Soul of a Dragon Chapter 37

"speaking"- human language

"speaking"- dragonese

thinking- human thoughts

thinking- dragon thoughts

I do not own How To Train Your Dragon or any of its characters

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a good day; I just want y'all to know that I have created a GoFundMe page for a close friend of my family because she is in danger of losing her house. Also if anyone has a social media account please don't hesitate to share this with your friends.

Please take the time to check out the page, any donation would help. Thank you all and God bless.

It's called "Help Me Save My Home"- Guadalupe Perez

Enjoy the new chapter!

"Cloudless?" Astrid questioned.

The blonde girl looked puzzled as did Gothi; they had never heard such a strange name before. Hiccup felt a slight hint of blush decorate his face but it was too late to take back the name. He wondered if Toothless would make fun of him if he were here. The Night Fury always mocked the names he came up with; he didn't think that it was weird though. In a way it was honoring his father and his brother, the two most important figures in his life. Cloudjumper and Toothless make Cloudless.

Not to mention he came from a family of dragons; there were a lot of strange names there too. The Vikings were no different in his opinion; he had heard a lot of strange Viking names over the years. He always wondered which ones were sillier, Viking or dragon.

"Yeah," he stated.

Astrid looked at the book and she couldn't help but smirk a little.

Well at least I finally have a name. And just like him, it's a strange one.

"Okay," she said. "Well it's very nice to meet you Cloudless, welcome to Berk."

Hiccup smiled back and was thankful that she didn't question it. With that the teenage girl looked at the old woman and spoke.

"Gothi, I'm going to head to the chief's house to let me know," Astrid stated.

Gothi nodded her head and Astrid took her leave. She tried to not let the excitement and joy consume her face as she made her way to the chief's residence. She couldn't believe that after all these years she finally had a name to the boy. She now had something to call him, she felt as if she had just made some progress with him. Maybe now she would get more answers out of him. There was so much she wanted to know about the boy and now that he was here, it was the perfect opportunity. She just hoped that his stay would be for a while; she didn't want him to leave so soon like he had done the previous times before. Within minutes she finally reached the chief's home and knocked on the door.

Inside the chief's house were a man and wife sitting in their living room. A warm fire was lit inside the fire place due to the cold weather they had been experiencing lately. Stoick was sharpening an axe while Valka was busy doing some needlework. And that was when a knock at their door caught their attention. Stoick immediately stood up and opened the door. It was Astrid.

"Astrid," Stoick greeted. "What brings you here?"

Astrid stood as composed as she could be as she faced her leader.

"Gothi told me to tell you that the boy is awake," Astrid replied.

That caught the chief's attention as well as his wife's. Valka had been told about the strange visitor to the island. She had been worried about him just as much as her husband. She hadn't seen the boy but she had been told by her husband that he looked to be around the same age as Astrid and that he had brown hair and freckles. But that was all he knew and all he could tell her, the boy was rushed to Gothi's as soon as possible. Valka knew how stubborn the old woman could be when it came to taking care of people and that was why she didn't question the boy's safety. She knew that he would be in good hands when Gothi was around. Nevertheless, she stopped doing her needlework and walked over to her husband's side, she took the next question right out of his mouth.

"How is he?" she asked

Astrid turned to the woman and gave her the best answer she could at this point.

"He's… adjusting," Astrid stated. "He's as healthy as he can be, he's just nervous since this is a new place to him."

Astrid couldn't believe that she was lying to the faces of the chief and his wife, but she knew better. She knew that there was a reason why she had to do this. If anyone found out that this boy had been here before, who knows what they would do to him. Despite not knowing much about him, Astrid knew that she didn't want him to get hurt. So for now, she would put on an act. She quickly said the next part of her statement.

"Gothi also said for there to be no visitors today, she wants him to rest as much as possible before anyone visits with him," Astrid added.

Stoick looked disappointed with that, he had been hoping to meet with the boy as soon as possible. He would like to know more about where he came from and how he got here… and if he had any family. After losing his child, he couldn't stand the thought of another family losing theirs as well. And that was why he would make sure that the boy was treated with respect during his stay here on Berk. And that applied to him as well, he would respect Gothi's order and respect the boy's time for healing.

"I know how thick headed she can be," Stoick commented.

Valka smiled at her husband and gently nudged him a little.

"She's not the only one dear," Valka replied as she gave her husband a playful look.

Despite the situation Stoick gave his wife a quick and genuine smile. Astrid couldn't help but think how adorable the couple looked as they interacted with each other. She hoped that she would have that someday as well; hopefully it will be during a time where all of this madness will finally be over. She could dream about that at least.

"But she did say that you can speak with him tomorrow," Astrid said.

The look on Stoick's face brighten a little once she said that and he gave her smile.

"Alright then, I shall meet with this young Viking tomorrow," he agreed. "Thank you for your report Astrid."

The young girl nodded her head and she took her leave. She left the couple together and she headed back home. They watched her do so before turning to each other. There was a serious expression on Valka's face as she turned to her husband.

"Stoick, you have every intention of returning this boy back to his home right?" Valka questioned.

"Of course Valka, it will be my top priority. But first I must speak with him in order to make that happen," Stoick stated. "I must know how he got here if there is any hope in returning him to his home."

Valka simply nodded her head and then she caught a glimpse of Gothi's hut at a faraway distance. She knew that inside the hut was now a new occupant for the time being. She wondered if she could visit the boy after her husband was done greeting him. Maybe he would open up to her if he didn't do so with Stoick.

"That poor boy, his family must be worried sick about him," she commented.

Stoick understood her statement. What family wouldn't be worried about their relative if something like this happened to them?

"I'm sure they are, but at least he is safe," Stoick added. "I promise that he will return to his home safe and sound."

Valka smiled at her husband and she leaned him as well. Stoick held her before they walked back inside to return to what they were doing. Stoick would have no choice but to wait until tomorrow to speak with the newcomer. He just hoped that the boy wasn't a threat.

The day went by as it usually did. Everything was as it should be. However, throughout the day there were whispers and gossip about the newcomer. Everyone couldn't help but be curious about the strange boy; they wondered who he was and what he was doing here. Astrid choose to stay out of these talks, she just kept to herself and ignored them all. Out of all the rumors, the one that bothered her the most was the one where the boy was sent from Drago. Some assumed that he was a spy sent to make sure that they were collecting dragons. She knew that it wasn't true, she knew the boy better than them. But much to her relief, others quickly dismissed this rumor due to the fact that the boy didn't have any signs of being a part of Drago's army such as tattoos or symbols.

Night soon fell over Berk. Astrid went about her usual activities before retiring to bed, as she laid on her bed her thoughts wandered to the boy. It felt so strange and surreal to have him so close to her now. She still couldn't believe that after all these years that he was finally here on her homeland. She just hoped that it would stay like that for a little while longer, just until she figured out a few things. But then her mind filled with worry as she thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow the chief would meet up with him and talk to him. She hoped that he answered correctly and that he didn't give anything away. Most importantly, she hoped that her chief would allow for him to stay as long as he needed to. That was all she wanted at this point. With this in mind, she went to sleep… but even her dreams were filled with the strange boy. The boy who now had a name, Cloudless.

Meanwhile, back at Gothi's hut Hiccup was resting on the bed provided to him. The old healer had fed him and allowed for him to bathe himself in the other room. Thankfully she wasn't in the room when he was bathing himself; he would feel very uncomfortable if she did. He had never seen other humans naked before and he had never allowed one to see him naked either. When he was younger he only wore a lion cloth but he never considered himself fully naked when he wore it. But now it was different, now he was literally surrounded by humans and their customs. He knew that he had to adapt to his surroundings if he was going to convince the people that he was not a threat, it was also a way to gain their trust.

But he knew the first thing he was going to do while here. He was going to search for Toothless, he had to find him. He couldn't do this without him. He had to go to the cove the first chance he got, he hoped it would be soon. But he doubted that anyone in the village would take their eyes off him for the first few days. He let out a sigh and prayed that his brother was at least alive.

Hiccup stared at the ceiling and he thought about the Night Fury he had called his brother for the last sixteen years. It would soon be seventeen with the next year. Where was he? Was he safe? Did he even make it to the cove? Did he even hear Hiccup saying that? There were so many questions buzzing around in his head and he didn't have the answer to any one of them.

And so he closed his eyes and he prayed that his brother was safe somewhere on this strange land. He also hoped that he would see him again… soon. He spoke using his dragon tongue one more time before finally allowing sleep to take him.

"Wherever you are Toothless, I hope you're okay."

Hiccup rested and he took comfort in the fact that none of the people of Berk had tried to hurt him in anyway. He was thankful for their help but he had a feeling that would soon change with the coming days. After all, the reason why he was here was to stop the war. He just hoped that he would have Toothless by his side when that time came.

As he slept, he dreamed of his home and he dreamed of the family and friends that awaited him at the Dragon Sanctuary. He dreamed of the past, the days where he was a baby with his hatchling brother by his side. He dreamed of the years that had passed as they grew up into teenagers. He also dreamed about the many friends he had acquired over the years due to his brothers and his efforts to save them. And most importantly, he dreamed of his father. He dreamed of the days where Cloudjumper, Toothless and him would travel into the outside world and explore the unknown. A small smile spread across Hiccup's face as his dreams kept him company until the morning.

Hours went by and the sun slowly rose up, the light decorated the sky and it touched the island of Berk. One by one its rays awoke the people and one by one they started to go about their morning routines. There was one house in particular that the sun was shining on though; it was the home of the Chief of Berk and his wife.

Stoick could feel the warmth of the sun's rays hit him and he stirred a little before finally opening his eyes. He let out a loud yawn and stretched his muscles; he turned to look at his wife. Valka was still sleeping; a peaceful look was on her face. He didn't have the heart to disturb her. Valka always looked so peaceful while she slept; it was the only time where she could escape the heartbreak of reality. Sometimes he wished that she would stay that way forever, that way she wouldn't have to remember their loss. Before he got out of bed he placed a gentle kiss on her head and then, as quietly as he could, he made his way to get ready for the day. He was in a rush today due to his obligation as chief to meet with any newcomers. He was very eager to meet the boy and within minutes he was ready to do so. He made his way to Gothi's hut.

Hiccup stared out the window with a cup of warm tea in his hands; on the table beside him were a bowl of soup and a small loaf of bread. Gothi had prepared him some breakfast for him; he assumed that it was to help him regain more of his strength. He was grateful for it since he hadn't had too much to eat yesterday because of the craziness. It was strange though, he wasn't used to food like this. The dragons ate whatever they could find, most of the time the ingredients were raw. His father or brother or one of the other dragons would normally roast the raw meat they gave to him and sometimes he would forge some fruit from the plants and brush that grew in the Dragon Sanctuary. Not only that but water was his main source of nourishment when it came to drinks. He wasn't picky though since that was the food he grew up with. He recalled times where he and his brother would steal Viking food whenever they went outside, it was the only times where he got a true taste of Viking civilization. He took a sip of the tea before bringing the bowl of soup to him; he ate the contents slowly as Gothi walked over to him.

The old woman gazed upon him; it was as if she was trying to see how he liked it. He could tell that she was doing this because she wanted to make sure that there were no other injuries sustained. It was also to make sure that his appetite was stable. Hiccup turned to her and spoke using the language Astrid had warned him to use.

"It's good," he said. "Very good, thank you."

With that Gothi smiled and she gently patted his shoulder. That was when there was a knock at the door. Gothi turned her attention to it and she walked over to the entrance of her home. Hiccup felt his heart beat faster as she did so; he knew that he would be expecting the chief at any moment now. Despite everything that had happened to him, he was still nervous about meeting the people here. The only person he felt that he truly liked and trusted was Astrid. And so far she had kept her promise to him, she hadn't told anyone about him or his previous visits here at Berk. He just hoped he was prepared to handle her whenever she came back to see him. He knew that she would have just as much questions as anyone else here. But for now, he maintained his composure and ate his meal.

Gothi opened the door to reveal the presence of the chief, he stood tall and proud as she gazed upon him. The man looked down at her and spoke using a somewhat quiet tone.

"Gothi, is he here?" he asked.

The old woman nodded her head and pointed behind her before using gestures to speak.

"I see, well it's good to hear that he's doing well," Stoick stated. "Has he spoken about himself?"

Gothi shook her head and silently spoke using her hands. Stoick nodded his head in understanding before turning his attention inside the hut.

"May I speak with him now?" he questioned.

Gothi turned around to look at her patient one more time before turning back to the chief. She nodded her head but she also gestured at him.

"I understand, I will not do anything to interfere with his health. I just want to ask him some questions," Stoick stated.

Gothi nodded and she allowed the chief to enter her home. Stoick slowly made his way to the room where the boy was being held. He wondered what kind of a person the boy was and if he had any family missing him at the moment. He knew that's what he had been doing for a long time now, only he knew that his child was gone forever. But if this boy did have family somewhere, then he was determined to bring him back.

Hiccup had finished his soup and he began to snack on the loaf of bread while taking sips of the tea. He could feel his stomach slowly becoming content with the nourishment. He was letting his guard down to the world around him, and that was when he had a guests enter the room he was in. He stopped eating the bread and looked at the man. His eyes widen with realization as he recalled that this was the same man who had captured Stormfly all those years ago.

He hadn't change in the years since he had first seen him. He was still a big man with red bushy hair with a few strands of gray entered the small hut; Hiccup could see that a light dust of freckles decorated his face as well. Even for a Viking, the man possessed a prominent muscular figure. He wore a chainmail tunic with striped pants along with fur boots; a large clock also adorned his shoulders. Overall, Hiccup could tell that this man was a strong and proud Viking, Hiccup knew who this was. He had to be the chief of this village.

However, what caught Hiccup's attention the most were his eyes. His eyes were green, the same green as his own. Not only that but they reminded him so much of his father Cloudjumper, he found that strange. But he didn't have time to think anymore as the man spoke in a deep yet gentle tone.

"Hello, I am Stoick the Vast and I am the Chief of Berk."

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