Chapter 15: The White Peaks of Alfheim
Dragonese will be written in italics, so you can tell when it is being used.Hope you enjoy!
Also, here is how the following names/words are pronounced in this story:
Asgeirr – AS – GEE – AIR
Brenakir – BREN – ACK – HEAR
Kaldr – CALL – DER
Eir – AY – EAR
Dreki (means dragon in Norse) – DREK – KEY
Akkeri (means anchor in Norse) – ACK – CARE– EE
Kenna (means train/trainer in Norse) – KEN - NAH
High Asgard, Day 8 since Hiccup's Departure
Hiccup fell to his knees and retched, his stomach heaving and emptying its contents on the luxurious carpeting of the golden hallway. Falling to his hands, he took several deep breaths, trying to get his wind. The Wolf had healed him, but then was cruel enough to kick him in the gut deliberately before throwing him out the door of Ragnarok, which was where he was now, coughing up his food. All night long he would have to deal with the pain and nausea.
The two guards walked alongside Hiccup, ready to pick him up and drag him back to his quarters, as they always did. However, Hiccup raised his hand and shook his head, motioning the men away. Sitting back on his heels, he raised his hands and showed them proudly to the guards.
"See that!" he shouted exultingly, a broad grin on his face. His sharp fingernails were dulled and bloody, and grey fur clung to the sticky mess.
"I got The Wolf with these things, right on his ugly, hairy face!" Hiccup laughed. "Yeah! I am a Viking! And I don't feel so insane right now, either. It was easier today. I'll be able to kill him soon, and I'll do it so viciously he'll wish he'd never been born!"
Hiccup shook his head and then fell on his hands once more, dry heaving. The guards didn't wait this time. They merely grabbed him under his arms and began to drag him off.
"Hey, be careful, I'm sore," Hiccup moaned, clutching his stomach as they took him down the hall. "And watch out, too. I'm now officially a dangerous person. I got The Wolf good today."
The guards ignored him, of course, and, taking him to his room, opened the door and threw him in, causing Hiccup to land on his side with a thud. They then left and banged the door behind them.
Feeling much better than he had ever had before, Hiccup slowly crawled to his feet, his only problem being his injured belly. Holding his gut with one hand, he walked across his room to the bathroom. While he was doing so, he noticed that there was a new table, and the broken mirror had been cleaned up completely. Even the bloodstains on the bed were now gone. While his training was cruel and savage, at least it gave him great cleaning service. The beautiful blue Nadder scale was still lying peacefully on his pillow.
Pausing before he entered the bathroom, Hiccup stripped off the armor. Simply to mimic his actions from the previous days, he hurled it against the wall for fun. It landed with such a funny squishing sound that Hiccup burst out laughing before entering the bathroom and starting to clean himself in the full tub of water. The insanity had been lessened today, thanks to his mind exercises. Just a little more mental control, and then he had a real chance to win.
Berk, Day 9 since Hiccup's Departure
It made Astrid sick to see the crowd of villagers that mobbed from the houses and fields as she and her companions came within sight of Berk in the late morning. The people were all cheering and laughing, every one of them happy to have everyone, especially their heir and savior, back in their hands. It brought the bitter taste of what could have been to Astrid's mouth, and tears came to her eyes. How surprised they would be when they found out Hiccup was gone.
As they came closer, Astrid peered through her eyeglass and saw that the villagers had stopped cheering. Instead they were speaking animatedly to each other, and pointing at them. Apparently they were counting, and were just now seeing that no Night Fury was flying among them. Astrid saw looks of shock and fear on some of their faces, and then she tore the scope away from her eyes. She could no longer look at the people; it only gave her a painful reminder that Hiccup was not with them.
Stormfly angled her wings and thundered down to the clear area for landing. The mob of villagers raced for the spot, all greatly interested in why Hiccup was not accompanying the riders. Stoick was at the front of the pack, a look of utter terror on his usually stern face. Apparently he already feared the worst.
Stormfly's feet struck the ground with a boom, and Meatlug, Barf, and Belch followed, landing slowly and folding their wings in exhaustion. They had flown hard all morning long.
The crowd of Vikings surrounded the three dragons, shouting anxious questions at the riders. Astrid ignored every one of them, and, raising her flight mask, slid off Stormfly, her war axe clanking against her back as she landed. Fishlegs and the twins also dismounted, grim looks on their faces. Stoick the Vast pushed his way through the circle of villagers and hurried up to them, his face full of concern.
"Where is Hiccup?" he gasped, grabbing Astrid's shoulders. "Where is my son? Why is he not with you?"
The crowd of villagers became utterly silent, every eye on Astrid as they awaited her answer. It was unnerving to see how much fear was in their eyes.
"He – he-" Astrid faltered, unable to continue. She lowered her head in sorrow.
"Chief." Fishlegs stated. His voice was dull and dead. "We arrived at the island, and Hiccup was nowhere to be found. We were treated hostilely when we landed. When we asked Chief Bertha what happened to Hiccup, she said -"
"WHERE IS MY SON?" Stoick yelled, taking his hands off Astrid and taking a step towards Fishlegs.
Fishlegs opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, his head lowered.
"Hiccup is dead, Chief."
The crowd of villagers erupted. Exclamations of horror, dismay, and dread filled the air, creating a mess of verbose disorder. In the center were Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins, each looking dismal and despondent.
In the middle of the confusion, Stoick the Vast fell to his knees.
"My son," he whispered in horror, bowing his bearded head. "My only son – I have failed you, Valka. I couldn't keep him safe, I should never have let him go alone – I have failed – my son."
His head fell on his breast and he wept, the tears of grief so profound that Astrid was once again moved to weeping. Placing her head in her hands, she too began to cry. The Berkians ignored them, and continued to create an uproar that lasted several minutes, each speaking their own mind on the issue. However, they all eventually boiled down to one thing; the treachery of the Bog Burglars.
In the middle of the uproar, Spitelout Jorgenson stepped into the crowd and roared.
"Silence!"
The villagers abruptly shut up, all staring at the Chief's brother.
"This is a grave matter," Spitelout said with a calm anger. "The village need to discuss it in a organized meeting and decide what is to be done regarding this – this – treachery. Everyone please return to your duties, and you will be informed of when this council shall take place. It will most likely be this evening. Go!"
With authority now in action, the villagers dispersed, and only three remained. Spitelout, Gobber, and Heather stood by as Stoick remained on his knees. Solemn faced and serious were the twins, Astrid was crying, and Fishlegs looked lost in thought.
"Stoick," Gobber said softly, stepping towards his friend. "You are grieving, I know it, but we need to decide what ta do. Let's go to the Great Hall and find out exactly what happened. Maybe Hiccup is still alive after all."
Fishlegs nodded emphatically.
"Yes. We need to talk about this immediately, because if we are going to do something, it needs to be done as fast as possible. War is upon us, Chief Stoick."
Stoick lifted his head.
"My son," he whispered. "They took my son." Then his voice became filled with utter rage, and he leapt to his feet. "THEY KILLED MY SON! I WILL TRAVEL TO THE BOG AND RIP BIG BOBBIED BERTHA'S HEAD OFF FOR THIS OUTRAGE! THEY HAVE DESECRATED VIKING ALLIANCES WITH US! "
Astrid dropped to one knee and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, Chief," she whispered. "I should have gone with him. I should have been there."
Stoick did not hear. His eyes were glazed with grief and anger. He turned to Gobber, a voice as cold as death itself.
"Call a village council immediately, Gobber," he commanded icily. "The Bog Burglars are going to pay dearly for this."
North Alfheim, Alfheim Range, Day 9 since Hiccup's Departure
Toothless thundered through the sky, the air under his wings whistling past as he and his companion, the dragon Brenakir, hurled through the stone towers on the North mountain range of Alfheim.
"Watch the gust of wind!"Brenakir shouted to him in Dragonese."You can see it coming by the movement in the boughs of the pine trees! Adjust your wings to take in the extra force, then use it to get a burst of speed fast enough to get across the stream. Don't flap at all – this is a gliding exercise!"
"I'm on it!"Toothless replied, watching the movement of the air on his right."It'll be here in about four seconds, correct?"
"Just about!"Brenakir roared back."Get ready – here it comes!"
The blast of wind hurled snowflakes off the mountainside as it struck Toothless and his trainer. Both dragons expertly twisted their wings, angling the flow of air so that it pushed them towards their destination much faster. Brenakir, despite being larger and older than Toothless, performed the move no better than the Night Fury. Both dragons streaked across the frozen creek and waterfall, then, angling their wings, raised up above the rocky caverns and roared their victory.
Brenakir was of a breed of dragon never seen on Midgard before. He was an Alpha species, Alfheim born, at least three times as large as Toothless, a dark bluish green color, and, most importantly, had a rider, the lone elf that had trainedon Asgard before. He was to be Toothless' teacher for the duration of his stay on Alfheim, and the two dragons had already become fast friends.
"Ha!"Brenakir laughed, the air blasting out his nostrils into the cold morning air."You have the skill of the Old Ones, my good Night Fury! I am honored to fly at your side!"
Toothless bowed his head to accept the praise, and Brenakir continued, gliding higher in the sky."Flying is usually not a learned art, good Night Fury. It is born in you, a natural talent that is hard to alter or perfect. However, your ability seems to have minimal flaws. You only have two issues – your size, and,of course, your damaged tail. Arrrgh! You should have smote down the boy that fired that bola, for he took so much away from you in a single shot."
Toothless growled in warning."The boy is a good Viking,"he snarled to Brenakir."And knew as much about dragons at the time he shot me as we know of ants. He felled me and maimed me, yes, but the fact remains that he did let me go free. He had a true heart; he had spirit that I had never seen before in a Viking. He had the soul of a dragon. I knew he was destined to be my rider when I laid eyes on him, and I could have struck him down, but couldn't. Now he is part of me. My tail feels amiss without him guiding it, like right now. Do not deign to question my choices again, my good Kenna, for they surpass your knowledge and understanding. And what of my size, Brenakir?"
Brenakir accepted the rebuke, bowing his head in withdrawal."Forgive me, my good Night Fury. I know naught about your bond with your rider, and it was not my place to question the decisions of the God-born. But it is my place to educate. As for your size, my good Night Fury, it is much, much too small. I do not understand why, but you seem to have been stunted in your growth since hatching. Even though your age is young, you should now be of greater magnitude. I think you should now be even bigger than I am. An Alpha dragon such as yourself and I must be menacing, not only in talent and raw skill, but in looks and proportions. You have the ability to terrify every living creature on all the worlds of Yggdrasil, my good Night Fury, and your only disadvantage lies in the fact that you are smaller than many such creatures. But that will change. On Alfheim you are now eating the proper food for dragons, not the worthless, useless fish on the world of Midgard. Soon you will reach physical sizes you never dreamed of attaining. You WILL become a legend, a black ray of hope for the world of men, and shall strike down your enemies in torrents of fire and blood. It is your destiny, as prophesied, and as the regal species of dragons, we must accept that destiny with a roar of passion."
Toothless, in response, let out a terrifying bellow that echoed across the snowy mountainside, scaring every creature that was above ground, causing rabbits to dart into their burrows and tremble in fear.
"I have accepted my fate!"Toothless rumbled excitedly, darting through the air with Brenakir."Let destiny come! I will take my fate and welcome it with open claws,regardless of what it may bring for me! I will follow it, even if it means I have to strike down my brother by birth, the Hydra himself! I shall be ready!"
Brenakir snarled in reply, approving of Toothless' response. However, he became sober again.
"Let us fly lower, my good Night Fury,"he stated,"and we shall try to spot all the white rabbits in the snow below. Vision is one of the most vital skills of a dragon."
"As you wish, my good Kenna,"Toothless growled back, and then darted lower to the earth, Brenakir following.
"As for your destiny,"Brenakir mentioned, his blue eyes darting across the snow in search of animals,"It may well involve the destruction of the Hydra. He is your own flesh and blood, born of the Gods, and, like you, is one with the darkness. Killing him may come at a great cost, and his talent is never to be underestimated. He is hundreds of years older than you, and has no doubt reached his maximum size and talent by now. No matter how quickly you manage to grow, your time is running out. Hel, the Goddess of the Underworld Niflheim, will soon find a way to unleash the armies of the dead, and when that happens there will be no hope for men. Your training here must be quick. In a year's time, you shall be back to the golden land of Asgard, to train together with the Chosen One, Midgard's Akkeri, your bonded one, the Black Rider. The boy shall undergo terrible things during his training on Asgard, and when he emerges to train with you, he will never be the same again. If things go too badly, he will have a difficult time even remembering who you are. My rider was the same when he endured it. When I first saw him after his individual education was complete, he was hallowed, broken. He was once a beautifully minded elf of the kingdom, but his very soul had been altered by the viciousness of the Asgardian training. The education has its benefits, but men and elves are weak, and can easily succumb to the horrors it instills. Be warned, when you see your rider again, he may not be the same."
Toothless snarled angrily, diverting his attention from the exercise."If they lay a hand on Hiccup, they shall answer to me,"he growled savagely."Even Odin himself will not withstand my wrath. I shall burn Asgard to the ground, with the screams of men and the smell of blood, if Hiccup is ruined by any foul training!"
Brenakir grinned, his sharp teeth bared in the morning sunlight.
"I felt the same way when Kaldr returned,"he said."I was angry enough to kill everyone on Asgard. Believe me, they did much more than simply lay a hand on him, and they will do the same to Hiccup. But eventually, I too came to understand the purpose of such a violent and bizarre training. My rider can no longer be swayed by the minds of immortals, despite his being only a normal elf with no godlike abilities. His talents far exceed those of the average elf, and he is more than capable in every form of combat, aerial or ground. The training was exceedingly helpful, even if it required the destruction of some of his personality."
"I still do not approve, my good Kenna,"Toothless growled."And the Asgardians certainly did not treat me well during my stay. I spent my time in the supposedly beautiful, golden city in the cell of an impenetrable dungeon, across from a humanlike creature who had godly powers. He struck me as a similar man to my rider. I wonder -"
SNAP!
Something cracked near Toothless' tail, and the leather of the tailfin flapped loose, becoming useless. The balance on the tail abruptly changed, and Toothless could no longer maintain his position. The black dragon roared as he lost control and began to plummet to the snowy, rocky peaks below.
"Toothless!"Roared Brenakir, diving after him."Watch out, for you shall crash into the mountains!"
Toothless desperately tried to right himself, but he was too late. He crashed heavily into the snow covered rocks on the side of the peak, causing a cloud of flying white dust that screened Brenakir's vision. Brenakir soared over the spot, trying anxiously to locate his fallen companion. At first he sould see nothing, but then he noticed a black object rolling down the slope, already almost at the bottom.
"Toothless!"He shouted, flying down towards the shape. As he was on his way, the Night Fury finished his fall and skidded to a halt at the base of the mountain, lying utterly still on a sheet of ice.
Brenakir soared down to the crash site and landed, his large talons crushing the loose snow as he hurried over to Toothless. The Night Fury lay on his side on the smooth ice, keening in pain. Bruises and cuts were all over his black scales. Brenakir stood over him sorrowfully and surveyed the damage.
"Why, Brenakir?"Toothless moaned, lifting his scaled head. "Why am I the one destined to carry the savior of Midgard? I am a cripple, my good Kenna. I am a broken vessel, a wing that no longer works. You can guide me down the right winds, my good Kenna, but I am like a bent arrow that cannot fly true, regardless of the skill of the archer. I feel so weak, so lost among the great dragons of the worlds. I am an Alpha dragon, the savior of an entire world, and yet I cannot manage fly without falling. It is an affliction that I am sorrowful to bear."
Brenakir dipped his head.
"I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, my good Night Fury,"he whispered."I would not be able to live with the misfortune of hampered flight. I admire you with every breath I take for your persistence. This is the third occasion it has broken. Can it be made better?"
Toothless groaned, shifting his weight in the snow.
"I thank you for your encouragement, good Kenna,"he said."But I do not think it can be fixed. My rider is a master smith, and this tail is the best I can wish for. But the metal that holds it together cannot resist the power of the cold, like many other things."Slowly Toothless crawled to his feet, his body covered with sores and bruises from the crash.
"What broke this time?"Brenakir asked, sniffing the damaged tailfin.
"I do not know,"Toothless replied, shaking the snow off his scales."But I had something like this happen with my rider on me, and, when he quit whining about how much the crash hurt, he said something about the 'Thor-blasted connecting rod.' I assume it has something to do with that. It cannot be helped. I will have to walk back to the city and ask the elves to repair it again."
Brenakir looked on sympathetically."It is a long hike, my good Night Fury. I am not enormous, but big enough to carry you. Let me help."
Toothless shook his head."I will have to make harder treks than this if the tail breaks in the war to come,"he stated."I should get accustomed to it. Fly on, Brenakir. I shall be at the castle in four hours, if I guess correctly."
"Never."Brenakir stood up to his full height."Never will it be said that Brenakir, Dreki of Alfhiem, left a companion behind while he still had fire in his belly. If you insist on walking, I shall make the journey with you. But I believe it is not necessary. Let me carry you, and when we get back to the castle I will tell my Riddari, Kaldr, that I will tolerate no more of this nonsense. You could be killed if the next crash is bad enough. I know there is a way to fix it permanently, but Kaldr is waiting, for reasons that I cannot understand. I shall carry you back, and when we arrive the tail shall be mended once and for all."
"How is that possible?"Toothless demanded looking up at his trainer."The 'Thor-blasted connecting rod' can never be made so perfect that it will not break again. Nothing can. How can you say that with truth, my good Kenna?"
Brenakir did not answer at first. He merely seized Toothless' hips and shoulders in his large claws and prepared to lift him.
"It is not the equipment we shall fix,"he said. Then, he spread his wings and took off, heaving Toothless in the direction of the castle.
"I cannot understand you, my good Kenna,"Toothless said curiously, as he was carried through the skies."But I cannot complain, if you claim to have a solution. Take me to the castle, and do what you will."
There was no more talking for the next fifteen minutes as Brenakir struggled mightily to carry the weight of Toothless over the snowy landscapes of Alfheim. But sooner than they expected, they landed in the courtyard of the castle, Brenakir's powerful wings blasting loose snow across the stone square.
"Dreki Brenakir!" the nearby elves shouted, running to Brenakir and Toothless with looks of concern on their fair faces. All of them were tall, broad shouldered, and had sharp eyes with jolly faces and pointed ears. They could run like deer, and they surrounded the two dragons in an instant.
"My good Dreki!" one of them said. "It is a difficult flight from the Alfhiem range to here, and carrying a burden! Let us get you some food, my good Dreki Brenakir, and for the good Night Fury also!"
"No,"Brenakir snarled in Dragonese. No elf could understand him, but he began to use gestures that the eves were able to decipher as, "I need to see my rider. Bring us to him."
"As you wish, Dreki Brenakir!" the elves cried in unison. "To the palace! Captain Kaldr is engaged within."
The elves ran ahead of the two dragons, leading the way. Toothless, using Dragonese, said to Brenakir,"They still only give you a respectful title, and not myself. They seem to neglect me whenever you are around. Why is it so, my good Kenna?"
"Because I am their Dreki, and you are not,"Brenakir replied."I am an Alpha on Alfheim, and when I met my rider, Kaldr, we instantly bonded and became one, just as you did with Hiccup. When Kaldr was trained, he became Captain and Riddari of Alfheim, and, as his dragon, I received the title Dreki of Alfheim, since I am the dragon commander of our troops. I am also the dragon of their army's leader, and as such I am treated with the utmost respect. Keep in mind that they do not forget you exist when I am with you, but they do ensure that I am treated with more honor than you are, for the reasons I described."
"We are both Alphas,"Toothless growled."It would be just if we were treated as equals in that regard, at least by my way of thinking."
Brenakir barked a dragon laugh. "It is true, my good Night Fury. However, they will never understand that, I fear."
The two dragons came to the white doors of the palace, and the elves, with smiling, laughing faces, gestured them inside.
"Let us see my rider, Night Fury,"Brenakir stated, as they strode into the royal quarters."I am speaking with him right now, and I am telling him that the time for delay is over. Let us correct your problem before it gets worse."
Toothless was always awed by the way Brenakir and Kaldr communicated, through their mental bond of rider and dragon. It was the first thing Brenakir had taught him; how to do so with his rider. When Toothless returned to Hiccup they would be able to speak through their minds, and not just through body language. Toothless was very excited to try it for the first time, once he returned to Asgard.
Brenakir paused, listening to his rider speak to him through their mental bond. He then smiled a big dragon smile.
"He agrees,"he stated."We have a gift for you, my good Night Fury. Come, my rider is in the next room, with someone you will like very much to meet."
"What is it?"Toothless demanded, hurrying after his trainer."Why do you have to be so secretive, my good Kenna? What is occurring?"
Brenakir came to an open door which led to a large, golden hall. Instead of answering, he gestured Toothless inside with a clawed foot. Going through the door, Toothless halted, dazzled by what he saw.
A young woman, who looked to be only eighteen or twenty, stood at the center of the room. Beside her, with his head bowed and hand over his heart in a sign of respect, was Kaldr, Brenakir's elvish rider. However, Toothless failed to notice him. He could only stare at the woman. She had radiant golden hair, the smile of a sweet little girl, and eyes as deep blue as the sea. With a blue dress that matched her eyes perfectly, she smiled at Toothless.
Kaldr was speaking, but Toothless scarcely heard him.
"My good Night Fury, I am honored to present to you the light of Alfheim, our foothold, the Goddess Eir. She has the true heart of an elf, and the true might of the Gods. She commands the powers of healing, and deigns an audience with you, good Night Fury."
Toothless' green eyes were wide. Even through the senses of a dragon, the beauty of the woman was astounding. He dipped his head, speaking reverently in Dragonese. He knew that no one would understand him, but Kaldr would be able to see that he was informing the woman she was welcome to speak with him.
However, Kaldr did not need to translate. The woman stepped forward, and spoke to Toothless.
"I am honored to meet you, my good Night Fury," she smiled at him. Her voice was so sweet that Toothless felt listening to it was like a ray of warm sunlight striking his scales. It was like no other feeling he had ever seen. The bruises and sores on his body vanished as if afraid of her voice. Astounded, Toothless raised his eyes to look at her.
"I am the Goddess Eir," she said, the dazzling smile still present on her perfect face as she stepped softly towards Toothless. "I have knowledge of all things living, all things that have beating hearts, all things that breath air to live. I know everything about the virtue of life, and for that reason I also know more about pain than any other."
She now reached Toothless, and she stroked his neck with a soft hand, her touch immediately making Toothless relax, completely calm and soothed. He felt no sorrow, no pain, and no sadness. The Goddess continued to caress his black scales, speaking so softly only he could hear.
"I know what you feel, my good dragon," she whispered, laying her forehead against Toothless' chest. "And what you have felt. I know. The pain you have endured throughout your life has been terrible. The bola striking you, tearing the flesh on your tail, forever depriving you of the grace of true flight. I can feel it even now, radiating from your memory. So much pain."
She moved down Toothless' body, and, with a flick of her hand, the mechanism that supported his tailfin vanished from his back, clattering on the ground. She looked at it disdainfully, as if it were garbage. Toothless stared back at her with wide green eyes as she knelt by his injured tail.
"I know what you feel, my good dragon," she repeated softly. "But it is time that your weaknesses vanish. You have endured much already. You have graced the skies with your presence from the day you hatched from your egg, and your determination to fly despite your injury has sparked the sympathy of the Gods. You are destined for greatness, and best must have no defects to mar their actions or hamper their valor. I tell you, my good dragon Toothless, that you shall endure this affliction no more."
She laid her hands on the black tail, and Toothless raised his head in a silent howl as a surge of energy flowed from her touch through his body, filling him with the fire of life and the power of growth.
Toothless would never wear a prosthetic again.