Hey guys so a little background on the story: The story starts in late summer (August-Septemberish), and eventually leads into HTTYD2, which takes place during winter time.
Also, as of May 28, this chapter has been updated slightly. I wasn't too happy with the first go around so I made some changes. I'll be updating other chapters soon and posting new ones after that.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from HTTYD. I only own my OC's.
All I could feel was the mind numbing cold. I felt the freezing wind constantly whipping at my face as we fell through the night sky. When we hit the water, the edges of my vision started to blacken. If I had any hope of surviving this, it was long gone now.
The freezing cold waters of the ocean swirled around me in torrents and waves, numbing my body to the point that I could not move a muscle. At this point, I started to panic. I struggled to calm myself down because I knew panicking in this situation would not make things any better.
I opened my eyes and searched the water. I found her about twenty feet from me. Nova, my dragon, was trying to swim towards me. It was hard to see her through the brackish water, but her eyes shone bright. I thanked the Gods that she was alright, and the last thing I remember was the blackness overcoming my vision.
When I came to be conscious, I opened my eyes slowly and saw the tops of tall pine trees above my head. My throat burned from the amount of sea water I probably drank, and my head was pounding. It was morning now, and the sun shone brightly around the small clearing I lay in. I felt the sunshine warming my body.
I cautiously turned my head in search of Nova. She was laying only a few feet from me on the mossy ground, looking at me with her big blue-green eyes.
When I tried to sit up in the small patch of soft grass, Nova was quick to get up and come closer to me. She licked my face lightly and I smiled and affectionately patted her raven scales.
"I'm alright, girl. I guess you're a faster swimming than I thought you were." I laughed a little and she nuzzled her large head against my chest. She made a deep rumbling noise when I scratched a certain part on her neck. I realized that if she hadn't of somehow rescued me from the perilous ocean, I would be dead by now. I wondered how far she must've swam or flown to get to this place. It made me all the more grateful that she was my best friend.
"I love you, Nova. I don't know what I'd do without you." She made the same rumbling noise and licked my face again. Before I knew it, she hastily jumped back, crouched down on her two front legs like a dog would before it plays, and she opened her mouth and let her tongue fall out.
I giggled at the sight, knowing she was now ready to play. Luckily for her, my head wasn't throbbing anymore.
I smiled at her and started to stand up, but immediately felt a searing pain in my right leg. I cried out and began to fall but Nova was there, steadying me with her head. I lowered down to the ground and felt around my leg. I winced when I put pressure on a certain spot and determined that my leg was most likely broken.
I took a deep breath and looked around at the clearing. There was a small tree a few feet from where I sat in the grass. I scooted over to it and rested my back against the trunk. From this point I could see the entire clearing. It made me feel safer than lying out in the open.
"Looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while." I smirked at Nova and she made a scoffing noise. She moved closer and placed her head on my uninjured leg, and I affectionately massaged her scales and drew invisible shapes and words with my fingers.
I laid my head back against the tree truck and closed my eyes, wondering how in the world we were going to get out of here. I didn't even know where we were. We crash landed somewhere over the ocean, that much I knew.
Deciding on putting my plan of escape to rest for the moment, I started to hum a soft lullaby that I knew Nova enjoyed.
I was halfway through the short song when a voice caught my attention. My head snapped around to look across the clearing.
Nova heard it also, because her head picked up from my lap, and her eyes were on high alert. She must not have realized that this place was inhabited by people.
I tried my hardest not to make a sound as I stood up, supporting myself on the tree trunk. Nova made a sound of protest but I shook my head at her.
"Nova, go into the trees. If these are dragon hunters, they'll pay no mind to me if I'm alone. If they see you, they'll take you. My leg is broken so I can't defend us. Please, Nova. You have to stay safe." She gave me a worried look, so I kissed the top of her head for reassurance.
"I'll be fine, just go." She looked at me one last time before taking off and landing in a nearby tree. I knew that she'd stay hidden, but she'd stay close enough to watch and make sure I was safe.
I braced myself against the tree, waiting and watching to see if anyone would come into our little clearing.
When someone did, I pushed myself against the tree, trying to hide in the shadows. I reached behind me and rested my hand on the dagger that rested in the sheath on my leather belt. If the time came that I needed to throw it, then I would.
The person who entered the clearing was a boy, probably around nineteen or twenty. My age. He was tall, but he wasn't gangly. He was muscular and could probably take down a five foot five girl like me. He had black hair and even from the distance I was at, I could see his crystal blue eyes. His facial features were not intimidating…they held a softness that made him seem kind.
To my relief, his eyes passed right over me and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief. He didn't seem to have any weapons on him, save for the dagger attached to his belt. If he tried to come after me, my throwing knife would serve its purpose long before he could reach me.
What I wasn't prepared for though, was the dragon that came into the clearing a mere three feet from where he was standing. It was a Deadly Nadder.
I gasped a little bit and instantly regretted it. The dragon's head snapped up a little bit and it twitched from side to side, quite resembling a bird. I covered my hand with my mouth so as not to release anymore unwanted sounds.
I was so devastatingly scared in that moment, that I didn't even think to realize that the dragon hadn't made the slightest move towards the boy.
It almost looked…comfortable around him. I watched as the boy walked up to the dragon and rubbed its neck affectionately.
"What's the matter Cedric? Did you hear something?" He said it in a casual tone, as if he were talking to a friend.
My curiosity peaked at this point, overcoming my fear. People hated dragons. I was the only person to befriend one…wasn't I? My village thought of them only as pests, and we'd been on the run from dragon hunters for years. Not once had we ever found a place where dragons were accepted.
The Nadder let out a screech in my direction, and my heart sunk when I saw the boy looked in my direction and his eyes found mine. My heart raced and I began to think of several ways I could escape, but each was useless due to the fact that my leg was broken, and he had a dragon. I was backed into a corner with nowhere to go…
'At least Nova can make it out of this.' I thought.
The boy started to move towards me with a curious look on his face. Trying to protect myself from what he could possible do, I unsheathed my knife, holding it in front of me half an arms distance away.
I heard rustling in the trees and I shot a quick glance towards where I assumed Nova was. I shook my head ever so slightly, praying she wouldn't show herself.
When I turned my attention back to the boy, he was probably five feet in front of me. He had his hands up in front of him, signaling surrender.
"Whoa, hey. I'm not going to hurt you if that's what you're worried about. You can put the knife away." He told me all of this in a cautious tone, one that was not at all threatening. He seemed sincere but I didn't buy it. His eyes searched mine, trying to decipher why I was in the woods alone.
"Who are you? Are you a dragon trapper?" My knife was still in the same position and my eyes never left his. I watched his expression go from concern to disbelief.
"A dragon trapper? No…I like to think of myself more of a dragon trainer." He said it with a small chuckle and looked back at his dragon. When he looked back at me, his face changed to concern. Something in my face must've alerted him to my fear because he backed away and stood next to his dragon.
"See? He's not being hunted. He trusts me." He patted the dragons back and it shook out its scales in response.
I lowered my dagger only a fraction of an inch. I didn't think it was possible. That anyone could be like me. Everyone I'd ever met either wanted dragons gone or dead. I wasn't about to lower my guard now.
"How do I know he's not your slave?" I asked, my voice quivered a little, but he didn't seem to notice. I'd seen dragons who were controlled by their masters.
He didn't give me an answer right away which only furthered my suspicion. His face changed so that he looked like he was contemplating how to respond to what I'd just said. His eyes lowered to the ground for a few seconds, but then he looked right back up at me.
"Well to be quite honest, there's not really any way I can prove to you that he's not. But he's not…Cedric here is my best friend. I'm Destin by the way." He said all of this nonchalantly, as if I wasn't currently threatening him with a dagger. I swallowed and waited for him to say something else…something that would surely give him away.
"Look…you look a little beat up…and you're out here by yourself. Why don't you come back to the village with Cedric and I, and we can help you." He started to walk towards me but stopped a short ways away. He looked at me with a soft expression and my idea of him being a dragon trapper started to diminish.
"I don't trust you. How do I know you won't hurt me?" My voice shook, and I realized he was right. On top of my broken leg, my body was scratched up and so were my clothes. I didn't know how long it had been since our crash and I had no idea how long it had been since we'd last eaten. He seemed to nod in understanding.
"Look, I'm going to go get some of my friends. I promise on my life we will never hurt you. I'll never hurt you. But at least hear us out, okay?" His promise sounded so sincere that I lowered my arm to my side. I saw the truth in his eyes. He did not wish to hurt me. I nodded to meeting his friends…knowing full well it could be a trap.
I watched as his dragon, Cedric, trotted over to us. I tensed slightly but when he nuzzled up to Destin, I felt myself relax a bit. I stared at him in wonder. I'd never been this close to a dragon that wasn't Nova.
Destin seemed to have noticed. He smiled at me and held his hand out to me.
"You can touch him if you want. He won't hurt you." I looked at him, wondering if this was a trick. I slowly sheathed my dagger and pushed away from the tree. The pain in my leg was not so excruciating anymore, but I still stumbled. I was surprised to find that Cedric had steadied me with his head much the same way Nova always did.
I blinked in surprise but did not move away. I ran my fingers under his jaw and noticed his scales felt the same as Nova's. I wondered if all dragons had the same texture to them. A small smile slipped onto my face when he grumbled slightly. It was higher pitched than Nova's, but still just as loud.
"He likes you." Was all Destin said, and I realized this probably wasn't the best position to be in. I gently pushed myself away from the dragon and stood tall. Destin looked at me like he wanted to ask me something, but in the end I guess he decided against it.
"I'll be right back, okay? Just don't go anywhere. It'll be worth it I swear." He smiled brightly at me and mounted Cedric. I wondered how he could be this kind to someone he'd only just met. Let alone someone who threatened him.
I nodded and I watched as Cedric took off with Destin on his back, flying above the trees to the east.
As soon as they were out of sight, I felt Nova's presence on my left and I patted her head.
"It'll be okay, Nova. Cedric really seemed to trust him. Maybe they're like us." I graced her with a small smile and she nuzzled against my side softly, so I wouldn't fall over.
"I need you to stay in the trees for just a bit longer. Once I know they won't hurt us, I'll call you down, okay?" She made a grumbling noise in her throat and I patted her head. I heard the loud flapping of several pairs of wings nearby and I looked to Nova who was already staring up at the morning sky in the same direction.
"Go now, it'll be okay." Once again, Nova took off into one of the nearby trees.
I heard the rustling of bushes outside of the clearing, and wondered why they didn't just land here. Perhaps they thought I was scared of the dragons they so obviously had.
The first to enter the clearing was Destin. He came through without Cedric and looked around the clearing to find me. He smiled when he saw me. I guess he was glad I hadn't taken off. It took me a little off guard that he must've felt that way. I always felt like a nuisance to everyone.
Next to enter was a boy who was a little taller than me with a thicker build and dark brown hair. The smirk he wore made him look sort of narcissistic, but he didn't seem to intimidate Destin. I took this as a sign that he was okay.
Then came a boy and a girl who were obviously twins. They had the same long blond hair and narrow features. They seemed to be in the midst of an argument. I quirked my brow slightly when the girl pulled the boys hair.
Then came a rather large boy with soft, baby like features. He seemed incredibly harmless and shy from what I could see.
Last to enter was a girl my height with braided blonde hair. She held hands with a boy a little bit taller than her. He had brown hair and eyes the same shade of green as mine. The only thing odd about him was that his left leg was missing. Where it should've been was a piece of metal that seemed to hold him up just fine. They were all my age if not older.
When I decided to step forward, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I looked to Destin because he was the only person I was familiar with. I felt uncertainty then…like doing this was idiotic and I should've fled when I had the chance.
The boy with the missing leg let go of what I believed to be his girlfriends' hand and took a few steps forward.
"So Destin here tells me that you thought we were dragon trappers?" He said it in a friendly way, almost jokingly.
"I've had several encounters with them. Surely you can't blame me for being cautious." He seemed to consider what I just said and nodded, smiling.
"That's true. You don't have to worry though. We're anything but dragon trappers." He looked around at all of his companions and began to introduce everyone.
"Allow me to introduce all of us. I'm Hiccup. You can laugh, I know it's weird. This is Ruffnut and Tuffnut." The twins momentarily stopped their bickering to look at me and nod a simple "hey" before continuing again.
I smiled slightly and the antics of brother and sister.
"This is Snotlout." He gestured to the boy who looked narcissistic. Snotlout gave me a flirtatious wink which I raised my eyebrow at. Hiccup rolled his eyes a bit and moved on to the next person.
"This is Fishlegs." He motioned towards the boy who was larger than the others and he waved shyly at me, but then returned to reading through a small book. I smiled when Destin game me a thumbs up.
"Hi, I'm Astrid." The girl with the blonde hair approached me and smiled. I smiled back and looked at Hiccup. He was smiling at Astrid in a way that oozed love. After a moment he looked back at me.
"Destin came to us saying he found you and you didn't want help? I understand if you think we might be dragon trappers…but I think we have some proof that might convince you." He smiled and nodded towards his friends.
All except for Hiccup disappeared the way they came.
When they reentered the clearing a few moments later, they all had a dragon.
Astrid had her own Deadly Nadder, Destin had Cedric, Fishlegs had a Gronckle, Snotlout had a Monstrous Nightmare, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut had a Hideous Zippleback. I had never seen any of these dragons this close before…but now they were right here in front of me, and they were beautiful.
I wondered if Hiccup had a dragon. Maybe he couldn't ride with his leg that way.
In the end I decided not to ask. I didn't want to be rude.
"They…they're yours?" I asked Hiccup in amazement. Each one was beautiful. I never thought I'd find other people who loved dragons. I was about to call Nova to come down when Hiccup spoke up.
"Well not these ones. These guys are all theirs. My best bud Toothless is still back in the woods. We thought we'd take it slow because we didn't want to scare you. Toothless! You should come meet someone!" Hiccup yelled back into the forest, and I wondered what kind of dragon Toothless might be. I momentarily scolded myself for thinking that Hiccup might not be able to ride a dragon because of his leg.
I heard the rustling of bushes at the far end of the clearing and almost stumbled backwards at the sight of the black, streamlined dragon making its way over to Hiccup.
The dragon was a Night Fury. He was black and lean, with gorgeous blue-green eyes that gazed upon me with curiosity. He had a saddle strapped to his back, just like the other dragons did. But just like Hiccup, something made him unique. Part of his tail was missing, and where it would've been was a replacement that was red with a white dragon skull painted onto it.
"He's a Night Fury." Was the only thing I could manage to say. I let out a laugh that was half relief and half joy. Hiccup seemed happy with my enthusiasm and turned to Toothless who had his eyes trained on me, with his head tilted.
"Toothless this is…uhm…well we never did get your name." Hiccup said, turning back to me. Astrid came up next to him and took his hand in hers.
"Erin. My name is Erin. This dragon…he's yours?" I smiled as Toothless nuzzled Hiccup's hip lovingly.
"Yup. Toothless here is my best friend, and probably the last of his kind." Hiccup started to playfully wrestle with Toothless and the relief hit me like a brick wall. My happy smile turned into a small sad one.
Astrid immediately came forward, concern etched in her features.
"Hey…are you okay?" She put a hand on my shoulder and I nodded. I was more than okay. I was amazing.
"No…he…he's not the last." I said it quietly, but Hiccup still heard and stopped playing with Toothless and looked at me with disbelief.
Everyone stared at me then, as if I were now a Zippleback who had a second head. I felt my cheeks flush with the sudden attention. I took a deep breath and turned to look behind me, in the direction of the tree tops.
"Nova…you can come down." I watched as tree branches quivered and she came into view. She jumped down from her perch and landed next to me gracefully. She stood on my left side so I could lean against her. I smiled at her and rubbed her neck affectionately.
Nova wasn't alone anymore.
We'd found another Night Fury.