Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It is quiet. It’s always quiet. Soft, rumbling snores come from Ember’s drooling mouth. The slumbering beast, my dragon, uses his large body to surround a single egg, his vermillion scales a stark contrast to the opalescent shell of the egg he protects. I tend our fire, unable to sleep myself. This cursed island has had some Viking presence recently, and it's been inconvenient at best. They are curious, I presume, by how quickly this entire island has been coated in ice, as if winter has arrived earlier and harsher than predicted.

This is not the case, however. The sudden blast of cold weather is due to the aforementioned curse, and the only creature keeping the freeze at bay had been slaughtered by dragon hunters, her hide sold thousands of gold, mere pennies to what she was truly worth.

I shake my head. I shouldn’t think of a situation so miserable. After all, I recovered her egg, and now I wait for it to hatch and take her mother’s position. The issue of Vikings, however, is an entirely different beast to tackle. I can tell from their ships and their crest that they are not a dragon-hunting tribe, but I cannot be sure their intentions are not heinous just because they aren’t hunting for dragons. I cannot allow them close to the cave we currently reside in lest they find the egg, it is a risk I’m not willing to take.

I gaze out of the mouth of the cave and bask in the cool light of the full moon. Birds fly in the distance, wings flapping against the wind.

Except, those aren’t birds. Those are dragons, approaching the island. With riders on their backs. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

“Alright gang, this is the island Spitelout scouted for us after the Singetails destroyed the storehouse on the last one,” I shout over the wind to my companions, shooting Snotlout a look when he makes a noise of disagreement.

“I’m just saying that maybe it’s time we stop letting old men choose the islands we build on. I mean look at it, it’s covered in ice!” He shouts indignantly, gesturing at the frostbitten island.

“But that’s the thing, Snotlout, it wasn’t always like that! Suddenly this island froze over and a mysterious figure has been running off any other scouts who come to check it out.” States Fishlegs in a confident tone. I can tell that the idea of running into this “mysterious figure” had intimidated him the moment Spitelout told us about them, but that hesitation has been momentarily overpowered by his desire to discover what exactly has caused this island to receive an untimely winter. I can’t help but grow even more curious as we approach the island. Seeing it with my own eyes is incredible, it’s as if it’s frozen in time.

“Blah, blah, blah, just let us take care of that island, Barf and Belch will warm it up,” Tuffnut chuckles mischievously. The rest of the gang and I shake our heads and dart off, landing on the cold, sandy shores of the island.

“Incredible! The trees are intact under a layer of ice! That means this island must have frozen over quickly with little warning. I can’t think of any natural event that could cause such weather so quickly!” Exclaimed an excited voice from the shore of the island I would temporarily call my home. I peer at this group of dragon riders from the treeline, invisible due to my armor. With scalemail made of Ember’s shed scales, I could become invisible with a small amount of magic of my own. 

Creeping along the edge of the forest, I silently approach where a large blond boy is observing the preservation of the trees in amazement. Through his excitement, I can see jumpiness, his eyes darting wildly from side to side. The night causes the island to look even more intimidating than it would during the day, with dark shadows cast by frozen leaves. I use the tip of my dagger, sharp metal glinting in the moonlight to make scratching noises in the icy bark of the trees not too far from the group of dragon riders.

The group falls silent. A tall, skinny, brunet boy steps towards me, trying to see where the noise is coming from. The blonde next to him places a hand on his arm to stop him from moving any closer, shaking her head at him when he looks at her. I take an obnoxiously large step to my right and crush a branch that had been lying on the forest floor. The snap causes the entire group to jump, the blond boy from before jumping and hiding behind a Gronkle.

“Uh… guys?” He says in a shaky voice.

“Yeah, I hear it. This must be the ‘mysterious figure’ the A Team warned us about. Stay alert, but stand your ground.” The brunet says, scanning the tree line anxiously, desperate to determine my position.

I continue stomping along the treeline, thoroughly shaking up the group of young adults before me. The black-haired boy begins to scream in a girly voice, shouting about how they’re all gonna die and it’ll all be “Hiccup’s” fault.

“How would it be my fault? Your dad’s the one who sent us here!” The tall boy, Hiccup, I presume, shouts back at him.

Wow. I just wanted to scare them off, I didn’t expect them to start beefing with each other. I guess this is one way to get them to scram.

“Show yourself!” Shouts the Hiccup boy, looking wildly between the trees I am standing within. Crunching my feet loudly along the frozen grass, then onto the cold sand, I stand before him, still invisible.

I use a spell that allows for wind manipulation and makes my voice loud and booming, shifting between different tones and sounds, “Leave. Now.” I demand, spell carrying my voice clearly to each of their ears despite the mask I wear. I become visible, the scalemail I wear glinting in the moonlight, the crimson shrouding every bit of my skin from view, a thick coat and hood obscuring me further and protecting me from the cold. “If you know what is good for you,” I say, my voice having been turned to a sharp whisper.

With my last words, I blip out of sight once again and make my way back into the woods, observing their next moves.

The gang remains silent, still reeling from what had just happened. The terrifying person clad in scarlet armor had been so close. If they had wanted to, they could have used the dagger they brandished and sent it straight into my throat.

I gulp, still shaken by what had just occurred. So that was the mysterious figure the A Team warned us about. I looked at our group to see how they were faring. Fishlegs is pale and shaking, clinging to Meatlug. Snotlout is trying to look tough but is failing miserably, having dived behind Hookfang for protection. Astrid looks pissed, her axe brandished and looking to fight. The twins are predictably over the moon, celebrating this terrifying experience.

“Soooo, we’re leaving, right? Like we’re leaving now.” States Snotlout, eyeing the frozen woods before us. I consider his words. We could leave, we probably should, but… this island is intriguing, and this figure may be able to tell us more about the frozen state of the island. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re actually considering staying?” Asks Astrid incredulously, “I can see your thinking face, and in this situation, we don’t need to think. That thing could’ve killed you.” I look at her sheepishly, rubbing at the nape of my neck.

“But… think about it. They really could have killed me if they wanted to, but they didn’t. They also didn’t harm the A-Team while they were here, just scared them until they took off. What if… they don’t want to cause us harm, but just want us to leave? They must be protecting something, and it must have something to do with why this island suddenly froze over,” I explain, taking in each of their exasperated expressions. The only other members of the group who want to stay are the twins, and we can’t leave too much of the decision-making up to them.

I look to the gang pleadingly, “Come on, aren’t you curious? Let’s just make camp for a few days and see what we can learn about the island. We can set up a night watch rotation just in case.” I state.

“Um, Hiccup, no offense but what’s the point of a night watch if we can’t see the person we’re watching for?” Asks Fishlegs, ready to flee back to Berk.

“I agree with Fishface, that person was invisible , we don’t even know if they’re a person! What if they’re a witch?! Or a demon!” Snotlout shouts, scaring himself with his assumptions.

“Oh come on, if it was a witch or a demon it would’ve surely and swiftly ended our dear Hiccup! We want to stay!” Says Tuffnut, excited at the prospect of encountering some deadly force.

Astrid sighed and rolled her eyes, “Fine, we can stay for a few days, but the second that fiend comes back and attempts an attack, we are leaving .” She states, crossing her arms and looking at me firmly.

“Deal!” I say with a grin, already heading into the woods to look for a clearing large enough for all of us to set up camp.

Snotlout groans loudly, “Why does he get to make all the decisions!”

I watch as this group travels on foot into the woods for a place to set up camp, the tree I’m perched in rustling as I move to follow them. They set up a small fire, their dragons forming a circle around it, each rider sleeping against their respective beast. I watch as the blonde girl and the boy, Hiccup stay up, whispering to each other.

I crawl along the frigid branches to reach the trees behind where they sit so I can listen to their conversation.

“Are you sure about this?” She whispers to him, sharpening the axe laid across her lap. She must be a warrior in the village she hails from.

“No, Astrid, I’m not, but I’ve got hope that if I can talk to this person, maybe we can work together instead of against each other. They don’t want to cause us physical harm, but they have something here they want to protect,” replies Hiccup to the blonde girl, who I now know is Astrid. He is right. I don’t want to cause good people harm, there is already enough cruelty in the world, but I am hesitant to allow anyone on this island while its protector hasn’t even hatched yet.

His words stir something within me. He is a peacemaker. Even among the last group of dragon riders, the “A-Team” they keep referring to, there was no such person. They did attempt to fight me before fleeing, but this Hiccup boy seemed so keen on not hurting me and working together. He reminds me of my mentors who helped me escape my home island, Brydda.

I curl up in the tree I sit on and rest for a bit, having not slept in many hours, preparing for the hatching of the egg and fending off Vikings from this island.

A few hours later, I woke. The moon hangs low in the sky, morning will come soon. I notice that each of the dragon riders is asleep, not being able to remain awake for the night watch. I look down from my perch and see Hiccup leaning against his dragon, a Nightfury. An impressive beast. This only intrigues me more. Nightfuries are wild and picky, he must be a friend to dragons if he could tame this beast and get it to trust him enough to sleep near him, right?

I slowly crawl onto a branch, hanging upside down from it, in front of Hiccup’s face. I poke his forehead once in an attempt to wake him. This only causes him to stir slightly in his sleep. I poke harder. This causes him to squint his eyes open, looking at my masked face so close to his. After fully realizing I was there, his eyes shoot open in a panic, his mouth opening to shout for his companions. Swiftly, I smack a hand over his mouth and shush him. His eyes are wide and show fear. I slowly remove my gloved hand from his mouth and hold up a finger to where my mouth would be if it weren’t obscured by my mask. I point over his shoulder, gesturing for him to walk that way before crawling up the tree myself and walking away in the direction I pointed.

His eyes light up at the opportunity, and he scrambles to follow me, almost tripping over his prosthetic leg. I eye the prosthetic as I continue forward into the woods, the enchanted eye I use as a prosthetic twitching in understanding. I continue forward, leading him deeper into the island before stopping at a frozen creek. I face away from him, contemplating my first words. Leading him out here was an impulsive decision, one I made as I let nostalgia take over.

He takes advantage of my silence, speaking first, “I, um, I really don’t know how to say this, but why are you guarding this island so vehemently? What’s here that you want to protect? Is this your home?” He asks, rambling question after question.

“You sure ask a lot of questions,” I state, using my natural voice. This causes him to perk up, eyes widening again, “This island is not my home. I don’t have one, I am something of a nomad. There is something here that I need to protect, but I brought you here to warn you first. What I have to protect is something precious, and very important to the safety of this island. Should you harm it or me in any way, there will be nothing but peril to follow.” I warn.

“I promise, I just want to know what you’re protecting. If we work together maybe we can save this island.” He states, eager to help. He seems like a very self-sacrificial fellow.

I turn to face him, the sharp angles of my mask contrasted by the thick fur and hide beneath my scalemail that keeps me warm, “Before I tell you anything, I must know why you are here. What do you want with this island?” I ask, needing to know his intentions.

“Well, we are looking to build an offshore storehouse. Last time we tried we were chased off the island by Singetails,” he says, his hands nervously moving with each word, “then we came across this island. It looked perfect a few months ago, but then when we send scouts out again it’s suddenly frozen over. Me and my gang were sent to check it out by the chief of Berk.”

My interest is peaked by the island name. It was familiar to me, a mentor of mine was from Berk, however the last time I had seen him, his island was still at war with dragons.

“You say you’re from Berk, but the last time I heard of that island you were at war with dragons, what has changed?” I ask, knowing I cannot allow a dragon killer anywhere near the egg, or my dragon, but something must have changed if they were now dragon riders.

“Oh! It’s changed, a lot has changed,” he chuckles, “my dragon, Toothless, made me the first Viking from Berk ever to ride a dragon. It’s a long story but we managed to end Berk’s war with the dragons, I promise you we don’t want to hurt them. Is that what you’re protecting? A dragon?” He says this getting more excited at the prospect of a new species of dragon.

I mull over his reason for being here. He wants to build a storehouse, of all things. This is a lot of work to scout out an island for a storehouse, but perhaps their curiosity has taken over their senses. If they were to build a storehouse here, then there would be more Vikings traveling to and from this area. That may attract unwanted attention, but this could also be an opportunity to bargain for more protection of the island and its dragon protector.

“I’ll tell you what. If you can promise me that whoever builds and maintains this storehouse will also protect what I show you, then you can build your storehouse in peace.” I say, facing him with a hand extended to shake in agreement.

“Deal!” I exclaim, grasping the hand of this mysterious figure in my own, shaking it excitedly. They quickly let go of my hand and back away, perturbed by my excitement. 

“Alright, this way…” They say, gesturing for me to follow them towards the base of the small mountain that sits in the center of the island. As we get closer to the center, the weather gets slightly warmer and the ice no longer coats the trees so thickly. We reach the mouth of a cave that vines had completely obscured, invisible if you didn’t know where to look.

I follow the figure into the cave, gaping at the lush interior of the cavern. It’s hard to believe that not even 100 feet from the entrance of this cave the island is a frozen wasteland. I look down from the tall ceiling and my eyes are met with piercing yellow ones. At the center of the cave is a large, vermillion dragon whose scales look like metal. It growls at me, body shifting to cover something.

“Calm down, old boy, I invited him,” says the mysterious figure to the hulking creature. I look on in awe as he lies down with a grunt, wing still covering whatever he is guarding.

“What kind of dragon is that?” I ask, skirting around to stand by the side of my guide, careful not to attract the dragon’s ire.

“He is a Cutshift, a distant relative of the Changewing and the Razorwhip,” they explain before adding, “his name is Ember.”

“Is he what you’re protecting?” I ask while shadowing the figure, watching the dragon as he keeps one eye open on me.

“No, he can protect himself when it comes to it. I’m trying to keep foes away from what he has under his wing,” they say, lifting his wing to reveal an iridescent egg that shimmers in the light, “this is an Icechaser egg, the only of its kind.”

Chapter Text

“Icechaser?” Hiccup asks, “I’ve never heard of an Icechaser.” He says looking at the egg with a curious gaze. 

“Not many have. It’s unique to this island and this island only.” I say approaching the egg and feeling its shell, the soft pulsing warmth bringing me comfort. I gesture for him to sit around the small encampment I made in the cave, saying, “Let me tell you a story.”

“A few hundred years ago, two mages were fighting to have control over this island. One wanted to use the island to create a limestone quarry, stripping the island of its natural resources and chasing creatures away from their home. The other wanted to use it as a research center to observe dragons in their natural habitat. Neither would give up, so the mage who wanted to destroy the island decided that if he couldn’t have it, neither could the researcher mage. He put a great spell on the island, freezing it over completely. Every creature was frozen in time, and this broke the heart of the researcher mage. She spent the next decade of her life looking for a cure for the island, and she found one in the form of a dragon she summoned, a gift from the gods, and an answer to her prayer. This was the Icechaser, a female dragon who would only produce one egg in her lifetime before dying, allowing the chain to move forward and the island to remain thawed. A few months ago, dragon hunters came and killed the last Icechaser and stole her egg. I managed to recover it and until it hatches, this island will remain a frozen husk.” I finish my story, letting my hands fall to my lap and looking into his eyes to determine how this revelation makes him feel.

I look at the figure, mouth agape. I had not been expecting such a story, especially one of mages and magic. Mages are rare, I had never met one myself, but my father had. 

“How do you know this story is true?” I ask. If the story had taken place a few hundred years ago, then this figure couldn’t have been around to see it happen, right?

“It’s written on the walls,” they say simply, gesturing to the walls of the cave. Carved into the rock are pictures and an ancient language that I didn’t recognize. Now that I had heard the story, I could see it in the drawings on the wall, and even though I couldn’t read the language the images were enough to see that, at the very least, the people who drew them knew the same story. 

“You said dragon hunters took the egg? Do you know who they were?” I ask, realizing that the egg thieves could be the dragon hunters we’ve had long-standing issues with. If Viggo was the one who stole this egg, he’s not one to give up a prize such as a rare dragon egg quite so easily.

“Yes. I’m not so sure who they were. I haven’t been in this area for long, I come from further West. I found the egg’s mother dying in a metal cage as they were loading up their ships, preparing to leave the island. She looked at me with desperation in her eyes, crooning out the saddest of sounds as she gestured toward her egg. I knew she wanted me to take it and make sure it stayed safe on her home island.” They say, placing a gentle hand on the egg’s shell, “They left the island and I followed, taking the egg as it was transferring ships, and brought it back to this island. That is when I found these drawings and read the story of the two mages.”

As I look into Hiccup’s eyes, I can tell he believes me, and that perhaps Vikings in this part of the world are more soft-hearted than they once were. He looks at the egg, its colors shimmering in his emerald eyes. He appears troubled with the information I gave him.

“Do you know these dragon hunters by chance? It seems like the news of their presence here troubles you,” I say, folding my legs beside me to lounge on Ember, seeing as this young man is not a threat to me or my charge.

He sighs deeply through his nose as he shakes his head, “Uh, yeah, I might know who did it. A notorious dragon hunter known as Viggo Grimborn. He’s been causing trouble for me and my fellow dragon riders recently by increasing his hunting in this area. I’m sorry it led to the death of the mother,” he says regretfully gesturing to the egg with a wave of his hand.

I contemplate his words as I gaze silently into his eyes, “An apology is unnecessary. According to the story, the Icechaser knows when its death is near so it can produce an heir. What happened was fate, and I can only hope she did not suffer.” I say, stroking the egg with a finger as if it is a child of my own.

“Now that you know the secret of this island,” I say, referring to our prior point of conversation, “I want to know if you accept the responsibility. If the Berkians who come to build on this island will care for this egg and protect the island,” I affirm, wanting to make sure he knows the weight of the responsibility he is accepting.

My eyes shoot back up to the figure’s, or at least where they would be if not for the mask, “Yes! A-absolutely I can make sure that no harm comes to this egg.” I say sitting up further, making a promise I can’t afford to break.

The figure huffs, but nods nonetheless. “Then you can do with the island what you please. You may want to wait until the beast hatches, as there is nothing to be done about this island being a frozen wasteland until she does.” They explain.

I’m excited. Elated, even. Not only am I in the presence of two new dragon species I had never heard of, but I’ve officially solved our storehouse problem! Now the only question is how I’m going to explain all of this to my dad…

“Say… how would you feel about a little trip to Berk?” I ask the figure, as it’d probably be better for them to explain themselves to Stoik the Vast rather than for me to try and explain this news. “I can have some Vikings sent over to watch the egg and prepare for the construction of the storehouse so you don’t have to worry while you’re gone!” I explain, knowing that there’s already a shipload of Berkians heading this way to explore the surrounding islands, I can just have someone intercept them and bring them here instead.

The figure looks hesitant for a moment before taking in a deep breath, “Berk? I’ve never been…” they say, and I can tell their eyes are not on me. They gaze over my shoulder as if lost in thought.

“Yeah! It’s great, you’ll love it. Plus, I kinda need you to explain this whole situation to the chief,” I explain. They take in another deep breath but nod in agreement.

Outside the mouth of the cave, I can see the sun begin to rise. Rising to my feet and dusting off my pants, I offer a hand to the stranger, “We should get back to the gang to explain the plan,” I say, grinning as a gloved hand hesitantly comes into contact with mine. I pull them to their feet, and I notice they are surprisingly light for all the armor they wear as if they ride on the wind itself. “And, I know you already know mine from all the eavesdropping you did, but what’s your name?”

Hiccup is a charming young man. He’s got a nice smile, pretty eyes, and a personality to match. He’s almost too easy to trust, which is why I find myself hesitating to share my name. Doubts from the last three years of trusting no one but myself and my dragon flood my brain as I stare at him silently for what may be a moment too long.

However, seeing those green eyes gazing into my soul without a hind of malice encourages me to lower my guard for the first time since I left my home island.

“(Y/n). My name is (Y/n).” I say, lowering the spell I had used to distort my voice, allowing this one part of my real self to be shown.

He blinks at me in shock, his mouth a little agape. I chuckle at the look, “I guess… I find you trustworthy,” I explain as my enchanted eye twinkles beneath my mask. It has always made reading people easier, but I have a feeling that even without it I’d feel the same way about this boy.

His mouth snaps shut at my words and chuckles as well before he gestures for me to follow him out of the cave. I prepare to walk after him, but not before turning to my lovely boy Ember, giving him a swift nod, silently communicating to him that he should stay here and keep watch. 

Hiccup and I walk quietly through the woods, though I can tell that only one of us enjoys the silence. The man is clearly brimming with questions unanswered, practically vibrating with all the new information I’ve shoved in his brain. I, however, choose to leave him to his brainstorming, the lack of sleep catching up to me and a quiet walk is very much what I need.

…

…

…

“So! Where did you find Ember, I’ve never seen anything like him before,” Hiccup asks me. I let out a dramatic sigh, the quiet walk interrupted by his natural curiosity. I honestly don’t know how long I expected it to last.

“I found him as a baby when I was about twelve. His nest was abandoned, I assume that since he hadn’t hatched his mother left with his siblings. I hatched him, and he’s been attached to my hip ever since. Nowadays he acts like a grouchy old fart even if he’s only seven years old,” I say, deciding to humor him, plus I love talking about my boy any chance I get. My tone gets soft when I speak about Ember, he’s one of the only parts of my past I still care to remember.

“Wow… he must really love you then,” replies Hiccup with a grin. His eyes seem to flash with nostalgia, “I met Toothless when I was 15, he was already grown though. He’s pretty much the whole reason Berk is at peace with dragons.” He says, looking wistfully into the distance, presumably in the direction of his camp.

“I think it’s fair to give yourself some credit as well,” I say to him with a light tone. Hiccup is surprisingly easy to get along with. Having been in solitude for about three years, I forgot what it was like to speak with someone so casually. I forgot what it was like to have friends.

In response, Hiccup grins, but his expression quickly shifts into one of surprise as we hear shouting and a dragon roaring in the distance. “Shit, sounds like the gang is up,” he says, quickening his pace in the direction of the noise.

“And I guess they’re not too keen on you being missing while there is a ‘mysterious figure’ running around the island, huh?” I say, also starting to jog towards the noise. As we part the woods and make it into the clearing, we are met with the sight of Hiccup’s dragon-riding crew in a frenzy. The blonde girl, Astrid, is already mounting her Deadly Nadder, brandishing her axe. She begins to order the other riders on a search formation, and they almost take off when Toothless, the Nightfury, roars happily when he sees Hiccup in the tree line. The black dragon tackles Hiccup in a slobber-filled hug as he croons happily.

“Hiccup! Oh, thank Thor you’re ok! Why would you leave camp like that, we were all worried sick?!” Shouts Astrid as she dismounts Stormfly and rushes over to me, checking me over for injuries. 

“Ha, well I wasn’t worried at all, but like, where were you?” asks Snotlout, who was clearly very worried by the way he was ready to take off on Hookfang, but I wasn’t about to call him out for it. 

In the commotion of my return, I hear a loud gasp, and the shaky voice of Fishlegs exclaim, “It’s th-them!” I turn in the direction he is pointing, and I see that the figure, (Y/n), has followed me into the clearing. She’s visible, though I can see in her stance that she is ready to turn and hightail it back into the woods once all the attention is on her. Astrid growls and brandishes her axe at the figure, “You’re not getting away this time!” she shouts at (Y/n), who raises her hands peacefully in response. Her masked face turns to me and I press on Astrid’s arm, getting her to lower her axe.

“Guys… This is (Y/n), the mysterious figure. (Y/n), these are the dragon riders from Berk, my close friends,” I explain, raising my own hands as I stand between (Y/n) and the gang, not wanting either party to make any rash decisions.

(Y/n) steps forward, looking between the members of the gang all either brandishing some form of weapon or hiding behind their dragon as it growls in warning. She hesitates in her step, but ultimately chooses to remain firm as she… bows? (Y/n) bows at the waist, “I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused. I had something to protect, I hope you can understand,” she explains before standing up straight once again. The gang remains silent, for once not even the twins have anything to say. The last thing they were expecting from the mysterious figure we had been threatened by was an apology.

“Last night, (Y/n) came to me and showed me the reason she had been chasing Vikings off this island. At the center of this island, there is an extremely rare egg that dragon hunters are after, and the dragon inside has the power to thaw this island.” I explain, glancing back at (Y/n) for confirmation, and she gives me a nod.

“I never wanted to hurt anyone, there’s already too much unnecessary cruelty in the world, but I didn’t want to risk harm coming to this egg. Dragon hunters already killed her mother, if this egg is destroyed this island, and every living creature on it, will remain in a frozen state forever.” She explains, her real voice coming through the mask, no longer a distorted version coming through.

Astrid’s eyes soften. Dragon hunters had been giving us trouble as well, so the idea that Viggo and his men had harmed this island so significantly must’ve struck a chord within her, “So, you just wanted to keep an egg safe, huh? I guess you were right Hiccup, she was just protecting something,” she says as she lowers her axe, sighing as her assumptions were proven wrong.

“I also should not have assumed the worst about you all. I’ve been alone for a long time, and those that I have had brief interactions with have not been kind. Many folks where I come from are still at war with dragons like Berk once was, so I’ve always been slow to trust when it comes to it, but it looks like your dragons trust you, and they’re all here of their free will,” says (Y/n) as she offers a hand to Toothless, who sniffs it and rubs his head into her crimson glove, “Berk may build their storehouse here, in exchange for protection of the egg until it hatches. Once it hatches, this frozen wasteland will be no more and life will return to the island.”

“See? I told you I could talk to her,” I say, nudging Astrid with my elbow, “Alright gang, we need to head back to Berk. (Y/n) has offered to come with us to explain her story to my dad, but we need someone to guard the egg. Snotlout and Fishlegs, I need you to go intercept the Berkian ship that’s on its way to scout out a different island and bring them here instead, the rest of us will stay here until you arrive.” I say with confidence, guiding the group in what we’ll do next.

I admire Hiccup’s leadership skills. He guides his dragon riders firmly, but respectfully. As Snotlout and Fishlegs take off, a pair of twins approach me. The two men, or women, I can’t tell, introduce themselves, “Hello, fair maiden,” says the first one, a man I think, with a dramatic flourish, “The name, is Tuffnut, and this is my fair inferior sister, Ruffnut,” ok so a man and a woman, “But that’s not important, what’s important is-” he begins, before his sister butts in and shouts, “What’s important is that really cool dragon you mentioned! And your powers! And your invisible-ness!” She shouts.

I back up as the two invade my personal space, chuckling uncomfortably. Both Hiccup and Astrid take notice, and it is surprisingly Astrid who takes action.

“Knock it off you two, don’t overwhelm her,” she says, pulling the twins backward by their ears. I breathe a sigh of relief, relief that is shortlived as Astrid gets close instead, “Listen up, I trust Hiccup, and Hiccup trusts you, but make one wrong move to any of us and I’ll make you regret it,” she says in a low tone. My eyes widen beneath my mask as I nod vehemently. Despite my skills as a mage and a fighter, I can tell that Astrid would be a formidable opponent. She backs off but eyes me with suspicion.

“Alriiiight that’s enough interrogation for the moment. Astrid,” Hiccup says pointedly, “we have to trust each other for this to work, okay?” He says, “(Y/n), why don’t you lead the way to the cave? I’m sure if you let them see the egg it’d help us all build some trust with each other.” explains Hiccup, ever the peacekeeper.

I nod to him, “Right, follow me,” I say, gesturing to the group to fall into step behind me. Astrid eyes Hiccup suspiciously for a moment and he gives her an awkward thumbs up. Rolling her eyes, she follows behind me, and so does the rest of the gang with their dragons.

The walk is mostly silent as we step deeper into the woods. The further we go, the colder it gets, and these folks were not dressed for the weather. I can hear the twins' teeth chattering loudly. However, once we stepped into the small ring of warmth I was able to create around the cave, I could practically hear their relief as the heat seeped into their skin. “Welcome to my humble, and temporary, abode,” I say, parting the vines that lay above the entrance. 

The group’s footsteps once again wake up my boy Ember, and he huffs a frustrated growl at the group. Hiccup raises his hand to wave at him, in response Ember rolls his eyes and faces me instead. I rub his snout, “This is my dragon, Ember, he’s just a bit grouchy at being woken up,” I say, holding his large head in my hands as I shake his head, “isn’t that right?” I say in a baby voice. He huffs smoke in my face in response.

“Wow, wait until Fishlegs gets a look at him,” says Astrid, observing Ember’s movements and unique form, “he’ll go crazy for a new dragon species,” she states, moving into the cave with the rest of the group.

I grab part of his wing and lift it, “This,” I say, showcasing the iridescent egg that lay beneath it, “is the one and only Icechaser egg. There is no other like it, and the dragon inside is the only creature that can keep this eternal winter at bay.” I explain. The riders before me are entranced by the beautiful swirling colors that shine through the shell of the egg. I lower Ember’s wing and let him get back to being the lazy boy he is.

“So, you can see why it’s so important that it’s protected,” I say sternly, “and why I need any Vikings here to promise it’s safe-” I’m interrupted by an earth-shaking boom. Astrid rushes out of the mouth of the cave as I scramble to check the egg’s integrity. She sprints back in, and says the two words I dread most on this island: “Dragon hunters.”

Chapter Text

Blood rushes to my ears and my heart beats rapidly, “They can’t be here, she’s not ready yet!” I yell to the riders as my breath quickens and panic sets in. I can usually handle myself against some hunters, but if they’re here to recover the egg then they will be hunting it down, and it’s not just myself and Ember I need to protect anymore. The egg is now my priority.

Hiccup’s face becomes stony as he begins giving orders to his fellow riders, slipping into his position as leader seamlessly. He tells Ruffnut and Tuffnut to aim their fire at the dragon hunters’ catapults while Astrid draws their fire, he and Toothless act as cover. He turns to me, his serious look turned soft and understanding, “You should stay here, protect the egg,” he says nodding towards the only hope for the future of this island. 

There’s a solid lump in my throat, so all I can do is nod my head. As he and his riders take off, I search my tomes for every protection spell, ward, or rune I can create with the limited time I have.

My jaw sets as I set off on Toothless, a cutting path towards the dragon hunter ship that has made its way closer to shore. The Dragon Hunters always have to ruin everything, don’t they? I had finally made good progress (Y/n) about the island and they decided now was the time to attack?

There are three ships total, two are armed to the teeth with catapults and hunters with dragon root arrows, and the other one is less armed but larger,  probably for transporting dragons. They are in a triangle formation, one of the heavily armed ships leading, the other behind it to the left, and the largest transport ship to the right. I have Astrid and the twins concentrate their fire on the ship leading while I try and take out the one to the left. Unfortunately, we came unprepared with no dragon armor, and the twins were shot down by the dragon root arrows as they needed to be within close range to attack with any accuracy.

I avert my course from the ship in the back and go after the one that had just shot down the twins, pulling a quick maneuver towards them, attempting to intercept the net heading towards Barf and Belch. Astrid spots me and provides cover to my right where the hunters on the other ship I had been heading for now aimed their fire at me. As I get closer to the twins, a moment of distraction causes Stormfly to be shot, too, Astrid and her plummeting towards the ocean. That was three riders and two dragons down and with my other two riders busy with the task I had given them, we were essentially done for.

As Astrid, the twins, Stormfly, and Barf and Belch were loaded onto the ship via nets, I landed on the ship with Toothless, prepared to fight for my friends.

The sounds of a battle waging in the distance caused my nerves to spike. I had fought before, but not like this. I usually relied on stealth, but these riders were diving head-on into danger, all for me.

At this point, my guilt outweighed my fear as I realized Hiccup had gone with his riders to save this island, the goal that I had given him. This fight wasn’t his or his riders, yet they jumped in because they knew I needed help.

I look at Ember, the great beast who had helped me through thick and thin, who protected me and ran away with me when I needed him to. He had been my only friend for the past three and a half years on the run. I had forgotten what it was like to have friends outside of my dragon, people to care about, and who would protect me as I protect them. I wasn’t about to let these shithead dragon hunters ruin it for me.

I gave the Icechaser egg a loving pat as I covered it in my cloak, then some of Ember’s shed scales, activating their camouflage ability with a bit of magic of my own. Turning to Ember, I grab his rein and lead him out of the cave. As I finally witness the fight, I see Astrid and the twins being taken down by the hunters, and Hiccup landing on the ship in an attempt to fight them.

I knew what I had to do.

I mounted Ember, and with one simple command, we disappeared.

Astrid and the twins were roughly dragged onto the deck of the ship, Astrid screaming and twisting while the twins also struggled, albeit a bit more pathetically. Their dragons were wrenched up from the ocean and on board the transport ship, separated from their riders.

Toothless growled beside me as we prepared for a fight. The hunters surrounding us raised their bows, preparing to skewer us in a barrage of arrows. Just before they let the arrows fly, a deep voice stopped them, “Careful, men, we don’t want to kill the Nightfury, just the riders.”

My eyes narrow on the source of the voice. Viggo Grimborn . The man who has been tormenting us for months, a dragon hunter evil to the core but much smarter than any we had faced before.

“What are you doing here, Viggo?” I ask, my voice raising with alarm. I’m hoping that I can at least stall him, that maybe Snotlout and Fishlegs will be back faster than expected.

“We’re here to retrieve a prize that was stolen from us, we weren’t expecting to see so many familiar faces on this island. I suppose it is a bonus, an Icechaser egg, and a Nightfury,” he says with a villainous smirk. I scowl at him as my thoughts flash back to (Y/n), when we left her she was so frantic, I could tell she was tough but she can’t take on that many dragon hunters all on her own.

“Ah, how unfortunate that our game must end here, my dear Hiccup.” He says confidently, gesturing for his hunters to aim their arrows at me. Toothless prepares to fight, charging up a plasma blast when we are interrupted by the powerful rushing of wings, knocking a few hunters off their feet.

Not even a second later, a loud crash sounded on the deck as something landed on it, invisible to everyone onboard the ship. (Y/n) , I thought, she came to help us. As swift as a gale, metal spikes whip out from where the crash had happened, impaling quite a few hunters. Viggo himself barely dodges them. Astrid takes this moment of distraction to stomp on the foot of the hunter holding her and steals his weapon, using it against him and throwing him overboard.

Quickly the tables have turned. (Y/n) has become visible, her crimson armor glistening in the morning sun. The hooded cloak she wore was nowhere to be seen, so her appearance was even sharper. Deadlier. To Viggo’s throat, she held a spear, an aura of rage surrounding her as she threatened the man.

I stared hard into the eyes of the man threatening the Icechaser, as well as my newfound companions. “You will leave this island. You will turn away and never look back.” I state firmly. 

The man I can only assume is the Viggo Grimborn Hiccup had warned me about looks down his nose at me before scoffing humorlessly. “And what exactly makes you think I’ll follow your orders? I’ve got three ships filled with deadly dragon-killing weapons. I’m not afraid of a mage.” He states firmly, looking down on me as if my being a magic user made me weak.

“Two,” I reply.

“Two? What are you talking about you foolish girl–” he says before I interrupt him.

“Two ships, ” I say plainly, before backing up from him and gesturing my spear in a wide arc, pointing it at the other heavily armed ship in his little armada.

The ship erupts in flames, starting at the sails and rapidly descending the mast. The dragon hunters aboard it desperately try and shoot at whatever is causing the fire, but they cannot see him. Ember aims another devastating blast of flame, this time at the ship's hull, causing it to take on water rapidly. He roars proudly, visible for only a moment, his scarlet scales flashing into sight before vanishing again.

After the cacophony of noise that had raised during the takedown of that ship quiets down, I look calmly back to Viggo when in reality I was sweating. The best part about wearing a mask constantly was that my enemies could not read me.

“You have two ships. Would you like to leave with two and your life, or none and laying lifeless on the ocean floor,” I ask with the most malice I can muster. I am not used to having to intimidate people, usually I just leave when I’m confronted. However, I have an egg to protect, as well as people who I can’t just leave hanging.

Viggo looks contemplatively between me, the riders, and his remaining ships. Sighing and clearing his throat, he steps back and folds his arms behind his back. “Very well, my dear. You’ve made your point. We’ll surrender, but I can’t guarantee this is how our confrontations will always end.” He states, his eyes growing dark at the end of his statement, showing how truly peeved he is.

He signals for his men to release the riders’ dragons and we swiftly retreat to the island, myself turning invisible again and catching Ember to take me back. I stand on the shore, Ember in his full glory next to me, clearly visible to the retreating ships. We stand there in silence until the ships are no longer in our sight.

Then, I lean over onto my knees and let out a few shuddering breaths.

The gang and I stand in silence, mostly still shaken up by the whole experience, as well as (Y/n) exhibiting the true, terrifying power held by both her and Ember. A power that she had never tried to turn on us, even when we were perceived as a potential threat.

When (Y/n) finally moved she bent over, leaning her hands on her knees and letting out a long sigh, “Oh my gods that was terrifying ,” she said, moving into a squatting position with her head in her hands. I look at her in confusion, she had just pulled one of the most badass moves on Viggo Grimborn while she was scared!?

“Wait, wait, wait, let me get this straight. You were scared that whole time ?” Astrid asks in astonishment. I can tell she was just as surprised by (Y/n)’s reaction as I was.

“Well, I guess not scared, more like out of my element. I’ve never confronted anyone like that before, I usually avoid conflict as it’s safer for me and Ember. But with the egg at risk, as well as you guys risking yourselves to help me, I couldn’t just flee. I had to help, and it was a terrifying new experience.” She says, letting out a dramatic shiver at the thought of Viggo.

“Yeah, meeting Viggo for the first time can be… scary. He’s an intimidating foe, but I gotta thank you for coming to our rescue. I mean, if you hadn’t shown up, who knows what would have happened.” I say, shrugging with a small grin, offering her a hand to stand up with.

Her masked face looks to my hand, and then to my eyes. I may not be able to see her face, but I can tell her gaze is intense. She takes my hand and hoists herself up with it, not needing me to pull her up. Then she looks away, as if shy about her next words, “Well… I haven’t been around people– nice people–in a while and I wanted to help because I hope we can become friends,” she says, quickening her words at the end of her sentence as if it’s painfully awkward to get them out.

Without being able to help myself, I let out a loud laugh.

My face burns beneath my mask as he laughs. I knew I was being too straightforward, that’s not how normal socialized people interact with each other, (Y/n)! I scold myself in my head. Even before I fled my island I didn’t have many friends, I wasn’t allowed to interact with anyone outside my parents, maids, and marriage prospects. It was only by sheer luck and the care that the maids had for me that I was able to meet each of my mentors who gave me skills that allowed me to escape that wretched island.

Hiccup must’ve realized I had fallen silent after he started laughing, especially when Astrid elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a scathing look. He calms down and looks at me sheepishly, “Uh, sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you or anything, just more the situation,” he offers me a genuine smile, “It just makes me so happy that we were able to end this conflict of interest with peace, and even with you wanting to be our friend. And I for one can say I’d be happy to have you as a friend.”

The embarrassed flush from before fades as I smile back, even if he can’t see it. The sweet moment is interrupted by one Tuffnut, “If we’re your friends does that mean we can ride your awesome dragon?” he asks pointing at Ember.

“Um I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him,” I say, moving to the side to give Ember the floor. He huffs smoke through his nostrils and growls out his displeasure, “He says no.”

I let out a more genuine laugh at Tuffnut’s deflated look, rubbing my ribs where Astried had elbowed me. With all this settled, now we just had to wait for Snotlout and Fishlegs to get back.

Speaking of the two, I can hear Snotlout’s obnoxious voice as they flew closer, “Yeah right Fishface, I was not scared, I only agreed to fly to that stupid ship with you because I knew you’d fly away and never come back.”

“If I recall correctly, you were the one who dove behind Hookfang and screamed like a little girl,” Fishlegs retorts, causing Hookfang to rumble out a chuckle in response.

“Quiet you! I was just getting into a better defensive position!” He shouts indignantly. As the two land, Snotlout looks our group over with a suspicious eye. “What happened to you guys? You look like shit. Did Hiccup’s new best friend end up betraying you after all?” He says smugly, not noticing (Y/n) standing nearby in the tree line. She had retreated slightly at hearing their voices, still somewhat nervous from the new people.

“Ha ha ha, very funny Snotlout. No, she didn’t betray us, in fact, she saved us from Viggo,” I say, gesturing to (Y/n). Snotlout jumps slightly at her appearance, having not seen or heard her. She can be eerily quiet when she wants to be.

As I point out her little hiding spot, Fishlegs looks over and spots Ember. He squeals in delight as he lays eyes on the crimson beast. He rushes over, (Y/n) practically jumping three feet in the air at his sudden movement, and starts spitfire asking questions.

“What kind of dragon is he? How old and how long have you had him? What type of flame does he use? What other abilities does he have? Can he-” I interrupt Fishlegs’ rambling with a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from the shaken-up girl. I put myself between the two with a chuckle.

“Fishlegs, why don’t you give her some space, she’s not used to talking to people, let alone answering a million questions,” I say, almost using a gentle parenting voice on my fellow Viking. Behind me, however, I hear a soft voice speak up.

“He is a Cutshift, he’s seven years old and I hatched him myself, his flame is similar to a Razorwhip’s accurate ray of fire, except it’s orange instead of blue. Oh, and he can turn invisible like a Changewing and also show his metallic spines from his tail, like a Razorwhip.” I explain, getting more confident towards the end. While Hiccup is correct, I’m not used to talking to people, it’s easy to talk about my best friend, Ember. I’ll gladly show him off to anyone.

Fishlegs’ eyes sparkle with interest as he quickly jots down every word I’d said, and Hiccup turns to me with a knowing grin, “I thought you weren’t used to people.” He says in a teasing tone.

“No, I’m not,” I reply, “but it’s easy to talk about my favorite boy,” I say holding Ember’s head in my hands and shaking him a bit. Hiccup laughs but his eyes soften. I can only assume he feels the same way about Toothless.

Now that the whole gang is back together, we decide to wait until the ship arrives before we head back to Berk. I show the riders to the cave that I used as a temporary home, uncovering the egg from Ember’s scales and my cloak, revealing the Icechaser egg underneath. The two who hadn’t seen it yet stare in shock before Fishlegs starts squealing and I’m once again bombarded by a barrage of questions about the egg.

After answering all his questions, the gang and I settle down to talk. They ask me about my adventures, and they share stories of their own. I can tell the group is full of mischief makers no matter how mature they might act. The twins tell obviously fake and “scary” stories all while Snotlout rolls his eyes and argues with them. Astrid fondly recalls her time with a girl called Heather, and Hiccup tells me about how he first found Toothless.

In return, I tell them part of my story. How my home island wasn’t that great of a place, especially for women. How Ember helped me escape on my 16th birthday, and how I used the skills taught to me by my mentors to survive.

After some time, the ship from Berk arrived and they began unloading the lumber they brought for the storehouse. They listened to my story and promised to keep an eye on the egg while they build. With my worries settled, I now have a new hurdle to jump. Hiccup wants to take me to Berk to meet the chief, his father, to explain everything firsthand.

As the gang and I saddle up, ready to leave the frozen island, I can tell (Y/n) is hesitant. I hop off Toothless to approach her as she attaches Ember’s saddlebags to his saddle and loads them up. I can tell she doesn’t have a home as it seems everything she owns is in these bags.

I place my hand on her shoulder, causing her to break the trance-like movements she was making.

“You ok? You seem a bit hesitant to come with us. I know I said it’d be easier for you to explain everything to my dad yourself, but if you’re too uncomfortable you don’t have to come with us,” I say, my words trailing off at the end. I don’t want to part ways with her, but if she’s changed her mind I can’t force her into anything. 

She whips around to face me fully, panic evident in her tone, “No! No… it’s not that. It’s just… I’ve never flown in a group before, so it makes me a little nervous. I also haven’t ever been to Berk, and this being my first time there and having to talk to the chief makes me a little worried,” she explains, fiddling with her fingers, “I don’t want to separate from you guys, at least not until I have to.”

I can’t help the goofy grin that breaks across my face at her confession, “I’m glad you feel that way, I was worried you were getting sick of us,” I say, gently elbowing her arm playfully, “I can’t lie, meeting ‘Stoick the Vast’ for the first time can be a bit intimidating, but I promise if you explain everything the way you did to me it’ll be ok.” I tell her, mocking my dad’s accent when I say “Stoick the Vast.” When I said my dad’s name, she stilled as if recalling a distant memory.

I knew Berk sounded familiar, and now that I know that Stoick is indeed Hiccup’s father, conflict stirred in my gut. I was very nervous to see him again, after all these years.

We flew mostly in silence for about halfway there. Then, Ruff and Tuff decide to start asking me questions much like Fishlegs had, but there’s ranged much more on the side of “How deadly is he? Does he cry poison? Are his spines barbed?” All these questions I answered with a simple “Very, no, and yes.”

As we approach Berk, the nerves returned as a bundle of rocks sat deep in my stomach. When we landed, the gang was greeted warmly by the villagers. I was eyed with a bit of suspicion, still shrouded in my cloak as well as the hide beneath my armor, making me appear much bigger and far more intimidating. It also made me much sweatier as Berk turned out to be significantly warmer than the frozen island we had just left.

From the crowd emerges a large, imposing figure with a thick ginger beard and an intimidating aura to match. Stoick the Vast, the chief of Berk, and one of my three mentors who helped me escape Brydda.

Chapter Text

My breath is caught in my throat, my hands turning clammy as my gaze lands on the chief of Berk. His large, stocky figure makes its way over to us, greeting his son with a boisterous laugh and a rough pat on his back. Hiccup chuckles lightly as the force of the pat knocks him forward. The other members of the gang disperse to head off into the village. This leaves me with Hiccup and the chief, alone at the edge of the village. 

“So, son, did you figure out that island business?” Asks Stoick, his deep voice rumbling as he speaks to his son, the sound so familiar to how he used to speak to me when I was a young girl he was trying to save. He glances at me, but the mask obscuring my face keeps him from recognizing me. I’m unsure if he would even recognize me without the mask, with how much I had changed.

“Uh, yeah, Dad. Turns out there’s a curse keeping it frozen, and the only thing that can unfreeze it is a dragon egg on the island that, once it hatches, will thaw the island.” Hiccup explains to his dad, the chief’s eyes growing wider at his explanation.

“Magic? We haven’t had that kind of spell work on this side of the archipelago since…” he trails off, shaking his head as his eyes grow distant, “and I’m assuming this here is the ‘mysterious figure’ the A Team described” Stoick says, placing his hands on his hips and giving me a questioning look. There was a silent question in his voice: who was I?

Hiccup pats me on the shoulder and pushes me forward to face the chief. “Yeah, she is. They were wrong about her motives, though. It’s a long story, but the egg needed her protection.” Hiccup gives me a sweet smile, not realizing I am growing paler under my mask. “This is (Y/n).”

The world feels like it’s stopped as Stoick’s eyes flash in recognition. His breathing stutters as he repeats my name in a whisper.

“Hi, Stoick,” (Y/n) says softly, her voice more meek than I had ever heard it. As she speaks, my dad’s breath stutters, and his knees almost buckle. Then, something I never thought I’d see happen occurred in less than a second.

Stoick the Vast, the chief of Berk, lurched forward and wrapped (Y/n) in a tight hug, laughing loudly as he picks her up and spins her around. 

“Ohoho, my dear, I can’t believe you’re here! How did you escape, and when did you escape? Why didn’t you come right here?” Says my father, his breath heavy as he sets her down and holds onto her shoulders.

“Hol- Hold on, you know each other? How ???” I ask incredulously, my head whipping around, not comprehending what is happening. My father and my new friend are familiar with each other. And what does he mean by “escape”?

(Y/n) looks back to me as if she finally registered I was there after being spun around. She clears her throat and looks at me. “It’s a long story, Hiccup. We should probably find the rest of the gang and go somewhere a little more private so I can tell it,” she says, and I can practically hear the smile in her voice. 

I nod to her. “I can grab the others; you and my dad can head to the house. No one would go in there without permission,” I say with a slight shiver, knowing that no one would mess with Stoick the Vast or his home.

As Hiccup jogs away with the promise of meeting us at the house, Stoick addresses me once again with a wide grin on his face, “So, are ya gonna explain the mask, or do I have to guess?” he says teasingly while flicking the spot on my mask where my forehead would be. The same spot he used to flick when I messed up during training.

“I’ll explain, along with the rest of the story when everyone gets to your home. That part is something even you haven’t heard quite yet.” I say, my voice trailing off at the end. Stoick, in turn, roughly slaps me on the back while chuckling, guiding me towards his home.

As we walked towards his home, Ember slowly walked behind us, his tail swaying and stirring up dirt. He attracts some stares, but not those of malice. The people of Berk look at him in wonder while their dragons live freely among them. “Berk has changed a lot since you last visited me, you guys used to fight dragons, right?” I ask, fiddling with the little straps on my thighs.

Stoick remained silent for a moment, a look of nostalgia passing over his face. “Aye, lass, we did. Thanks to my boy Hiccup, things changed in the last three or so years,” he explained while tossing a glance over his shoulder, his eyes landing on Ember. Gears turn in his head for a moment, “Is he why you didn’t come to Berk? Because we were a dragon-warring tribe?” He asked, guilt lacing his voice.

I rub the back of my neck and chuckle, “Well, yes, that. Also, I never really asked where Berk was, when I left I didn’t think to bring a map,” I say, with an awkward cough. I didn’t want him to feel guilty, I could tell he regretted his past with the dragons.

Stoick lets out a loud, belly-shaking laugh as we reach his home. He opens the door for me, and I step inside. “I guess I never told you, huh?” He asks with a grin, inviting me further into his space.

I patted Ember on the head as he would not fit inside the building. I pull my pack off his saddle and walk into Stoick’s home.

“Do you mind if I change? These thick clothes are roasting me alive.”

I quickly gather the gang. They hadn’t gotten far, but it took some convincing (specifically for Snotlout and the twins) to gather quickly at my house. The last one I grabbed was Astrid, and she pressed the hardest for answers.

“Hiccup! What is going on? I want to see my parents. Why are you dragging us around?” she asks, digging her heels into the ground.

Finally, I pant out a response to the whole group, “(Y/n)... she knows my dad, and she has some story about how she escaped her homeland.” I panted out, “She said she’d explain once we’re all at my house.”

It’s as if a switch flips in their brains, and now they’re finally taking me seriously. “Well, why didn’t you say so!? Let’s go!” Shouts Snotlout, suddenly way too curious. I can see the rest of the group get very curious and made an exaggerated gesture towards my house. 

We all set off towards my home, going along much quicker now that I’ve piqued their interest. Our dragons curiously look after us, but don’t bother running after as quick, resting after the long flight here.

Once we reached our destination, the gang and I burst through the door, out of breath. My dad lounges in the large wooden seat that looks vaguely like a throne. (Y/n), however, was nowhere in sight. My dad’s face looked shocked for a moment before settling into annoyance at the disruptive way we’d entered.

Sighing loudly, he gestures to the empty seats for the gang and me to sit on. Catching my inquisitive gaze, my dad says, “She’s upstairs, son, in your old room. Said she had to get out of her heavy cloak and such.”

“I’ll go grab her,” I say, heading towards the stairs, assuming she would only need to take off her top layer of armor and not completely change. My dad nods while speaking idly with the gang, the twins resuming their annoying questioning to anyone who will listen.

I go up the stairs and meander down the hallway of the upper floor. My old room was at the end of the hall, one wall being a part of the roof outside. I knock on the door, and a much clearer voice says, “Give me a moment!”

My heart stutters a bit. I hadn’t yet heard her voice without the mask on, and she was now only muffled by a thin wooden door. I couldn’t place it, and I didn’t want to think about why, but I wanted to hear that voice again, so I cleared my throat and asked, “Uh, need any help? With the armor, I mean.” I explained, my cheeks dusting with pink. There was no reason for me to act like this towards my new friend, but for some reason, I couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

A melodic chuckle sounded from beyond the door. “No, I don’t think so, Hiccup, but thank you,” she giggled out, and I almost melted. I thought that the only voice modification had been due to the magic she used to manipulate it when we first met, but now I can hear that the mask warped it as well. She sounded beautiful. These feelings were odd, I felt like a damn teenager again, swooning over the first girl to talk to me sweetly, but (Y/n) felt different. There was something about her that kept me intrigued, I was drawn to her; perhaps it was simply the mystery surrounding her.

My thinking had left me staring at the door, so lost in my mind that I didn’t realize (Y/n) had told me she was coming out until I saw the doorknob jiggle. I found myself hoping she kept the mask off.

I walk out of Hiccup’s old room, and my armor has completely changed. Gone were the thick, fleece-lined pants, bulky armor, and warm cloak. Instead, I had donned my normal flight clothing, tighter than my winter clothes so I could practically merge with Ember while we flew. My boots were also different, less bulky, and better designed to fit into the stirrups on Ember’s saddle. The spikes I had welded into those things made them a bitch to walk in on normal ground.

Closing the door behind me, I turn around to come face to chest with Hiccup. I had to look up at him to see his face, the corrugated scales on my mask shining in the light. I forgot how tall those winter boots made me.

Hiccup’s cheeks dusted pink as he took in my appearance, disappointment flashing across his face for only a moment as he glanced at my mask. He takes a step back when he realizes how close we are to each other and clears his throat. “You, uh, shrunk,” he says with a chuckle.

My face blanches. I give him a deadpan look; even if he can’t see it, I hope he can feel it. “Yeah, the winter armor bulks me up a bit,” I say, rolling my eyes and walking past him. “Is everyone else here? I’m sure they’re all curious,” I say with mischief lacing my voice. Hiccup nodded quickly, his red ears giving away his flustered state as he gestured for me to follow him.

The two of us descend the stairs to hear the yapping of the twins as they try to pry answers from Stoik while he continues to tell them to wait in an exasperated tone. Once the gang finally notices us, they shut up quickly. I chuckle at their reaction. They were so incredibly curious about me, someone they had just barely met. It made me feel a bit special.

Clearing my throat, I followed Hiccup the rest of the way downstairs, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. I, too, had just met them. They were practically strangers, besides Stoik, of course, yet I had a strong feeling that I could trust this silly group of young adults. Taking a deep breath, I step forward into the center of the room, ready to rip my heart out and present it to the group.

The back of my neck prickles as she steps forward, my fingers tingling as (Y/n) takes a stand before us. Her hands wring nervously in front of her as she takes a deep, stuttering breath.

“The village I am from, Brydda, is very cruel to their women,” she says, staring at the wall. “Beauty is used as currency. Women are sold to the highest bidders on their 16th birthdays, and if you are considered ugly and no man wants to… buy you, then you get sold as a servant instead of as a wife.”

My stomach churns at the start of her story, knowing it will only get worse from here. Imagining a place where women aren’t treated as human makes me sick, it’s almost unbelievable. I looked at my dad, and I could see that his face was shadowed with guilt, giving me the answer I sought. (Y/n) is telling the truth.

“I try not to think too much about whether being ‘ugly’ or ‘beautiful’ led to a worse fate, but I was unfortunate enough to be considered beautiful. So beautiful that a disgusting man gave my parents an early dowry when I was only five to secure his position as my future husband. He was 42 when he did this, and he already had three other young wives.” She let out a shaky breath, her fingers tightening around themselves, trying to ground herself. It took everything in me not to wrap her in my arms and shield her from her past. My thoughts confused me; we were practically strangers, but she had saved my friends and me, and I couldn’t help but feel for her.

“My parents had purchased many women in the past to be servants before I was born. These ladies acted as my wet nurses, nannies, and caretakers as I grew up. When they found out who I was betrothed to, the head maid broke down in tears as she knew how that man treated his current wives. Marta, the head maid and woman who raised me in place of my mother, decided on that day she would do anything to help me escape. She began plotting with the other women in the house, who all cared for me more than my parents did, and gathered resources to allow me to escape. She taught me to read, write, sew, and cook. All were skills she could lie to my parents about being necessary for a wife, but her true intentions were to help me escape the island.

When I was ten years old, Marta happened to be at the docks when your father first visited Brydda,” she says, gesturing to my dad. I look over to him in shock, and he hangs his head in shame. Whether the shame came from not saving (Y/n) sooner or even associating with that Odin forsaken island to begin with, I couldn’t tell.

(Y/n), however, continues warmly, as if these memories bring her relief, not sorrow: “Marta begged Stoik to mentor me in self defense, knowing that if I was to survive in this cruel world I’d need to fight. She told him, ‘Who better to teach her than the man known for conquering both men and dragons?’ Wearing him down until he finally agreed. Our lessons began, and Stoik became one of three mentors who were key in freeing me from Brydda.”

The woman before me, even after suffering so much, still stood tall and proud as she faced my father, giving him a deep bow, “I never got to thank you properly for all your help, I wouldn’t have made it this far without you,” she says, and you can practically hear the smile in her voice.

My father tears up, “I don’t know how you can forgive me, lass. I left you when you needed me most; I’m so sorry,” he says, his voice shaking ever so slightly. The rest of us watch silently as the two hold each other in a tight grasp, not knowing how to feel about Stoik the Vast crying .

Once the two of them parted, Tuffnut finally spoke up, “Wait, you said he’s one of three. What happened to the other two?” He asked, slumping in his chair, trying to keep his nonchalant aura after almost crying like a baby at their hug.

I looked at Tuffnut, realizing I hadn’t fully finished the story. “Well, the other two were more mysterious. My second mentor was someone I met when I was twelve and had just hatched Ember. She said she was coming to retrieve the egg after its mother abandoned it for being the runt, but Ember had already bonded with me, so she decided to teach me how to train him instead. She never told me her real name, and we only knew each other for two years, but she gave me very useful tools when it came to dragon riding. I called her the Guardian, and she was the inspiration for my masks, as she always wore one.” I explained, recalling the woman’s gentle voice as she taught me secrets that I would’ve never learned on my own. She would only visit me every couple of months in the dead of night as it was dangerous for her and her dragon to fly so close to a village that shoots dragons on sight.

“My last mentor was a mage whom I also met when I was twelve. He was an Artificier from a powerful sect, about a week by boat from Brydda. He was a haughty, entitled, selfish bastard who refused Marta’s please at first, but she was clever. She convinced my parents that my education in magic or alchemy would increase my value and that they’d be able to demand a higher bride price for me if they got me trained. This stroked their egos, so they paid the man a hefty sum to come and train me in simple spells, nothing that would make me more powerful than a man, just more useful. The Articier, whose name I later learned was Elkorich, met with my parents and agreed as long as they continued paying him. We began learning magic, but he started teaching me spells that were far too advanced for what my parents wanted. When I asked, he explained that as I released my magic, he could tell that my innate abilities were far above what he had expected, and he had decided that not teaching me properly ‘would be a waste of potential and an insult to the gods.’ After that day, I trained with him every chance I got, up until the week before my sixteenth birthday, when he was sent away, because after my wedding day, I wouldn’t be allowed to interact with any men outside of my husband or father.” I explained, letting my hands fall bitterly to my side as I finished. Elkorich had been an asshole, but he was an amazing mentor who went by his own rules, increasing my magic abilities to places I thought impossible.

After finishing the stories of my mentors, I took a deep, shuddering breath, knowing that my next story wouldn’t be lighthearted at all. This would be my first time telling this story, as I’ve never had anyone I could trust enough to share it, but at the very least, Stoik deserves to know what happened that day and why I can’t bring myself to let him look at my face.

“My sixteenth birthday was also my wedding day,” I said, looking for their reactions. Each of them looking on in nervous anticipation. Stoik’s eyes hardened, and Astrid’s fists clenched, feeling indignation on my behalf. “It was also the day I decided I was going to leave, and the day I left that Odin forsaken island for good.”

Chapter Text

Hey sorry guys I just wanted to flex that I am at HTTYD live in concert RIGHT NOW waiting for it to start. Love yall 😍😍😍

Chapter Text

Chest hollow, I slowly lifted myself out of bed as my limbs shook with nerves. I walk quietly through my home as if nothing but a ghost flitting from room to room. My maids silently go through the motions, running my bath, doing my hair, skipping my makeup as they gently set a white opaque veil over my face, obscuring it from view.

I look at myself in the mirror, a long white gown covering me from neck down, not a single gap showing skin. All there is to do now is wait.

Orchestral music plays as I step onto the ceremonial dais. The only guests in attendance are blood relatives of myself and the groom, along with my groom’s other wives. They sit in the pews, each more gaunt than the next. Their skin is so pale it’s almost see-through, their eyes dim with pensive misery.

I held my bouquet of white chrysanthemums tightly in my sweaty palms, their stems feeling cold and stiff. My parents watch from the audience, beaming with pride and greed, already having spent a large chunk of my bride price on frivolous things. The beating of my heart thrums in my ears as I gaze upon my soon-to-be husband. He is a man almost three times my age with a lecherous gaze and filthy attitude. I can feel him take in my form in the most disgusting way he can manage, as if he is purposefully projecting his lustful thoughts directly into my mind. I want to vomit.

However, there is no time like the present. As the ceremony nearly concludes, one more tradition must be fulfilled. The groom will lift the veil off of his bride’s face and kiss her, claiming her as his wife for eternity.

Phelrich, my supposed husband-to-be, lifted the veil from my face and revealed what he had been seeking since he met me 13 years ago. When my face was revealed, he let out a distressed gasp, for what was supposed to be a visage of grace and beauty, one untouched by toil and labor, was utterly disgusting.

While I had once been a beautiful girl with unmarked skin and an innocent gaze, Phelrich was the first to witness what I had done to my face. From temple to chin ran a scar so deep that you could see down to the bone, the wound still oozing blood slowly. The finale was my right eye, or lack thereof. Where there used to be an eye that shone brightly with hope, now sat a gaping, festering hole.

Overhead, the stunning stained glass window depicting Frigg blessing all weddings that happen on the dais beneath her shatters into thousands of beautiful pieces as a crimson dragon comes careening through it. The room fills with fire as he indiscriminately sets the room ablaze. With haste, I leap upon his back, and he carries me far, far away, never to see that cursed island again.