Lost and Found
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the franchises included in this fic.
XXX
The morning sun shined brightly against the castle when the survivors arrived. There were no parades, no crowds or well wishers. There were just a few people up early, getting a head start on the day. When they'd seen the looks on their faces, they'd wished they'd stayed in bed. When they saw the dead, they bowed their heads in respect.
They reached the courtyard and began the work of removing the dead from their horses. They needed to be prepared for burial.
Kristoff was taking down another body when he caught sight of her auburn hair. She was sprinting across the courtyard, aiming at him. He put out his hands in front of him to stop her, and she slowed just a few feet away from him.
"Can't hug right now," he explained, "Not after handling dead bodies."
Her eyes widened slightly, but nodded in comprehension. She took out a pair of gloves and began to pull them on, but Kristoff interrupted her.
"This is something we have to do. We left together...we come back together."
Hofferson, who'd been watching the scene play out, nodded in agreement. He wondered for a moment if the blonde man had missed his calling in life. Shrugging, he put the thought aside and resumed the work.
XXX
That afternoon, after bathing and resting, Hofferson and Kristoff joined Anna, Elsa, Hiccup and Anders in the archives. They carried two large bags with them, collected from their time in Tormmound. Anna stepped toward Kristoff, and the two shared a long embrace, grateful to be together again. They pulled away from each other, just enough so they could see the table where the Nightmare Clock currently resided.
"Before we begin, I have a question for Kristoff," Hiccup said, gaining their attention, "Did you dream of me and Santa Clause?"
Kristoff nodded once, producing the wooden figure from his pocket and set it down on the table. Hiccup nodded back and set his own on the table.
"We've each seen some truly...horrible things over the past weeks." Elsa said, "It's time we discussed them and what they could mean."
"Toothless and I were attacked by a winged creature," Hiccup picked up.
"There was a similar creature in Tormmound," Hofferson informed.
"Hiccup and I were attacked by a creature that used to be a teenager," Anders said, looking as pissed as a man could get, "A patient of mine."
"...We think the things we faced used to be the villagers in Tormmound." Kristoff said.
"Wolves, too." Hofferson added.
"So three kinds, least that we know about," Hiccup muttered, "I swear, that kid was a draugr, except none of the old legends I've heard say anything about them bleeding sand."
Hofferson and Kristoff exchanged looks before placing the two bags on the table. They pulled the strings loose and opened the bags, allowing everyone to look inside.
"These are the remains of the monsters we faced," Hofferson explained, "The wolves left dust behind, but the villagers left behind their bodies and-"
"Black sand," Anders finished, eyeing the contents as he did.
"Same as Asbjørn," Elsa said.
Hiccup sighed, "So we have this clock, monsters made of sand and Santa Clause."
"There's one more thing," Elsa said, gaining all their attention, "That night, something happened in my room. Frost and snow began to fall, and my windows froze over. At first, I thought I'd lost control for a moment, but when I tried to banish it, nothing happened. The ice made symbols in the windows, then they crafted Asbjørn in the ice. His face was...monstrous."
"She raced down to their cabin to save them, but they'd already taken care of..." Anna tried to say, but couldn't get it all out.
"Are you guys alright?" Kristoff asked.
"A few bruises, but nothing serious," Anders informed.
"So Kristoff and I have these dream,and you've seen something for real," Hiccup surmised, pacing as he did so, "Does anyone else think we're caught in the middle of something?"
"My thoughts exactly," Elsa stated, "But that begs the question...what?"
"My question is 'why Tormmound?'" Hofferson wondered.
"It's near Arendelle," Hiccup said.
Elsa snapped her fingers, "Yes. Yes! It's a day away by horse, two hours by air. You told me that."
"They were watching the capital," Hiccup stepped close to her, the two eyeing each other as they spoke, "They were watching us, all of us."
"But why? Why watch us?" Elsa asked.
"It's not to kill you," Hiccup said, "If you or Princess Anna were the targets, you'd've already been attacked."
"The only one who's been attacked is you, that's why you were here in the first place." Elsa said.
"No...no, I'm a stranger here. That thing didn't come after me when I separated from Toothless." Hiccup disagreed.
Elsa and Hiccup's eyes widened and both said, "Toothless!"
"He was the reason you got attacked!" Elsa said.
"The other night, Asbjørn went after Toothless. He tore at his wing. They want him out of the game." Hiccup nearly shouted.
"Which brings us back to 'why?' Why are they watching us? Why go after Toothless?" Elsa wondered.
"Why did we have dreams? Why were you visited by some kinda ice spirit?" Hiccup wondered.
The two stopped talking, suddenly realizing how close they were standing. They broke apart and turned towards the rest of the library's occupants, all of whom were staring at them with grins on their face.
"Would you like us to leave?" Anna asked.
Elsa tried her best to glare at her younger sister, but the effect was diminished greatly by the growing blush on her face. Hiccup looked similarly red in the face, but recovered quickly as he eyed the clock on the table.
"And what about this thing?" Hiccup wondered.
"How can it even be connected to what's going on?" Anders asked.
"It's not," Elsa said, "There is absolutely nothing to connect it to what's happening."
"In one of my dreams, this 'Santa' guy handed me a horseshoe. It had depictions of wolves chasing the moon and sun." Hiccup argued, "This clock has those depictions. This room is protected by runes keeping monsters, nightmares and wolves out. They mention Hati and Sköll!"
"Are you suggesting this is all due to two mythological wolves?" Hofferson asked skeptically.
"I'm saying we shouldn't rule it out," Hiccup said, "Gods, do we know anyone who can read this damn clock?"
Kristoff frowned, "You can't read it?"
Hiccup shook his head, "Its written in proto-runes. I can't read them."
Kristoff looked down for a moment in thought, then said, "The trolls."
Elsa looked utterly shocked for a moment before saying, "Why didn't we think of that earlier?"
"What makes you think they'd understand this?" Hiccup asked.
"I don't know, but they're ancient. They probably have the best chance." Kristoff suggested.
Everyone was silent for a long moment before Elsa spoke, "Hiccup, will you please copy those runes as best you can? I don't want that clock leaving the archives."
Hiccup nodded, "There's one more thing. I've been thinking a lot about what this means, what this situation means. We've all been attacked, all of us. And if I'm right about this clock...and it means what I hope it doesn't...you're going to need us."
"Us?" Elsa asked.
"Us." Hiccup said, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third of the Hooligan Tribe of the Island of Berk, formally accept your invitation. And, as a representative of the Hooligan Tribe, I would like to discuss how our two peoples may best help each other in the coming years."
Elsa stared at him for a moment, searching his calm face for any hint of hesitation, then said, "I welcome your friendship, Hiccup of Berk, and look forward to seeing you at the anniversary celebration."
"Why, Hiccup?" Anders asked, confused, "I mean, it's good, but-"
"Facing monsters straight from Norse legend is an occupational hazard...for a Viking," Hiccup smiled.
Anders nodded, contemplating for a moment, then said, "Then I guess it's an occupational hazard for a Royal Physician as well."
The sailor bowed before his queen, his eyes locked on her. Elsa smiled briefly before stepping forward and gesturing for him to rise.
"You don't bow to accept that position, Doctor. But I welcome your service."
XXX
The captain had been manning his post for thirteen hours. He could barely keep his eyes open, even with the moon being so bright he could see the whole ocean. It was rare for a night like this to come for the Arendellian captain, so he intended to enjoy it until his relief arrived. The sky was perfectly reflected against the sea, disturbed only by the wake of his vessel.
It was a sight to behold.
He was leaning on the helm when his eyes finally closed. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep, but he could easily remember the roar. It shook the entire ship, stem to stern, waking every one of his sailors from their slumber. The captain fell to the deck of the ship, awakening immediately and rising to his feet, only to wish he'd slept through the sound.
The sky was so well lit he couldn't possibly miss what was there: a great winged beast with a large head, two dangling legs and a tail filled with spikes. Worse still, there was something on its back, a human shaped figure.
It was waving at him; the captain numbly waved back.
XXX
Elsa sipped at her coffee as she waited for her first and longest meeting of the day. Thankfully, it was with someone whose company she enjoyed. Hiccup should be arriving soon, but until then, she would mull over what points she wanted to cover in this discussion. She needed to see what Berk brought to this alliance, material wise. Hiccup had always described Berk as a cold island with a minor forest. It was very doubtful they had the kind of materials Arendelle would need in trade, but there was something very special Berk had.
Dragons.
But that begged the question: would the Vikings ever surrender any dragons? Would they ever train anyone how to ride them?
She'd have her answers soon: Kai just knocked on her door, letting her know he was here. She bade him enter and the door opened, revealing the two men. Kai was eyeing the dark haired man, clearly inspecting him. Elsa refrained from rolling her eyes; apparently the rumors circling around the young Viking had reached Kai's ears.
She was pleased to see him up and about, on his own power. He was careful to avoid shifting his abdomen too much, but didn't show any pain on his face. He was even smiling when he saw her, and she let herself smile in return.
"Welcome, Hiccup of Berk," she gestured towards the chair, "Please, sit down."
Hiccup nodded in reply, settling himself gently into the chair.
"So, how are you feeling, Hiccup?"
"Better. I'm excited to be fully up and about again. Toothless is being all pouty, though. After what happened, he's probably not gonna be flying till after the anniversary. Which reminds me, I have a...request for you. A personal one."
"Well, I will do my best to see it accommodated. I have a bit of pull around the city, you know."
Hiccup smiled, "I hear you're quite loved, almost like a queen."
Elsa smiled in return, "What can I do for you, Hiccup?"
"It's two things. I hate to ask, but Anders told me I shouldn't be working a forge, otherwise I'd do it myself. I need," he reached into his pocket, withdrawing a selection of papers, "Your best blacksmith to craft this for me."
Elsa reached for the papers and unfolded them; they were possibly the most intricate designs she'd ever seen in her life. They were designs for a sword, but the dimensions were odd, especially for the pommel and hilt.
"Is this...hollow?" She asked.
"Good eye. It's a canister hold, and see those springs? The blade's hollow and retractable. When I retract it, the blades go into the canister and get coated in monstrous nightmare saliva. The lighter on the side triggers the flames. And if I want to make an explosion, I use a different canister that'll release a gas and coat the blade. The lighter gets triggered at the same time, lighting the gas."
"A flaming sword. But what kind of gas would handle this?"
Hiccup reached into his bag and withdrew a metal cylinder. It was lighter than it would be, and she was about to shake it around when Hiccup reached out suddenly, grasping her hands in his. They both froze for a moment, unsure of each other and the spark that generated between them.
Hiccup recovered first, "Don't shake it. It contains a flammable gas: hideous zippleback gas, actually. It's a two headed dragon, one head produces a spark and the other produces the gas. It's really remarkable, actually; the gas is so stable, we've found so many uses for it."
"Such as exploding weapons?" Elsa asked, curious.
"That's just one use. The gas can disorient people, when turned into a solid it becomes pasty and can actually seal wounds. It saved a few friends of mine, actually."
"Remarkable. You and your people have a lot to teach us, Hiccup."
Hiccup frowned at that, earning a concerned look from Elsa.
"Are you alright? With this, I mean?"
Hiccup nodded, "I am. I just don't know what to...do, really. An alliance with other Vikings is easy. We sit down for a game of hnefatafl, drink ale and debate."
Elsa pondered for a moment before gently lifting the bell on her desk, summoning Kai to her office.
"Kai, please bring us a hnefatafl board and several flagons of ale. We have a lot of debating to do."
Hiccup smiled in gratitude, and the Queen of Arendelle smiled back.
XXX
Around noon, when Hiccup and Elsa were on their fourth game and discussing potential trade agreements, Kristoff and Anna found themselves once again on the path toward the Valley of the Living Rock. They weren't alone this time; seven guards had accompanied the princess and her consort, each well armed in case another attack were to take place.
But there was another difference as well: where last time, Anna and Kristoff had lovingly held each other, this time the two were separated by a few feet. Kristoff was hunched over the reins, his eyes clouded over as he was lost in his thoughts. Anna sat on the other side, her eyes locked on him; she had tried to speak with him since he'd returned from Tormmound, but he'd been silent and withdrawn. Not at all like the Kristoff she knew.
Kristoff pulled the reins to the left, taking them off the path and deeper into the valley. It wouldn't be long before they reached the trolls and, hopefully, answers.
"I know what's on your mind, Anna," Kristoff said, starling her, "And, as much as I would like to talk about it..."
"You can't." The princess muttered, lowering her eyes to the ground.
"I won't," his words shocked her again, "Every time I close my eyes, I'm back in Tormmound. What happened there...I don't ever want you to know what it's like."
He turned to face her, his eyes shining with unshed tears, "I love you too much to do that to you."
Anna felt her own eyes water and reached forward, wrapping her arm around his. Kristoff leaned into her, nuzzling her hair and, for one brief moment, all was right with his world. They remained that way until they reached the small field that served as the home of the trolls.
Kristoff stopped the carriage and the couple stepped down to the rock, watching while the guards set up a perimeter around the area. The blonde man was tense as he examined the valley, his eyes scanning what had once served as his home.
"Pabbie!" He called out, "Bulda!"
No one answered. Kristoff searched the stones and grass, trying to find any sign of his surrogate family.
"No blood or signs of a struggle," Kristoff spoke softly, "They must have gone to Heartstone."
"Heartstone?" Anna asked, confused.
"All trolls originally came from Heartstone, their underground city. If they've gone underground, they have no intention of coming back up. They haven't done this in years."
"Why did they do it last time?"
"To celebrate the rise of the Hunter." Kristoff noted Anna's confused look, so he elaborated, "The Troll Hunter is a troll given great power so they can face evil trolls. Far as I know, the last troll hunter was chosen just after my...parents died."
Kristoff seemed lost as he spoke, his eyes wandering and his breath coming in short gasps. Anna almost asked if he was alright when his eyes refocused and he reached into his pack, producing the paper Hiccup had written the runes on and a red gemstone the size of a nail. He approached the largest rock and settled to his knees before scratching out the runes against the rock.
Anna watched, surprised, as the gemstone left behind a glowing red mark in the rock. When Kristoff finished, he sat back and watched as the glowing runes began to fade into the ground. Anna stepped closer to her fiancé, laying her hand on his shoulder as he waited. They'd waited nearly half an hour when the ground began to glow again, producing a single word.
"Oaken." They read together.
XXX
The sun was beginning to set when the ship left the Corona port. It was preferred to launch as early as possible, to get maximum use of the sun, but a captain refused an order from Princess Rapunzel at his own risk. Cora couldn't say she was disappointed in this outcome; without it, she wouldn't have seen the beautiful sunset reflected against the water.
They'd spent the majority of the day preparing for this voyage. In a little more than a day, they would arrive in Arendelle, where Queen Elsa and, hopefully, answers awaited.
Along with a Viking, if rumors could be believed.
"It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Cora turned to face Eugene as he leaned against the railing nearby, "No one can deny Blondie anything, not even a freaking captain!"
"It's not that big a deal," Rapunzel smiled, sidling up beside her fiancé, "All I did was ask nicely."
"You did the puppy dog eyes, Blondie. Not even your parents can stand up to that!"
Rapunzel stuck out her tongue at him, earning a laugh from Eugene and a soft smile from Cora. The three stood in companionable silence as they watched the ocean. Rapunzel was the first to break them up, grasping Eugene's hand in hers as she claimed they would retire for the evening. Cora simply smirked at the two as they left, but her smirk became a smile when she saw the massive man coming up behind them.
Cora tried hard not to blush when Rapunzel winked at her, but she just couldn't help it. Vlad followed her eyes and shook his head, a soft smile on his face.
"Stop torturing the poor girl," Vlad chided.
Rapunzel giggled at him, but kept walking away with her arm around Eugene. Vlad rolled his eyes at the princess before turning his attention to Cora.
"Hi," he smiled gently at her.
"Hi," she smiled back, "Sorry about her."
"The princess is the princess. We're all richer for her being with us, even though she occasionally irritates the shite out of us."
Cora let out a long laugh at that, so long the massive man couldn't help but join in.
When they settled, she asked, "Will this be your first time visiting Arendelle?"
"Hardly. After I left home, I started touring the world. I've been all over Erob, including Arendelle. I even briefly guarded King Agnarr before he died."
"So you're a world traveler?"
"I'd like to think I am."
"What was your favorite place? The one you stayed in the longest?"
Vlad paused before answering, "That's easy: home. Romanus. It's where I grew up, until I turned 15. I haven't been back since."
"...Why did you leave?"
"My grandfather was a powerful man, and he did not approve of me. Or of my choices. Soon, it became obvious my grandfather planned to have me killed. So I left."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a painful memory."
"It's a choice I made a long time ago, Cora. I've made peace with the fact I'll never see my family again, my home again."
He glanced at her and said, "I have a new home to cherish."
XXX
Night had fallen when Anna and Kristoff reached Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. The lights were still on, which almost certainly meant the massive trader was home. Kristoff coasted the carriage to a stop and jumped down to help Anna out of the carriage. The guards set up a perimeter around the shop while the couple stepped inside.
"Hoo-hoo!"
The couple smiled as their eyes landed on the massive man behind the counter. The man had always been kind to the princess and, while Kristoff had been thrown out by him before, he always felt pleased to see him. This man, and his store, we're both parts of how Anna and Kristoff became a couple.
"Princess!" Oaken exclaimed when he saw who had visited his shop, "And the Ice-Master! Welcome, welcome!"
"Hello, Oaken!" Princess Anna greeted the man warmly while Kristoff nodded politely, "How are you and your family doing?"
"Very well, princess.Thanks for asking!" Oaken stepped away from his counter as he spoke, "But how are you? How is the queen? I've heard such horrible rumors coming from the city."
Anna frowned but answered, "Queen Elsa is doing well; she sends you her best wishes. As to me, I have a favor to ask."
"Of course, princess. Anything." Oaken said, gesturing them closer.
Kristoff withdrew the paper with the runes and presented it to the trader, "We need a translation of these runes. We heard you might be able to help."
Oaken took the paper and examined it carefully before saying, "I'm sorry to say I don't recognize these runes. They're similar to our ancestral runes, but not quite the same. Wait one moment, please."
Oaken stepped back behind the counter and opened a drawer, going through a small collection of nicknacks before withdrawing a silver coin. It was highly rusted, nearly covered with green debris, but it was covered in runes on both sides. In the center of both sides was a symbol in the center: a vertical line with a chevron pointing up.
"It looks like an arrow," Kristoff muttered when Oaken handed the coin over.
"Six years ago, a man came to my shop," Oaken explained, "It was during Elsa's Winter. He was tall, taller than you, Ice-Master. He was blonde, had long hair and a beard. The man had one arm and was dressed oddly for the weather, even more so than you were, princess. He wore only a pair of fur pants and boots, nothing else. He had a tattoo on his chest: a black wolf that stretched down from his neck to his waist."
"That's...very detailed," Anna noted, impressed.
"He was very odd and, honestly, a bit scary." Oaken elaborated.
Kristoff looked the massive man up and down; anyone who intimidated this man was someone to be wary of.
"He asked if I'd heard where all this snow was coming from," Oaken went on, "So I told him all about your search for the queen. He became quite...concerned. He asked me for food and the directions to Arendelle. He paid for everything with this silver coin. It was so old and unique, I decided to keep it."
Anna placed the coin down against the counter, placing it alongside the paper. While it was hard to make out the symbols the ought the rust, she thought the coin had several runes that matched the paper.
Kristoff and Anna shared a look before the princess asked, "Did he say anything else?"
Oaken placed his thumb on his chin in thought, "When he turned to leave, I tried to sell him a fur coat. He laughed and said he was going somewhere far colder. I confess, I have a curious nature, so I asked where that would be. He said...Perk? No, but it was something like that. Derk, perhaps."
The couple shared another look as a similar thought ran through their heads.
"Was it 'Berk?'" Anna asked.
Oaken nodded, "Yes, that was it."
"Berk?" Kristoff wondered, "But isn't that-"
"Hiccup's home." Anna confirmed, "The man was a Viking."
XXX
Hiccup had to say, there was a benefit to having the cabin he was staying in completely ruined by a monster. He'd been upgraded to a private room in the castle. The room was actually bigger than the cabin, amazingly, which left plenty of space for the young Viking and the sulking dragon.
"C'mon, bud," Hiccup tried to console his friend from his soft, leather chair, "I know you're tired of not flying, but you gotta take it easy. Your wing's still healing. Be thankful Elsa got is a room with a view."
Toothless scoffed, even though he secretly agreed with Hiccup. The large dragon had staked the balcony overlooking the city as his own, and was quite pleased with the view. But more so, he was happy to feel the wind against his scales again.
Hiccup, fully aware of the dragon's true feelings, chuckled and returned to his work. It was very liberating to be up and about again, though he had to be careful of his ribs. At the rate he was healing, he would be completely healed in the next week or so, just in time for the party.
During his and Elsa's talks, he'd learned a lot about their celebrations. They were more to facilitate politics than to celebrate something. That wasn't too different from a Viking celebration, but where Vikings would wrestle and get drunk, these people talked quietly and made backhanded threats. Even for Hiccup, who considered himself rather clever for a Viking, that sounded mind-numbingly dull. He'd much rather compose slam poetry than subtly threaten someone.
But he was a guest in their country, and a representative of his own as well. He would behave as such.
Hiccup lifted his head when he heard a knock against his door. With a grunt, he rose to his feet and stepped to the door.
"Good evening, Hiccup," Elsa greeted with a smile.
"Elsa," he returned with his own smile before gesturing her inside.
Elsa cast her eye around the room, examining it with a critical view. The room was large enough for her guests, which pleased her, but it was sparsely decorated. Only a large painting to the right of the bed ornamented the room, leaving it feeling rather wide and empty.
"I apologize we didn't have better quarters available." She told the Viking.
Hiccup chuckled, "It's ok, really. When you've slept on an icy tundra for three days, places like this look like palaces."
"Nevertheless, if you require more pleasing aesthetics, I'm quite happy to provide..."
Elsa trailed off as she realized what that sounded like. Judging by the slight redding on Hiccup's cheeks, he'd caught the double entendre as well. The Viking, thankfully, decided to move past it.
"Honestly, this room is better decorated than you think."
Hiccup gestured towards the painting: it was a depiction of Arendelle's first king, Harald Fairhair. He stood with one foot on the ground, the other planted on a raised rock. He was dressed in his leather armor and fur cloak, with his hair and cloak flowing in the wind. He held his shield in his left hand and cupped his helmet to his chest with his right. He had his back to the ocean and his eyes locked on the future kingdom, signifying how all Arendelle should look forward for their kingdom.
"Harald Fairhair's a legend to your people," Hiccup said, "And after reading up on him, I can see why. My father would admire his defeat of King Gandalf."
"Well, what's not to admire?" Elsa asked rhetorically, "He ambushed him, cut him off from escape then killed both Gandalf and his son."
"Perfect military victory. But my mom would like him when he was courting Princess Gyda. She rejected him at first, and when his men asked if they should just take her-"
"He said 'No, I will prove myself worthy.' The man won battle after battle for her, and she watched him for ten years as he united Arendelle. Once the country was finally at peace, she accepted him."
"It's really...romantic, in a bloodthirsty sort of way."
Elsa let out a small giggle before asking, "And what do you like most about him, Hiccup?"
"He was fair," he answered immediately, "He could've been a tyrant or lazy; instead, he treated people justly. He only asked for a small tax and 60 men from the Jarls to build and fund the army. Otherwise, he let every holdfast keep to themselves. He respected their laws and made sure they were upheld. He's kinda becoming my hero."
"Well, what about your namesake? The first Hiccup? He freed slaves and ruled the largest kingdom our peoples have ever seen, even larger than the Augustinians or the Huns."
"...To my people, he's a legend. A hero. But to the rest of the world, he's a footnote. Not even worthy of recognition out here."
"Is-is that why you agreed to form an alliance? So your people could be recognized?"
Hiccup paused, considering his words. Before he could answer, though, Toothless lifted his head and started to warble. Hiccup and Elsa turned away from the painting to watch as the dragon put his front legs on the railing, like he was about to fly off. Hiccup shouted before sprinting to reach him before the dragon could launch himself into the sky.
Hiccup wrapped his arms around Toothless's neck, "Buddy, what in Hel's name are you-"
Hiccup stopped talking when he heard the roar. It was higher than Toothless's, more shrill like a screech. But no matter how different it was or how long it had been since he'd heard it, that sound brought back a pain he knew all too well.
Elsa saw the look on his face when he heard the roar. It was a look of pain and shock, one she hadn't seen on his face before. She stepped forward and summoned shards of ice to her hands, preparing for whatever might come.
She'd been expecting another flying creature, like the one she'd faced before. Instead, hovering just outside was a dragon. It was blue and yellow, with two large legs with claws instead of four like Toothless had. Its wings were massive, with spikes at the ends. Its tail was covered in spikes, leading all the way up to its head. The head looked similar to a bird's beak, but rounder and wider. There were spikes on the back of its head and its nose came to a jagged point roughly a foot tall.
It was an impressive dragon, but what impressed Elsa most was the fact that someone was on its back. He sat in a saddle that seemed to have been designed for the dragon, much like the saddle Toothless had worn when they'd found him. The man in the saddle was clearly a Viking. Like Hiccup, he wore furs and leather, with straps across his body holding a pair of swords that greatly resembled the designs Hiccup had handed her. Where Hiccup was lean and tall, this man was beefy and shorter than Hiccup (but not by much). He had burns and scars along his arms, and a light blue tattoo on his chin.
"Eret?!"
XXX
A/N: And so Eret, Son of Eret, is on the board. This, along with the one-armed man, is the beginning of slowly bringing Berk into the mix. But, like I said, it's gonna be slow.
So, I wasn't able to include Merida in this chapter. I tried, I really did, but she just didn't fit organically to the chapter. But don't worry, Brave fans, I've already begun the next chapter and she's already made her debut.
The one-armed man knows about Berk!?!? Truthfully, guys, I didn't even know about that till I wrote it. When I looked at the page and saw that, I was like 'WTF!?' But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to the plot. It's something I'm very happy my subconscious worked up. But his description, along with his coin, are both hints to who he really is. If you figure it out, brownie points.
There's a few references I'll go over real quick. First off, the tradition of Vikings playing hnefatafl while drinking ale to debate is pretty accurate. Along with wrestling and slam poetry, which is honestly pretty badass. Speaking of badass, every fact I put in about Harald Fairhair is pretty much accurate (including Gandalf), though they're general facts without going into details. Looking up these facts was pretty fun, but having Hiccup and Elsa geek out about those facts was just the best.
I put in some Trollhunter in this chapter as a reference to other Dreamworks franchises and, honestly, cause I'm developing a spinoff in my head involving that franchise. I haven't committed to it yet, but I'd be interested in hearing any viewpoints.
Lastly, I want to reply to a few reviews. I normally like to reply via private messages, but these guys left guest reviews. So, firstly, I hope I satisfactorily addressed everyone's concern about Hiccup and Toothless's health. Hiccup will be back to 100% by the coronation anniversary, Toothless a little after.
Secondly, yes, Jack Frost is royalty. He's an ancestor of Elsa and Anna.
Thirdly, I only like the first HT movie. The second isn't bad, but it's definitely worse than the first. Sorry, mate.
I have to take next week off. I have a few events this week that would make it too difficult to post, but I will have the next chapter up early the week after next. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please feel free to leave a review. I always like hearing your thoughts and do my best to reply. Everyone enjoy the rest of their week and I'll see you the week after next.