Chapter Twenty Nine
When Valka asked her to live in the nest with her, Aniu had little to no idea what that indicated. The only thing she did know was that it was an invitation for shelter from the outside world. Valka had begun teaching her how to defend herself better through hand-to-hand combat. Aniu realized with a start how little she had known when she was on her own. Now that she had someone willing to teach her, someone who was willing to take the time and care for her, she'd begun seeing Valka as more than just another human.
She'd quickly learned that living in the nest had its ups and downs. The dragons didn't always live harmoniously together. Whenever a fight broke out, Cloudjumper would normally jump in to break them up. When that didn't work, the King would often rebuke both dragons causing the fight. He managed to maintain peace throughout the nest by showing that fighting wasn't always the answer. Learning to get along was the most important aspect of living in the nest.
Then there came the idea of patrolling the territory. Valka had introduced her to the endless possibilities of protecting the dragons from trappers and pirates. When Aniu learned that humans were hurting dragons purely for sport or for payment, she'd been furious. Some of the dragons she met in the nest had endured injuries that rendered them incapable of looking after themselves. Aniu had practically jumped at the opportunity to help her when it was needed.
Agreeing to stay at the nest had been one of the best decisions Aniu could have made. She had begun regretting her choice just days after her conversation with Valka, but she soon began to realize that it wasn't as bad as she first thought. While living in the Sanctuary was far from the easiest life, it was better than living in a village full of humans who would constantly judge her very existence. The dragons had never done that, and Valka accepted her for who she was. That meant more to her than she would ever admit out loud.
For the first time since Nina had taken her into the Nest, she felt as if she actually belonged somewhere. Valka had given her more than just a home. She'd given her hope. It wasn't something Aniu had experienced since meeting Hiccup for the first time.
It was hard to believe that five years had passed since she first agreed to stay at the nest with Valka. Her appearance had changed drastically since she left Berk. Her hair was longer than it had been when she met Hiccup, and she now usually kept it tied in a ponytail. Thanks to Valka, she had been given a mask to wear when they went out to patrol the territory. Keeping her identity hidden from the pirates and dragon trappers had been important to both of them, especially since the trappers had begun wising up to their tricks.
There were times when Aniu found herself thinking of what her life would have been like had she chosen to stay on Berk. She couldn't help but feel guilty as she thought of Cybele and what her best friend/sister was up to. Worse still was the knot forming in the pit of her stomach when she wondered if Cybele had forgotten about her entirely. It was probably better if the female Night Fury had, for both their sakes. She and Toothless had formed a bond that ran deeply.
I would rather she remain happy than feel as if I've taken her away from everything she cared about, she reminded herself.
Aniu let out a heavy sigh as she ran her thumb along her bow. She was using Nina for what little support she had while waiting for Valka to return. From what Valka had informed her, a Gronckle they recently rescued was in need of herbs that they'd run out of a few days ago. The Gronckle himself had suffered a serious blow to his club-like tail when he got caught in a trapper's snare.
He was one of the few fortunate dragons they'd encountered, though. A shiver of unease swept through her when she thought of the dragons that had been killed needlessly by the other traps they didn't reach in time. The trappers were getting worse with each passing week, and she had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before they managed to find the nest itself. But Valka was clever – she'd learned that the best way to avoid being caught by the trappers was to use different routes each time they went on their patrols.
It didn't take long for Nina to decide what to do next. Aniu hopped onto her back and strapped her bow to her back, having gotten used to riding with the weapon over the years. She'd quickly learned what methods worked best with a weapon and riding a dragon bareback. The teens who learned how to ride on the backs of dragons had to use saddles because they weren't used to how rough they were.
They moved almost automatically now, with Nina usually taking the lead and diving towards the ocean before rising again. She performed a few barrel rolls before finally leveling out and gliding smoothly across the wind current. This was the part of their flight that Aniu found herself admiring the most. She relished the feeling of cold wind piercing her skin, and the sudden rush of dropping from the sky until Nina was able to level out.
There really is nothing like flying, she thought gleefully. She'd seen the look of joy written across Valka's face when they went out for their regular flights. Valka felt the same way when it came to flying. The same look had been written across Hiccup's face when he and Toothless went flying for the first time. As much as she wanted to deny it, Aniu couldn't shake off the similarities between them. She didn't miss the fact that Valka and Hiccup were very much alike in many aspects, and she had a feeling there was a reason behind that.
"So, what exactly do you have planned for today, what with Valka leaving us to ourselves?" Nina asked as they scanned the area for signs of passing ships or dragons.
Since Valka was off looking for those herbs that would be needed for the Gronckle's injuries, it gave them the chance to patrol the territory. Though more often than not, Aniu found herself using the time they had off on her obstacle course. She'd set it up not far from the nest, using target rings like she had in the Nest that wasn't far from Berk. Despite having learned self-defense and other means of keeping herself protected, Aniu still loved archery.
She'd never given up on the idea of using her skill-set while she was patrolling with Valka. Being able to hit a moving target was easier for her, and it came in handy when a dragon needed to be rescued. Most of the humans they encountered weren't prepared for the fact that one of them was armed with a weapon. Or that the vigilantes were working together as a pair.
"Well, she's given us the day off," Aniu said thoughtfully. "Perhaps a round trip and back?"
Nina held back a sigh of annoyance as she flew off towards the Eastern part of the outside Sanctuary. From there, sea stacks were more numerous, some of them jutting out of the ocean in strange rocky formations. Aniu liked to use these as a way to practice her jumping and her trust in the dragons. She had been trying to work on her trick for the last couple of weeks lately. Because Valka was easily able to move freely from one dragon to another when they were flying side-by-side, Aniu wanted to do something similar.
"You're going to do it again, aren't you?" Nina didn't need to read her mind to know what Aniu was thinking.
"Nina, you know if I don't keep trying, I'll never get it right," Aniu reminded her. The bright purple Deadly Nadder just rolled her eyes as she flew towards the nearest sea stack, a rocky formation with two rocks pressing against each other. Aniu took a deep breath before taking the biggest risk yet – jumping off the rock formation. She did so without hesitation, and Nina flew underneath and caught her just before she could fall, landing on her back with ease. "Yes, I did it!"
She couldn't help but grin at the realization that she'd accomplished her goal. It had taken months for her to become as confident as she was. And she loved it. Helping the dragons had given her a purpose in life, and being able to improve on her skills and knowledge had also helped.
"If you call jumping off a cliff doing something," Nina growled in annoyance. "I don't see why this contributes to freeing dragons and performing day-to-day activities. The last time you tried pulling this stunt off, it failed miserably with me having to rescue you," she quickly added.
Aniu almost laughed at that. She had been working on getting her footing right when it came to running. Besides, sometimes it was fun to take risks without a second thought. She hadn't been able to take such risks when she was with Cybele. The risk of hurting her sister/best friend had always been on her mind. But Nina reassured her that even if something happened to her, there would always be someone at the Sanctuary looking after her.
"Wait, what's that?" Aniu's eyes narrowed in alarm when she caught smoke in the distance. Fire smoke. It hadn't been created naturally from the way it was clouding the sky. Her fists clenched with unease. Humans had likely started the fire to attract dragons, or to flush them out of their hiding places. "That fire wasn't created naturally… I have a really bad feeling about it."
Nina roared in agreement and flew towards the smoke in question. It wasn't long before they came upon an encampment of some sort. Aniu rose an eyebrow at the sight, wondering just what or who would try to camp so close to the Sanctuary. What's more was that there were several trapper ships docked next to a rocky island. Her heart was racing with unease as she noticed one of the metal traps had caught something. And that something was still moving, struggling in the metal teeth. Nina flew in close, and to their surprise they didn't find any humans around the area. Instead she heard the panicked cries of the Snafflefang caught in the trap.
"Calm down, we'll find some way to free you," Nina squawked reassuringly, hoping that would help alleviate his worry.
"We need more than just an extra pair of hands," Aniu pointed out, noticing there were more traps that had captured other dragons. These humans were going to pay for what they had done. "Come on, let's go let Valka and the King know."
Luckily, Nina was more than happy to comply with that. She hated the trappers almost as much as Aniu and Valka, if not more. Twice already, they had already blinded a Deadly Nadder or torn one of their wings. Without a solid wing structure or tail-fin, dragons couldn't fly properly.
Once they reached the Sanctuary, Aniu could see that Valka had returned with Cloudjumper. The two were just getting ready to relax when Aniu told them what they had seen so close to the Sanctuary. Valka was more than surprised to hear that humans had gotten so close. Her last mission had ended successfully by driving away the humans who were trying to find it, but this was an entirely different story. These humans had some sort of encampment, and they had already trapped a few dragons.
"I wasn't sure whether you would want to fight them," Aniu admitted as she readied her mask and weapon. Her mask was similar to Valka's, only it had purple stripes running down the eye sockets where she could easily see through it. "They're definitely waiting for us… armed with weapons and ready for the challenge."
"Well then, perhaps it's time for a proper introduction," Valka suggested with a look that said this would be anything but proper.
Aniu couldn't help but flinch at that, already knowing what she meant. The humans were too close for comfort. Aniu was no stranger to death and the reason behind it. If someone stepped too far out of the line, that was it.
"You are nervous," Nina said in an accusing tone as Valka readied the King.
"I don't know why, but this feels wrong," Aniu admitted guiltily. "I'm beginning to have second thoughts."
Nina just rolled her eyes at that. Just a few months ago they had come across a trapper known as Eret. He had fought valiantly and tried keeping the dragons he'd trapped. But Aniu's quick reflexes and temper had gotten the better of her. She hadn't realized until too late that he was not alone. A younger version of Eret had been hiding in the carnage, watching in sheer horror as his father was struck down by a fire-breathing dragon and her Rider. She never admitted to Valka how guilty she felt for killing someone. It was the first time she'd ever gone to such lengths, and she secretly hoped that it would be the last.
Valka had always reassured her that it was only through self-defense that the trapper had been killed. But that didn't make Aniu feel any better. She couldn't shake off the feeling that the trapper's death would somehow backfire on her.
Killing isn't always the answer, especially when there are ways to resolve the problem, she silently told herself.
Once Valka had called to the King, they guided him to where the trappers were hiding. Just a few miles from the Sanctuary was their encampment. Aniu could already see the smoke billowing into the sky, and she had Nina fly closer until noticing that the area remained largely unguarded.
What are you playing at? she wondered. She cast an uneasy glance at Valka as she rode Cloudjumper with ease. One look at the camp made her realize that this could possibly be a trap. Yet the dragons who were caught in their trap only urged Aniu ahead.
This was usually how their plan worked out. Valka would distract the trappers and keep them busy while Aniu rushed in and used her quick thinking to free the dragons in question. This time, however, was different. Someone was waiting for them as they had expected the Riders to make an appearance. They were merely biding their time for the right moment to strike.
Sure enough Aniu found herself working with the locks that were keeping the traps from moving. They were intriguing looking traps that had metal teeth connecting, and the only way to unwind them was with a strange lever.
"Something isn't right," Nina growled as Aniu worked with the lever, pulling it until the trap snapped open.
Aniu wasn't surprised to find a Snafflefang in the trap. A shiver of rage swept through her when she noticed that his left foot had been caught between the metal teeth of the trap. The humans who decided to trap this innocent dragon didn't even seem to care whether or not they were hurting it. And that was what infuriated her the most.
"I know, it feels like we're being watched," Aniu agreed with her as she reached for her bow and grabbed an arrow while making sure the Snafflefang stumbled free from his trap.
She fired the arrow without hesitation, making sure that it was aimed for the bush where she could see movement. Time seemed to slow down as several men jumped from the bush while one of their own fell with a sickening thud. Aniu narrowed her eyes at the sight of the men carrying their weapons.
Figures that they would finally realize that they need to defend themselves, she nearly rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Knowing that the humans were armed put her on high-alert. They usually carried catapults and net bolas to capture dragons flying in the air. Most of them held swords that were used against anyone who tried getting too close for comfort. Aniu had quickly learned that firing her arrows and disarming them was the best option before she leaped into action.
"You will never hold on to your dragons!" the man Aniu had seen months ago was clinging to a dagger while glaring at her. "Those beasts are meant to be controlled."
Nina let out a furious roar and swung several spines at the men surrounding him. Aniu recognized him as the son of Eret, the very same man who had witnessed her killing his father. She reached for a second arrow before stopping herself.
"What are you waiting for?" Nina demanded, not realizing that the King was steadily approaching them.
Aniu's eyes narrowed with confusion as she looked at the man trembling before her. He made no move to attack. He was just standing there like a babbling idiot. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the man thoughtfully. There was something about the man that caught her attention. While he was very much like the rest of the trappers, there was something almost off about him. Almost as if he didn't want this kind of a job.
When she first saw him with his father all those months ago, she'd seen just how nervous he was around the dragons and the other trappers. It was clear that he wanted nothing to do with this job. But it was a job, and it was something he had to do in order to survive.
"Let him live," she decided after thinking it through.
Nina stared at Aniu as if she'd grown wings.
"Are you crazy? If he lives, he will tell everyone what happened!" she squawked in outrage.
The man who they would later learn was Eret, Son of Eret, only raised his dagger when he realized they were talking to each other. A human talking to a dragon, having any intelligent conversation, was unheard of. His face morphed from a look of confusion to that of anger as he looked between Aniu and Nina.
"Just who exactly are you?" he demanded while trying to keep his voice from cracking with fear.
Nina suddenly swung her tail at the man, who happened to be close enough that the impact could easily knock him out. Aniu rolled her eyes as he collapsed on the ground and hopped onto Nina's back. The Snafflefang's wings were still in decent shape, as was its tail-fin. But blood streamed from a deep cut on his leg, suggesting that the trap had only just barely kept him from escaping. Her shoulders sagged in relief as she realized that the Snafflefang could easily survive that injury. She'd seen dragons survive much worse injuries since she started living with Valka.
"Follow us, we'll take you to a safe place," Aniu reassured him just as the King approached the island.
Seeing the imposing white beast, the Snafflefang didn't hesitate to follow her. He flew at an unsteady pace as Aniu and Nina led the way back to the Sanctuary. Aniu looked over her shoulder just in time to see the King fire an icy blast at what was left of the camp and the ships. A shiver swept through her as she imagined how that must feel like.
"Why did you let that man live?" Nina asked as they neared the ice caves. "For all we know, he'll remember exactly what happened; there's no telling what he will do if he returns to whoever is in charge of him."
"I don't know," Aniu murmured thoughtfully, realizing that she really didn't know what overcame her.
She'd watched several men die before her eyes and had never felt anything before. This was different. Something in that man's eyes had stopped her in her tracks. The fear dancing across his eyes when he realized she was about to strike him down had stopped her before she could pull off the final blow. And in the back of her mind, she knew she wasn't a killer. As much as she resented the humans for what they had done to these dragons, she couldn't bring herself to kill them in return. All she did know was that she didn't like the feelings it gave her. She wanted to forget what she had seen.
AN: We're finally moving on to the second movie! Which means lots of explaining will be done during Hiccup's reunion with his mother :) Anywho, I am glad that people are still reading this, all things considered. But updates are probably going to slow down a bit since I'm behind in chapters. Normally I like to write a few chapters ahead of posting a new one, and I've been kind of... lazy about doing that? Not sure if that's the best way to describe it. Either way, I do apologize in advance. But there will be one more chapter posted before the updates slow down, so hopefully that'll make up for that. Thanks to Mariah and Jillian Lee for reviewing! It means a lot knowing that people are still interested in this story :)
Mariah - You'll have to wait and see what happens next ;) As for what will happen in Berk, the next chapter will explain all of that.
Jillian Lee - No, you're not the reason behind my lack of motivation. To be honest, a combination of things has been keeping me from writing. But I'll hopefully be back soon once I get out of whatever rut I've put myself in. And thanks for the encouragement, I really do appreciate it :)
