A/N: I'll admit, writing this story is becoming a bit of an obsession. It's such a relief to get my thoughts down on paper...or, you know, virtual paper. Anyways, I know it's annoying to read really short chapters, but that's just the way it has to be right now. I only have so much time on my hands. I hope you all are having a fantastic day!

Disclaimer: I'm afraid I still don't own HTTYD.

VALKA'S POV

The next few days were tedious, to say the least. I spent nearly all my time trying to make a comfortable living space in the cavern. Cloudjumper had been a huge help. He gathered supplies: food for me and Hiccup (he even cooked some fish with his fire for me), wood that had broken off of many types of trees, softer materials like leaves and large clumps of moss. I'd managed to make a pretty cozy bed that I shared with Hiccup, and I even built a fire pit on the stoney end of the cavern. All in all, things had been going well.

Still, a certain thought kept nagging me incessantly. I need more than this island can provide. Specifically, I needed tools. If I wanted to be able to rely on myself instead of Cloudjumper, I needed weapons to hunt the local wildlife. I needed knives so I could skin them and make clothes.

The only place to get tools was from other humans. I couldn't go back to Berk, but there were markets in the far north that I was almost positive couldn't be more than half a day's flight away. Cloudjumper had flown directly north from Berk, which meant the markets were somewhere east of the nest. I didn't have anything to trade, so I'd have to use...other means to get what I needed.

Which leads me to where I am now: on the edges of the Northern Markets with my baby in a homemade sling against my chest. Thankfully, this was one of his quiet days. My half assed plan would have no hope if he was crying and drawing everyone's attention. Cloudjumper was hidden away in the forest, waiting for my return.

I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves, and walked slowly along a worn down path that led to one of the weapons tents. There were many people here that would kill me without a second thought just for fun, so I kept a wary eye on my surroundings. The closer I got to my destination, the louder the voices from inside became. I paused right outside, pretending to attend to Hiccup. When I was absolutely sure no one was looking, I took out a sharp rock I'd brought from the nest, chose my target, and chucked it as hard as I could. The muscular, intimidating man that I had hit directly on the head whipped around with eyes of fury, searching for the culprit. I had turned around as soon as I threw it, still acting as if Hiccup needed my attention. No one suspects the mother and her baby. The scary man strode up to the guy closest to him, and threw a solid punch right to his jaw. A few curse words and fists of fury later, and half the people in the market were in a full on brawl. I smirked. So predictable. As I'd hoped, the men guarding the weapons tent ran out to see what all the commotion was about, allowing me to slip inside. I shifted the sling around so Hiccup rested against my back, then grabbed all the weapons I could carry, placing them in a pouch of fur from my clothes. When the weight started to become too much, I ducked out the back, sprinting as fast as I could into the forest. I could still hear the angry shouts and even some cheers behind me as I left.

It wasn't long before I made it back to Cloudjumper, who crooned in curiosity as he sniffed at my stash. I pushed his head aside, climbing onto his back. "Come on, we need to get out of here before they notice their stuff is missing!" I urged, looking over my shoulder with extreme paranoia. He didn't need to be told twice, and took to the air, heading straight for the cover of the clouds so he wouldn't be spotted.

Now that we were out of the danger zone, I allowed myself to relax, and even laugh a bit. "That was crazy!" I shout, my words disappearing in the wind. Cloudjumper roared triumphantly, and even Hiccup clapped in excitement.

Things were definitely looking up.

A couple days later, I was knee deep in the lake, giving Hiccup a bath. Cloudjumper was sitting close by, ever the watchful guardian. None of the other dragons had gotten near us yet. I wasn't sure if it was Cloudjumper that kept them away, or if they'd just accepted us as part of the flock. Either way, I was getting more and more comfortable letting Hiccup out of reach. He couldn't really crawl yet, but he did manage to scoot around. I often found him trying to make his way towards the dark tunnel that leads out of our cavern and deeper into the mountain. I've also noticed how attentive he is to the dragons. He's not afraid of them at all. I'm pretty sure he loves Cloudjumper more than me, and Cloud definitely has a strong fondness for my son.

When I finished scrubbing the dirt off Hiccup, I lifted him out of the water, blowing raspberries on his stomach. He giggled and squirmed, enjoying the attention. I wrapped him in a thin layer of fur and trudged out of the water. As soon as I made it to shore, I felt the ground beneath my feet quake. My eyes widened in a panic and I ran to Cloudjumper, who had become my source of comfort and safety in the short time I'd known him. He didn't look alarmed in the slightest. Instead, he gazed out towards the water, then bowed.

"What are you...?" The words died in my throat as a giant dragon rose out of the lake, sending a ripple of waves out in every direction. I gasped, clinging to Cloudjumper as a dragon I'd thought was a myth stared down at me. Its eyes seemed to penetrate through to my soul, and I couldn't look away. I should've known...a nest this size? Of course there's an Alpha. A Bewilderbeast! A magnificent Tidal Class dragon, a legend. He didn't look angry. Actually, there was a certain mirthfulness to his expression. I gulped, unsure whether to speak or not. Or maybe I should bow like Cloudjumper? The Alpha brought his head down closer to the surface, then blew out a soft breath that instantly showered me in a frosty powder. I laughed, shaking out my hair. Hiccup sneezed, then gave me a gummy smile.

"Hello to you, too...Alpha." I greeted, grinning up at him. It all made sense now, and I felt stupid for not having figured it out before. I'd read about Bewilderbeasts long ago in a dusty old journal I'd found in the library. Many vikings on Berk regarded me as the odd, book-smart woman who spent too much time reading about dragons and not enough time killing them. Whenever there was a raid, I would hide away in the Great Hall, studying all the different species in hopes that I would find an answer to all our problems. I didn't find a solution, but I did expand my dragon knowledge. The journal I'd found had plenty of information about Bewilderbeasts—how anyone managed to get the information is beyond me. It depicted a creature the size of a mountain with spiky frills all along its body. It spits ice instead of fire, and it can control other dragons.

I hadn't believed a word when I'd read it, but now...seeing it standing right in front of me...My eyes drifted to where the dragons were circling overhead. Did the Alpha control them? It didn't seem like it. Cloudjumper had bowed out of respect, but he still had his own wits about him, his own personality. And the Alpha himself was imposing, yet somehow I didn't feel threatened. If anything, I felt even safer than I had five minutes ago. There was no way anything on the outside could get past him.

The giant settled down to rest in the water, his movements causing the earth to practically groan. Once he stilled, there was the familiar quiet that I'd already grown accustomed to, save for the sounds of dragons flying above. A small group of baby dragons flew over to the Alpha, landing on his face and chewing on his spiky tendrils. He watched them play without protest. It was clear then that this dragon was a protector, not a destroyer. This was his nest, and he was loved and respected, not feared.

Cloudjumper nudged me, asking for scratches. I obliged, sending him an amazed smile. "I wish I'd known about this place before," I told him softly. "A true haven." Cloud purred in agreement.

Hiccup began to whimper a bit, letting me know it was his lunch time. "Who's a hungry boy?" I chuckle. I take my place on Cloudjumper's back, and he takes us back to our cavern entrance. Right as I slid onto the ground, Cloud stepped in front of me and let out a fierce growl, a sound I'd never heard coming from him. I instinctively shied away from him, shielding Hiccup, but I soon noticed that his growl was directed in front of us. My eyebrows furrow and I peek around his wing, trying to spot the threat.

It took me a minute, but eventually I was able to make out two glowing green eyes with slitted pupils. A shiver went down my spine and I took a step backwards, sucking in a sharp breath. What is that? Cloudjumper growled even louder, and suddenly the mysterious creature moved into the light to reveal a dragon that I didn't recognize from any book. It was dark as night, with a slender body and large, bat-like wings. Sharp teeth flashed as it snarled back even more aggressively than Cloud. It looked like the ultimate predator. And based on Cloudjumper's reaction, it was no friend to me or Hiccup.

My shoulders dropped in surprise when a much smaller copy of the black dragon appeared. Its posture was frightened—lowered ears and head—and the first dragon leaned down to nuzzle it briefly. I could recognize the situation better than anyone. This was just a mother protecting her baby. We'd gotten too close, and she'd reacted defensively.

I held up a hand slowly, ignoring Cloudjumper's warning growl. "It's okay," I told her in what I hoped was a soothing tone. "We won't hurt you or your hatchling. I promise. You don't have to be afraid." I said, inching closer. She eyed me warily, taking a step back for each one I took forward. The little hatchling between her legs moved in sync with her, its bright yellow eyes flicking between us.

As soon as her back foot hit a rock blocking her path, she screeched, grabbing her hatchling and launching into the air. I yelped and ducked down, protecting Hiccup as her claws just barely missed the top of my head. When I was sure she was gone, I spun around with wide eyes. I could see her fly into a cave far above our current position. I collapsed into a sitting position, checking to make sure Hiccup was alright. He grumbled irritably at being jostled around, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the sudden events. Cloud's eyes had followed the black dragon until she flew out of sight, but now he looked back at me and crooned sympathetically.

Are you okay? He seemed to ask, based on the wide pupils and tilted head.

I huffed, gesturing in the general direction of where the crazy, feral dragon had disappeared. "What kind of dragon was that?" I question him, knowing I would get no response. I scoured my memories for anything I might've seen in the Book of Dragons, or even one of the old journals, but nothing came to mind.

I sighed, standing to my feet. Of course, just when I'm starting to feel comfortable in a nest full of wild dragons, that one had to show up. Cloudjumper has such a calm, friendly disposition and even he became hostile in her presence. If I'd come across her when I was alone, I had no doubt that she would've killed me. I bit my lip as I rocked Hiccup gently. What was I supposed to do now?