Dagur and his sister Heather are leaning against the wall of their hut, while Oswald's talking with his closest friend on the island - like Gobber, for Chief Stoick back on Berk. Dagur starts fingering one of the knives less hidden on his body, and Heather hisses "Would you relax, Dagur? Honestly, you don't need to start looking for a battle just because there hasn't been a raid in nearly a month!"
Dagur shrugs, and says "Well, I want to know why they stopped. Did they migrate or something?! Because a three-hundred year-old war doesn't just stop for no reason."
Oswald sees them talking, but before he can say anything to them a few of the guards run in. "Sir, there are dragons on the beach!"
Dagur all but lets out a war-whoop, grabbing an axe he loves to play with and getting ready to charge into battle. Oswald holds a hand up, stopping his reckless son from getting himself killed in battle just yet, and asks "Another raid?"
"We don't think so, sir. A group of Scauldron's carried them up to shore! It was the weirdest thing! And…"
"And?" "There's only five of them, sir. A Zippelback, a Gronckle, a Nadder, a Monstrous Nightmare…" Dagur starts planning on where to mount that thing's head on the walls, but stops in utter amazement when the guard finishes "And a Light Fury. Along with…a girl."
There's a dead silence for a moment, then Oswald gravely says "Show me." Dagur and Heather go as well, along with the group of village guards that found them.
When they get to the beach, the group of dragons is there, just as the guards said - the Light Fury is easily the most incredible of the mismatched group, a pure white body…with a saddle on her back. As well as loosely holding a pale-skinned girl, though nobody can recognize her at the moment as she's tucked under the Light Fury's wing for the most part so only her legs in torn leggings are visible. Heather spots it first, and says "Guys, I don't think this is a raid…"
Dagur asks "Is that…a saddle?!"
The Gronckle rolls over first, making a groaning sound and opening its eyes - when they land on the group, they go from dilated to predatory in an instant. It opens its mouth at once, but instead of attacking it roars.
The Nightmare groans and lifts its head, looking at the Gronckle in what appears to be annoyance - when it sees them, it gets between the humans and the rest of the dragons at once. The Nadder follows suit, standing up shakily and growling warningly.
There's a moan, coming from the spot where the Light Fury is - but, it's a human moan. "Oh, guys, what happened? That damned storm…" The sounds of coughing, and then the girl sits up to reveal a messy, tangled mane of fire for hair.
Dagur's jaw drops in utter shock when he recognizes Bloom Haddock. "What the- How in the name of Thor- Bloom Haddock, what are you-"
Her head snaps over to him, then she groans and says "It's official, the gods hate me. First, I get knocked out by fight with that thrice-damned Queen, the Red Death, and wake up three days later feeling like I haven't eaten in weeks - and something new to figure out how to control. Then, we fly right into the middle of a storm the likes of which I haven't seen in years and there's no land in sight for us to take shelter in. Now, we've landed on so-called civilized land only for it to be Berserker Island - home of Dragon-killer Dagur, the second-biggest bully Berk's ever known." She kicks the ground almost petulantly, only to shock everyone else still when that kick has enough force to gouge a trail into the forest nearby.
Heather's the first to snap out of her shock at the sight, and asks "What happened before all that? What's the Red Death? And why are you…"
Bloom gives her a sardonic look, finishing "All alone?" Heather nods, but Bloom shakes her head and says "I'm not. I've got Hookfang, Stormfly, Brightfire, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch right here."
She points to the Nightmare, Nadder, Light Fury, Gronckle, and the Zippelback as she apparently names them off, then says "As to who you were likely asking about, the Hairy Hooligan tribe…I'm not one of them, never really was. Stoick the Vast said it himself. Maybe a minute before he disowned me for not killing Hookfang." She glares at the ocean, crossing her arms and literally starting to steam. "Before you ask, yes, I've already processed that particular bit of my not-father's reaction now that there's nothing to distract me." By breaking down, giggling hysterically and crying in turns. Likely because I was so drained.
Dagur takes a step forward, only to be growled at dangerously by Hookfang and Stormfly. Brightfire, meanwhile, walks over and curls around Bloom, crooning and nudging her head under Bloom's arms. Bloom sighs, and says "You were my only friend for years, Brightfire…"
Oswald has Dagur take a step back, and asks "How did this happen, Bloom?"
Bloom snorts, and says "I met Brightfire years ago, sometime when I was nine. At Raven's Point, the far end of the island. The Hooligans don't know it, but the forest is filled with dragons that were hiding from the Red Death - their former Queen. Tyrant, really. She'd make them get enough food to feed her, and if one didn't contribute enough they'd be eaten alive. And whole. Big as the mountain she was under, and a nasty attitude. We killed her, then I blacked out after doing too much of that." She gestures at the gouge in the ground to show what that is.
Dagur's jaw drops, and he asks "You can…do stuff like…"
Bloom snorts derisively, and says "I've been able to do stuff like that for years, Dagur. Ever since the day I met Brightfire. Apparently, I was born like this. I'd go to Raven's Point to practice. The dragons taught me how to control it…and let me be myself. Where did you think I always disappeared to? And why?"
Heather asks "Does it always happen?"
Bloom shakes her head, and says "Not always. Usually, I can keep a lid on it. However, I'm half self-taught, half taught by dragons. And there's only so much translation that can really happen when you can't understand them. Not that that's a problem anymore for us…"
Barf and Belch grumble something as they pick their heads up, and Bloom shrugs and says "It's gonna sound weird, guys, but I think we were saved by some Scauldrons."
Hookfang nods, then Dagur asks "You can understand them?!"
"I can now, I couldn't before meeting the Red Death." Bloom shrugs, then adds "If you're going to try and kill me, don't. I was taught by the dragons how to defend myself over the years. I just had to hide it so the villagers wouldn't find them. Luckily," she turns around, crossing her arms with a dangerous expression on her face, "the same doesn't apply here. Besides, how did you think you got that scar on your arm?"
Dagur just gulps and holds his hands up, one going to finger a thin scar going across his upper right arm - that certainly explains how she caught the knife…and threw it back at him.
"Yeah, good choice."
Heather asks "You said 'former queen' - did you kill this Red Death?"
Bloom nods, and says "Yeah. Fireball down her throat while she was building up flammable gas." She refrains from telling them she made that fireball and how - there's only so much humans can take, after all.
Oswald asks "So, why are you here?"
"We were heading East, actually. Ran into a storm. Out in the middle of nowhere, to. Now, we're here." She shrugs, then gives Dagur a stink-eye as she digs around in her hip-bag.
Heather asks "How'd you…make friends with the dragons?"
Bloom shrugs, then says "Dragon's like me. Always have. I do know how most people that aren't too stubborn to listen can do the same. Dragon Nip, a kind of grass Dragons just can't get enough of. It happens to grow on Berk, ironically enough. Scratch them, they love it. Reflect light off your shield or knife. Feed Gronckles rocks, they like to eat them. Most others like fish. You don't attack them, they won't kill you. End of story." She climbs back onto Brightfire, only for Dagur to dart over and grab her wrist -
Brightfire rears up at once, snarling at him, which makes him back off at once. "Hey, relax! What did I ever do to you?!"
Bloom smirks at him almost nastily, and says "Brightfire? Nothing. Me, on the other hand…like I said, I've known Brightfire for years. She knows your scent well enough, Dagur. Now, she's got a face to go with it."
Heather says "Teach us how to…this!"
Bloom rolls her eyes, and says "It's more common sense than anything else, Heather. Do what they like. Dragon Nip, head scratches, feed them fish. Except for Gronckles, which you feed rocks. That's how they make their lava. We're off to get breakfast." As they're about to take off, Bloom gets an idea and asks "Oswald? I know you have no reason to…but, at the next treaty signing…could you tell Gobber I'm alright? He's the only person in Berk that actually cared about me. If not ever, than most of my life there."
Oswald nods, then she thanks him and takes off. As soon as Bloom's out of sight, Heather says "Let's start looking for this Dragon Nip stuff."
Dagur asks "What's east of here?"
Oswald shrugs, and says "More islands, more dragons…more danger. I've been out there a few times myself, and it's nothing to get cocky about. Listen to me, you two. This is serious. That young lady's visit is our secret from Berk, at her request. To anyone but Gobber, she was never here. Got it?"
They both nod - Oswald isn't normally that serious. Of course, they just saw Bloom Haddock ride off on dragons. That about destroys any semblance of 'normal' right there. As does the gouge she kicked into the ground and the way she dried off in…five seconds tops.
Dagur suddenly asks "Um, Dad? Isn't the next treaty signing in eight months?"
Oswald groans, then says "I'll have to keep an ear out for her, then."
AN: Hey, everyone! Next chapter is up! Yeah, Heather didn't somehow end up in another tribe - just because she didn't. And...yeah, that's about it for my reasoning. At any rate, Bloom has left the Archipelago! Or is about to, anyway. I'm not sure which direction the ship graveyard is in canon, but here its east, just because. Again, yeah, that's my reasoning. Major time-skips coming up, and - fair warning - Bloom's going to get real badass. And, incidentally, heavily geared up. You have been warned!
Anyway, enjoy! More chapters coming soon! Please review!
PS. Its been storming every single day here for about a week, resulting in spotty internet and such. And, when I say storming, I mean thunderstorming. As they say in Berk, Thor is angry lately. Been terrible for my dogs, 'cause of their hearing and all, and I don't go on the computer during thunderstorms 'cause I like my computer. I've got a surge protector, yeah, but...better safe than sorry. I'd rather be a bit late on an update than have to replace my wonderful gaming computer.
