The sun reached it's peak over Berk, signaling a break for most of the working villagers on the island. During this time, Hiccup, Toothless, and a few vikings were with Iona as she healed in Stoick's home. The fire crackled in the pit and many questioning faces peered at the young Berserker chief as she sipped water from a small cup, regaining her strength from earlier that day. Iona looked up from her bed stationed near the firepit and at the faces of those who were there with her. Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stoick, Gobber, Spitelout, Frey, Calder, Sassa, Brenna, and a few more faces. Honestly the room was starting to feel a little cramped.
"So, if she has magical powers of some sort," Spitelout whispered to Stoick, "Why didn't she break out of her cell on the Berserker island? Why didn't she do a lot of things actually?" Iona cleared her throat rather loudly, causing her to cough a few times. The young chief stared unamused at Spitelout who quickly shut his mouth. Pushing herself up for a more comfortable position, Iona popped a few bones and yawned.
"You can see what it does to my body. Even if I got out of my cell I wouldn't get far," Iona said, "I'm still a novice. Those spells, like the spell of balance, and the spell of agitation, those are more complex and require much more skill. I only know a few spells that I can actually perform at my level, and they are rather useless." Toothless tilted his head in curiosity and nudged Hiccup. The smaller dragon looked to his companion, tilting his head as well.
"Yeah?" Hiccup asked quietly. Toothless leaned in close, glancing towards Iona.
"I really wonder what those spells were," Toothless said, a few different ideas going through his mind ranging from changing hair color to making someone's feet twice their original size.
"Oh nothing too crazy really, mainly just minor spells. Stuff like stealth, hearing, vision," Iona said. Toothless' ears perked up and his curiosity satisfied.
"That was convenient," Toothless said, "Good thing she likes to hear herself talk." Iona's jaw dropped and she stared directly at the dragon, obviously offended.
"I do not like to hear myself talk you jerk!" Iona yelled angrily, coughing at the end. Everyone looked at her confused, wondering who she was yelling at. Toothless and Hiccup stared in slight disbelief.
"I think she's starting to lose it," Gobber whispered to Calder quietly, the chief nodding his head in agreement. The two Night Furies stared at the Berserker chief, quickly realizing the situation.
"You know at this point something like this should be expected," Hiccup said, looking over to Toothless who nodded in agreement. Scratching the back of his head, Toothless looked over towards Iona, trying to avoid direct eye contact.
"So, how long?" The Night Fury asked quietly.
"Since we first met," Iona said unhappily, "Though I didn't know I'd meet a dragon so rude."
"Rude?" Toothless half yelled, "I'd say my suspicions were justified!"
"What, my personality is suspicious? Do I seem so untrustworthy?"
"That's not it! You're just horrible at keeping secrets?"
"Oh is that a fact?"
"I'd say it is!"
Iona stuck her tongue out at the dragon who returned the gesture. Hiccuped in between the two, thinking how unbelievably childish they were acting.
"Are you two twelve or what?" Hiccup yelled, "I've heard Bucket and Mulch have more intelligent arguments that you two!" The two sat back and pouted at each other, avoiding eye contact, waiting for the other to apologize.
"Are you serious?" Hiccup said, groaning and clawing at his face lightly, "Just both of you apologize!" After a few moments of looking each other over, the pair shared a reluctant apology. Hiccup let out a deep sigh of relief and noticed the many eyes staring at them in confusion. Noticing the situation, Iona hopped out of bed quickly and rubbed her hands together.
"Okay, this mind sting a bit," Iona said,sticking a tongue out the side of her mouth.
"Wait, what?" Calder asked loudly, mildly scared for what was about to come.
"Πεζογραφία δράκου," Iona chanted, moving her hands over the vikings in the room. After a few moments a purple mist slowly moved down each individual before dissipating into the floorboards. Once the mist was gone, Iona put her hands down with a cheeky smile. The vikings looked around at each other and felt their bodies, making sure everything was there.
"I don't feel any different," Stoick said cautiously, "What is it you did anyway?" Iona smiled at the older chief and lifted her head high.
"You'll see," The young chief said before returning to her bed with trembling legs, "Maybe I should just stop with the magic and stuff for a while before I die." The vikings still looked around expectantly with nothing happening.
"I'm getting the distinct feeling she has no idea what she's doing," Toothless said blandly, not amused with this woman. All eyes in the room turned to the two Night Furies with wide eyes and open mouths. At first, Toothless was very confused, but after a few long seconds of piecing the situation together, he figured it out.
"I seriously don't even know what to think of the world anymore," Toothless said in defeat. Hiccup laughed uncomfortably, patting his love on the back comfortingly. Astrid scooted closer to Toothless and eyed him curiously.
"I didn't expect that," Astrid said curiously. Toothless tilted his head at the young girl.
"What do you mean?" The Night Fury asked quickly. Astrid laughed lightly and punched the dragon's shoulder.
"I kinda imagined your voice being more rough, and deep, and feral," She said softly, "but it's so smooth, and fair, and pretty normal. This is just too weird." Toothless didn't really know how to respond to that so the dragon just shook his head and looked away.
"Thank you, I guess?" He said awkwardly causing Astrid to laugh.
"You two really are just alike. Smart and brave, but awkwardly and kind of clumsy," the young viking teen teased.
"I am not clumsy," Toothless said confidently, shrugging off the girl's insult.
"Uh, Toothless, your tails on fire," Hiccup said softly, prodding the dragon's side. Toothless looked over his shoulder and realized he'd placed his tail just a tad too close to the fire. Quickly whipping his tail, the dragon put the fire out before any major damage was done.
"Right, not clumsy at all," Astrid teased. Toothless sighed heavily and walked out of the house in annoyance. Hiccup laughed uncomfortably as he ran after his love, apologizing on the way out.
"Get better soon, Iona!" Hiccup called as he pushed his way out of the door, being met with a thanks and several goodbye's. Catching up to Toothless who had stalked off into the village, Hiccup jumped in front of the annoyed dragon.
"What's up with you?" Hiccup asked softly, a bit of worry in his voice. Toothless breathed heavily and moved passed the smaller dragon.
"She just. That girl. I don't what it is about her, but she just makes me so angry for some reason. I don't know why, I just," Toothless said, clawing at his head lightly, "I just don't trust her. It's probably because she's Berserker, but then again I don't trust anyone of our guests we have here on Berk. Ever since Dagur, I don't think I can trust other people again. I just keep imagining them attacking Berk, betraying our trust, killing people with love...killing you. They may turn out to really be our allies. Iona could very well be the greatest ally we have in the future, but every single one of those chief's and their vikings are going to have to earn my trust. Until then, I'm not letting them get to close."
Hiccup sat back and listened to his love's rant about the new arrivals and his issues with them since the Berserker invasion. He understood where Toothless was coming from, but a pool formed in his stomach realizing that his dragon's trust was shot. Thinking back, Hiccup realized that he could've been the one to open Toothless up, get him to trust again. The invasion must've stirred some emotions involving the Hive and how brutal it was in there mixed with the destruction of his new home, the death of vikings he saw everyday, and the pain suffered by the one's he loved most. While Toothless was deep in his one sided conversation, Hiccup slowly made his way closer and eventually hugged his dragon tightly, making him stop mid-sentence. There was a few moments where silence filled the air before strong paws wrapped around the smaller dragon.
"Thank you," Toothless said quietly. Hiccup nodded against the dragon, feeling his heartbeat and warmth.
"Don't be scared," Hiccup said quietly, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm never going to leave you. I love you." Toothless smiled at the words and nodded slowly.
"I don't want to remember life before you...a life without you Hiccup," Toothless said slowly in a smooth whisper, "I love you too. I'll never leave your side."
The bright moon shone down on the island of Berk, illuminating the dark that swept through the world. Soft footsteps echoed through the streets. The young Berserker chief slowly made her way back to the cliff she'd been on the previous night. Iona never could sleep in a bed that wasn't her own, so she hoped the night air would clear her thoughts enough to sleep. Climbing the final stretch, the chief let out a sigh of relief as she sat down near the edge. The night sky above was painted with countless shining stars shimmering down on the islands below.
"Ah," Iona whispered to herself, "This is nice." A comfortable cold air blew around the young girl, easing her burdens for a short time. The ocean below softly pushed against the cliff face creating a beautiful resonance that echoed throughout the young chief's tense body. It seemed as if her problems were a thousand miles away when soft footsteps broke through the sounds of ocean. Expecting Hiccup again, Iona looked back with a smile, only to see a small woman approach her.
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met before," Iona said quietly. The elder smiled softly and motioned for the Berserker chief to follow. Iona looked on in curiosity as the old woman slowly disappeared from view. Shrugging, the young chief picked herself up and followed the elder. Slowly, the pair made their way through the village, the only sounds were their own footsteps echoing through the streets.
"So where is it you're taking me?" Iona asked quietly. Getting no response, the chief shrugged it off and glanced around the market they'd entered.
"The night sky never ceases to amaze me," A voice said softly. Looking up, Iona saw the two Night Furies on the roof of a house staring into the sky. Staring into the sky, Iona just saw the stars, nothing special. Looking back ahead, she saw the elder had made quite the distance. Iona sighed lightly and ran to catch up with the older woman, falling in line behind her in a few moments.
Hiccup glanced over his shoulder, hearing rapid but soft footsteps slowly fade away. The dragon saw Iona and Gothi the Elder slowly making their way towards the Elder's home.
"Something wrong?" Toothless asked quietly. Hiccup turned back to his love with a smile on his face, shaking his head.
"No," Hiccup said softly as the pair looked back towards the sky.
Gothi opened her door slowly as she made her way towards the other end of the house, lighting candles as she went along. Iona looked around curiously, noting the many old trinkets that littered the walls and floor of the small hut. The chief wondered how the old lady ever found things among the mess of scrolls, old metal parts, and baskets full of string. Gothi turned back towards the young girl and motioned for her to take a seat. Seeing that there really wasn't a proper place so sit, seeing as the chairs were cluttered with miscellaneous items, she opted to sit on the floor. After a few minutes of rummaging through a chest, Gothi pulled out a book, and some papers along with it. Slowly making her way back to Iona, she held out her hands, placing the book and papers in the chief's hand.
"A book?" Iona whispered, wiping the dust from the cover. The words were in Greek and were faded greatly. Opening the cover, bold words stood out in the center of the page.
"Βιβλίο Φυλαχτά?" Iona said in disbelief, "A Book of Charms? How did you get this? Where did you get this?" The Elder pointed to the bottom left corner of the page. In small characters, a name was written in Greek to conceal the owner's identity.
"Property of...," Iona trailed off, trying to read the name, "How did you get this?" Gothi smiled softly and shook her head, bringing a finger up for silence.
"You must not tell anyone of this book's origin," Gothi said weakly, "If they ask, tell them it was always yours...a gift from your mentor, if you had one, or something you had found while trading." Iona stared intently at the book and nodded her head in agreement.
"One question," Iona said, her eyes not moving from the old binding of the book. Gothi looked on expectantly, waiting for the question.
"I'm not even from here. I'm from another tribe, the Berserkers, you know, the one's that failed to invade? Why give me something so dangerous?" Iona asked. Gothi smiled softly and placed a hand on the chief's shoulder.
"Those surrounded by darkness emit the greatest light," Gothi said softly, "It takes great courage to change the world. Hiccup and his dragon show that courage and I believe you do too." Gothi paced around the room blowing out the candles that were lit.
"It is time for you to return," Gothi said quietly. Iona nodded her head, thanking Gothi as she exited the small hut. Once again, the night air echoed with her footsteps as she made her way through the quiet village. Passing through the market, she noticed the two dragons were no longer on the roof. She was half thankful, half disappointed. She would've liked the chance to talk to Hiccup again, but she'd rather not see Toothless. It wasn't that Iona didn't like him, it was the fact she knew the dragon didn't trust her, and granted, her attitude earlier wasn't exactly the best way to start a friendship. Iona sighed to herself and kept walking towards Stoick's home.
Quietly creeping into the house, Iona slipped into her bed and opened the book. Excitement pulsed through her body as she flipped past the opening pages, reading the opening passage quietly to herself.
"Chapter I: Introduction to Magic..."
Iona awoke with the book covering her face. She'd managed to read up to chapter six before falling to sleep mid-chapter. Taking the book off, she looked around the room, noticing it's vacancy.
"Huh?" Iona whispered to herself. The chief got up, popped a few bones, put on proper clothing and stepped outside the door. The sun was a good ways into the morning, signalling class had started a while ago.
"Seriously!" Iona yelled as she sprinted towards the arena. In record time, she ran down the ramp of the Academy and stopped, noticing the crowd of vikings watching on as another poor soul tried his hand at the flight simulation. Seeing one of her vikings, she quickly ran up to him, whipped him around and grabbed him by the collar.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Iona asked angrily. The viking apologized quickly and tried to explain the situation to an angry Berserker.
"I-I tried, b-but you said you'd turn my feet into frogs if I kept pestering you!" the viking said erratically. Iona breathed a sigh of regret and let the viking go as she apologized for her aggressiveness. Looking around, she noticed she had many eyes looking at her. Iona laughed uncomfortably and waved at the onlookers until they returned back to the simulation as the poor soul from earlier was flung off of it.
"It's not that difficult! Stop fighting the movements and learn to go along with them! A dragon isn't something you control. The dragon and the rider must become one. Learn to move with the dragon, not against it," Hiccup's voice rang out. The dragon looked over and smiled at Iona, motioning her over for a turn.
"Why don't you give it a try? No cheats this time," Hiccup said as Iona made her way closer to the rig. Climbing aboard, she strapped on the safety harness and signaled for a go. The rig started of slow and steady before picking up pace and intensity, mimicking real flight. Iona attempted to predict the movements of the rig, but she'd always be off. She'd hardly been on twenty seconds before she was flung off. Getting back on determined, she signaled for another go. Time after time she fell off but she demanded to be let back on, each time the chief felt as if she were getting closer and closer to understanding.
"Move with the dragon?" Iona thought to herself, "How do I do that? Everytime I get on this thing I lose my grip. Maybe I'm not strong enough? No, Hiccup could do it and I heard he used to be scrawny. Think, think, how does a dragon fly? They're built to be streamline...streamline? What if I..." Iona ducked down lower to make herself more streamline. She was surprised when she realized just how easy it was to hang on. She dipped and rose with the rig, not struggling to keep a grip or control its movements.
"So this is what he meant," Iona thought to herself.
Hiccup looked on with a smile on his face, glad someone finally figured it out.
"I told you someone would've figured it out," Hiccup said happily. Toothless found himself slightly impressed by the Berserker and her persistence. That viking did save Hiccup yesterday, and she does seemed determined to shed the bad image the Berserker's have. Maybe he should give the girl a chance.
Maybe.