***Hiccup's POV***

My dad was late to wake up…again. I rolled my eyes and got out of bed. A familiar shadows trailed me as I walked down the creaky steps and into our kitchen. The dragon nudged my back, a signal for food. Laughing I set a food bowl down. He had given me 'little dragon eyes' enough to get me to crack a smile and give him food. He loved the bread I had been getting recently.

"Come on, Toothless. We have a big day ahead of us." I grinned. Toothless finished eat the bread and was stopped short of raiding the pantry. His tongue lolled like dog and he flicked his tail in excitement.

We walked down the steps and started to the village square to visit Fishlegs. He was working on compiling a new entry about Speed Stingers in the Dragon Handbook.

"Hey, Ruffnut, Tuffnut." I waved to them as they soared by on Barf and Belch.

"Hiccup! Have you seen Trader Erik recently?" Tuffnut asked. I shook my head. I had forgotten that Trader Erik was coming in! He didn't come around often, but when he did, his greatest treasure was the stories he told. Unlike other traders he actually told pretty truthful stories.

Although lore was cool, the legends were the best. Although not always one hundred percent true, it was fun to hear. Fishlegs had wanted to chase after one of the legends recently. I promised that if Trader Erik came about with another good one, we could look into it.

"I heard he had a really good legend this time." Ruffnut added. Barf and Belch clicked in agreement. I raised an eyebrow in agreement and kept on walking. My metal leg clicked against the stones. Toothless followed me patiently as we walked into the metal smith shop to meet Fishlegs.

Two hours later…

"Oy, metal man!" Astrid came and punched me in the shoulder. I had finished helping Fishlegs and now that I was done, I was heading to the docks to meet with Trader Erik. Astrid fell into step next to me. Stormfly was circling high overhead.

"Going to Trader Erik?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, you?'

"Yeah. Everyone's abuzz about this legend he's going to tell us at the meeting later tonight." Astrid exclaimed. I nodded and just listened to her talk.

My curiosity ate away at me as the day went on. I couldn't help but wonder what was making this legend be so cool. Was it a ten headed dragon? Another Boneknapper? Possibly a Skrill queen?

No, it probably wasn't that elaborate. Maybe this hype was for nothing.

The night was growing on as I walked into the Great Hall and sat down around the circle of benches. The fire pit in the middle was aglow and the flames seemed to dance in anxious wonder. I took a seat next to Astrid and Ruffnut. Our dragons were asleep outside.

"Hello everyon'" Trader Erik called out. He took his place to stand at the fire pit in the middle of the large circle. Everyone's conversations died down and all eyes were on the old man.

He was an older man with a faint beard that scruffed at his face. His long hair was tied into a braid with a hat on top. His green eyes twinkled.

"So I be hearin' that you're an anxious waitin' for a story." He started off in his usual lisp that we all loved. It wasn't some accent from a different island, it was just his own little signature. Everyone knew it as the Trader Erik Talk.

"Yes!" Everyone clapped and whistled. I heard Ruffnut and Tuffnut whisper in wonder. They were curious if there would be blood or explosions.

"As eryone knew that me stories be the greatest trade I be given. Well, today I have a legen' for you all." He made big hand gestures to accompany his speech. We anxious awaited for the story to start.

"There be a legend of a woman, no, a bird. She be about twenty years old, or maybe a hundred an twenty! Not a soul knows for sure…" He started. Everyone visibly sucked in a breath and leaned in to hear his ancient voice.

"She be a girl that can soar the skies! People say she's a raven, a beautiful creature born of the nigh' sky herself! They sayin' her true form be a raven, but some thinkin' she a shapshifter! Not a soul could say for sure which is true."

"Where did you hear this, Trader?" A man asked. Erik looked to him, a twinkle in his eye. It always went like this. The man would give a quick description and then people would ask questions.

"Oh, the southern water o' course! On the Askian shores where the fog grow great, she is legend, she is goddess!" He cried out. Everyone gasped together.

"What do they say about her!?" A young child cried out. His mother soothed the boy.

"Oh, oh, oh….They say a great many things. They say that the girl was born of the nigh' sky and she rule the sky all the same. They say she share it with the flyin' dragons. Some say, she rule the beasts." He whispered. Everyone looked in wonder.

"They sayin' the girl is the goddess walking on earth herself. They sayin' she the queen." He gathered everyone's attention.

"Who is she?" My father asked.

"The Raven Queen." He boomed. Even the name rang with a certain potency. It called out and held authority in the room. The fire seemed to die down to a respectful murmur.

"The Raven Queen. Oh, a beauty she be! Dark as nigh', cruel as lightnin', and always seen with a bird on her shoulder, mind you. Despite this, she be the most beautiful woman you see." He sighed longingly.

"Tell us more! Tell us more!" The crowd cried out, as if they words were food and they were poor peasants.

"I'll start from the beginnin'. Some say she was born on a mountain top. Some say she in't mortal and simply is. Either way, she be a mistress to be feared and respected. The Raven Queen resides on an island southeast of 'ere. She lives on an island of dragons. She is their mother. She is their keeper. They listen to 'er, an she listen to 'em. They say, 'to harm one of 'er dragons is to wish death of you'. She protects 'em that live on the island. Boats that go near there come back sayin' that a strange figure cloaked in voidal black shot at 'em. They sayin', they get away before they go up in purple flames." He whispered to the crowd. I was leaning forward, anxious to soak up more of his words. He stood on the edge of the fire pit. People were scooting to the edge of their seats.

"They sayin', 'you step foot on that islan', you disappear from worlds known an unknown. While she simply is, she will make you simply is not.'" He whispered to us all again. Fishlegs caught my eye and nodded. I knew he now wanted to go after this legend of the Raven Queen.

"But Trader Erik, if she is so cruel, why did Thor let her down here?" A little girl asked. Trader Erik stepped off his perch and knelt by the little girl. He patted her head and she looked up with bright brown eyes.

"Because my little lady, she is fair. Her cruelness goes to the wrongings we have done to her." He explained. A sad looked crossed his eyes. Trader Erik looked to the floor as he walked the full length of the circle. What had we done wrong?

"But we didn't do anything!" Someone called. Trader Erik shook his head.

"No, we as humans be doing her wrong. During the Dragon War, we killin' her dragons. Before that and even now, we takin' her dragons. The Asikin people tell it this way: She was fair, kind, and gentle before her dragons roamed the world. When the injured came to her, she healed their wounds without asking for payment. She sent the north winds to ships an bring 'em good trades.

"When her dragons roamed the world, we took them and slaughtered them. We captured 'er dragons and look now! She mourns over her dragons. She mourns those lost souls of 'ers. Now, The Raven Queen strikin' down any souls unlucky enough to cross 'er path. She blames us for killing her dragons. But we are at fault." Trader Erik sighed. I think a heavy silence was sinking down on all our shoulder. I felt a tugging at my heart to Toothless. If this Raven Queen was real, did she hate me for taking Toothless away from her?

"Is there any way to reason with her?" Astrid asked. Erik nodded, the happy twinkle returning to his eyes.

"She might be cruel, but she be logical. I-I think she be lonely up there on that mountain top." He chuckled softly.

"Lonely?" A woman asked.

"Yes, lonely. She up 'ere on her own, watching for 'er dragons to return home safe an sound. She singin' to herself, she is. She singin' a sorrowful tune. She singin' 'erself a…..a lullaby." Trader Erik regained footing on his perch and we all watched him walk around the rim of the fire as he talked. With his hands clasped behind his back, I started to get into the story more and more.

"Why a lullaby?" Snotlout questioned. Erik shook his head, as if the man was just a small child.

"Ery woman need someone to sing her a lullaby. She has no one. No one ta sing ta 'er. If you sing that melody to her, I promise you, she be no longer cruel. She will calm, she will calm that storm. The Raven Queen, she will be reasonable. Only when you give 'er reason to will she slay you." Trader Erik nodded. I took out my notebook and wrote that down. I took notes on this. All was silent for a moment as Trader Erik took a deep breath and started to sing.

"Flying under the midnight sky,

When you watch this misty dream,

Say your last goodbye.

For this is the Raven Queen's

Lullaby.

Ocean winds, singing hills,

Lonely roads, an' broken stones.

From old mirrors to broken sills,

Feel the fear in your bones.

Save yourselves, for I am lost.

Struck by lightning,

Or be ocean tossed.

I am nothing but frightening.

Flying under the midnight sky,

When you watch this misty dream,

Say your last goodbye.

For this is the Raven Queen's

Lullaby." When Trader Erik finished the slow, mournful tune, I felt tears prick at my eyes and goosebumps raise on my flesh. A shiver went down my spine.

"Trader, have you met this Queen?" My dad asked after a minute. The fear had certainly soaked into our bones.

"Why, yes." Erik murmured. We all stared at him.

"I was passing by 'er island. The other islan' 'ad warn me about this mysterious woman, but I paid not heed. I passed about a mile away. I heard this mournful tune I sung to you. She was over me, I tell you! She was over 'ead! I heard her singin' it a time, and I join in on the second roundabout. I thought it would make it not so….silent. It calms me nerves, it does. Now, I try an steer out as quick as I could and stand in the middle of me boat, making sure I looked peaceful. Then, she swoop down on me! She swoop down on me! I is startled for sur'! She ridin' this dragon, black as the nigh' 'erself! This raven come trailin' overhead and I get scared, real scared. I knew this was true!

"And then…..I see 'er. I see 'er plain as day. She stood on the mast o' my boat! I not say a word, for fear of what might happen. A sword, silver a' the lady moon, hung in 'er hand. I see fog descend on me! I see my fate comin' towards me. Her face is covered by a mask and a silver streak, a silver tear, sits on 'er face. She 'as a cloak made of raven's feathers, like the bird perchin' on 'er shoulder. Now, I about to jump o'erboard when I see the dragon again! It's black as…that man's Nigh' Fury!" His finger accusingly pointed at me. I furrowed my brow in concern.

"Are you sure, Trader Erik? There's only one Night Fury, and that's Toothless." I tried to smiled and lighten the mood, but a sickening feeling was settling in my stomach.

"O' boy! I'm sure as I'm sure my name is Erik! Well, this dragon swoop down and is circlin' my boat now. I see purple glow at its maw and I know, I know that I is done for! Now this lady, she not say anything, just stare at me with these blue eyes! Big blue eyes like the sky. I see them change to a silver and I fall to me knees, begging to Thor for me to live. I tell her to take anything, that I ain't touchin' her dragons! At that, she jump off the boat!" Trader Erik cried. I scribbled more notes.

"She…jumped?" I asked. He nodded vigorously. I had a set of wings that I had been working on, but I wouldn't expect some lady to jump off into freezing water, unless she had a way out…

"How did she escape?" Tuffnut asked.

"She wingin' her away! The dragon didn't do nothin'! The dragon at her side the entire time! The Raven Queen just jumped off the mast and used her wings to carry her 'way!" he cried out. We all gasped a little at that. Trader Erik ended his legend after that. As everyone exited the Great Hall, all I could think about was this Raven Queen.

Fishlegs approached me as soon as I found Toothless. He looked at me curiously as I patted his side.

"So when are we going after her?" He asked me. I turned to him with a little smile.

"Tomorrow evening. I'm going to go check out the island first and then I'll come back and get you guys." I told him.

"Are you sure you don't want us going with you?" My friend asked. I shook my head.

"I have a few things I need to check out first." I told him. I made a list of what to check out. Did she really have wings? What was her dragon like? Was Trader Erik lying to us about this legend?

The entire time I walked home, I couldn't stop thinking about that girl with the wings and name of Raven Queen.

"For this is the Raven Queen's…lullaby…" I sang softly to myself the entire time.