***Hiccup's POV***
Toothless was flying over the ocean after he deposited me on the northern beach. A large mountain rose up through the fog. The mist seemed to cloak the island in mystery and terror. Swallowing a little of the fear that Trader Erik had instilled in me, I grasped at my only sword. My fiery weapon was also slung at my side, but I knew I had to rely on my sword and shield for protection.
My boots made imprints on the damp sand until they disappeared after each wave that lapped at the shore. I climbed the sand to the grassy hills. There was a bit of a field that was bordered by the forest. Hills surrounded on each side of me.
I started to hum that lullaby that Trader Erik had taught us. The notebook was in my armor's pocket, strapped in safely. Although the lyrics were memorized, I had them just in case.
To be honest, I had never visited this island. As soon as it came into view, I drew it down on my map. The only reason I knew it was the island of the Raven Queen was that it was surrounded by fog and gave me that eery feeling.
Looking around, I searched for the figure of the Raven Queen. Maybe she was further in on the island? There were no sounds of dragons. I thought it was filled with them! Was I on the wrong land?
That's when I saw her.
The heavy fog that scoured my vision parted just a brief moment to show a dark figure on the hill. She looked to be as tall as me, possibly as old as I am?
No, she might not be mortal. I had no clue about this mysterious figure.
A raven perched on her shoulder and let out a warning call. Her eyes followed me as I froze. Trader Erik was right-those eyes swallowed me up like the raging sea. I drowned in them. Her mask covered the rest of her face and was completely black except for the silver tear. The tear of the moon….
The cloak swirled around her. All that I could see was the black and silver staff in her hand. She stood like a monument in the grey sky.
I turned to the forest, looking for an escape if I needed one. When I glanced back, she was gone. Her form was swallowed by the mist.
My eyes widened. If I ran into trouble, Toothless would swoop down to lend aid, but otherwise, I was on my own. I turned to the forest as the sound of thunder overhead crackled.
I saw her.
The mist parted like the ocean of grey had been split in half. She stood no more than ten feet from me. Her left hand grasped the staff. Her right hand held a sword, silver as pure light. I felt my hand twitch on my own weapon.
So I started to hum that lullaby once more in hopes of calming her down.
I sang it softly, but her hard eyes so full of hate didn't soften. I saw a pure form of rage, as clear as glass. It was all directed towards me.
"Thief." She snarled, low as a Thunderdrum roar. I stopped humming to look at her curiously.
"I'm sorry, but I am no thief." I raised my hands in surrender.
"You are not welcome here." Her voice was sweet, but deadly calm. If she were to laugh, it would sound like bells. If she were to cry, the whole world would sob in return. It was as if the universe would bend to her voice.
"A-are you the Raven Queen?" I asked, trying to distract her for a moment more. Her cloak swirled around her once again. I saw the feathers in her hair. They were black as the midnight void itself.
"And you are a Berk islander. I do not like thieves on my island." She growled. Her eyes turned to a blue rage at that. I saw her fingers flex on the wooden staff. The raven at her shoulder screamed at me.
"I am no thief." I repeated again. She pointed sword accusingly at me. I drew my own. At the sound of the metal sliding out of the sheath, Toothless shot down from the sky.
He landed next to me, his teeth bared to the woman that was no older than I. He growled out a warning, flicking his tail. The woman's eyes went wide, wider than the moon itself.
Without warning, she slid her sword down in her sheath. Even the raven seemed to fall silent. Slowly, she reached up and let the raven step onto her arm. With a silent word, she let it fly off towards the mountain. The creature winged away from us on silent grace. All that could be heard was the heavy breathing of my dragon.
"THIEF!" She screamed in pure agony once again. I saw her whole form shake. The Raven Queen seemed to be suffering fits of rage and agony. Toothless growled again. I put my free hand on his side.
"You took him! You took him from me!" She snarled like a wolf bitten with hunger. I furrowed my brow. This wasn't usual. Her finger pointed to Toothless and I looked at him.
"I didn't steal Toothless. He's mine. I never stole him from you." I snapped back. She hunched over her staff, as if her head was hurting. When she stood back up, I saw a tear leak out of her eye.
"Your people stole him from me. You stole him and for that, I will kill you. I will kill you for taking him from me and from her." Her voice was broken by a sob. The Raven Queen stood up straight, as if she was taller than I. In fact, she might be an inch or two shorter, but made up for the height with her menacing voice.
But wait, from me and her? Who was this other figure?
Toothless growled at the lady, still trying to defend me. But this girl didn't draw her sword.
"You took Alexander from me. You took him and you will pay." She grasped her staff with both hands and raised it off the ground. Toothless stopped growling at the mention of the name. Alexander? Where had that come from?
"No, it's Toothless." I warned her.
"Alex. It's always been Alexander." She snarled and pounded her staff into the ground once, twice, and more in a rhythmic beat. Each hit rang out perfectly in the silence.
It hit slowly at first in an even pattern. Toothless was frozen, no longer growling. How had she known Toothless before me? I just found him in the wilderness after I had shot him down! What had happened before then and what did it have to do with Berk?
Toothless went into attack mode as soon as we saw fire grow in the mist. The fog started to dissipate as glowing eyes and fiery maws appeared. Ten of them, at least ten of them.
She had stopped pounding the ground with her staff. It must've been some call, and now we were in trouble as her backup arrived.
I guess her island hadn't been so dragon-less after all.
She slammed her staff into the ground once more and they flew at us. I hopped on Toothless as he took off. The dragons were fast, but we had to be faster. The Night Fury flew hard as he took off. Taking a look back, I saw the Raven Queen take off on the back of a Deadly Nadder. She looked furious with her blue eyes glowing like gems and her silver sword held at the ready.
Toothless kept flying harder, kept flying faster. We were leaving the dragons behind, but that's when the Raven Queen leapt off the Nadder.
She spread her wings and flew after us. Catching a draft, she started to catch up.
"Come on, Toothless! Shoot!" I called out. He turned around, doubling back in the air and launched a plasma bolt at her. She easily dodged it and then removed her hands from the wings.
Oh, so it was some sort of device! They weren't real wings, but did let her fly. Not only glide like my own prototype did, but she could glide and fly up and down. She could steer and fight as well.
And that's just what she did.
The wings stayed locked in place as she headed straight for us. Toothless shied back as she came for us. This wasn't normal for him. He seemed so hesitant to attack her, it made me worried.
"Come on, Toothless!" I encouraged again as she soared for me with her silver sword agleam. Toothless dove out of the way instead of shooting her down. Without warning, he hightailed it out of there, going faster than at first. As I glanced behind me, she was hovering there, just glaring at me as the clouds started to swallow her up.