Chapter 2: The Stranger in the Cave
Hiccup opened his eyes slowly, listening to the distant crackle of flames that echoed all around. There were voices, somewhere. He couldn't tell how many. Mumbling, whispering. The cave seemed to distort everything.
Too weary to think, Hiccup stared at the ceiling, wondering where he was. It took a few minutes to remember. Flying… the iceberg…
A cave.
Toothless… where was Toothless?
Panic-stricken, Hiccup shot upright, immediately regretting it. Pain stabbed through his skull. Adding to the headache, Hiccup pulled himself up, putting one hand on the wall to steady himself. Pressing the other hand against his temple in a vain attempt to ease the pain, he looked around.
Toothless lay nearby, against the opposite wall.
Staggering towards the dragon, Hiccup fell to his knees. Resting his head on Toothless' side, he listened. A faint but steady heartbeat fluttered within.
Desperate to revive his friend, Hiccup rubbed the dragon's freezing skin. It felt like forever before Toothless stirred.
Grunting quietly, the Night Fury cracked open one eye, a sliver of amber in the darkness.
"You're gonna be okay, bud," Hiccup breathed, lungs burning with the cold air he took in with every breath. His head throbbed, and his stomach churned with nausea. Ignoring his own ailments, he continued rubbing, trying to generate a little more heat.
Meanwhile, they were being watched. A creature of virulence and malice sat in the shadows. Alert, yet still.
xxx
Finally, once Toothless had gathered enough energy to stand again, Hiccup helped him to his feet. Sniffing the air, the dragon made a guttural sound. Confused and disoriented, Toothless' senses were altered. He whimpered, as if realizing this. Both of them knew that without superior hearing and smell, there would be no warning of danger.
"Let's go," Hiccup said anyway. They couldn't risk staying so close to the entrance. They had been pulled in a few paces, just enough to get out of the wind. However, there was a fire somewhere, and people.
xxx
Shuffling farther in, Hiccup stayed alert as possible, listening. Toothless slunk beside him, looking nervous. There was a foreboding aura to the place. Something lurked here, dark and mysterious. Something old, perhaps ancient. Something powerful, yet elusive.
Something…
Before Hiccup could take another step, a shadow dropped in their path, blocking their way with a furious snarl. Toothless screeched with panic, leaping in front of his rider. Hiccup stared at the creature before them, paralyzed by shock.
It looked like a dragon, about the same shape and stature as Toothless, but bigger, with more muscle and fat. Covered in scars, the dragon's species could barely be identified. Something about it, though…something Hiccup couldn't quite comprehend at the moment.
It looked like …
a Night Fury?
"Vertu kyrr, Mörgum."
At the command, the creature retreated, backing away to reveal the figure of a human standing behind it. The dragon lowered its head in obedience, yet kept its eyes on Hiccup and Toothless.
"... W-we're not here to cause trouble," Hiccup stuttered, his speech still broken from the cold. He glanced at the dragon, who growled quietly. "... We just need a place to stay, to get out of the storm…"
For a long time, the stranger was quiet. Hiccup squinted at him, trying to make out his features. There was a thick cloak draped over his shoulders, disguising his stature. With the firelight glowing faintly from behind, shadows hid his face.
The stranger looked to his dragon, the creature stared at Hiccup with an unblinking gaze.
"Forgive Mörgum, she is bitter in this place." He said finally, "The cold has not been kind to her, and likely it will treat you and your dragon in the same way. Come."
xxx
The stranger led them to a sort of room at the end of the tunnel. In the middle of the floor, a small fire crackled. With no fuel in sight, the fire seemed to burn on it's own, self-sustaining and warm.
"Sit, sit. Make yourselves comfortable." Said the stranger, walking to the opposite side of the fire. Finding a makeshift bench, Hiccup did as he was told, not wanting to seem rude. Especially with that other dragon around, Mörgum. She acted like a guard dragon, following her master and keeping one eye trained on the visitors at all times.
Toothless moved close to his rider, watching the she-dragon that sat erect beside the fire. Hiccup patted his neck,
"It's okay, bud." He whispered. Though he wasn't sure himself.
Meanwhile, the stranger stood with his back turned, taking something out of a nook in the ice. Turning to face them, Hiccup nearly fell out of his seat. The stranger was not, in fact, a man, but a woman. Old and grey, with tangled silver braids draping over her shoulders. She blinked at him,
"Is there something wrong?"
Hiccup shook his head, composing himself. "No, no…-What is that?"
The woman smiled, tossing it to him. Catching the thing clumsily, Hiccup squinted in the firelight. A tough strip of meat, sinewy and cold.
"I'm afraid it's all I can give you for now." The woman said quietly, taking a seat herself. The floor was covered in animal skins, many of which Hiccup did not recognize.
Nodding his thanks, Hiccup tasted the stuff. It was both gamey and fishy, and very tough. He gnawed off a piece for Toothless, who chewed hungrily.
The woman chuckled. She had a low, masculine voice. However, there was a warmth about her. Definitely a Viking woman.
"It appears your dragon loves seal almost as much as Mörgum." She said, taking half of her own share and tossing it to the dragon. Mörgum snatched the jerky out of the air and swallowed it whole. Smacking her lips, she resumed her watch.
"She seems… alert." Hiccup commented, still working on his first mouthful.
"Indeed." The woman nodded, then paused. "... I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced, my name is Ragna."
"... Hiccup." He replied, chewing. Ragna chuckled again, the looked at Toothless. A thoughtful look crossed her face.
Swallowing the still-tough jerky, Hiccup asked,
"How did you get here anyway?"
Ragna sighed, looking back to him.
"It's strange, really." She admitted, "I arrived here in much the same way that you just have…"
