Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD
Chapter Twelve – Family Talks
The dragons couldn't fly from Nidaros to Berk in a single go. They landed on Crash-Cliff Island for the night, stopping at the mail outpost. There were stables for the dragons to sleep in, and their riders bedded down with them. Shadow, Black Fire, and Toothless-Hiccup took first watch. Despite their insistence that Hiccup sleep, he refused, saying "we almost died. I'm not really in the mood."
Selena joined them. *I'm going to talk to Artemis* she explained. *Do you…want to come and meet him?* she asked shyly, pawing at the ground.
Black Fire replied, *We've already met, so I should stay here on lookout.*
*I'll keep you company* decided Shadow. *I'm sure I'll meet your brother eventually, Selena. I don't have a rider, so it won't matter if I go near him.*
*He's not the one who attacked Magnus* she retorted. *You'll come and meet him – them - won't you, Toothless?* Selena inquired hopefully, *Hiccup?*
Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding all their eyes. "You should go, bud" he claimed, "you are Selena's mate, after all. I'll just, err….stay here…"
Selena looked disappointed, and Hiccup winced. "I mean, it's not that I don't want to meet them" he assured her hastily, "I do, it's just…you said they're scared of humans. I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable, y'know?"
*They're scared of normal humans. You don't count as one* Toothless informed him. Hiccup's brow furrowed, torn between amusement and indignation. *Besides, they won't be staying on Berk with us. Selena is going to take them to the Myrkr nest, remember? This might be your only chance to meet them* his other half pointed out. That was a more compelling argument at the very least.
*Please come* Selena begged him, with those big blue eyes of hers. *You can show them you're heart bound, that not all humans are bad and scary. I want my brother to see why I like humans now, and Toothless is right. You're no ordinary human.* To her mate she added, *that's a better word than 'normal'.*
Toothless shrugged. Hiccup, who clearly wasn't going to win this argument, sighed. "Alright, you got me. How are we going to find them?" he asked.
With a huge gummy smile, Selena licked them both enthusiastically. *Thank you! I can find them, follow me!* she warbled in delight, leaping into the air. With a fond chuckle, Hiccup swung into the saddle and they flew after her. She sent out her signature looking-roar, and listened closely for an answering call.
When she heard one – the notes different from before, but half-familiar – Selena raced to where it was coming from. Toothless had to work hard to keep up with her. They both slowed and hovered above where the sound had come from, but there was no sign of any other Swift-Wings. *Artemis?* she called out, *Brother, where are you?* A moment later, they heard a reply of *Here!*
Selena dived. Toothless made to follow, but Hiccup pulled him back. *Let's just give them some space for a minute* he suggested. So the pair of them waited.
Meanwhile, Selena landed on a bluff at the outskirts of the forest. Artemis was waiting for her, with Iceheart and their daughter behind him. At first, brother and sister simply looked at one another. Then she took a step forward, and so did he. A rockfall seemed to crumble between them, and they leapt towards each other, nuzzling and purring happily. It was the reunion they'd waited for.
At last Selena pulled away and told him, *Toothless and Hiccup wanted to meet you guys. Can I call them down?* she asked hopefully. Artemis glanced over his shoulder at Iceheart, who didn't protest. He agreed. With a happy bounce, Selena reared up and called out *Toothless! You can come down, it's safe!*
The wind rushed against wings, and a green eyed Swift-Wing drake landed beside her. A human sat on his back, but it climbed off quickly. It was thin, with brown fur on its head and green eyes. The human's left hind paw was not flesh and bone, but made of wood and metal. It looked and smelled rather nervous.
*This is my mate, Toothless, and his other half Hiccup* Selena introduced them, purring happily. *Toothless-Hiccup, this is my brother Artemis, his mate Iceheart and….* she trailed off, realising she didn't know their daughters name yet.
*Snowdrop* the young drakaina replied helpfully. *My name is Snowdrop.*
*It's nice to meet you all* Hiccup greeted, voice low and gentle. *I like your eyes* he told Snowdrop honestly. They were unique; he'd not met a dragon with different coloured eyes, although he had heard of it happening before.
She stared at him in surprise. *You can think-speak! Did you hear that?* she asked her parents eagerly. They too were staring at Hiccup, in shock and wariness. That in turn put Toothless on edge, and he bristled, wrapping his tail protectively around his other half. The moonlight glinted off the silvery metallic left fin (1), a sharp contrast to the grey-dappled inky blackness of his right fin.
Feeling the tension in the air, Selena crooned reassuringly and replied *Yes, he can. They are heart bound, after all. Look, Arte, he's not dangerous* she insisted, giving Hiccup a nuzzle. Distracted, he stroked her without thinking, and Artemis growled reflexively. Toothless snarled right back, placing himself between Hiccup and the golden-eyed drake. *Oh for moons sake, you two!*
*He started it* Toothless protested, jerking his head at Artemis, who snorted indignantly. *I won't growl at him if he doesn't growl at Hiccup* he declared.
With a sigh, Hiccup reminded him *Toothless, we've talked about this. You can't get mad at every dragon we meet who doesn't immediately like me. Can you please try to be nice?* he asked, kneeling down to be on the dragons eye level. *Please? For me?* Hiccup begged. Grumbling resignedly, Toothless agreed.
Meanwhile, Selena was scolding her brother. *He wasn't going to hurt me, you egg-for-brain* she rolled her eyes, *he was just stroking me. It feels nice. Arte, what are you so afraid of?* she asked, crooning concern. This wasn't like him. Then again, a nasty part of her whispered, had she ever really known him at all?
Artemis had the decency to look ashamed. *I'm sorry, Selena. I wasn't going to hurt it – him – I swear. It's just…the things I've seen humans do…it's just hard.*
*To let our guards down* Iceheart continued, having remained quiet until now. For a few moments there was an awkward silence, none of them knowing what to say. Hiccup wanted to assure Artemis and Iceheart he meant no harm, but actions spoke louder than words, so he just knelt there, not meeting their eyes.
Snowdrop had enough, and tentatively crept towards Hiccup. Her mother made to protest but Artemis nudged his mate and gently said *Wait.* Seeing her approach, Hiccup slowly raised his hand. *Move aside, bud. Trust me.* With a reluctant whimper, Toothess retreated a few paces. Hiccup took a deep breath, looked away from Snowdrop, closed his eyes and waited, hand outstretched.
She prowled closer and sniffed at his fleshy, pale pink paw. It smelled of Swift-Wing, charcoal, and some other scents that she couldn't name. They didn't smell bad though. Out the corner of her eye, Snowdrop glanced at Toothless. He purred encouragingly, *like this*, and nudged his head forwards, eyes closed.
When she copied him, her snout ended up pressed against the humans paw. It felt kind of odd, but pleasant nonetheless. Snowdrop opened her eyes and pulled back; Hiccup was looking at her now, but he was so non-threatening she didn't startle or flinch. Instead she moved to get nearer, so she could sniff at the fur on his head. It was nice and soft; Snowdrop rubbed her cheek on it, purring.
Hiccup giggled at the sensation. Selena purred, as smug as any dragon ever was, and declared *I told you he was harmless. Artemis, you believe me now, right?*
Artemis glanced at his mate. *Iceheart, dear, she's right. This human means us no harm. Maybe the other humans with them are the same* he suggested. She still looked doubtful, but relaxed when he nuzzled her and licked her forehead.
Snowdrop purred her approval and declared *I like him! I mean, you. I like you* she told Hiccup, *your fur is soft.* He chuckled and explained, *we call it hair, but thank you. I like you too.* Then Hiccup yawned, suddenly feeling tired.
*Alright, come on you* crooned Toothless, padding over and nudging Hiccup. *Let's go back to the outpost and get some sleep. You need it* he declared.
"You're not my mom" Hiccup groused playfully, but nonetheless he climbed into the saddle. To Snowdrop and her parents he offered *you can come with us.*
*You don't have to come inside* Selena added, when they flinched reluctantly, even Snowdrop herself. *But it's safer if we're all together, right? Especially with that hunter and those horrible cannibal dragons out there* she shuddered.
Toothless spread his wings. *We won't force you to come, but you can if you want to. It was nice meeting you. We'll see you later, Sel* he told his mate, before launching into the air. As he winged back towards the stables, Hiccup cheerfully remarked "Well, that went a lot better than I expected, really."
Once her mate and his other half were gone, Selena looked at her brother. *Come back with us* she said firmly, *it's not safe out here on your own. If you came back, Artemis, then you can't just leave again. You can't be that cruel.*
Artemis flicked his ear-flaps back in remorse. *You're right, Selena* he admitted, before looking at Iceheart. *I think we should go with her, dear. Those other humans will be asleep, not bothering us, and this way we can all rest. You and I won't have to keep watch* he pointed out. That alone was a tempting thought. Snowdrop was happy enough to sleep near this 'outpost'.
*I suppose you're right* Iceheart agreed, *Snow and I will sleep there, but you two should talk. You haven't seen each other in so long, after all* she reasoned.
Buoyed with relief, Selena led them back to the outpost. *The stables are over there; you can sleep in the empty ones, if it starts to rain. Shadow and Black Fire are keeping watch* she explained, gesturing with her snout at two lumpy silhouettes crouched on the roof, one facing the way they'd come, the other the way they were going. *If hunters come they'll wake us up and we'll get away.*
Snowdrop was already investigating the stables; they all smelled of dragons, and of humans a little bit. Her keen ears picked up the sound of deep breathing from several of the peculiar wooden caves. The other dragons and their riders were sleeping in those. *Aunt Selena, what is this outpost place?* she asked quietly.
*It's a rest stop* Selena told her. *It's a long way from Nidaros - that's the big human nest we left behind – to the archipelago. So dragons can rest here when they go back and forth. Are you guys hungry? There might be some food left* she offered, padding over to the feeding station. With her forepaws she pushed the lever down, and a few mouthfuls of fish slithered out of the open hatch.
Snowdrop was in fact starving, and set upon the easy prey with a warble of delight. *Why would dragons be going back and forth?* she asked as she ate.
*To carry letters. Humans can draw sounds, they call it writing, so they can tell each other things without having to talk with their mouths. It takes them a really long time to get letters from one place to another, but dragons are fast.*
Iceheart protested, *The humans are using dragons as beasts of burden.*
*They are not!* Selena retorted from habit, before cringing a bit. *I mean…not like that. No one is being forced to do it. They want to. We're trying to show people that we're not scary or dangerous, that we can be useful. Then they won't want to hurt dragons, and we won't be hunted so much* she explained.
His mate narrowed her eyes sceptically. Artemis didn't want them to argue over it, so he quickly interrupted. *Selena, come with me. I want to talk.* For a moment he was scared she'd say no, but she agreed and they took to the air. They flew to the cliffs near the outpost; the same cliffs, as it happened, that Toothless-Hiccup had nearly crash-landed on and so named the island after.
Alighting side by side, the two estranged siblings looked out to sea. *What did you want to talk to me about?* Selena asked finally, with a curious warble.
Artemis glanced at her, then resumed looking out to sea. *I really am sorry.* He crooned regret very quietly. *I missed you all so much. I wanted to come back.*
*Then why didn't you?* Selena questioned, still feeling a bit betrayed by it all.
He sighed and fidgeted, twitching his wings and shuffling his paws. She stared at him until he asked, seemingly out of nowhere, *Do you remember Brunet? He was a friend of mine. He had yellow eyes, markings like raindrops on his wings. Brunet was the last one to leave…I just wanted to know if he made it home.*
Selena blinked. *I…I don't know* she admitted, *I don't remember. But if he did, you'll see him when we get back. Artemis, why didn't you come home?*
*Because…I failed. My friends – Stygian, Cimmerian, Celeste…maybe Brunet too, I don't know – they all died. If it weren't for me they'd never have left the safety of the nest. Our pack would be better off without me* he lamented.
There was a long pause as Selena took all this in. *Artemis…you're so stupid* she declared, tempering the insult somewhat by nuzzling him briefly. *It isn't your fault. You didn't force them to come with you, right? They followed you because they wanted to. Your friends knew it was risky to leave, but they left anyway. I am sorry you lost them, though* she whined sympathetically.
*You don't understand, Selena* he whimpered, *they trusted me. I was the leader, I was in charge, and I didn't protect them! I let them be killed!*
*What could you have done?* Selena challenged him. When her brother gave no answer, but merely cringed, she said more gently, *Hunters killed them. That's why you're so afraid of humans, isn't it? Because of what you've seen.*
Artemis whined sorrowfully. *It's been so long…I still remember…when I see a human, I can see them too. See their bodies. You're right, Selena. I am stupid. I was trying to make the world safer, for you, for all of us. I thought if we killed as many hunters as we could, our pack wouldn't have to hide away* he revealed.
This was new to Selena; her sire and dam had told her Artemis left to find another nest to join. She wondered if they had lied to her, or if he had lied to them. Still, maybe it didn't matter now. *That wouldn't have worked* she told him. *So long as humans fear us, they will hunt us. You can't stop killing with killing. You have to show mercy, and trust. Like Toothless and Hiccup did.*
*I don't mean to be rude, but your mate's name…did his human call him that?*
Selena purred amusement and nodded. *His parents named him Midnight, but he was enslaved by a Fire-Giant Queen for years and forgot all about his old pack. Hiccup named him Toothless because of his retractable teeth* she explained, pulling her own in by way of demonstration. *It's a long story.*
*I don't think he likes me* Artemis confessed, remembering how Toothless had snarled at him. Even though he had been growling first, but he couldn't help it.
*He does. He will* she insisted, *He's just really protective of Hiccup. The two of them have been through a lot together. Saved each other's lives over and over.*
*How did you meet them? Did…Toothless remember the pack and go home?*
Selena explained *After he and Hiccup killed the mad Queen who was enslaving all those dragons, they started living with the humans, and Toothless stayed with Hiccup. He didn't want to fly without him. Then five years after that, they heard a rumour about us and came to Myrkr to try and find us. Hiccup always wanted to find more Swift-Wings…but they were caught by hunters instead.*
He flinched in alarm. Selena went on, *they were nasty humans. They beat Hiccup and their alpha tried to kill him. Toothless heart bound to him to save his life. Then they escaped and ran into Shadow's hunting party. He recognised Toothless – they are brothers after all – and brought them back to the nest - *
*Wait* Artemis interrupted, eyes wide. *Mother let a human into our nest?*
Selena glared at him. *I told you, those hunters beat him. Hiccup was so weakened he could hardly walk, much less attack. And he never would! You can trust him, Artemis. Hiccup has the soul of a dragon. He's one of us, really.*
Her brother sighed, resigned. *I'll try, Selena. For you. So, that's how you met Toothless? When he came back…by accident?* he asked. It seemed that way.
*Yes, we met then. We didn't become mates until a few years after. The silly drake didn't think we could be, since I was living at our nest and he was living with Hiccup in theirs. So I moved to live on Berk and Toothless asked me to be his mate, and I said yes* she purred happily. *We have a daughter, too. Ebony.*
*I can't wait to meet her* Artemis promised. He pawed at the ground and continued, *Speaking of mates…you don't seem to like Iceheart very much.*
Selena blinked, and tried to look innocent. *I do! She is…I mean…if you like her…* at last she gave in and confessed, *I don't understand why you like her.*
*I know Iceheart can seem rather…cold at times* Artemis replied, *but there's more to her than you know. I don't think she'll mind if I tell you…when I found her, she had been captured by humans and forced to fight other dragons. All those scars she has, that is from back then, and from when she lived with her own pack. They didn't treat her well and she always ended up being attacked.*
That wasn't what Selena had expected at all. *So that's why she's so afraid of humans* she realised. *But our humans aren't like that. They're not so cruel!*
*I believe you, Selena* he promised, *and Iceheart is trying to, I think. It's hard for her to see humans as anything other than enemies. She cannot stand the thought of dragons being made by humans to do anything. To fight, to carry them on our backs…the only reason we were still there when you found us is because of her. She wanted to try and help your friend Black Fire escape.*
Cringing in shame, his sister wished she had been more open-minded. Selena had taken a dislike to Iceheart for her stubborn refusal to see that humans weren't always bad. She had thought the white drakaina was just biased, but now that she knew why Iceheart feared humans so much… *I'm sorry, Arte. To you and her. I should have realised there was more going on* she admitted.
Artemis hesitated, and then he nuzzled her. *Thank you for understanding. It means a lot. You've grown up so much, Selena. I remember when you were just a kit, when you first learned to fly…so much has changed since I left, hasn't it?*
*Yes* she agreed, leaning against him. *And now that you're back, it will change again. Come on. We should get some sleep, it's a long flight back to Berk.*
It was late morning when they reached the ice ringed isle of Berk, still with no sign of being followed. At least not by Grimmel or his Demoneaters. That made Hiccup feel strangely uneasy, but he couldn't put his finger on why. Still, at least Artemis and his family were still with them. *Do you think I made a good impression last night?* he asked Toothless. *I don't think Iceheart likes me…*
*Who cares?* the dragon snorted dismissively, *You're talking as if Selena is your mate, not mine* he remarked. Hiccup sniggered at the ludicrous thought. Toothless was right though; he was probably worried over nothing. Or rather, Iceheart's opinion of him – of humans - should not have been a big concern.
As they approached the island, Selena flew alongside them to announce *I'm gonna lead Artemis and his family to the cove, Asha is going to find the kits.*
*No problem. If you need us, we'll be explaining the situation to Astrid.*
*Good luck!* she warbled in amusement, before banking away. Hiccup and Toothless glanced at one another; talking to Astrid wouldn't be that bad, right? Then it occurred to them that she would be less than pleased to learn about their near-death experience and Grimmel's existence. Not to mention the Demoneaters…on second thoughts, they needed all the luck they could get.
*I should explain what's going on to our subjects and warn them about Grimmel and his Demoneaters* Toothless remarked, giving Hiccup an innocent glance.
*Oh sure, throw me to the wolves why don't you?* Hiccup grimaced. *How about I warn them, and you tell Astrid?* he suggested hopefully as they landed. Toothless just gave him a deadpan glare, and he sighed. *It was worth a shot.*
Astrid was waiting for him in the house with a piece of parchment crumpled in her fist. "What's all this about a poisoning attempt?" she demanded before Hiccup even had a chance to speak. "What happened down there, Hiccup?"
"I missed you too, dear" he quipped, walking over to give her a kiss. Partly for her benefit, partly for his own. "As for what happened…well, the good news is that no one died. Except for a Terror. Nobody we know has died" he rambled. Astrid stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Y'know, actually, someone we didn't know came back to – well, not back to life, that would be impossible."
The eyebrow raised higher. "Hiccup, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Hiccup said quickly, "Selena's brother Artemis has returned, along with his mate Iceheart and their daughter Snowdrop. She's just taken them to the cove."
"Her brother?" Astrid repeated in bewilderment; of all the things she'd expected him to say, that wasn't it. "Wait, he has a mate? There's another Fury nest out there?" she asked, recalling something about Selena's brother leaving to find another nest. Or to found one? She couldn't exactly remember now.
Hiccup replied "No, she's a White-Wing. Like a Swift-Wing, but…white. Also, she's really not keen on humans. She must have been abused or something, she's got a lot of scars" he described. "She won't attack anyone, though."
"Well, that's reassuring. Now, about this poisoned fish" Astrid went on, smoothing out the parchment. "Brenda's letter says they realised that the fish from the docks was poisoned, and that a death trap was found in the forest outside Nidaros. Did you find out who was behind all this?" she questioned.
"Yeah. Guy named Grimmel. Kind of creepy, very religious, not a fan of Furies."
Astrid nodded slowly. "Did you capture him?" she asked next. Hiccup hesitated and didn't reply. She frowned. "Well, I'm assuming he and his men didn't capture any of ours, or you wouldn't have wasted time flying all the way back here. So if you didn't capture them, where are the hunters?" she demanded.
"Ah…okay, don't freak out, because it's fine, we're all fine" Hiccup insisted, putting his hands on her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow at him. "We, err, didn't capture Grimmel. Or anyone, really…He, um, sort of has a couple of…cannibal dragons…he called them Demoneaters. He was controlling them."
This explanation did little to put Astrid's mind at ease. If anything it just raised more questions. "How many of these…Demoneaters are there, exactly?"
"Two, as far as we know. Heavily armoured and they shoot venomous darts" Hiccup replied. "I didn't want to risk getting Brenda and her friends killed trying to capture them, and we didn't have the right equipment anyway" he explained, "but Toothless is warning the other dragons about them, and Grimmel, so if they have followed us we'll be ready. But we didn't see any sign of them…"
That was troubling. "Eret and his crew should be here later today, I think. They should have what we need to take these guys down. What are you gonna do if we capture them?" Astrid inquired. "Wait, don't tell me. You'll train them."
"Gee, I don't know why you'd think that" Hiccup replied sarcastically. "We'll figure out where they came from, Eret's crew can take them back there again."
*Sweetlings, this is my brother Artemis, his mate Iceheart and their daughter Snowdrop. Or in other words, your uncle, aunt and cousin* Selena introduced the kits to their newest (for lack of a better word) family members. Ebony, Storm and Nyx had been taken to the cove by Asha and Shadow, to meet three strangers. Only they weren't strangers after all, but then where had they been?
Artemis purred reassuringly to the three young fledglings. *Hello, little ones. You must be Ebony* he guessed, meeting the eyes of the biggest kit, a green eyed drakaina. Green eyes, just like her sire. They went wide as she nodded. *You're Storm, and you're Nyx, right?* he continued, gaze shifting from her to the yellow eyed drake and the smaller, yellow eyed drakaina next to Ebony.
Nyx, hiding behind her brother, squeaked out *How do you know our names?!*
*Your parents told us* Iceheart replied calmly. She crooned comfort to the small fledgling, far more at ease with no humans in sight (though she would not forget they were on an island full of the creatures). *They told us all about you.*
Storm and Nyx still looked unsure. Ebony padded up to Artemis and boldly asked, *If you're my mum's brother, why have I never met you before?*
He lowered his head to her eye level and explained, *I went away…to explore, for a long time. Now I've come back, because I wanted Iceheart and Snowdrop to meet my family. If I'd known it had grown so much, I'd have come sooner.*
Snowdrop flicked her auricles impatiently. She'd been looking forward to meeting her new cousins ever since she knew they were there to meet! *Do you want to play?* she asked eagerly, distracting the kits, who perked up at once.
In moments the four of them were playing the hunting game, a dragon kind of hide and seek or tag. As the biggest, Snowdrop got to stalk first; she waited as the younger fledglings scampered off to hide. Then she prowled around the cove, searching for each of them. The safe place, where she couldn't catch them, was the other side of the lake where the adults had gathered to talk.
Part of the fun was to escape before the hunter found them. Ebony had gone straight to the waterfall; it was hard to see or hear anything behind the white torrent, so it was a great hiding place. That meant it was also the first place the hunter in their games looked, but Ebony had a plan for that. She peeked out and watched Snowdrop, waiting to see if the white dragon would approach the fall.
Snowdrop found Storm first; he'd hunkered down in the tiny cave, but she'd caught a gleam of his eyes when he checked to see where she was. Storm bolted, running with impressive speed towards the far bank, but not fast enough. Snowdrop cornered him and pinned him down to lick him to death.
With one caught, she began searching for the others. Out the corner of her eye, she noticed a little black snout behind the waterfall. Snowdrop began to stalk towards it, but Ebony saw her coming. The young drakaina fled, leaping onto the rocks and flapping her wings to launch herself forwards. She actually caught air and flew a little bit, but alas, she was no match for a full grown drakaina.
Snowdrop caught her just before she reached the far side. *You should have just stayed hidden back there* she told Ebony, once she'd stopped pinning her cousin down. *I wouldn't have seen you if you hadn't been peeking out.* Ebony growled, but she'd been caught fair and square. Nyx was the last one to find; she had crawled in amongst the tangle of gnarled roots growing down the cliff.
As there was no one else to hunt, Nyx won the game, much to her delight. The four of them lay down in the grass to talk. *Why do your eyes look like that?* Storm asked bluntly. Ebony swatted him in reproach. *What? I just wondered!*
*It's okay* Snowdrop crooned before they could squabble too much, *I'm used to it. I think it's because I'm a half breed. My sire is a Swift-Wing and my dam is a White-Wing…I guess I'm a Swift-White. I know my eyes look strange, sorry….*
*Don't be!* Ebony exclaimed, *They look great! What's it like out there? You guys must have explored a lot of interesting places* she warbled eagerly.
Snowdrop replied *I suppose. We once found this river with a lot of…they were like trees made of stone. A forest of them, stretching along the bank (2). It was really a cliff, but the top was all broken up into these huge cones and pillars.*
They were fascinated, and begged to hear more. Snowdrop told them about other beautiful places; massive glaciers that snaked through the mountains, enormous cascades that plunged into crystal blue lakes, deliciously warm hot springs – and many too hot, with geysers that burst out without warning.
*Snowdrop, how did your sire and dam meet?* Nyx wondered inquisitively.
*He rescued her from…well, from humans* Snowdrop replied. *They had trapped her in a big pit, cage thing, and made her fight other dragons. That's why she has so many scars. My mother wants nothing to do with humans now. She and my father always told me to never go near them, but then we came here and met friendly humans. I even touched one. His name was…Hiccup.*
Ebony gave a gummy smile. *He's my uncle* she declared happily, *he's heart bound to my sire. Guess what? When I grow up, his daughter will be my rider.*
That was such an odd thing for Snowdrop to hear. *What…what's it like, living with humans?* she asked, as curious about their lives as they were about hers.
*It's great!* Storm announced. *Especially when you're young. All you have to do is this*, he put on a begging, pleading expression, *and the humans give you anything you want! Well…almost anything. It doesn't always work on everyone. But you learn who will give you extra food and who won't really quickly. Also, humans are really good at scratching all our itchy scales with their fingers.*
*If we get hurt or sick, they heal us* Ebony told her. *Everything from broken fangs to broken wings. A while ago, some bad humans tried to attack us, and a lot of dragons got hurt. A few of them even lost their wings, but Hiccup made them new ones. He made my dad a new tail-fin, after his real one was torn off in a crash.* Ebony didn't bother explaining what caused the crash in the first place.
Snowdrop was fascinated. She knew as well as any other dragon that to be downed was to die, when longing for the sky became too much to bear. If these humans had given flight back to dragons who had been robbed of it…well, how bad could they really be? *Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to be ridden?*
*We don't know* Nyx shrugged, *we're too small to be ridden. Not every dragon in our pack has a human who rides them, but the ones that do are fine.*
*Besides, most dragons are bigger than humans. They're not heavy if you're big enough* added Storm. *Hiccup's sire is huge, and his Charger can carry him.*
*Humans can teach us loads of really good flying tricks, too* Ebony explained, *you should see what my dad and uncle Hiccup can do together. It's amazing!*
The journey west had been worth it, Snowdrop decided; if only because she'd met a bigger family than she had been expecting. Dragons who liked her odd-coloured eyes, which she'd always been a bit ashamed of; but maybe their strangeness was something to be proud of instead. They would be going to Myrkr soon, but perhaps she would come back here now and then to play.
That evening, four Furies – two black and two white – set off towards the distant nest. On the way, Artemis worried about what it would be like to see his mother again. Would she be happy or upset, or both? Well, Selena had been. He remembered that their father had died without him even knowing; that regret was like a scar on his heart. Then there was his new little sister, named Luna.
What if she didn't like him? *Don't worry, Arte* Selena assured him, when he mentioned this worry to her. *It might be a bit awkward at first, but Luna will love you. You're family! Mother is going to be so thrilled to see you again.*
By sundown the next day they reached the nest, or at least the general location. One of the Swift-Wings on patrol spotted them and flew to intercept. *It's just us, Skylancer* Selena called to him when he tried to confront them.
*Forgive me, your highness. Welcome back…who are they?* he asked, looking at the Swift-Wing and two White-Wings behind her. The golden eyed drake was strangely familiar; Skylancer had only ever seen those eyes on Queen Phoebe.
Selena replied *its okay, they're family. We need to see my mother right away.* Before he could blink, she'd darted past him, calling for the others to follow her. They did so quickly. A thoroughly bemused Skylancer realised what she'd said and hurried after them. Family? These dragons – three strangers – were family?
Those who spotted her roared in greeting, many of them stopping to stare at the three unfamiliar Swift-Wings close behind. Word travelled fast, and by the time Selena and her guests had reached the main cavern, Phoebe was already waiting for them. Luna as well, conveniently. *Selena, dearest, I'm glad to see you, but who in Moon's name have you brought back with…you…* she trailed.
Selena didn't say a word; she just stepped aside. Phoebe saw Artemis standing behind her, and although she hadn't seen her eldest son in decades, a mother never forgot. He lowered his gaze submissively as she stared at him, much to the disconcertment of her youngest daughter, and all her subjects watching.
*…Artemis?* she whimpered, taking a step forwards. *Is that really you?*
He lowered his head submissively, apologetically. *Yes, it's me. Hello, mother.*
There were grunts and yelps of shock from all sides. *Mother?* Luna exclaimed, staring at Artemis in bewilderment. *You're our brother?!* she demanded.
*Yes, I am, and you must be Luna* he realised. Dumbfounded, she nodded. *I'm so sorry I haven't been here. I never should have left. I can't change the past, but I hope you'll let us stay here* he told Phoebe, gesturing with his snout at Iceheart and Snowdrop, who bowed respectfully to her. *I really missed you.*
Everyone watched with baited breath. Phoebe met Artemis' eyes and made her choice, padding forwards to nuzzle him warmly. *Of course you can stay here. Welcome home, my son. Now, won't you introduce us?* she prompted gently.
*Oh, yes. This is my mate Iceheart, she's a White-Wing, and our daughter Snowdrop. They wish to live with us here* he explained. Phoebe welcomed them both to her nest, and declared the whole pack would celebrate the return of her long lost son. When the sun set, the Swift-Wings emerged to fly and dance in the air, swerving around each other and firing congratulatory blasts.
In the distance, on the sea, aboard a ship with sails painted black instead of revealing white…several unsavoury people saw the purplish fireballs exploding in the distance. The man at the wheel smirked maliciously. "Keep on course, men" Galmi called out to the sailors, "we've got them. We've found the Furies."
(1) Toothless now has a silver tail-fin as of ch 10 of HBS vignettes.
(2) This refers to the Lena Pillars, a rock formation in Siberia.