This is the second chapter (or third, counting Hiccup's War-Broken World), and is the chapter that is set in Valkyire's POV. It follows her throughout the beginning of her life at Berk, living with two complete strangers and dragons that she has to get over her fear of, not to mention something special that not only she, but Berk must come to grips with. (Chapter is split into two segments - second segment being worked right now)

~Valkyire's POV~

Blackness, that was all my vision could show me. Darkness. Scary, isolating, emprisoning darkness. Voices, faint and seemingly distorted, I couldn't understand them, but they weren't near me. Is this what happens before you get taken by a Valkyrie to Valhalla? Was I..gone? Did the fire consume me?

I shifted slightly, and instantly felt pain flood throughout my back, and over my front as well. I stifled a cry, biting on my lip in false hope it would fade away quicker. I scanned the black void for any sign of light, for a Valkyrie waiting for me, but there wasn't one. The voices kept speaking.. They sounded, below me? I looked down - atleast, I think I did.. There was nothing but blackness everywhere. Feeling began to return to me, I could feel my strength ever-so-weakly, the limbs of my arms and legs, my individual fingers, but I still couldn't see anything.

Piece by piece, the world as I last remembered it began to form around me. Wooden walls, engulfed and ablaze with burning embers - which danced and prowled closer to me. Thick layers of black and dark grey swarmed my form, a barrier for oxygen. It felt like I couldn't breath again. I was trapped once more. Had I displeased the Gods somehow? Made to endure this again? Had I been unknowingly rude? I could feel my lungs itch, a violent cough forced from my throat, followed by another, and another. The flames.. I could feel their heat on my skin, the scorching lights licking at my frail frame and granting me a stinging sensation.

Involuntarily letting out a loud yelp, mixed of pain and surprise, I became lost in state of my being, confused as to why I could hear the voices so clearly, why were they not affected by the flames? The flames touched at my skin again, the pain forcing another weak yelp from my mouth; when.. Arms wrapped around me? I couldn't see anything, but, suddenly I felt someones arms wrap around me, creating some form of shield from the embers and smoke. "It's alright, just breathe.. Calm down little one." A female soothed.. It wasn't my mommy. I didn't know her.. I wanted my mom. Knowing I was still alive, somehow, I began crying out for my mommy.

"Mom! Help me!" The stranger kept making soothing sounds, lifting me from the surface I was laying on in an attempt to calm me down.

"Shh, it's ok.. It's ok. Nothing to be scared of little one." I struggled to believe her; yet her voice was so calming, so gentle. "It's ok, shh, it's ok little one. Just open your eyes and you'll see everything's ok." Trusting her calm tone, I opened my eyes to see a strange room in which I was trapped, with the kind face and stunning green eyes of a stranger attempting to ease my fear. "See? Everything is ok. You're safe here."

My whimpers began to die in my throat, stiffled cries and restrained tears I weren't even aware of began to dissipate from my presence. I heard the creek of a wooden door, then through the open gap two more people stepped inside, both sporting kind expressions in hopes to not frighten me. They moved to either side of me, the male with the matching green eyes of the older female, and ruffled brown hair, while the younger gir sported beautiful blue eyes and flowing golden hair, with a fair face that mother spoke of the Valkyrie's having.

Was she a Valkyrie? Was I already in Asgard? Maybe the male was Thor himself, or Loki. As if my mind had been read by the new pair, they spoke calmly, words that both eased my mind but all the same instill fear and confusion. "You're not in Valhalla. You're on an Island called Berk, I'm Hiccup, this is Astrid."

"Va...Val...Valkyrie." I had been taught it was common courtesy to share my name to those who gave me there's if I could be certain I was safe.

"Well, Valkyrie.." The blonde haired female cast her gaze down, seemingly troubled by the words she would next speak. "I'm sure you're wondering what you're doing here... And where... Your family is." Her tone betrayed her attempt to mask the grim news inbound. Knowing I couldn't trust my voice to not crack and stutter in fear again, I simply nodded and looked at her with wide eyes. A single tear reflected in the Valkyrie's eye, quickly sniffled away as she mustered her strength to speak. "Well... Me and Hiccup found your island... It was...It was a mess."

"Astrid heard you screaming for help.. When we arrived your house was on fire.. Your.. The only survivor. I'm sorry." The male took over when the girl couldn't continue. I might've been young, really young, but I was pretty intelligent, even my mom said I was probably gifted. I could feel my world come collapsing ontop of me, tears and sobs forcing their way to freedom as I processed it. My family... I had nothing left. I had nowhere to go..

"Don't worry." The boy 'Hiccup' took me from the older womans arms and hugged me against him. "I promise, everything's going to be ok. Berk will look out for you. Me and Astrid are going to take the very best care of you." He began to hum a soft tune, so calm and relaxing my sobs slowly but certainly died off and I was lulled into a soft deep sleep.

~An hour passes by~

For exactly how long I slept I wasn't entirely certain - all I knew was that I had a pleasent dream of something I very quickly forgot at strange unknown sounds. Like clawing at the wooden door, and a form of soft growling mixed with whining coming from the other side. I couldn't be certain of whatever it was outside, of it's intentions, whether it was friendly or not, or even if it knew I was in there. Maybe if I hid under the blanket and kept quiet, it would leave me alone.

Doing just that, I covered myself entirely with the fabric of my blanket, trying to keep as calm as I could as I waited for the creature to leave, but it seemed pretty relentless and interested in getting inside. Where were the elder's? Did they not hear the creature? Was it just my imagination? It taunted me frequently before at my old home.

A creature of scales as black as the night, firey eyes of a vibrant green and voidless pupils that held no soul inside. Sharp, pearl-white teeth poiised for my flesh, and a long winding tail that it would use to choke out my cries, while the large bat-like wings would envelop me, obscuring my lifeless form from the world outside. It was always the same creature, always this creature of shadow my family told me stories about. A Nightfury. They were a beast of legend in my old home, believed to be once creatures of great power and wisdom, one of Midgards many protectors against exterior threats.. Now the tales spoke that they were vengeful against Midgard for not helping prevent their extinction.

Mom had said that she saw one attack us before.. Which is the night before these terrors began. Sleepless nights had ensued, fearful and whimpering. My breath hitched in my throat, even my whimpers were scared as the door finally opened for the creature. No sound came from me. No sound in the room but the creaking of the wooden floor boards. Despite the apparent danger I was in, I was curious to see what lurked out there for me, waiting; slowly I lifted the blanket up a small distance, as calmly as I could in hopes the creature paid it no mind. I was met with a shadow darker than the rest of the barely illuminated room, and those same glowing green eyes of the stories.

Was this a Nightfury? The creature made a soft sound, almost curious as it gazed at my blanket, instilling fear. It knew I was here.. Breathing slightly heavier, I yelped when the creature suddenly moved my blanket from me, allowing me to see the dragon in all it's shadowed glory. Glowing eyes of vibrant green stared at me with wide pupils of curiousity, and the shadow outline of the dragon grew larger as it inched closer to my stiffened body.

My breathing was erratic and emphaising how frightened of it I truly was, though I did everything I could to appear calm infront of him. Maybe they only attacked those who show fear? It loomed closer, an almost curious whine as it nudged me softly, yet I still found myself threw right back to the bed as if I had been pushed.. How strong were they? It was then I grabbed my blanket once more and pulled it over me, allowing a few tears to fall and sobs to choke out. What would it do? Would it take me away for food? Kill me for the fun of it? Really hurt me?

I pulled the blanket down slightly, only to be met with the creature's own face mere inches from mine, and shamelessly I let out a scream of pure fear; I was so thankful Hiccup had responded as quickly he did, running into the room to see the shadowy mass looming over my form.

"What the? Toothless!" The dragon looked at him, whining slightly as though he was a pet getting told off for something they didn't even know they'd done. "I told you to stay in my room until tomorrow. She wasn't ready to meet dragons yet." Through all of this I was trying to calm my whimpers, not paying much actual attention to the one-sided exchange.

"Well I'm sorry Hiccup. I'm a dragon, what did you expect? Besides... How many times have you gone behind someone's back to do things you weren't meant to... If anything, this is on you. I didn't know she was going to have a heart attack 'cause of how adorable I am." The dragon then snickered slightly, removing himself from the side of my bed to stand where Hiccup - who was now located next to me and holding me in a soothing embrace - had previously been located.

I noticed he had not forgiven the creature - whom I now believed that possible he was much more harmless than the legends said. "Mr Hiccup, the creature said sorry. Why won't you forgive him?"

He looked at me, then too Toothless. "Ahh, Toothless knows it alrea... Wait, what do you mean he 'said sorry?'." Curious green eyes looked down at me, while I returned my gaze with evident confusion.

"The creature." The dragon interrupted.

"I'm a Nightfury, you can call me Toothless." I giggled slightly at his name, finding it so cute for something so powerful, then instantly covered my mouth and looked down apologetically.

"I'm so-sorry Toothless, I-I didn't mean to laugh at your name."

"It's fine, youngling." Hiccup seemed surprised at the fact I was exchanging words with Toothless.

"You can understand him?" He finally broke me from Toothless, though I simply looked up at him and nodded, slightly worried.

"Shouldn't I?"

The boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, no.. I mean you're so young. I didn't think you'd understand Dragontounge. It took me years to learn it, and even then I still get things mixed up quite often."

"Mommy always said I was gifted." He smiled and ruffled my hair a little, instantly making me pout and the two others to laugh.

"I guess she was right. Well, seeing as how you're awake. If you don't mind me asking, why did you scream? Toothless wasn't being mean was he?" He glared at the dragon, who held an innocent expression.

I shook my head, my lips moving as words formulated. "No.. But Toothless looked like exactly like a creature in my nightmares. I was scared that it he was the real one."

Toothless crooned soothingly in the background. "I'd never hurt an innocent. You're safe around me, I promise." Hiccup seemed to have hummed in agreement, as though that time he had paid attention, or understood, the Nightfury.

"Yeah, Toothless is really just a giant softie."

"The nightmare one always really hurt me." Just thinking about it made me whimper, clutching close onto Hiccup as he gently hugged me back. "It was always so scary."

"Don't worry.. Nothing will happen to you here.." Toothless growled, as if he knew something about it I didn't, but I didn't question him. He could probably burn me to a crisp in a second flat if he wanted to, and I wasn't all that keen on dying. I felt myself slowly drift back into sleep, Hiccup laying on me the bed before getting up to leave once again, planting a soft kiss on my forehead as he did so.

"I'll properly introduce you to Berk tomorrow. Sleep well, my little Valkyire.