Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD
Chapter Eleven – Once Lost, Now Found
Selena and Asha were oblivious to the danger their mates were in. They and Black Fire were searching the mountains further inland, hoping to find this mysterious white Swift-Wing. Firing a blast would be too conspicuous, but they were better at tracking by sound than by smell. Every now and then, one of them sent out a looking-roar, in the hopes of hearing a different one in reply.
Each one roared at a slightly different pitch (1). They knew what their own calls sounded like and listened after the echoes had died away, but so far no-one had responded. *I'm starting to think they might have left* remarked Asha, as they flew over yet another empty ravine. *Or maybe they don't want to meet us.*
*I'd like to meet them* Selena replied absently. She let out another looking-roar, and they waited for the echoes to die down. A few moments later, much to her delight, there came another call from further away. *Come on!* she warbled, flying towards it eagerly. Black Fire and Asha hurried to catch up with her. Selena found where she thought the sound was coming from and landed.
There was nothing around but rocks and snow. Unless the Swift-Wing was hiding…*Hello?* Selena warbled curiously, *Is anyone there?* Asha and Black Fire landed next to her, all three of them listening and scenting for whoever had called out to them. Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared in the snowbank and a camouflaged white dragon rose to her feet slowly, startling them nonetheless.
The three Swift-Wings had their first good look at the mysterious dragon. She did look very much like them, but also different, with fewer ear-flaps and small arches running down her spine. Her scales were white and eerily smooth; they glittered faintly like snow, and indeed she blended in with the frosty surface.
*Who are you?* Black Fire asked warily. He'd come to see Nidaros and the surrounding lands as his territory, and his instincts told him this strange new Swift-Wing, or whatever kind of dragon she was, was trespassing. He wasn't happy about her attack either. *Why did you attack me and my rider?* he demanded, glaring at her. *You almost got him killed and I want an apology.*
Her eyes narrowed. *I didn't attack you, I was saving you from it!* she insisted.
Insulted on his rider's behalf, Black Fire growled *I never asked to be saved. I never needed to be! My human was not hurting me, and he is not an 'it'.*
Ignoring this, the white Fury hissed *It forces you to carry it on your back, and obey it! That is what humans do* she claimed. Before they could protest, she continued *You've escaped now, all of you. Good. Now we can all go home. Which nest are you from? The one over the sea, or a different one?* she asked.
Black Fire tensed and snarled. *How do you know about our nest?* he demanded suspiciously. At this point Selena could see a fight breaking out, so she decided to step in before a wildfire started – metaphorically speaking.
*Let's all calm down* she suggested, moving between Black Fire and the other drakaina. Turning to her, Selena explained *Don't worry, we haven't been trapped. We were trying to find you, in case you needed help. We've never met a white Swift-Wing before* she crooned curiously, adding *You're very pretty.*
*Thank you* the white drakaina purred gratefully, *but I'm not a Swift-Wing. I'm a White-Wing. I understand the mistake. My mate is one of your kind. If you must know*, here she glanced at Black Fire, *we were trying to return to his home nest when we heard there were more of you here. We thought you might be from the same pack. Humans call the land they live on…Myrkr? I think?*
Selena's ear-flaps twitched in excitement. *That is our pack! Did you say your mate is from there?* she asked eagerly. It might be a lost scout like Toothless had been, and she would welcome them back to the nest. *Sorry, we're being rude. This is Asha and Black Fire, and my name is Selena. What's your name?*
*Iceheart* the White-Wing replied, staring at her in surprise. *Selena?* she repeated, eyes wide. *Your name is Selena? What is your mother's name?*
*…Phoebe?* Selena replied, tilting her head to one side in puzzlement. *Why?*
Suddenly there was a scuffling noise, and much to their surprise, another Swift-Wing – one they didn't recognise – leapt up onto a nearby boulder. Or rather, Asha and Black Fire did not know him. Selena, however, saw his golden eyes and flinched in disbelief. It can't be she thought desperately, pinned by his gaze as he stared at her intensely. He looked as shocked as she did. It can't be him!
Asha crooned concern and nudged Selena gently with a wing. Startled, she jumped into the air with a yelp. *Are you alright?* her sister in law inquired worriedly. She looked at the other Swift-Wing drake, who was still staring. *Can you please stop looking at her like that? You're making her very nervous!*
He blinked, and shook his head vigorously. *Sorry. I'm sorry, it's just been so long.* He leapt down from the boulder and took a step towards them. Selena retreated and he froze. *Selena? No, it really is me. Artemis, remember?*
Rooted to the spot, trembling, she protested *You're not. You can't be him.*
*Can't be who?* wondered Asha, sharing a confused glance with Black Fire.
The drake, Artemis, replied *I am! You have to believe me. Please, little sister.*
Selena flinched again. Asha's eyes widened. *Sister? He's…you're Queen Phoebe's long lost son!* she exclaimed to Artemis, finally remembering that Selena had told them about her elder brother, who had left the Nest to find another and never came back – until now. No wonder Selena can't believe this.
Artemis replied *Yes, I am. I know I should have come home sooner. I'm sorry, Selena* he crooned to her apologetically, *but I'm here now! I missed you so much.* Artemis tried to approach her once more, and Selena hissed at him.
*Stay away!* she growled. Truth be told she'd missed him too; part of her wanted to pounce on him and cuddle, part of her wanted to pounce and slash.
He flinched, crouching submissively. *Selena, sister, I'm not going to hurt you.*
*You did* she insisted. *You weren't lost, Artemis – you left. You left your nest, your pack, your family…and now you want to pretend nothing has changed?*
Black Fire and Asha looked at each other and Selena worriedly, caught off guard by her uncharacteristic show of anger. Artemis cringed, whilst his mate looked on seemingly impassive. *No* he whined beseechingly, *I know things must have changed after so long, but I still love you, sister. I never meant to hurt you. I should have gone back, but I was too scared. My friends…I failed them all.*
Selena felt pity tug at her heart, and a thin whimper of sympathy escaped before she could stop it. She didn't know what to do. *Scared of what?* she questioned. *Getting in trouble? Or just saying you were wrong? Maybe… you were just too proud to come home. So you just – we thought you were dead.*
Artemis crooned apologetically. *I'm sorry, Selena. I was wrong, I see that now, but we can start over! I really did miss you, sister. You, mother and father…*
*Our sire is dead* Selena whined softly, feeling grief ache like old scars. *You'd know that if you had been here* she said accusingly, and her brother flinched. Her scales prickled with longing – what did she do? Comfort him? Forgive him? Torn and unsure as she might be, Selena felt a spike of jealousy when her brother's mate, this White-Wing, stepped forwards and nuzzled him instead.
She was grateful when Asha came to comfort her. Black Fire, meanwhile, had decided that was quite enough drama. *We should be heading back* he suggested. With an uncertain glance at Selena, he told Artemis and Iceheart, *You can come back with us. So long as you promise not to attack the humans.*
They both looked disbelieving. *You're going back to that human nest?* Iceheart asked incredulously. *Why? You've escaped from them, you're free!*
*Weren't you listening?* Selena huffed, rolling her eyes. *I told you, we weren't trapped. We're going back because our friends are there. Black Fire lives there. His rider is the king – that's sort of like a human alpha* she tried to explain.
Iceheart turned to Black Fire and questioned, *How is this king making you obey him? Whatever he's doing, we can stop him. Let us help you!* she urged him. He was reminded very strongly of Eclipse, who had told him before he left the nest that he'd end up regretting it. Well, she'd been wrong, and so was this White-Wing. Magnus had never forced him to obey, or even asked him to.
*He is not making me do anything* Black Fire replied tersely, *I can think and choose for myself, and I chose to be his dragon. You wouldn't understand.*
More than anything, Selena wanted her brother to understand. *Not all humans are the same* she insisted, *not all of them want to hurt dragons! The ones we know want to help dragons and humans live in peace. They care about us, and we care about them. My mate is even heart bound to his human. Right, Asha?*
*That's right* Asha confirmed. *We know it's hard to believe, but it is true.*
*That's impossible* protested Artemis, whimpering confusion. *Humans can't heart bind, they have no magic in them. Selena, please* he implored his sister, *come back to our nest with me. Don't go back to these humans, it's not safe.*
Snarling in frustration, Selena exclaimed *It is! I'm not a little fledgling anymore, Artemis. I'm a full grown drakaina and I can take care of myself. My mate and his human are heart bound, and if you come back with us then I'll prove it!*
Her brother looked doubtful. Iceheart stubbornly growled *We are not going anywhere near humans, and if you three had sense then neither would you. Why in Moon's name would you try to heart bind to a human?* she asked Black Fire incredulously. He was very confused indeed before realising her mistake.
*Wait, no, not me. I'm not Selena's mate* he explained hastily, *we're friends.*
*Yes, just friends* she agreed, *my mate is Toothless and his other half is Hiccup. They're the Alphas of their pack, where dragons and humans both live.*
*Your mate is an alpha?* Artemis questioned, crooning interested and curious.
*Yes, but I'd still love him even if he wasn't. You'll like him, Artemis. He's brave and funny and clever and kind, and his other half Hiccup loves all us dragons.*
Iceheart declared *If this human really loved dragons, he wouldn't try to have your mate carry him like a beast of burden, or treat him like a common pet.*
How can Artemis have chosen a drakaina like this as his mate? Selena wondered. Ignoring Iceheart, she pleaded with her brother, *Don't you trust me? I know what I'm doing, Arte*, Selena called him by her old nickname for him, *I promise that it's safe. These humans aren't going to hurt any of us.*
*I do trust you, Selena* he assured her, trying to purr. *But…I can't trust humans. We can't trust them* Artemis continued, gesturing to his mate. Iceheart had a lot of scars, and most looked like they came from other dragons, but humans must have been involved somehow. *We…we can meet you at our home nest* he suggested. *If you really have to go back to that human nest…*
*I do…but Artemis, the pack has moved. You'll need me to show you where our new nest is* Selena told him. Once more she begged *Please, just stay with us.*
Artemis sighed, whining regret. *I'm sorry, little sister…but we just can't do it.*
Narrowing her eyes, Selena huffed in frustration. *Fine* she replied tersely. Before anyone could try to protest, she spread her wings and took to the air.
She ignored her brother's roar of her name. He'd left them…so she'd leave him.
Toothless, Shadow, Shimmer and Firestorm landed in the castle bailey. The other riders were already back and waiting for them. "We searched the whole forest but there was only the one trap" Ashildr informed Hiccup, before asking "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost" she remarked blithely.
Before he could reply, Braun rather bluntly revealed "He's shook up because they almost got killed by cannibal dragons. And we didn't even find the ship!"
Ignoring his complaint, Margret, Ashildr, Otto and their dragons all stared at Hiccup in alarm. "What do you mean, cannibal dragons?" Otto demanded, even as Magpie demanded *There are dragons out there who want to eat us?*
*Calm down* Toothless said firmly. Hiccup explained, "There were these dragons…they're being controlled, but they're too dangerous. Toothless and Shadow got lucky…where is everyone else?" he asked, suddenly anxious. "Have Selena and the others come back yet?" Toothless readied himself to fly out in search of them if the answer was no, as did Shadow, despite their tiredness.
"We haven't seen them" replied Ashildr, "but they didn't go the same way as you so I'm sure they're fine" she added hastily, trying to reassure Hiccup.
Before they could set out to look for the missing Furies, Selena returned to the fort. Toothless relaxed and warbled in relief, which quickly turned to a croon of concern when Selena nuzzled him. She seemed upset. *Sel, love, what's wrong?* he asked her, even as Hiccup dismounted to start stripping off the makeshift armour. I'll never complain about wearing armour ever again.
*Where are Asha and Black Fire?* Shadow asked urgently, troubled by their absence. With hunters around – with those dragon-eaters around – to have Selena return, distressed, without his mate and friend – it made him dread.
*They should be right behind me* she replied. *I'm sure they followed…look, there they are!* Sure enough, two more black specks in the sky were rapidly approaching. Shadow whined quietly in relief. Meanwhile, Hiccup finished shucking off Toothless' armour and set to work removing it from Shadow. Part of him wondered if he should; if those Demoneaters followed them back…
He distracted himself by asking Selena, "So how did it go? Did you find them?"
*Find who?* she questioned, looking distracted and a little startled.
"…Err, the White Fury?"
*Oh. Yes. We found her. She's a White-Wing. Her name is Iceheart.*
"Is…she okay?" Hiccup asked cautiously. Selena really wasn't acting like herself.
The drakaina shrugged, as Black Fire and Asha came to land nearby. *I guess. She doesn't like humans, and I don't like her* Selena declared, before insisting *I don't really want to talk about it. What about you guys? Did you find the hunters?* she inquired, looking between Toothless-Hiccup and Shadow.
Braun cut in before Hiccup could stop him. "Two words. Cannibal dragons."
*What?!* Selena and Asha both yelped at the same time. Asha pulled back from nuzzling Shadow and stared at her mate in dismay. *What in Moon's name…?*
*There were two of them* Shadow answered, knowing that pretending all was fine would be pointless. *They looked like Three-Tails, only uglier* he added.
"And more dangerous" Hiccup continued gravely. "Three-Tails, at least, can't kill you from a distance with these" he pointed out, holding up a piece of leather with a thin, barbed spike emerging from it. "Maybe not kill" Hiccup amended, "but I'm willing to bet the venom in these is a toned down version of whatever they pump into their victims close up. Something to bring prey down faster." (2)
*You mean you almost died?* Selena realised, whimpering in dismay. Toothless and Shadow nuzzled their mates reassuringly, very glad indeed to still be alive. Selena, however, was more concerned about her brother and his mate. She might have been upset with them but that didn't mean she wanted them to be attacked. Especially not by cannibal dragons. *Where did they go?* she asked.
*Hopefully far away* Toothless grumbled. *They flew back to where they first attacked us, towards the sea* he explained, and Selena relaxed a little bit. Artemis and Iceheart were further inland. They might go to the sea though…straight away she was worried again. *We'll keep watch for them.*
Just then, one of King Magnus' servants came over to them. "Lord Hiccup? His majesty requests your presence as soon as you are able" he explained calmly.
Hiccup nodded, rolling his eyes a little at the title. He finished taking off the rest of the leather pieces (already thinking of designs for better fitting, more comfortable armour) and stood up. To Brenda he instructed, "Find some thick gloves and get rid of those barbs. Bury them, burn them, just do not get pricked by them. We have no idea how potent they are or what the proper antidote is."
She nodded and gave a salute. Hiccup trusted them to handle the matter. "I'm ready" he told the servant, who led him into the castle and up to a private chamber. King Magnus was waiting inside for him. "Your majesty? I was told you wanted to see me?" Hiccup inquired, after the servant announced him and left.
"Yes, have a seat" Magnus replied, gesturing to a comfortable chair. Both men sat down and the king began, "I've been told that Black Fire and the two female Night Furies returned safely. I'm glad" he smiled. "Were they successful?"
"Selena said they found the White Fury. White-Wing, rather. She doesn't like humans, apparently. I don't know what else happened, I'm afraid" said Hiccup.
"Not to them, perhaps, but what about you? Did you find the hunters?"
Well, this was awkward. "We found one" Hiccup replied slowly. "I don't know if there are more of them somewhere, but Brenda said they didn't find a ship."
"I'll have the guards interrogate the hunter you captured" Magnus decided. "He's in the dungeon, I assume?" Only, no-one had told him of a new prisoner…
Definitely awkward. "The thing is, your Majesty" Hiccup cringed slightly, "we didn't…me and Toothless, and Shadow, we were lucky to get out of it alive."
The king's brow furrowed. "You're telling me you found one hunter, whom you didn't manage to capture and narrowly escaped from?" he asked, sceptical. "You'll forgive me if I find that hard to believe. Given your reputation, that is."
Hiccup wasn't sure whether to feel complimented or not. "With respect, your majesty, I should clarify – we investigated a trap and were attacked by two mind controlled killer dragons who wanted to eat mine" he explained in a slightly deadpan tone. Inwardly he scolded himself; younger than him or not, Magnus was still the king, and he ought to be more respectful. Force of habit, I guess.
Nevertheless, King Magnus looked rather disturbed. "Ah. Well, in that case, I can see why it was a close call. So where does this hunter you found fit in?"
"He called himself Grimmel the Godly" Hiccup answered, "which probably sums him up…I mean, I know most Christians aren't keen on dragons, but this guy was obsessive about it. Said it was his 'solemn duty as a warrior of the Lord' to kill as many dragons as possible" he explained. His face darkened as he added, "and he seems to have a penchant for killing Swift-Wings, for some reason. He's a hypocrite – hates dragons, but he'll still use them to do his dirty work for him."
"What about these two dragons…what did you call them?" inquired the king.
"Grimmel called them 'Demoneaters'. Err, you can probably guess why" Hiccup remarked. They both grimaced in disgust. "From what Toothless and Shadow told us, they're similar to uh, Triple Strykes, but with tusks and a tail that can shoot venomous darts. There was some kind of harness on both of them, and when that was destroyed they flew back to Grimmel instead of attacking more."
"Strange. How is this…Grimmel person commanding these dragons, exactly?"
Hiccup sighed. "To be perfectly honest, your majesty, I have no idea" he admitted. "I want to think he's forcing them somehow, but if these dragons are that aggressive…it's possible that they're helping him for their own gain."
The king frowned thoughtfully. "Could they be captured, or killed?" he inquired.
"We don't kill them" Hiccup refused, "not if we don't have to. As for capturing them…we don't have the right gear, and even if we did, I wouldn't want to risk the lives of Brenda and her friends, or their dragons." That didn't seem like it was good enough, so he continued, "I know more experienced people who do have what we need. They should be coming to Berk any day now" said Hiccup.
King Magnus nodded slowly, still looking troubled. "I see. When they arrive, you will send them here to deal with these Demoneaters, I assume?" he checked.
"Yes, your majesty…but I suppose you're more concerned with what to do in the meantime" Hiccup realised. The threat that Grimmel made echoed in his head – "the Demoneaters don't care who or what gets in their way." If he tried to set them on the dragons here, set them loose on Nidaros, so many would perish.
"Indeed. If you cannot stop these creatures, and we do not have time to wait…" There were a few moments of silence, the king deep in thought as Hiccup waited patiently. At last, Magnus sighed. "I don't take this decision lightly, but I believe it is for the best. I cannot risk my people's lives, and you won't risk the dragons. If that is so, then you must take them with you when you go home."
Hiccup nodded in understanding. "We should leave as soon as possible then. I'll go and tell the others." He began to stand up, but paused. "Er, with your leave?"
"Granted. I shall accompany you, and say goodbye to Black Fire" replied Magnus, getting to his feet. They returned to the courtyard; on the way, Magnus sent guards to summon all the members of his court with dragons.
Upon reaching the courtyard, King Magnus announced that all the dragons would have to return to Berk for their own safety. The others weren't pleased.
"Come on, sir!" Braun protested, "there's only two of those creeps, we could take them on!" Firestorm briefly rippled with flame in a show of bravado.
Hiccup was having none of it. "I'm not risking any of you. Now, go and pack your things" he said firmly. Grumbling, the five of them sloped off into the castle.
Black Fire padded over to Magnus, who stroked his head and remarked "I'm sorry, my friend; but it's for your own good. And your sons own good" he added, looking over at Mercury, who sat obliviously between his mothers paws.
*I understand. Besides, it is only until these new dragons are dealt with.*
"But of course. Now, there are some who haven't heard the news; do you want to help me tell them?" Magnus inquired. Black Fire nodded and shifted so his rider could mount up. Once they'd gone, Hiccup walked over to Toothless.
"Where are Shadow and Selena?" he asked, noticing their absence at last.
*Shadow is keeping watch for the Demoneaters* Toothless explained, and sure enough, a black speck was circling high above the castle grounds. *Selena went to perch up there* he went on vaguely, gesturing with her snout at the tallest tower, the don jon. *She said she wanted to be alone for a while* he explained.
*You two should talk to her* Asha remarked calmly, *She needs you right now.*
"Why?" Hiccup asked curiously, "do you know what's gotten her so upset?"
*I know, but she won't want me to tell you* Asha insisted, *Go on, ask her.*
Well, they had some time before everyone was ready to leave, so Hiccup swung into the saddle and they took off to go and see if they could help Selena out.
Toothless-Hiccup perched next to Selena on the tower, both looking at her in concern. *Selena? Why are you upset?* asked Toothless, crooning worriedly. She blinked at him, looking confused. *Ever since you came back, you've been...not yourself* he tried to explain. *Asha told us we should talk to you.*
"Will you talk to us?" Hiccup asked gently, "please? We just want to help."
Selena nuzzled them both lightly. *I know. Thank you. It's just…I'm confused.*
They waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts and continue. Selena looked out towards the mountains, the way she'd come, and up at the sky as if searching for someone. *The truth is…when we found Iceheart, the White-Wing, she wasn't alone. Her mate was there…her mate is my elder brother.*
Hiccup's jaw dropped. Toothless' eyes widened. Neither of them had expected her to say anything like that. "Err, that – uh, wait, you mean the one you told us about?" Hiccup asked uncertainly. "Th-the one who got lost?" he tried to clarify.
She bared her teeth in frustration. *He didn't get lost. He left. He left us, his pack, his family, we all thought he must have died…and now he wants to come home and pretend it never happened!* Selena groaned. *I don't know what to do! I have so many feelings at once and my head hurts, and my heart hurts* she whimpered, *I feel happy that he's alive and sad that he left and angry at him!*
Hiccup felt his heart twist in sympathy, and dismounted. He reached out to Selena and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. It's alright. I know how you feel. You're not the only one who's had a reunion with a long lost, assumed dead relative" Hiccup shrugged, with a rueful smile. Selena looked puzzled, but then-
*Your mother. I'm sorry, Hiccup. I forgot* she whined apologetically.
"Don't be, it's no big deal. I'm over it now anyway…but yeah, at the time, it hurt. I felt the same way you do; not knowing what to think or how to feel…" he said.
*Shadow would understand* Toothless knew, *after what happened with me.*
His mate protested *That wasn't your fault. That horrible Fire-Giant made you forget…Artemis said he was too ashamed to come back* she explained. With a resigned huff, she rustled her wings uncomfortably and asked *What do I do? Should I forgive him? I mean, you forgave your mom, and Shadow forgave you.*
"I think that needs to be your choice, Selena, no one else's" Hiccup replied. "If it were me, I'd forgive him. He is family, after all; but you know what I'm like. That said, I only forgive people if they're genuinely sorry for what they've done. Your brother…he did apologise, right? For leaving all those years ago?" he inquired.
*He said he was sorry for not coming back* Selena admitted. She looked out towards the mountains once more. *I hoped they would follow us back, but they're too scared of humans. He'll have to find me again, though. I told him the pack had moved* she explained. Pawing at the stone, Selena added *I told them about how you two were heart bound. To prove not all humans are bad.*
*Did they believe you?* Toothless asked doubtfully. She shook her head 'no'.
"Well, if we do meet them, it won't be too hard to prove" Hiccup remarked. "It'll be alright, Selena, you'll see" he said confidently, smiling at her. "If your brother has come all this way, I'm sure he'll try to reconcile again. Besides, like you said, he knows he needs your help to find the new nest and your pack."
Selena cheered up at that. *Thanks Hiccup, Toothless. You made me feel better* she said gratefully, nuzzling them both. *So, what are we going to do now?* inquired Selena, tilting her head to the side curiously. They explained that the rest of the dragons would be coming back with them to Berk, where they would be safer from the Demoneaters. Her earlier worry came back.
*What if those horrible dragons have already found them?* she asked nervously, unfurling her wings as if to fly out in search of the two Furies. *I should have gone to warn them* she whimpered, *I have to go find them!*
*Is that them?* asked Toothless, looking upwards. There were two silhouettes against the sky, one dark, the other lighter. They were little more than specks but the shape was unmistakable. With a warble of relief, Selena took to the air and flew as quickly as she could towards them. He's still alive. It's not too late!
When she reached them, all three dragons hovered in front of each other. No, four. Another White-Wing appeared behind Iceheart, with black markings and mismatched, gold-and-blue eyes. Selena suddenly realised that this must be their kit, all grown up. I have another niece! *Artemis, you're here. I thought you didn't want to come near humans. I'm glad you changed your mind* she purred.
Artemis glanced uneasily down at the city. *We don't…but you did say the pack had moved. Besides, I just found you again. I couldn't just let you fly away* he replied, before admitting *I couldn't just fly away. Are…are you sure it's safe?*
*Of course I am. Artemis, you'll be safer with us than out here. There are cannibal dragons on the loose!* Selena revealed, and they flinched. *We're all going back to…well, another human nest* she admitted, *but it's much smaller than this one! It's safer, and the humans there are friendly, and it's a dragon nest too. My mate and his other half are the alphas there* she boasted proudly.
The blue-gold eyed White-Wing asked *Is your mate really heart bound to a human?* Before Selena could confirm or even nod, she rambled *We met an old Fire-Scale who said he'd heard of a Swift-Wing who found a magic human that made his tail-fin grow back, and can make other humans hear us talking. Is that your mate and his human? Did that really happen?* she asked eagerly.
It took a moment for Selena to realise what the young drakaina meant. *Sort of* she replied, *Hiccup didn't make Toothless' tail-fin grow back, he built a new one. He can make humans understand think-speak though. All the humans on Berk - that's their island – can hear us now* Selena explained. To Artemis (and Iceheart, as well) she insisted *Trust me. No one is going to hurt you.*
With a slightly reluctant whine, Artemis responded *I trust you, sister. It's hard for us to be near humans, but…we won't bother them if they don't bother us.*
Iceheart warned *But if any of them try to attack us or our daughter, we won't show mercy* she growled. Selena just rolled her eyes. Then they heard a roar.
*Selena!* Shadow called out to her, *Come on! We're leaving!* A flock of dragons – four Swift-Wings, four Spike-Tails, two Fire-Scales, two Rock-Tails and a Colour-Changer – could be seen flying up from the human nest. Many of them had humans on their backs. Iceheart's eyes narrowed at the sight, but she had promised Artemis she wouldn't attack any of them if they didn't strike first.
*I'm coming!* Selena roared back. She jerked her head follow-me to beckon them, and began flying back towards the group. With much trepidation, the others began to follow her. They came as close as they dared and no further.
It didn't take the other riders long to notice their presence, of course. Nor to start asking questions. Hiccup told them that these were skittish wild dragons whom Selena had befriended, "so do not bother them. Just give 'em space."
"Yeah, we know!" Ashildr groaned in mock-exasperation. "Honestly, it's like you think we learned nothing at the Academy" she teased him, and he chuckled.
"Alright, so what's the plan for if we spot the Demoneaters coming?"
*Fly away as fast as possible* Magpie answered bluntly. Ashildr continued, "Whilst you and the other Furies distract them and try to drive them off."
"Without armour!" Braun called over to them, "when you know they shoot poison darts of death out of their tails! No offence, sir, but are you crazy?"
"We'll be fine so long as we stay out of range" Hiccup insisted, with more confidence than he actually felt. "We can outfly those things; not everyone here can. My top priority is getting all of you back to Berk safely. Trust me, Braun."
To say Grimmel was disappointed with the Demoneaters would be an understatement. "Useless creatures" he muttered irritably, even as he screwed new vials of mind-numbing potion into their harnesses. "There were two of those damned Night Demons. Two! And you wretches couldn't even take down one" he snapped harshly. The dragon whined as if it understood his words.
It couldn't, of course. Grimmel knew he shouldn't talk to them, except to order them about. He locked the Demoneaters up and retreated to his cabin to pray. He gave thanks to God for defending his life's work against the forces of Satan. It was fortuitous indeed that he'd been able to safely hide his ship in a sea cave, away from the prying eyes of these pagan dragon lovers and their hell beasts.
He prayed for guidance on his path; what should he do now? There were all the dragons in Nidaros…but to slay them, directly or not, would put innocent Christians at risk. Even if they were catholic. He could try finding a way to this 'Berk' instead…but from what he'd gathered, it was too well defended from air and sea, the people too wary and ready to fight, pagan savages that they were.
If entire armies had failed to conquer that place, the two Demoneaters he had would surely fail even more spectacularly than before. It occurred to Grimmel, perhaps that should be his next course. To sail westwards, to Myrkr, and find this mysterious hidden nest of Night Demons. The rest of those hunters might have already found it and slain them all, but he didn't expect such fortune.
He could always come back for the Demons around here. Right now, Grimmel craved a challenge, or it would be dull, but one he knew for sure he would win.
(1) Bats can identify each other from their calls and since Night Furies are partially based on bats I figured they might have a similar ability to do so.
(2) I fully admit that I'm fudging things for convenience. I gave the Demoneaters a (non-canon) ability to flick small darts of venom at their prey to keep them threatening, because I also nerfed their canon speed (I'm sorry, but a dragon that bulky should not be able to fly as fast as a Night Fury), and realistically they should have been able to hit Toothless' and/or Shadow's wings and take them down that way. But plot armour.