccupied cost me Annabeth.  But with this new clue from her and our arrangement with her locket because insisted she would never take it off, she was play acting.  Throst would have had the opportunity to do something as he was with her, yet what could he have done? Oh and a not-so-important detail of a Flightmare attack during Harry’s escape on Fogbank Island, as I just so eloquently thought of that name.

         We then take Cazi’s insider information and track Harry to an old fortified island.  There we all searched for Annabeth only to be captured ourselves in attempting the rescue.  I had a talk with Annabeth and thought I had brought her back only to let her go off with, quite frankly, a complete stranger.  I should have never let her go without me or someone else.  I digress, because I had to go rescue everyone else from being captured and placed in cages, which could have come down at any time if too much movement was made.  I found that out the hard way.

         Then what just happened with Annabeth walking away with her brother -Man, that is still difficult to think of him this way - Dagur and me figuring out the mystery… I hope… Everything I believe has come full circle.

         One might think I do not where I am going.  I do not know where Dagur and Annabeth went.  I have no clue what they are up to, even if Annabeth is undercover.  Why am I going?  For one to get Annabeth and two I do not have to know where they went, just where they have been.  What better way to confuse an opponent in a game of hide and seek by returning to a place to hide where the seeker has already looked?

         What does Annett’s journals have to do with the mystery?  The material she used for the covers of her books she said was from her old clan’s elders supply of material for the island.  The material was not just an ordinary scrap piece; it was a part of a flag.  A symbol I saw only in passing but paid no heed to it because I was preoccupied.  The symbol of the possible origination or ancestry of the Thorvald’s old clan.  The symbol found on Fortress Island.  Great name, I know; rather obvious too.

         There are a few more things left that I have figured out, but I need to come up with a plan to rescue Annabeth first and foremost.  If I believe I can do it, then I will stop Harry and Dagur.

         By now, I had already flown halfway to Fortress Island.  I was coming up on Edge of Mystery and Fredrick started learning that way.

         “No, big guy,” I told my dragon, grabbed the reins to keep on a flight path to the northwest.  “We don’t have time to stop.  We have what we need, and we need to keep going.”

         A thought did occur to me about having backup.  I debated for a bit about going back for some, but I did not want to have anybody else in harm’s way.  What I have planned is a one-man job: Infiltrate the island, rescue Annabeth, stop Harry and Dagur.

         Within the next hour, I found myself nearing Fortress Island.  I had flown over Fogbank Island instead of going around it.  Doing this made sure no lookout ships could spot me.  By the time the moon had finally rose in the east, Fortress Island appeared on the horizon.

         “What do you know?” I whispered to Fredrick.  “The suspect does return to the scene of the crime.”

         Figuring Dagur would come back here was one thing, but seeing a small band of Harry’s men anchoring to the far east is unexpected.

         “Guess Harry doesn’t leave unless it is his idea,” I said.  “Did not know holding a grudge was in Harry’s repertoire.  Though, Dagur’s the kind of guy who can bring out the worst in anybody, for the right or wrong intentions.”

         Seeing how Fredrick is a Tidal Class dragon, I wanted to go the rest of the way in low.  Fredrick swooped down out of the sky and leveled off right before hitting the sea.  Winds are very calm and the tide is perfect for sailing.  But we are not sailing.  I made Fredrick time his dive so he did not have to make another motion with his wings to propel us forward.  Fredrick glided and “landed” on top of the water.  We coasted the rest of the way in to the southern beach of Fortress Island, letting the tide do the work for Fredrick.

         Once I set foot on the beach, I knew if the worst would happen, back would be needed.  Fine thing to figure out now, I know, but I wanted time to do this on my own.  I told and signaled Fredrick to fly back to Berk to get my family.  Yes, that will take several hours to get back.  But without a rider and supplies weighing him down, it should be an easier trip home.

         Fredrick was reluctant to go, but eventually did.  I knelt down next to him as he lifted his head up to mine.

         “I’ll be careful, boy,” I promised.  “Go get my family and friends and bring them back here.”

         The Tidal Class thing also comes into play here.  With just his saddle on, he could travel underwater.  Fredrick does not get to do that much when I am riding him.  Thunderdrums do travel faster and quicker underwater, but with continued training he has proved he is just as good above as he is naturally below.

         I watched my dragon swim off back towards Berk.  I only watched for a few moments because I have more important things to do now.  Stashing my saddlebags next to a boulder, burying them under the sand away from the edge of the tide, I took necessities: Gronckle Iron bow, quiver with arrows, rope, small bolas, and knife.  Like I said, only necessities.  I did cap my quiver so my arrows would not break, giving me more freedom of movement without having to worrying about them.  Doing this would allow me to roll whenever I needed too.  The only drawback is I would be slower a firing an arrow.

         “Drawback,” I chuckled.  “Nice bow and arrow pun.  Please, please everyone, hold your applause,” I joked with myself.

         Running quick like yaknog turning bad, I made my way through the forest.  Cutting my way between trees, boulders, and brush I finally came upon the fortress compound.  There was the occasional patrol, with which I stopped until the walked by before moving on, but so far so good.

         “Okay, I had literally no clue where they would be keeping Annabeth; although, I do have a good idea,” I talked with myself while looking at the structure overlooking the fortress.  “Now just to get there.  For the most part, I am clueless about a lot of things.  But I am going to find Annabeth if it is the la- Ah, I better not say that or it might be.”

         I climbed a tree right next to me and made my way up about ten feet.  There appeared to be another patrol coming, making their rounds, but now that I am a tree I am even less likely to be seen.

         Looking at how the branches lined up, I developed a path to reach the top of the compound wall.  Running along branches, going around trunks, I made my way higher.  I would sometimes pull myself up on a branch or swing from branch to branch with my hands grabbing the branches with my arms stretched out.  I picked branches which would support my weight.  Doing this for about twenty yards in distance, yet in a sense more like thirty or more because I did not take a straight path; I went to the left and to the right, jumping and swinging from one tree to the next.

         After those twenty yards in distance, I found myself nearly just as high up in these trees.  Stopping for a brief rest, I edged myself out on a thick branch to look into the compound for a better view of patrols.  It looks like there is not that many, however, they are constantly moving.  These are Berserker soldiers we are talking about too: They fight first, ask questions later.  The last thing I need is to get spotted.

         Seeing I was still far away from the place where Annabeth stayed last time, I continued to make a path through the trees.  At some point I would have to start going through the fortress, as the island is mainly stone walls and buildings.  What green there is, is found on the outer rim on the island, but not completely all the way around.

         Doubling my distance, I had traveled through the forest in both aspects, I ran out of trees to jump to.  Waiting for a patrol to pass from left to right, I jumped to the walkway and rolled to break my fall and cause as little noise as possible; the gap was only about five feet across and down from me.  There is a raised wall as a castle has, from drawings my dad has done from his travels, around the edge of the compound.

         Hugging this wall going west, I came up to a tower with the walkway continuing through the tower.  Peeking in I saw no one, but I did hear footsteps above me.  The footsteps were more like guys shifting their weight while they kept watch.  Sneaking swiftly through the tower walkway on my tippy toes, I got through safely.  Once on the other side of the tower, I could feel my heart beating through my chest.  This has gotten very real.

         Keeping in mind the tower behind me, I could not continue down the compound’s outer wall or I would be spotted for sure.  The weakest point for a watch tower for watching stuff is directly below it.

         Moving over to the inner wall of the compound’s outer wall walkway, I peeked over the edge to see not a hide nor hair of a Berserker soldier.  The area down below me looks as if it is a stone barracks of some kind.  At this hour, they are either out on patrol or sleeping.  That is good and bad news.  Good they are sleeping or gone, bad news if one of them finds me… they all find me.

         Looking on the western side of the compound wall, another patrol was coming my way.  Acting quickly, I put my legs on the inside of the wall and grabbed the top edge with my fingertips.  I worked over to my left and looked for edges of stones to put my fingers on.

         Just then I heard a noise up and to my left.  It must be a different patrol coming from the opposite way.  Sure enough, looking back, it is another one.  A second ago I was in somewhat of a squatting position.  I am in the shadow of the tower and will have a hard time spotting me.  Just in case though, I climbed down a bit and stretched out into a dead hang, so I would lay flat against the surface of the stone.  As the patrol passed through the tower, my fingers began to slip.  With nothing to do but drop below, I did.

         The drop was a good seven to ten feet.  My feet met the ground and slipped from underneath me as I landed on my back.

         “What was that?” cried out one of the Berserkers.

         I had just enough time to pick myself up and plaster myself under another walking going north and south through the lower part of the tower.

         “Ah, you’re just hearing things again,” his partner told him.  “Come on, I’d rather let something go then report something to Dagur right now.”

         I thought, “What did that mean?”

         Thankfully, no one was in this part of the tower.  I continued on my way.  I briskly walked to the row of barracks just north and to my left of the tower.  I went in between the first and second rows; keeping close to the left side of the first row of barracks, doing this helped block any view the tower would otherwise have of me.

         When I neared the far side, I heard footsteps coming.  This time I ducked into an open barrack and hid behind the door.  The person who I heard actually came into the barrack I am in.

         “Oh great,” I said.

         The person came in with a lantern and set it down on a table.

         “Hey Throst,” I smiled, recognizing the figure.

         “What?!” he replied.

         Before he could say another word, he got a light night snack to the jaw… a freshly served knuckle sandwich.

         Who knew Throst had a paper jaw, either that and the shock of seeing me here completely dazed him.  An idea struck me and I took my tunic and helmet off.  Setting mine on the table, I took Throst’s.

         “You don’t mind if I barrow these, do you?” I quietly asked.

         I heard a moan.

         “I’ll take that as a yes,” I replied.

         Using the rope, I brought with me, I tied him up.  Feet, legs, arms and waist, hands, and a gag.  Going through this, it started to arose him… slowly.

         “Time for nighty-night,” I said, picking him up and setting him in his bed.

         I used the ends of the ropes from his gag and feet to tie him to the wood bunk.  By now he had become fully aware of the situation.

         “Hey Throst?” I stated.  “Should I take your tunic, or should I stick with mine?” I said holding each up to my chest.  “Which one do you think clashes the most?”

         Throst tried to speak, but the gag prevented him from being understandable.

         “I agree,” I answered.  “If I am going for the sneaky, undercover look, my tunic, for a change, clashes with my whole look I am going for.  Oh, and keep an eye on this for me.”

         I took my helmet and shoved it over his face.

         “Sweet dreams,” I said as I put on Throst’s helmet.  “Oh, and don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

         Throst’s helmet looks similar to that of a Berserker helmet.  His tunic is bigger as he is a slightly bigger build than me, yet nearly the same height; I think I am a tad taller.  Roughly the same age and his tunic fits over my quiver, though I did move my quiver to waist position.  Waist position is when my quiver’s strap is around my waist and the quiver is around my lower back.  The bulge just looks like a bulky belt.  Throst also had shoulder pads, which I also “borrowed”.  Putting these on, I completed the look.

         With the helmet cover a lot of my face, I could probably pass as Throst.  Taking the lantern with me, I walked out of Throst’s barracks.  It looks like most of the patrols were coming in and torches are starting to be lit wherever a touch is at.  I got into my disguise in the nick of time.

         After walking around, the top part of the barracks, I walked into the next room section.  The Loft is just up to my left.  Now all I have to do is get there.  Taking a risk, I let a soldier walk past me.  Nothing happened.

         “Well, that worked,” I said to myself.

         “Throst,” came a voice.  “Throst!”

         “Oh, um,” I cleared my voice trying to sound like Throst; he had a slightly higher tone.  “Yes, sorry was thinking about something.”

         “I thought you were going to bed?” said the solider speaking to me.  “And what’s wrong with your voice?”

         “I uh, was, but uh… I forgot to… go… check on Annabeth, Dagur’s sister.  Dagur told me to, and I want to make sure I am able to tell him I did what I was supposed to.  And the cool night air doesn’t agree with me all the time,” I replied.

         “Okay, but don’t let Dagur catch you trying to make up for something you forgot,” said the soldier.  “Or he’ll try and through you overboard if you were on a ship, like he keeps doing with my cousin.”

         “I’ll keep that in mind,” I waved.  “Oh,” I remembered and grabbed the guy’s arm before he walked completely away.  “Where is Annabeth’s room now?  The last time I went… uh… anywhere close to that room, it was through a wall.”

         “Go through there, take the stairs, take a left, and it is straight in front of you across the bridge,” pointed out the solider.

         I was not sure if I should thank the guy, but seeing how we are all “bad guys” I did not.  As I walked through the hallway he pointed out, I saw more and more Berserker soldiers

         Some were talking, others were drinking, others were asleep.  Of the ones who were talking, they were talking about earlier today, or yesterday.

         “Did you hear what happened to that Jarl kid?” asked a soldier to another.

         I thought, “They know my name.  Nice.”

         “No, what happened?” answered the other soldier.

         “The Everdeen… I mean Dagur’s sister dumped that nosey Mollerson.  Oh man, you should have seen it.  She totally ripped into that kid and dropped him faster than a boulder sinking in the ocean.  I have never seen anybody be so devoted to their family, even if that family is Dagur the Deranged,” stated the first soldier.

         I kept moving forward, tried to pay no heed to the soldiers; good thing they can hardly see my face it at all because it was not good because of what I heard.

         Following the directions to get to Annabeth’s room, I arrived without further interruption.  However, activity in the compound is growing steadily.

         I knocked on the door and heard Annabeth say, “Who is it?”

         “Someone who has something for you,” I said.

         The door was unlatched from the inside and I was brought inside.

         “Jarl!” she exclaimed and hugged me.  “You got my message, finally.”

         “Yes I did,” I responded.  “At first I thought you really meant it.”

         “I did only to sell it to Dagur I am only loyal to him,” Annabeth said.  “I knew you would figure it out eventually.”

         I laughed, “Eventually is right.  I nearly left your locket in the sand where you threw it down at.”

         The whole in the wall has already been boarded up.  Turning back towards the small window in the wall, I contemplated the plan over again in my head.  I also took off the helmet; they can get stuffy and pinch your head.

         While I did that, I admitted to Annabeth, “You know, you practically sold me too.  I was this close to forgetting you, everything really.  But deep down in my heart, something was telling me not to give up and still have hope.  As hard as you made it look to me and to the others, I somehow still had hope.  But the feeling I got from being just tossed to the side is a feeling I never want to feel again.  I guess the feeling I felt was more about losing you.  I never wanted to lose you.  And when I almost did, it was a shock I did not know if I could get over.  However, when I went back to Berk on another trail of a clue, it led me to the discovery of your locket and your message.  Once I put a few other clues together, I knew I had to come for you.  Once I knew you did not mean a word of what you said, I never wanted to feel the way I did, again.”

         “Aw isn’t that so sweet,” came a voice that was like a dagger to the moment, figuratively and literally.  Freezing for a moment, I then turned around.  “You came back for her.”

         It is Dagur!

         “But that was your mistake, Jarl,” Dagur replied.  “If it is anything I know about Berserker women it is this, once they have made up their mind, it will take a legion of yaks to change their mind.  Sometimes it is impossible.”

         Annabeth then chimed in a weird voice, it sounded like she was acting, but that is if she is still the same Annabeth I once knew; she also went over to Dagur and laid, crossing both of her arms over the left shoulder of Dagur, “I did throw the locket at your feet to signify you and I were done.  I told you, I found my family.  It is something I have always wanted.  My true, blood family.  Dagur has showed me for what he really is.  He would do anything for family.  I trust him with my life, I really do.  You and I, Jarl, we just are not going to be the same.  Whatever we had, it is over.”

         Annabeth ended with a creepy smile, an evil smile that Dagur will show on occasion.  Okay, now I am totally and officially confused.

         “Speaking of things being over,” Dagur implied.  “Your mystery solving days are over.  You are now my prisoner.  And your new master is… my sister,” he said pointing goofily at her.  He started to chuckled, “Oh the irony, all you wanted was to be with Annabeth and help her.  Now you get your wish.  You’ll have to help her for the rest of your life.”

         Dagur broke out into an evil laughter.  Annabeth folded her arms and had the evil look of, “Checkmate” on her face.

         With my eyes wide in shock, I thought, “Yep, definitely confused.”