The ice fortress shone like a glittering beacon in the bright, midday sun.
Stretching taller than the highest peak on the Isle of Berk, it loomed over the ocean with a formidable might. Large spikes of ice shot out and upwards, reaching towards the heavens like shimmering silver claws scratching at the sky.
Most notably, something about it felt…off.
Unnatural.
Hiccup slowed his flight as he approached the fortress, keeping a wary eye out for any signs of life. There was a strange sort of stillness to the place, like something just poised to happen at any moment.
He got the strangest sensation that he was being watched, ears swiveling in an attempt to pick up on any unwanted observers. Either he was going crazy, or his mystery audience was silent.
Neither was a good option to consider.
Hiccup circled the grand fortress slowly, trying to get a feel for the true size of the structure. He banked hard to avoid a few sharp bits sticking out, cautiously tucking his wings in as he turned. It would not do to get injured this far from home.
To his surprise, the entire island appeared to be covered in the thick ice, all the way around. If there even was land beneath it, it was buried deep. He'd have thought it was solid all the way through, if not for a few gaps that he spotted here or there, all located towards the top of the fortress – well out of the reach of even the most zealous explorer.
At least that meant there would be no vikings to worry about.
Hiccup carefully touched down in one of the openings, peering down into the darkness. It seemed to be a tunnel of sorts, stretching on as far as his eyes could see. There were small, fragmented bits of light that suggested the path branched out in different areas, forming some sort of cave network.
Interesting.
The inside was smooth as glass, in direct opposition to the spiky exterior. Navigating down the tunnel proved to be a challenge in itself, as the ice was very slick in spots. He was forced to half extend his wings in order to maintain his balance, digging his claws into the ice where it was softest to add more traction.
The deeper Hiccup made his way into the tunnel, the warmer the air became inside. Soon, the ice was melting away beneath his feet, giving way to a chilled grassy terrain. He was relieved to step on solid earth again, able to focus more on his surroundings and less on avoiding a fall.
SQUAWK!
Hiccup flinched, heart rate skyrocketing at the sound of a Nadder's cry. Judging by the volume, it had to be close by. He tilted his head to the side, focusing his hearing on trying to pick up a clue as to where the dragon was moving – and froze.
Oh my gods.
It was not a single dragon, but many . Trills, warbles and squawks of all pitches filled the middle of the cavern in a lively mix of dragon chatter. Wing beats echoed in the space, a deep thrum that reverberated through the air.
It appeared he'd stumbled upon some sort of large dragon colony.
A nest.
He tensed, cautiously extending his senses further for any sign of a queen. To his relief, there was no angry pressure against his mind, no aggressive call dominating the space. Something large was moving about, but he hoped it was simply a Timberjack or Titan Wing. Those were more common breeds, he reasoned.
Hiccup forced himself to keep moving forward, resolving that he'd just get a quick look at the nest before heading back to Berk. He'd come all this way…if he didn't at least check it out, he'd be beating himself up about it later. Best to get his curiosity out of the way now – the last thing he needed was something else to lose sleep over.
There was light up ahead, growing brighter and brighter with every step he took forward. When he finally came to the end of the tunnel, his jaw dropped at the sight.
The center of the structure was hollow, revealing that the icy exterior served as a glassy barrier around a shockingly lush island. There were waterfalls and rolling hills stretching off into the distance. For something that had appeared so threatening and cold from afar, it was surprisingly peaceful and warm inside.
Not to mention lively.
Everywhere he turned, Hiccup could see dragons moving about the nest. There were some species that he recognized from Berk, others that he recognized from the Book of Dragons, and still more that he couldn't even begin to place! Big and small, the species seemed to move about in perfect harmony.
It was a staggering sight to behold.
Hiccup took a few tentative steps forward, keeping his wings partially unfurled in case he needed to make a speedy getaway. After all, it would be foolish to assume there were no dangers lurking about in such a wild place.
He was creeping closer to the edge of a nearby dropoff when he heard a sound that made his heart seize in panic. It was impossible – but unmistakably the sound of human laughter.
So much for being uninhabited.
He swiveled an ear, trying to locate the source of the sound. It didn't take long – the woman was making no effort to hide her presence.
Hiccup kept his body low to the ground, hoping to avoid catching her attention as he took in her appearance. The woman was at least twice his age, long auburn hair shot through with gray streaks. She was thin, and stood just a bit taller than he did as a human.
The stranger wore thick leather armor, but it was peculiar. The more he examined it, the more he noticed the patchwork job. It didn't look like something crafted by a merchant or master…the rough stitching, mismatched colors and uneven lines made him suspect that she'd repaired it many times herself with whatever materials she could find.
It was a strange choice, as most Berkians took pride in maintaining their armor. Hiccup had assumed all vikings felt the same way.
Another laugh bubbled out of the woman, her face splitting wide in a carefree grin. She was surrounded by a small hoard of baby dragons, each clambering eagerly for her attention – and succeeding. The stranger scratched their scales, taking time to pull each close and even play-wrestling with a particularly rowdy hatchling.
The match ended with her resting on her knees, wiping happy tears from her eyes as a baby dragon nuzzled against her side. It hummed at her, licking at her hands when she reached out to it.
Thor almighty…
Hiccup couldn't believe what he was seeing. He cast his gaze around, nervously looking for the mother of these baby dragons. He doubted she was far away from her hatchlings. Surely this odd woman would be in danger once she was discovered?
Yet, no dragon made any move to stop her. The few that did pass by only chirped out short greetings that seemed directed at the woman as if they knew her personally. Almost like she was one of them.
Who was she?
The strangest part of it all was an odd sense of familiarity that he couldn't shake. Though he couldn't nail it down, there was something about her that felt he recognized…but that was ridiculous…wasn't it? He was confident that he'd never seen her before, yet something about the shape of her face and the color of her eyes tugged at something in his memories.
Perhaps he'd known someone from her family?
At that thought, Hiccup scuffed. The odds of this woman having any ties to Berk were slim to none – she could be from the complete opposite end of the archipelago for all he knew! It was likely just his tired mind, playing tricks on him. It wouldn't be the first time.
"Cloudjumper!" The woman suddenly called out, voice full of warmth. She cast her eyes upwards, using the palm of her hand to shield against the light streaming in above.
Hiccup followed her gaze, taken aback by the sight. A large dragon with four wings was descending from a perch high above. It drifted down, stopping beside the woman and approaching her without any hesitation.
The two seemed perfectly at ease in each other's company, and the woman reached out to rest a hand on the dragon – Cloudjumper, he supposed.
To his continued astonishment, the woman then proceeded to climb aboard the dragon's back. Cloudjumper offered no resistance, even lowering a shoulder to make the motion easier for the woman. It looked very practiced, as if there were an everyday occurrence.
Perhaps it was.
Hiccup was at a loss. Whoever this woman was, she'd found a way to bond so thoroughly with a dragon that it trusted her to ride upon its back. That it welcomed her presence. If someone had told him such a thing were possible, he'd have denied it…yet, he'd just seen it himself.
The trust appeared to go both ways, as the stranger appeared remarkably calm and content flying astride a massive dragon.
In fact, she seemed happy. She seemed like she belonged there.
A wild thought began to bloom within Hiccup's mind, growing stronger as he watched the pair. If this woman understood how to bridge the gap between dragons and vikings, perhaps she was the key. If he could just learn how she'd done it, maybe he could replicate that success in Berk.
It was probably madness, but he had to know: was such a thing even possible?
Hiccup's plan to 'stick to the shadows' hit an unfortunate snag with the distinct lack of shadows.
The landscape was very open and airy, bathed in the light of the late afternoon sun. There were not many trees growing throughout the nest, making a good hiding place all the more difficult to come by.
He did his best to tail the woman without catching her attention, but it was quickly evident that stealth was a lot harder for a three-legged dragon than he'd anticipated. Every step he took seemed to echo in his ears, far too loud in the cavernous space. If not for the chatter of the other dragons, he suspected he would have drawn her attention in seconds.
The stranger and her dragon companion made a few stops throughout the nest, with the former dismounting and interacting with different dragons in each new location. She seemed to be checking in on injuries and cataloging the health of each group, murmuring softly to Cloudjumper as she worked.
She encountered a diverse range of dragons, but her determination never wavered. No matter the size or ferocity of the species, the woman never hesitated to engage with them.
Her approach was always the same: a gentle spoken greeting paired with a low dip of her head, almost like a nod of respect reserved for a chief. For the smallest dragons, she even lowered herself to the ground, meeting them on their eye level. Then she'd pause to let the dragons make the next move. Time and time again, the creatures would willingly close the distance themselves, initiating contact with her.
She was not forcing the interactions. The dragons were choosing to bond with the woman.
It was enough to make Hiccup bite his tongue, the sharp sting of it proving that he was indeed awake. He shook his head in continued disbelief as he watched, a strange bubble of warmth in his chest. There was something about it all that just filled him with an indescribable sense of awe.
In his state of wonder, he misjudged his next step, slipping on a stone hiding in the grass.
He yelped, taken aback by the sudden rush of pain in his paw.
Oops.
"By the gods…"
Oh no.
The woman had heard his cry, and she'd spotted him straight away. A black dragon in direct sunlight was hard to miss.
Hiccup tensed, taking a slow step backwards as the woman approached. As she drew near, she carefully dropped her staff to the ground, holding up her hands in a show of peace.
"A Night Fury," she breathed, moving towards him with slow, measured strides.. "In all my years…can you believe it, Cloudjumper?"
The four-winged dragon merely tilted his head, watching Hiccup with curious eyes.
"It's okay," said the woman in a soothing voice, only hesitating when she was within reach. "I promise I won't hurt you."
Looking into her eyes, Hiccup was surprised to find that he believed her words. There was something genuine in her expression that gave him pause. Nothing about her seemed threatening – if anything, her body language bordered on submissive.
Her presence was soft and strangely comforting, but that revelation left him all the more confused. It didn't make any sense – how could this complete stranger inspire such a feeling of calm?
Was this some unfamiliar sort of dragon instinct he was reacting to, or was there something else in play?
"I never thought I'd see the day," she whispered, crouching down as her eyes roamed over him with unbridled excitement. "A real Night Fury! Why, you're even more beautiful than I'd imagined!"
Hiccup shifted backwards, growing uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
At his movement, the woman's face fell, growing dark as she caught sight of his blunted leg. "Another victim," she growled, "those poachers truly have no shame."
Cloudjumper huffed in response, expelling smoke from his nostrils.
The woman cocked her head, expression clearing as she continued to study him. "Or perhaps you were born that way," she wondered aloud, biting her lip in thought. "There's no scarring, but still..."
The curse had come with a perk – rapid and advanced healing. As such, the cauterized stump had healed over perfectly. His leg ended in a straight line, skin and scales healing over it as if it had always been that way. In truth, it looked a bit too perfect to look natural. Though unusual to behold in either form, it had made fitting his human prosthetic a bit easier.
Hiccup took another slow step backward, keeping the woman and her dragon carefully in his line of sight as he retreated. As pleasant as she may appear, he knew better than anyone that appearances could be deceiving. He would not risk the potential threat that came with turning his back.
"It's okay!" The stranger assured once more, eyes pleading for him to stay. "You're safe here!"
Hiccup felt oddly guilty as he ignored her, pushing the feeling down as he continued his retreat. He could feel the moment his claws hit the edge of a tunnel, scraping against the ice. Satisfied that he was out of her range, he turned tail and bolted into the maze. He needed to put some space between them before she had a chance to follow.
He ran and ran, muscles burning from the effort as he navigated the twists and sharp turns. Each new path looked just like the others, making it harder to know just how far he'd gone. A desperate part of him just hoped he wasn't going in circles – he feared each next turn would bring him right back to where he started.
He was so focused on making his escape that he didn't process the way the light was growing dimmer in the tunnels, slowly plunging him into darkness. In fact, he was genuinely startled when purple fire erupted around him.
Hiccup ground to a shaky halt, prosthetic skidding on the icy floor. He rested a hand against the ice wall, chest heaving as he tried in vain to catch his breath.
A deep feeling of dread rose within him.
Night had come, leaving him trapped inside the nest.