Chapter 4

Azora was frustrated. The whole week seemed fine with the little walks here and there around the ice cavern but now it seemed that the king decided to introduce her to this Valka person. Maaran did not defend against the idea like she thought he would but instead stayed silent. "Why do I have to meet this human again?" She asked her mentor late one night as she lay her still sore body by a small fire pit Maaran made for her.

Maaran looked at her intently. "You need to face your fears. Albeit slowly, but it still needs to happen." He said and then suddenly changed the topic. "Azora, I would never put you in harms way. I think of you like my own daughter…"

Azora snapped her head to where he was laying across from her. "What?" She whispered in astonishment, blue eyes wide.

"It's true." He looked at her gently. "For the 3 first years of mentoring you, my feelings grew from just a friend and mentor into father-like instincts. I looked at you everyday like a daughter but I wasn't sure how to bring it up."

"Why?"

Maaran got the feeling that she was asking why he waited and why he wanted to be her new father. "Azora, I knew how much you loved your real human father and even now, I am scared that you think I might be replacing him. I regard you as my daughter because you remind me of me. So strong yet so insecure about everything that comes your way."

Azora looked down knowing that he was talking about her nightmares about humans, frights from thunderstorms, and even her skittishness around other dragons. "I don't think I'm strong…."

"You are strong Azora. No other would have survived as long as you did. You persevered where even I probably would have failed." Maaran got up and went over to Azora nudging her head gently. "You are the daughter I never had and I love you dearly."

Azora let those words sink in and after a few minutes of peaceful silence she whispered, "I love you too…papa."

Maaran crooned in happiness and licked her head in gratefulness of being accepted as her father. "We still have to talk about Valka though." He said sitting down next to her.

Azora sighed. "I really don't want to meet this human."

"You can judge on how close she can get to you. I realize that this is hard for you, it was hard for me when I first arrived that I was irrational and irritable. I was so scared for you and how you might react but Anthia, Valka, and the king talked to me and brought me back." He watched as her blue eyes narrowed in thought. "I will be there with you in case something happens as well Azora."

"Fine, but don't think I'll enjoy it immediately."

Maaran chuckled. "Of course."

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Valka was something else. Azora, for an entire 4 weeks, tried and failed to keep Valka from getting anywhere close to her but every time she tried to get Valka to go away, that stubborn human just kept coming back. Today, Azora tried to hide underground to get away from her but Valka somehow managed to find her once more. Azora knew she was being ridiculous with her behavior but she had to admit it, Valka was amusing when trying to get her to talk in norse.

Apparently Maaran hasn't told her that she wouldn't be able to talk in human tongue for a long while. Right now Azora was just sitting on the ground with Valka across from her listening as she rambled on about some place called 'Berk'. She told Azora that she was taken from there by Cloudjumper and just never wanted to return despite having a baby boy there.

Azora scoffed at Valka in anger, growling at her dangerously before getting up and marching off to find Maaran for some advice. While she was surprised and a bit offended, Valka didn't follow, as if sensing that Azora was angered.

'She left her child!' Azora thought in anger remembering her own mother. 'A child who needs her, probably even wants her to be with him, unknowing of her being even alive!'

Soon, Azora came upon Maaran sitting quietly with the king talking and so she sat right next to him still seething at Valka. "What is wrong Azora?" Maaran asked gently sensing her anger immediately. "You seem angry. Did something happen today with Valka other than her usual methods to track you down?"

Azora growled in anger even more. "She abandoned her baby boy papa…." She said quietly. "She abandoned her little boy just to be here. A child who would want her, a child who thinks she is dead, a child….like me."

Maaran was a bit shocked and looked at the king. He never knew this about Valka. "Is this true my king?" He asked.

"I only understand a small bit of norse but Cloudjumper did inform me he took her from a home that had a grown male viking and small hatching inside." The king said in a patient tone. "Cloudjumper felt the need to bring Valka here and since then, she has never left."

Azora growled even louder. "So she did abandon her child without a moments thought." She said. She looked the king in the eye. "I will not be around her anymore then my king. She has done what I consider to be the most evil thing next to killing. Until she reconciles with her family and apologizes to her son for leaving, I will not be around her. Papa," she said looking at Maaran as he did the same. "I will be with the hatchlings. I need some happy distractions right now." With that, Azora turned and stomped away.

Maaran sighed heavily. "I am sorry my king." He said apologetically looking at him. "My daughter has a rough time with abandonment."

"Tell me Maaran so I may understand." The king said.

Maaran then started the long story on how he first met Azora.

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Valka was searching for Azora for almost 2 hours before deciding that food was in order before trying again. She knew she somehow upset her but couldn't figure out exactly why. As she sat dawn with her slightly burnt fish, a clearing of the throat brought her attention to Maaran who was in the doorway of her cave. "Hello Maaran," she said putting her food to the side. "May I help you?"

Maaran took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "My daughter came by me today and told me something about you that was very saddening yet angering." He said slowly watching her reaction.

Valka frowned in confusion. "I told her many things that might have been saddening for her but not angering." She said. "What is it I said that made it to you."

"Abandonment" he said simply and he watched as her eyes widened and her face paled. "You see Valka," he said walking into her cave home. "I may have agreed to have my daughter fight her own battles but this is one I will fight for her. You may have had my trust for a little bit but this almost completely shatters it."

Valka felt slight fear as Maaran's eyes narrowed in anger. "What?" She whispered.

"My daughter has had a very rough past and one thing she does not tolerate is the abandonment of a child." He sat down in front of Valka. "She told me about how you were taken by Cloudjumper but I don't hold him responsible for anything other than making such a poor decision. You however, I do hold responsible. You, after finding out that dragons here meant you no harm, refused to go back to your hatchling. You abandoned him and that is one thing that Azora least expected from someone trying to help her. You don't abandon dragons in need here but you did so to your own hatchling. A hatchling that will grow up thinking his mother died, thinking what it would be like having a mother, wondering what a mothers love is like, and wondering what it's like to have one. Instead of showing him that, you decided to leave him, abandon him, forget him all in the name of dragons."

"You don't understand!" She cried as tears started running down her cheeks.

"What don't I understand Valka?!" He roared back. "That you ran out on a hatchling who needed you and might of actually understood your love of saving dragons if you tried to even go back and raise him to like us? You didn't even think about what he might turn into!"

"He has his father! His father loves him!"

"Oh that makes it all better then doesn't it? To only have him knowing one parent is alive but thinking the other is dead?"

"Stoick would've been crushed if he lost Hiccup too! I couldn't have stayed there knowing that they killed dragons! He has a life there, he will have friends there, he will find love and-"

"Become a dragon killer just like your husband!" Maaran interrupted with an angry hiss. "Valka, you have lost the trust with Azora and I. We will be leaving in a few days and if you want a lick of our trust back, you will reveal yourself to your hatching and explain why you did what you did. The time to do that will be up to you but nothing will get better between us if you don't." Maaran turned. "Goodbye Valka." Then disappeared.

Valka cried heavily for the next hour, her food forgotten, her thoughts empty, and her heart in deep emotional pain.

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Maaran noticed that is was nearly dark beyond the ice cave walls as he walked to where Azora was and saw her near Anthia and Cloudjumper talking quietly by a little fire. "Azora?" He called gently. She looked at him with eyes filled with sadness and anger. "We will leave in a couple of days."

"Very well papa." She got up. "Thank you for the talk Anthia and Cloudjumper. I really needed someone to vent and talk to."

"Anytime dear." Anthia said.

"Of course." Cloudjumper said

"I think I'm going to bed. Goodnight everyone." Azora then left, her tail dragging low across the ground in her slight exhaustion from the days events.

"We heard about Valka." Cloudjumper said. "I am truly sorry that it brought up such anger."

"It is fine. But I believe that we need to heal away from here for a while. Azora needs some time to herself and I believe that I need to find her a teacher about-" a clearing of Maaran's throat was heard. "Female stuff."

"I would be honored to do that Maaran." Anthia said. "She is nearly at that age. I would give it 5 maybe 6 years until she comes into heat and tries to find a mate of her own." Cloudjumper nearly fell over in shock at that revealing information.

"Very well Anthia." Maaran said looking pointedly away from the smirking Bhimasara Egill. "I will see you in a couple days." He then walked away.

"See you then Maaran." Anthia said slyly at his retreating form.

"You're creepy Anthia." Cloudjumper said.

"Thank you for the compliment Cloudjumper." She said. "Now lets get to sleep."

"I don't really think I want to with that creepy smily on your face…" he said warily backing up.

"Oh I'm sorry. Females always scare the males." She grinned at him playfully. "Go home Cloudjumper. Or I will smack you into the next moon cycle."

Cloudjumper quickly got up and flew away from Anthia but heard her chuckle loudly as he did. 'Whoever said females aren't scary should meet Anthia for a reconsideration of the subject…" he thought.

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After a couple days, both Azora and Maaran were ready to go with Anthia back to their home cave. They have already said their goodbyes and just needed to wait until the wind picked up slightly before jumping off the ice cavern and towards home. Azora already proved that she could fly far distances and was eager to get on her way but just in case, Maaran had ordered her to take it easy ad not do any tricks. Anthia would be a lookout for any ships or boats in the area of flying and if they do spot any, they will soar above the clouds until it was safe.

After an hour of waiting, conditions were right and they took off. Valka watched with a heavy heart and sadness as they flew off but smiled and continued on with her daily business.

She would try and do what Maaran wanted her to do but she will first need to build up her courage for such an encounter.