"Those dragon riders are weak," a gruff voice broke the silences on the ship. "We are sure to win this time."
The ugly, burly dragon hunter who spoke stood by the Starboard Beam with another dragon hunter, who was nodding silently in agreement.
The dragon she was mounting shifted a little underneath her, digging his claws deeper into the wood of the Starboard Bow. After seeing how many men were on the deck of the ship, the masked dragon rider threw up a few fingers toward the dragon, giving an indication to get ready for the fight.
Valka heard there was a surprise ambush headed toward Outcast island, ready to unleash captured dragons on the Outcast tribe. It was to distract a group that the dragon hunters called the dragon riders. Valka has never had an encounter with the dragon riders, but it was not clear if she ever wanted to meet them from the many stories she heard about them.
It was not until recently that Valka learned the names of the dragon riders. They all sounded familiar, but one stood out from the rest. It felt like a bee sting every time the name left someone's mouth. It could not be the person she is thinking about for she was sure her son was just like everyone else on Berk right now.
She quietly told Cloudjumper, the very dragon that took her away from the bloody Berk many years ago, to begin the surprise attack. Valka was determined to recuse the dragons on the hunter's ship. Cloudjumper let go the Starboard Bow and glides around to the Port Side. He soared up and over the deck of the ship, astonishing the few hunters on board. Cloudjumper let out one long blast of fire, soaring past the men with spears. The dragon hunters quickly recognized the situation, shouting for the other men who were in the sleeping quarters of the ship. One hunter threw a spear, but it was invaded as Cloudjumper spun out of the way and started flying into the vast, moonless night. The ship was in chaos with men scrambling to get a larger, metal catapult working and others were shooting arrows at the dragon and it's masked rider.
"I have seen worse!" Valka shouted and patted Cloudjumper on the side of his neck. The dragon grumbled in agreement and tucked his wings under his body, coming back down toward the hunter's ship to blow another ring of fire down on the crumbling structure.
Valka took off her mask as she stood up to see the now free dragons behind her. Even after years of rescuing dragons, the thrill of the rescue still made her heart beat fast. The looks of the dragon's faces make the danger worth it. As Cloudjumper hummed underneath her feet, She waved her staff, catching the wind that whooshed in her ears. The staff whistle in the gush of wind, sending all of the dragons roarings and filling the night with exhilaration. One Gronckle passes a Deadly Nadder and shoots a lava blast out of excitement. It barely missed Valka's head. Valka suddenly smelled burned hair, a smell she was very familiar. The blast of lava lit up the sky behind her. The Gronckle looked shocked, but that only made Valka laugh even harder. She raised her staff in the air again, making it whistle again.
"This is your night!" She cried out as she leads the dragons away from the hunters and the misjudgment of the world.
Back at the hideout, Valka started to rest after getting the new dragons acquainted with their new home. She put Birch Bark medicine on wounds of the injured dragons. A Monstrous Nightmare tried to bite her when she touched an open wound that was still oozing blood and pus. Cloudjumper, who was standing close by, gave a sharp huff at the Monstrous Nightmare. The Monstrous Nightmare grumbled but did not try to attack her again as she cleaned the wound.
"He is just scared and hurt," Valka softly said as she rubbed Cloudjumper's nose after tending to all of the new arrivals. She could hear them rustling through the leaves of the trees and talking to each other. She would need to move them again, but the small island is their home for now.
The dragons have become family for Valka. She treated each one like her child, making sure there was enough food and treated them if there was an injury. In a way, the dragons give her a chance to be a mother a second time.
Valka loved to talk to the dragons. She would beguile her dragon family of tales of growing up on the Isle of Berk and the dragon raids. She told them about her dream of a world that gave dragons sanctuary, where no one killed them and understood they were just like humans. On bad nights, Valka would talk about how much she missed her human family. Her family on Berk would poke and prod her mind when she lay down to sleep. After many years, She can still feel Hiccup's small hand gripping her thumb and Stoick's huge, warm hand on the small of her back. She remembers how his beard felt on her face when they would kiss. The quiet moments on Berk and the dragon raids would mix, sending waves of guilt down to her stomach. Her love for dragons made her stay away from her family and her tribe. They would not understand the need to make dragons one with humans. The vision of the first time she saw a dragon being beheaded seared into the back of her mind. It always brought motivation for what she is trying to accomplish. The memory of her small family back on Berk brought her to tears.
Hey! This is my first fan fiction. I just read them mostly, but I thought I would try it out. Please leave me a comment or message about my story. I plan on continuing the story, but I am not a fast writer. I hope you like what I have so far!