Savanna's Story – Prologue

I'm not sure how my life started out this way; I was only a little girl when I had seen my first dragon up close. I was taught that dragons were vicious, but I soon found out that wasn't the case at all.

Little did I know that dragons had a lot to do with my destiny, and now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Flying up and above the clouds has become one my greatest joys ever imaginable, and I do it proudly with my sister, Skyling. We share the sky as one when we fly together, and it has served as one of the strongest attributes of our bond.

However, my life with her didn't start right away. I was the daughter of Tasmine Jina Millan, who belonged to the Meadow clan, and my father Jian Lin Bentley, a wanderer. When I was just 3 years old, my mother had left our village behind to join our father on his travels, but after a year as the beginnings of summer began to signify the rise of my fourth year, Dad had announced that it was high time for us to find a place to call home.

As a wanderer, Dad was used to traveling from one place to another, and he was never one to stay in the same area for too long.

Mom, familiar with the sounds of the wild, would often sit with me in the shelter next to a cozy fire as she recited tales of our tribe.

Tell a story, under a sea of stars,

The moon as a guide, serving as the voice of thy heart.

The history that we tread on, leaving footsteps in the snow.

The Earth may shake, while the wind may blow,

The spirit of your life, may it serve as your pen,

Reciting all that you have learned.

Keep my love close to you, and know that I love you.

My heart to yours, as my tears may sigh to part the day.

I will always be ... always be ... right here in your heart,

Right close to you and your smile.

That's sort of how she would always begin, it was my Mother's special hymn that she went by all her life. She once told me that it was passed down from mother to daughter from every generation of our tribe's family. I was of the Meadow clan, but I was also of my father's clan, the Wanderers. I never saw much of my Dad's tribe, but he would always say that they were roaming the lands and seas as we were, exploring new stretches of the Earth to find their permanent homes.

Dad always said that to find the way home was to follow where your heart would lead you, but so far, we had traveled over fairly abundant lands filled with riches that would satisfy and benefit us for years to come, but we never lingered there long, with Dad saying, "This isn't the place."

We often traveled on foot, the warm and crisp grass poking through the soles of our boots. Mom had to make a new set of boots for me every season, but she hardly had time to hem some up for herself before our Dad announced that we heading out again. So, with just a starter or a simple strong hem made, she would strap them on without a single complaint and tied them together with some reed grass vines we always found along the trail.

Summer turned to fall when we found the seas. With nowhere left to travel to by land, Mom and I made up camp while Dad worked on our shelter.

"Savanna, come here," my mother called to me, in her native tongue.

My parents had named me Savanna Ivyanne, which translated within our Millan culture as "a gracious vine of an open plain." Picking up my straw doll, I pushed myself up from the ground and hurried over to where my mother stood beside our father's only steed.

Whinnying down to touch my hand, I giggled as Sora, my Dad's horse, ate some oats from my hand. My mother just smiled as she listened to it, absently lowering a hand along her side, where her long scarf hid her waist. Sighing, she sat down our food basket as she rapped me up into a warm hug.

"Savanna, will you please bring my fishing stick over to me, please?" my Dad called from over next to the shore. With a small grin, he watched as Mother let me go with a kiss on my forehead as she handed his rod to me.

Scattering up dust and sand, I ran to him as he caught me up in his strong arms, spinning me around as he finally sat me down next to him by the shore.

"Savanna, what do you see out there?" He had asked me, resting a hand against my auburn curls.

Looking out to the sea, I said, "A lot of water, Daddy."

Chuckling, he threw out his ready line as he said, "Yes, my dear. That there is, my daughter. Howsoever, I say right now that near here will be our new home."

"I know, Daddy. You're looking for our home," I said, with little girl acknowledgment.

"No, Anna. We aren't going to being wandering anymore when we get to where we are going. There is a place near here, across the sea, home to people that hunt on these seas. They are called Vikings, but I've heard that they are very kind," my father said, his blue serene eyes returning to the distance. "It's time I found us a permanent home, and I have received word that we will be welcomed there."

"A new home, no more moving?"

"Yes, you see, your mother isn't accustomed to travel long distances at this moment," he said, turning over his shoulder to fondly watch his little wife as her long braids lingered down beyond her neck to whisper past her silent cheeks.

"Tasmine," my father called to her as she turned her violet eyes over at us with a smile. Something in Mother's eyes told me where she thought this was going.

"We are leaving out tomorrow night," he said, repeating it in my Mother's native tongue.

Sighing, she murmured, "Now, where are we going?' Walking over, she sat a hand along her scarf as Dad placed a hand along her cheek.

"Jina, I know it's been hard putting up with me these past years …" he started to say with a smile.

Shaking her head, Mom only chuckled as she only took his hand in hers.

"I did promise you I'd find us a home, and I have … maybe for the present moment, or beyond that, I don't know for sure …" he said with a shrug. "You know me … but, I hear this place is good, with many good people … it could be good for all of us," he said, looking at me fondly.

"It could be a fine place for our little Anna to grow up as well as us. What do you say?"

Mother didn't say anything for the first few seconds, but her answer sounded something like this as she hugged him. "Wherever you go, you know I shall follow.."

Kissing her forehead, he turned to me as I asked, "Daddy, where exactly are we going?"

"Savanna, it is a place that is called … Berk."

Okay, here is the prologue for Anna's story. As I've said, this is my first time writing a how to train your dragon fanfic, so I hope it's good. :)