This would be my first official fiction, I should say. There is an abundance of HTTYD2 spoilers here, so be warned. This first chapter is meant to introduce you to my OC, so please bear with me; the Berkians will come into the picture in chapter 3. Until then, I hope you enjoy!
The wind was strong so far up in the sky, practically burning her skin, forcing her to try to hide behind her dragon's narrow head, burying her face into the soft feathers of her neck. They had been flying for too long in search of a safe and isolated area to make camp, but the vast ocean offered no relief for the pair. At least the sun was out and the sky was clear, providing some warmth as they traveled north; hot beams of light glittering the water's surface, ever changing with the tide. The ocean was restless, only permitting a disfigured reflection of the dragon's stomach whenever she brought herself to look down.
She could tell that the journey was taking its toll on her dragon whose stamina was incredible, but she was not invincible, even though the past had proven otherwise. There was no way to predict the likeliness of locating a rock, yet alone an island before sunset, which was several hours away, leaving them stranded in the middle of one of nature's greatest forces. It was a wild guess deciding to leave their previous camp so late in the season, but fishing was more bountiful to the north, so it was mandatory to push forward if they wished to survive. The last few islands provided enough to sustain them for a decent amount of time, but not nearly enough to prepare them for the harsh winter that was quickly bearing over them.
Letting out a deep sigh, she decided to close her eyes and rest; the dragon returning her exhausted sigh with one of her own, though it sounded more like a low pitched groan. They continued to glide through the air, probably not more than one hundred feet above the water; the dragon's body breaking the current of the winds. White scales reflected the sun's rays and equally white feathers fluttered in the wind while hints of gold took the opportunity to shine in the same way as a beautiful piece of jewelry does in the light of day. It was a sight to behold, such a graceful yet powerful dragon and its equally so rider.
Her name was Rae. Or in full terms, Rachel Elizabeth Gallagher. Born and raised until the age of six in the small northern village of Sternwright, Sweden, then everything she ever knew shattered before her eyes and she has considered herself a nomad ever since. She seldom thought about it with all the pressing matters she had going on, but she never could erase the memory completely. Her skin was pale, common for lands of cold temperatures that begged people to stay indoors and her azure veins revealed themselves to the elements. Her arms were covered with scars from battles she remembered all too clearly while vibrant bruises decorated the rest of her aching body. As much as she tried to hide from her past, there was no way she could escape the story it wrote on her skin.
Rae awoke to the dragon's soft crooning, feeling groggy and stiff, stretching her cramped limbs in what little space that was available. She hadn't even noticed that the night had fallen and that the stars were twinkling in the sky or how the moon changed the tides below. Guiltily she scratched her dragon's neck, "What is it, Aurora?" she questioned, blinking rapidly, her eyes still unadjusted to recent darkness.
Aurora turned her head to look at her rider, the moon reflecting in her large, excited eyes. No words were needed to explain any further. They happened upon an island, or rather, a very tall rock from which tall trees inexplicably grew; there was no reason to question it at such late hour, their minds consumed by thoughts of slumber and rest. Rae smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around the dragon's thick neck, thanking her quietly for staying strong throughout their travel.
For the first time in days Rae had to hold on as Aurora's wings flapped vigorously, flying vertically up the side of the rock. Her four large wings worked in a mysterious way, sometimes they operated opposite while other times they were cohesive, but she did struggled some days, those days when her muscles felt weak and often trembled. It wasn't natural for a dragon to possess feathers like she did, and it was also rare to have four wings unless the breed called for it, but Rae concluded that it was most likely the result a mutation, and if it was not for her, Aurora would have never learned how to fly after being abandoned by her mother or caretaker, for Rae did not know which. Nevertheless the two were basically sisters, growing closer over the course of their lives; so close, in fact, that they could communicate to each other with such ease that they could be considered of the same species.
It was a short flight in reality, but it felt like an hour with all of the excitement and relief they felt. The landing was clumsy, her legs wobbly after a day of flying. Rae quickly dismounted and lay on the cold grass, fully appreciating the hardness of land underneath her while Aurora looked around for a moment, scanning the area for a comfortable spot to bed down, finding one at the edge of the rock on the opposite side in a small clearing. She trotted over and after stretching her long, muscular legs she warmed herself a place to sleep with a bit of fire, scorching the green grass to a black smolder. With a loud sigh she fell asleep in only a few seconds while Rae was still lying on the ground, staring up at the starry sky.
There was something twisting in her gut. A weird feeling that told her she shouldn't be here, trying to warn her of an unforeseen threat, but she brushed it off blaming it on an empty stomach. That could wait until morning. She sat herself up, taking a moment to observe the water illuminated by the full moon before she stood. Stumbling for the first few steps Rae slowly made her way over to Aurora who drowsily pouted as she climbed over her to grab her elk fur blanket from one of the large satchels attached to the saddle. They were so tired they both forgot to remove it, but it was too late for that now. Rae wrapped herself tediously in the fur and lay down outside of Aurora's scorched circle, trying to gain some warmth from it, but not too much that she would burn herself. They both quickly drifted off into a deep sleep, too exhausted to think of anything but.
Opening her eyes the following morning she noticed a thin layer of frost covering the grass. She sat upright with her hands supporting her from behind and saw that Aurora was gone. She must have covered her during the night because she sat in the center of a unfrosted patch of grass and the blanket wasn't damp. It was a strange place, this island rock combination; there was no way to describe such a beautiful piece of land, and there was really no need to. Rae looked around, now sitting up properly, still recuperating from yesterday's flight.
The trees were taller than anything she had ever seen, her arms could barely fit around half of the trunk, and their leaves all beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow, an occasional leaf drifting slowly to the ground, mesmerizingly. The bark was a pale brown, speckled with various other shades of dark colors and sharp edges of where branches once hung. It was like a dream. She stood up to get a better view of their camp, but froze after she saw magnitude of what they had found.
As far as she could see there were island rocks full of the same trees, the sun shining through the branches and the leaves in such a way that it called to her, beckoning her to fly further, to get as close as she could before the opportunity disappeared. It seemed as though the trees reached to the sky and into the clouds, a light fog in between each varying landmark, stretching up half the length of the trunks, making as though one could walk right into it and be hidden from the world. The idea was oddly appealing no matter how ridiculous it truly was, but it offered a hope for an escape.
An escape.
The word shook her core. She was not trying to escape from anything. She was searching for something, but what that something was had been lost during the journey. Before her mind could ponder the subject any longer Aurora landed softly behind her, pressing her beak between Rae's shoulder blades.
"You're such a pain," Rae teased, turning around and lightly shoving Aurora's head away. It wasn't very useful as she brought it back around and pushed into Rae's chest, causing her to grunt under the weight. She didn't fight it though, returning the affection by rubbing behind the dragon's ears, making her croon in pleasure as she closed her eyes and relaxed her neck into Rae's arms.
After about a minute Aurora backed away and cocked her head with a look that obviously said 'food?' Rae had assumed that she had already gone to catch herself some fish before she awoke, but apparently not.
"Alright. Why don't we catch ourselves some breakfast?" She patted Aurora's nose, walking around her to remove the saddle to allow increased maneuverability while fishing. Rae swiftly unhinged and tossed aside the leather satchels hanging off of Aurora's flank. They were filled with cooking materials, furs, weapons, and any tools she might potentially need. Next she unbuckled the girth and unbuckled the straps around her chest that kept the saddle in place. Aurora never like wearing saddles, but it was ideal when traveling long distances and as soon as it came off she trotted away and scratched herself against the nearest tree, regretting having kept it on all night.
Rae removed her belt from the larger of the two satchels and secured it around her waist, throwing the other strap over her head to guarantee it wouldn't slide down. It was made of yak skin, a gift from a friend she had met during her travels. There was an intricate design of roses and vines woven together in harmony; fading paint continued to flake off the engravings, adding to its unique character.
She looked around for her sword, finding it in the clearing where they had slept; it must have fallen off the saddle in the night. Her sword was something special. It was custom made by an elderly blacksmith in London; modeled after the Egyptian's Khopesh, only with a slightly modern upgrade and a larger hook at the tip. Its handle was crafted from the finest leathers in the northern hemisphere; gold linings in the etchings with flower petals painted in gold and skillfully glued to it. The man never told her what metal it was crafted from, but it held strong, rarely chipping and it had yet to lose a battle to that day. Picking it up and placing it into its complex sleeve she buckled it in, looking in Aurora's direction, "Ready yet?" she joked, putting her hands on her hips as if she had been waiting for an hour. The dragon snorted at her comment and ran over to where she was standing.
As soon as Rae grabbed the clump of feathers on Aurora's shoulder to mount her, she began to take off, leaving Rae only to curse under her breath as she lifted herself onto the beast's back. She anchored her feet between Aurora's wings to ensure she wouldn't fall off while her hands held onto other misplaced clumps of feathers along her neck.
They flew off into the direction of the open ocean, diving down the side of the rock at full speed, Aurora spreading her wings at the last moment to avoid colliding into the water. Leaning to the left they made a hard turn, the tips of her wings touching the surface, causing them to wobble slightly before they straightened out, flying so close to the water Rae could feel the cold spray of the waves on her skin. The feeling had always excited her, making her heart race as if she was doing something impossible. She let her hands fall to her side as she lay her back against Aurora's, allowing her body to go limp and trusting Aurora to keep her from harm.
Aurora noticed her rider was sidetracked, quickly rocking to one side to bring her back to attention. Rae laughed once again, getting situated before having the dragon fly higher in order to tackle the task of exploring the waters between the island rocks for fish. They swerved in and out of thin and wide crevices between the overbearing rocks, scanning the calm water below for signs of an easy catch. Roots creeped out of cracks in the rock face eroding the area to reveal layers of sediment ranging from a dark gray to a pale brown. It was as if a young child had designed these rocks, drawing anything but a straight line, resulting in uneven faces and overhangs that appeared to have melted over the rocks.
"Aurora!" Rae shouted eagerly, pulling back on the feathers causing her to come to a complete stop, pushing her legs against the wall to help her turn around in the narrow passage. The dragon looked back at her, startled by the sudden stop. She pointed towards an overhang between two rocks that appeared to be melting together to make a miniscule bridge; Rae claimed she saw what might have been cod, one of Aurora's favorite snacks. For more speed they flew upwards and landed on the edge of an island rock across from their target, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
It was an impatient five minutes, but Aurora saw several fish through the fog come close to the surface and she leaped down so suddenly that Rae almost fell backwards. Their stomachs were empty and all either of them could think about was a nice, big fish to eat.
As they approached the overhang Aurora brought her legs forward, her claws ready to snatch a fish, or possibly four. It was a tight fit, having to close her wings to fit and almost taking Rae's head off in the process. They had successfully caught one fish, and it was a cod, just as Rae suspected. She praised Aurora repeatedly, giving her blessing for the dragon to feast on the first fish. They planned to repeat this process until their bellies were no longer growling.
It was around lunchtime when they arrived back at their camp, three decent cod in hand. Content, Aurora felt it was a good time for a midday nap and she searched for yet another spot to warm up for herself, unwilling to return to her previous resting place. It was rather difficult for her to maneuver through the trees, sometimes squeezing through gaps so tight that her scales ripped the bark off the trunks, but she didn't have the energy to fly around to access more reasonable route to her destination. It didn't help any that the landscape was uneven, like a smaller scale of rolling meadows only with trees of seemingly divine origin. There were few rocks to trip over; most stumbles were at the hands of the overgrown roots that chose to grow upwards in defiance of gravity.
"Hey!" Rae called after her. "Before you sleep why don't you get me a fire going?" She scanned the ground in search of fuel for the fire, unable to remove the best branches from the tall trees. After a moment of deliberation Aurora decided to help her out, lighting the small pile of sticks she quickly gathered. Rae patted her flank in a thankful manner as Aurora made her way back to her spot between two younger trees, wrapping her long body around the trunks as if she wanted create a figure eight design.
It took only a few minutes to get a good fire going for her to cook the fish. Sitting down she put her oak cutting board in her lap, pulling the fish onto it and cut it into smaller pieces with her dagger, another trinket her services earned, in order for it to cook faster. Once she set her food into the iron pan she added several spices, her most famous ingredient being garlic. Rae was left pacing beside the fire trying to preoccupy herself while the fish cooked, impatiently watching as the oils seeped from the meat, spurting blistering hot liquid out of the pan. As soon as it was finished she put the fish into her bowl, not caring for a utensil or waiting for it to cool, and it melted in her mouth and she moaned of delight, praising herself for being such a wonderful chef.
She only ate half of the fish, tossing the remains over to Aurora who took them without complaints or even a thank you. Something still wasn't right in her stomach. That feeling she had in the morning hadn't subsided with a large meal. This wasn't normal for her. She never felt paranoid or threatened by anything or anyone when she traveled by her own free will.
"You're just tired, Rae," she mumbled to herself while rising to her feet. It wasn't convincing, but she held onto the excuse. The idea comforted her; it made her feel safe.
Rae gazed into her reflection in the small broken mirror she held in her hand, attempting to brush her gnarled hair. She had found a discreet place to bathe, the first she had in several days. They located an oddly shaped island rock further into the scattered forest, resting on what looked like a hazard stack of boulders of various sizes, coming together at the top forming a bowl of sorts. The terrain was rough, containing more rocks and hills than the others, but towards one of the curves of the island, enough rainwater gathered to make a small pond that even contained several amphibious creatures. Aurora heated the water up for her, knowing that Rae didn't consider temperature important when she was focused on cleaning up.
Her hair was a deep brown, soft curls falling over her shoulders and back as she continued to brush it patiently. It relaxed her to slowly comb her fingers through it, staring into the fire, thinking about her life and her choices, her past loves and her enemies. In all her seventeen years of life, she experienced more joy and pain than most women do in a lifetime. It wasn't something she was proud to admit, but it was true nonetheless. The same went for Aurora whose past she had yet to figure out, but their traumas and accomplishments bonded them, and they didn't need to understand the causes of each other's pain, only an acknowledgement of that it was present.
She wore her hair up most of the time to prevent it from becoming increasingly unmanageable. Tying it into place with an old, ratty red ribbon she had since she was a child, she complained to Aurora who was pecking at the end of her hair affectionately. Rae checked the mirror to confirm she tied it up correctly, blowing a stubborn strand of curly hair out of her eyes. Her face was round, her cheeks full, lips chapped but equally full, and her face lightly freckled. There was a noticeable scar across her right eye, starting from her temple curving down the side of her nose, but somehow she felt it made her more attractive, allowing her to gain confidence in herself.
That was another thought floating in her mind: her appearance. She was never comfortable in the large and heavy gowns society deemed necessary for women to wear. In her opinion the dresses hid beauty instead of accentuating it, and most women she met were ashamed of their bodies. So instead she learned to create clothes appealing to her from their fabrics, taking pride in her curved figure and expressing herself. Her black pants were slim fitting, hugging her legs and bottom, paying respect to her hourglass figure; her legs long and fit, toned from years of manual labor including constructing lodges and hiking miles to reach her hidden dragons. The old maroon shirt she was wearing currently was a loose fitting vest, buttoning in the front; the back was slightly longer than the front due to her lack of experience when she created it, thus her stomach peaked out from under it from time to time. It made her feel free, wearing whatever she pleased, adorning it however she decided, but it didn't stop people from staring and speaking of disapproval.
"Don't let any man define who you are, darling." Her father's last words to her were words to live by, influencing every decision she made. He had fallen in love with her mother at first sight, but she was traditional, allowing her father to pick a husband who was suitable for her. Rae stayed up late into the night listening to the story repeatedly, finding new reasons to be excited each time he recited it to her. He had begged her father for her hand in marriage for years until he finally accepted that the young blacksmith was worthy of his daughter, but she never felt so. Rae's mother was depressed as long as she knew her, never fully understanding why until later, realizing that her father's love and devotion was not enough to make her happy. Rae didn't want that. She longed for a passionate man who could put up with a woman as crazy as she.
Aurora put her head on Rae's shoulder after she let out a long sigh. She could tell her rider was lonely for a human companion, understanding fully because she, too, missed her dragon friends back on the mainland. Rae kissed her cheek, scratching her behind the ear. She had her priorities straight so far, caring for those she was responsible for and keeping them from harm. It was a costly duty, but she regretted nothing except the lives she took performing it.