A/N: The following chapter describes blood and battle-stuff.

Three

The days went by as such, with Clara heading into the forest when classes were not in session, while the Doctor and Idris stayed hidden as the latter recuperated. Clara was glad that she had not only an excuse to not want to be in the village for extended periods of time, but that there was precedent for her frequently vanishing for hours on-end thanks to how she behaved after her mother's passing those many years prior. She was able to swipe more food from the Great Hall for Basil and from the docks for Idris, and took to heading out to visit them daily.

Each day Clara went out to the woods to visit with the Dragon Lord and his mount, she had to be continually cautious. The village was on-edge, as they were soon to be on two months without a single dragon coming down and attempting to steal food and wreak havoc. It was rare to not have a month without even a single stray wandering onto the island, yet two full ones? People were beginning to grow paranoid and she did not want her secret to be revealed because of it.

"Do you have a chart?" she asked one day as she brought her daily supplies down to the lake. Basil was helping Idris stretch a wing and didn't even look up from the membrane.

"Chart for what?"

"A chart that can help predict when dragons are going to attack," she clarified. "All of Berk is going bonkers because we haven't had a dragon come by in weeks… none except you."

"Don't be silly—there's no chart," he frowned. He looked on either side of the wing and let go, allowing Idris to fold it back up again. "Looking much better."

"Do you… do you think she's healed…?"

"There's only one real way to find out," he shrugged. The Doctor patted Idris on the head, stroking her scales from her snout to her ears. "Do you want to try with or without me first?"

The dragon snorted and scampered off, jumping into the air and flapping her wings desperately. She flew around the lake, making an easy lap of the shoreline before returning, landing solidly in the sand.

"I think we're about ready for a test-ride then," the Doctor grinned. He looked over at Clara, whose face seemed to be malfunctioning again. "Did you want to…?" He motioned towards Idris's saddle, "It fits two well."

"Are you sure?"

He silently held out his hand, unequivocally offering her a ride. She took it, placing her hand in his, and he led her over to the dragon's side. Idris gave them a quizzical look before Clara sat down, strapping her legs into the harness.

"Cool it," the Doctor warned Idris as she shot them a glare. "She's the reason we haven't been found, remember? Now no flying into any more skuas—we won't be as lucky next time."

"You flew into a skua?" Clara smirked. "You're just a shit driver."

Basil scowled at that, glaring at Idris as she snorted in amusement. "Don't laugh just yet—it's time for a test-run."

The dragon growled lowly, voicing her reluctant consent. Once he was sure that Clara was secure, the Doctor sat in front of her and snapped the reins. A click of his tongue and they were off, with Idris scampering for a moment across the beach before lifting off into the sky. Clara automatically leaned forward and clung to the Doctor's middle when they jumped into the air, making him squirm for a moment, though he relaxed the higher up they went.

Higher and higher, until they were up in the clouds! Idris climbed up into the atmosphere before diving down, maneuvering them into a spiral as they fell in a near-freefall towards the water. Pulling up just in time, they glided over the calm ocean waves before gaining altitude again.

"This is incredible!" Clara gasped. The Doctor glanced back with a wild grin, his hair actually lying flat in the wind.

"This is nothing!" He tugged gently on the reins and they headed towards an outcropping of rocks nearby. They wove their way through the rock formations before taking a sharp turn back to Berk. They were nearly there when Idris turned again of her own volition, heading away from the island.

"What's going on?" Clara wondered.

"I'm not sure," the Doctor replied. He tried urging the dragon to go back, not out to open seas. "We need to return to the island… you're not strong enough to leave yet."

Except, the dragon did not listen and kept going.

"She gets like this sometimes," he explained grumpily. "It's part of how we've been traveling. Idris will get this course that sort of overrides everything else and then there's little that will turn her back."

"Will she be able to get back to Berk by nightfall?"

"We'll see."

They flew for a sizable distance before reaching a rocky outcropping, where Idris landed, jumping and stomping about. She nearly threw her riders before she stopped, shaking her head—then entire body—before sinking to the ground.

"What the hell was that?!" Clara asked. She freed herself from the saddle and watched as the Doctor dismounted to look Idris over, seeing the concern that swept across his face. "Uh… Doctor…?"

"I think I know what it was," he scowled. "Dragon Lords have a way of summoning dragons within a certain radius—her pupils are very narrow and are trying to dilate back to normal… she's breaking free."

"Is there another Dragon Lord?"

"There was, when I was younger. It might be the same one." He observed Idris's movements for a moment before turning around, matching her prior path to the dots sitting on the horizon. "There's only one way to find out."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." He bent down and whispered lowly at the dragon, which caused a golden glow to wash over her. She shivered and shook her head, throwing off the remainder of whatever had come over her, seemingly normal again before the Doctor sat back down on the saddle.

"You still promised to get me home, Doctor. Remember that," Clara reminded him.

"Basil." She looked at him, eyebrow raised. "My name is Basil."

"Good to know you weren't running about the schoolyard being called 'Doctor'," she smirked. He didn't seem to react, which sent up a flag in her mind. "It was just a joke."

"I know," he acknowledged. "Just… weren't a lot of schoolchildren when I was a lad. Now get on before it gets too dark."

Clara obliged and got back on the saddle, with Idris kicking up in nearly an instant. They continued their flight trajectory, eventually heading towards a craggy, lichen-covered island that made the dragon growl. As they moved closer, they saw other dragons, the sight of which made Idris utilize her chameleon reflex. The three intruders all began to turn invisible, weaving their way through the other dragons carefully.

Following the others, the trio went into a cave, discovering that deep within there was a large chamber that was packed with other dragons. Lit by dragon's breath and luminescent mosses, it appeared to be a main den for the creatures, which made Clara shiver in response to her near life-long relationship with them. Idris landed in the shadows of some rocks, allowing the humans dismounting the saddle to get a more stable look.

"Something's not right," Basil noted. "There's an unnatural feel to the way these dragons are acting… they're almost choreographed, yet trying to break free."

"Is it whatever it is they're wearing?" Clara asked. She pointed to the nearest-most dragon, who seemed as though it was wearing a leather collar. Basil squinted as he tried to get a better look in the low light, though Clara interrupted him by finding a discarded one nearby. "See? It has a weird thing on it."

"This is dragonsblood," he noted, pointing out the stones embedded in the leather. "The science isn't sound, but this is part of how Dragon Lords used to control their… 'subjects'. Plenty of it was conditioning and having control of all the alpha beasts in the area, but this… it was said to be able to help someone tap into a dragon's deepest, most animalistic side… to control it completely."

"You obviously don't feel that's necessary with Idris."

"I'd rather work with her through friendship, not fear." He popped one of the stones out of the collar and looked at it closer. "In the Old Style too."

"What's that…?" Clara asked. The Doctor stayed still, only lifting his gaze through his eyes.

"Putting this so it punctures between the scales, injuring the creature and poisoning its blood, making it want more in an addiction that will eventually be its downfall." He watched as she recoiled in disgust—dragon or not, nothing deserved to be controlled as such. Dropping the collar, he glanced around the rock to see what was otherwise happening. "Let's take a look and see what's going on before leaving."

"Sounds like a plan."

At that, the Doctor, Clara, and Idris all snuck around the edge of the cave, attempting to find evidence of who or what was behind the formation of the den. While there was evidence of a campfire not far away, there was no way for them to properly examine it, as it would have exposed their position. Proof of human life was here and there, but without the ability to go up and take a look…

"Basil! Look!" Clara elbowed him and pointed towards the wall a bit further down. There, plain as could be, was a map of all the islands carved into the wall, large enough to see at a distance, yet small enough to be hidden behind rocks. "It looks like islands are crossed off…"

"Velda…" he scowled. His expression became visibly more concerned and not in any mood to continue. "We need to leave, now."

"Why…? Who's Velda?"

"I'll explain later—just go!"

The trio crept back to where they had landed and hurried to leave, Idris taking off soon as she felt the weight of both humans on her back. They flew back to the small outcropping in silence; soon as their feet touched solid rock, it seemed as though the Doctor and his dragon immediately began to argue.

"This is not good," he said. Idris groaned, causing him to snort. "You think I don't know that? She's a dangerous force, that's what she is, and you know just as much as I do." This time, a grunt from the dragon. "Yeah, yeah, it's on your head too, you know."

"Wait, who is a dangerous force?" Clara asked. "Velda? Who is she?"

"Velda is a terrible, unhinged creature who masquerades as a human, making it her sworn duty to create as much chaos as possible. When those traders said that the Last of the Dragon Lords was wandering about, when I said that he didn't mean to look out for me… it was because they meant to look out for her. I held out hope that it wouldn't've been her… but now I just hope she doesn't catch up to us."

"You're absolutely certain that there's another one of you out there? That it's her specifically?"

"That map proves it—she liked to do things like that, as large and showy as possible. I wouldn't simply say it if I wasn't very, very certain it was her."

"…and how do you know it's her?"

"I just do, alright?!" He looked away and watched Idris drink from a puddle in order to avoid eye contact. "I just didn't think we would have run into one another again… not after this long."

"Why's that?"

The Doctor was quiet for a while, continuing to watch Idris before turning his gaze back to Clara, with her taking note how vastly sad and tired his eyes were. "I thought she was dead… I thought I killed her."

"You what?!" Clara felt like she couldn't believe her own ears. "Who in the hell is she?!" When he didn't reply, she furrowed her brow into the sharpest glare she could muster. "Basil, who in the hell is Velda and why are you surprised she's even alive?"

"I told you: I thought I killed her!"

"…but who is she?! Other than another Dragon Lord back from the legendary grave?!"

"My sister, alright?!" He watched as her eyes grew wide and her jaw drop. "Happy now?"

"That just gave me a whole new set of questions that need answering," Clara nearly squeaked. She sat down on a nearby boulder, completely stunned. "What drove you to do that…?"

"That's a conversation for another day," he insisted. The Doctor clicked his tongue and Idris came to his side, allowing him to examine her wings before he sat back down on the saddle. "Come on—it's a long way to Berk."

Clara weakly nodded and reclaimed her spot sitting behind him, holding onto his middle as Idris took off and flew over the ocean towards Berk. She gradually allowed the hold to become a hug, resting herself on the Doctor's back—which admittedly made him squirm slightly.

"I know you need to get a grip on something, but no hugging—I'm against the hugging," he insisted.

"I really don't think you get a choice," she reminded him. There was something about the soft leathers and warm wools of his clothes that were comforting, and she was not going to give that up just yet. They were quiet after that, with Clara watching the sun set against the horizon whilst the Doctor found their way. It was nearly twilight as they touched down in a small glen closer to the village's boundary than the lake.

They looked at one another and everything hit at once.

"Are you…" Clara started, "…is this goodbye?"

"No," he frowned. "If Velda is out there, flying out of a base nearby, then I'm going to hide further into the forest and lay low until she passes over. Nothing good will come of getting her attention, and another dragon rider in the sky? With a dragon who won't listen to her commands? That will stick out more than most things. There's no chance I can sneak away."

"Ah." She turned and started to head towards Berk. "Then I guess I'll see you…?"

"Hey, um… I'm sorry."

She turned to look at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry I'm getting you mixed up in all this; if I'm right and this is really my sister we need to watch out for, then it's only going to get worse before it gets any better," he elaborated. She shook her head at him.

"If I was scared, what would I have done to start?" she suggested. "I would have gone and run back to Berk quickly as I could and tell everyone you were here. 'Quick: get the Dragon Lord while his mount is injured.' It would have been easy, given my standing in the village."

"Why didn't you…?" She contemplated that before nodding.

"…because maybe, just maybe, there was a reason for you crashing down from the sky on the back of a dragon, and that whatever that reason was, it needed to involve the two of us." She saw his shoulders sink as he exhaled, letting tension flow out of him. "I'll find you soon okay? Good night."

"Good night."

At that, she walked the rest of the way to Berk, picking up some food in the Great Hall before going back to her house. Without her father to ask questions of her, she ate in silence as she stared at a map of the sea, which was almost identical to the one carved into the cave walls in the dragon den. She took a pencil and outlined not only the rocky outcrop, but the island the den was on as well. Both were well out of the way of advantageous currents of both sea and air, which explained why neither had been charted. There were plenty more questions she needed to compile before she next went to go find the Doctor and she wanted to make certain they were thorough.

…my sister…

…I thought I killed her…

…my sister…

His words played over in her head as she placed the map back in its place within the stone-chest. She knew that it was normal for siblings to get on poorly, and not getting on at all was—unfortunately—only slightly less than common, but whatever it was that the Doctor had against Velda, she knew it had been more than some broken toys as children or a teenaged love spurned due to meddling. It was something deep and menacing—far from any sort of misunderstanding. He didn't seem like the type to hold that deep a grudge… whatever it was, it had been serious.

Plenty of other thoughts in regards to the Doctor began to race through Clara's mind. What was going to happen when the other villagers discovered him and Idris? They were thankfully able to hide in a large variety of places—the island's forest was thick and caves numerous—yet there was eventually bound to be someone who was going to stumble upon them. A wandering child, a team searching for building materials, teens who simply want to be alone… there were many, many factors that made it so that she was now doubly concerned about the Doctor…

…then again, he was used to this sort of life, wasn't he? Going from place to place, likely hiding and stealing so that he could survive, going and living off the land and sea when there was nothing to steal. How had he survived all the way until now, especially since Velda was wandering around, potentially controlling dragons? She thought of him, how he was alone save for a dragon, and how he reacted when she touched him. He had twitched away at first, but when he leaned into her touch…

"Stop it, Clara," she told herself, shaking her head. He was an indulgent concept to think about, that much was true, yet she knew it was likely he would leave soon as the coast was clear. There had likely been someone before her and there was also a chance there would be someone after. She was no fool, yet at the same time, she couldn't help entertain the idea of him there, with her, right then and there…

Just then, the bell sounded, ringing clearly over the village and sending a chill through Clara's bones and snatching away her fantasies.

Dragons.

She rushed out of the house and saw that the attack had already begun over by the paddocks, flames engulfing the stables and the nearby buildings. Everyone was beginning to run around and get to their assigned positions, with many of the adults manning the anti-dragon weaponry or grabbing whatever sword or axe they could. Some of the teens were trying to herd the sheep and goats away from the flames while others grabbed buckets of water to attempt to save what they could. It was of little use, because each time water went on a fire, a dragon came by to blow it back up again.

"Miss! Miss!" a couple kids cried out as they ran to Clara's side. They knew she was not there to actively fight, only to make sure they were safe.

"Where are the others?!" she asked.

"Rounding them up now!" She turned and saw Danny, who was handing her a sword while still holding one for himself. He deflected a dragon's dive, using his sword to divert it away from the children and into a nearby pole. "It's about time, don't you think?!"

"No kidding!" she replied. "Go on kids—Mister Pink will bring you to the shelter!"

The children needed no further telling and followed Danny off into the flames, using routes they knew as being less-dangerous of the paths to the shelters made of stone and behind the waterfall that provided the village with life. Clara instead rushed into the rest of the village, running about and making sure buildings she knew housed children were empty. Occasionally she had to break down a door or dodge a dragon, but before long, the village was nearly cleared. She held herself together as she watched her students all head behind the waterfall, some carrying beloved toys or books and others carrying siblings and neighbors too small or weak to run. Looking up at the sky, the tears in her eyes fell as she saw the swarm of dragons circling about, each taking a turn at when to dive down and torturing Berk.

It was then, however, that Clara noticed something that she never had before: the dragons were wearing collars! The exact same thing that she and Basil had found in the den… they were on the dragons that were attacking! These were such different dragons from Idris that, well, the revelation almost wasn't a surprise.

"Clara, did you clear your part?!" She turned; it was Danny, accompanied by a small gaggle of kids who immediately ran past them. "Adrian's already in the shelter—we should join him."

"Wait… did you get Ruby?" she asked. "She wasn't in her house when I went in."

"She wasn't there? Shit…" They both looked at the flame-engulfed village—the damage was going to be fairly intense this time around. "Let's make one last sweep then."

"Got it."

Clara and Danny began to run about the village together, calling out in hopes that any other child that might have slipped past them would hear. The other villagers were busy enough to ignore them, too busy with their swords and weapons and trying to make sure that every burnable structure did not go up in smoke. They were about ready to turn back when a couple of older teens approached them—skilled dragon-fighters the both of them.

"Miss Oswald! Mister Pink! We got some younger ones over here!" the taller one said. Part of her left braid was singed off and tooth and claw marks were covering her shield. The other—shorter and with a bloody axe—urged someone unseen to come from behind him. There was the aforementioned Ruby, as well as another child, both of whom clung to Clara immediately.

"It looks like they were trapped," the shorter teen said. "Can you get them to the shelter, Miss Oswald?"

"Of course."

"Mister Pink," the taller teen cut in, not missing a beat, "we need you out here. We'd more than appreciate help from the man who took down a half-dozen Kobolds single-handedly."

"I told you kids—I'm not doing that anymore unless those Kobolds are about to break through the waterfall," he glowered. The teens both took a step back—they knew their former teacher meant business. "Come on Miss Oswald; let's get these kids to safety."

"Yes, let's," she agreed. Clara and Danny helped the kids navigate through Berk, which was even more chaotic and flame-scarred than a normal raid. "You didn't have to be mean about it."

"I think you're mistaking being mean with being firm," he replied. "I'd rather be firm now than cruel later."

"I never said anything about being cruel."

"…and I know precisely where things have to go if I am to be brought back into the folds for good." Danny and Clara both looked at one another and shared a knowing smile, only for a moment later, a dragon swooped down and attempted to carry him off.

"Mister Pink!" Ruby screamed as the three of them stopped. "Miss Oswald! We have to help him!"

"I don't think that's what Mister Pink wants us to do," she insisted. There was some shouting in the distanced and she looked in the direction of the shelter—there was the last of the students, along with Adrian, one of the other teachers. "You should go!"

"Miss! He just stabbed the dragon!" one of the children said. Clara turned her head and saw that Danny's sword was indeed lodged in the creature that was now falling towards the ground with him in its grasp. Another glance and she saw some of the nearby scaffolding was on fire; a large creaking noise and she knew it wasn't going to last. She pulled the two children still staring at Danny back and held them close, just in time for a piece of scaffolding to fall down in their path.

"Miss!" shouted some of the kids on the other side of the burning wood. "Are you okay?!"

"Yes! Head into the shelter!" she ordered. Clara hugged the two at her side and urged them along. "Go around; get to safety while I find Mister Pink."

"…but Miss…!"

"I can't let Mister Davies be your only adult there for long, can I?" she smirked. Once the children were around the wreckage and running towards Adrian, Clara turned on her heel and ran in the direction Danny fell in, arriving just in time to see him deliver the final blow to the dragon that had attacked him. A split second and she was almost certain it was Idris he was killing—but it wasn't, and yet the weight in her stomach would not leave.

"Did you get them safely to the waterfall?" he asked soon as he noticed her.

"They're with Adrian now," she replied. A sudden chill washed over them both and they looked up—all of the dragons were now in the air, with none of them attacking Berk. The rest of the villagers began to gather, all wondering what was going on. Clara looked out the corner of her eye and saw the collar on the nearby dead dragon begin to smolder away—there would be nothing left to show, even if anyone else would begin to believe her.

"Look! A Dragon Lord!"

Everyone moved to the edge of the square as a dragon came flapping into sight. It landed heavily near its brethren's corpse and it felt as time itself slowed down. On the creature's back was a woman, clad in thick wool, leather, and scales. Everything seemed to settle, with dragons and humans alike stopping to watch, curious about what was happening. With her black hair tied into a sleek bun and her distinctive cheekbones, the rider did not appear to be related to the Doctor, but her age seemed to match his own, as well as her piercing, all-knowing glare. The rider dismounted from the dragon and petted it tenderly, its scales visibly shivering in a dazzling display of color. She then stepped forward, hands behind her back, and scrutinized her audience.

"I am the Master," she said, her voice firm and strong, "known by some as the Last of the Dragon Lords. I am looking for something that belongs to me."

"Whatever it is, we don't have it," Danny declared. He stepped in front of the crowd, keeping his shoulders squared and head held high. "We have no need for someone who can't even do her job properly."

"Oh…?" the Master chuckled. "What job?"

"The Dragon Lords used to control the dragons, make them not attack like they do now. We fight dragons so much that some months it's all we do."

"Didn't I just tell you? I'm the last one; every dragon would be a lot of work for just me, so I specialize." She snapped her fingers and her dragon lurched forward, biting Danny's leg. Another snap and it let go, allowing the man to drop to the ground in agony.

"No! Danny!" Clara rushed to his side just as some of the village's doctors—it wasn't looking very good. She helped hold him steady as they attempted to look at the damage, the intense pain making him writhe violently.

"There is a fugitive running from my justice," the Master continued. "He stole something from me and I want it back. If I find out that he is here and one of you knew about it, this entire speck of rock is going to be wiped from the maps. Do I make myself clear?"

The only noise was that of Danny screaming.

"Good," she said. "I will return in two weeks. If I find who I am looking for, then you better hope I'm in a good mood after."

"We've never even seen you before today!" Clara snapped. "Who are you to come in and demand something like that?!" The Master turned her attention towards her and she could feel her ice-cold glare intensify.

"Do you really want to test whether or not I'm mad enough to raze this entire island to get what I'm looking for?" she posed. "Guess what? I don't think that you're in a position to really find out the hard way." She turned on her heel and walked back to her dragon, sitting in the saddle as one would a fine warhorse. "Two weeks; don't disappoint me."

A click of her tongue and she flew away—this was not going to be good.