[ Chapter Two: Treacherous Fog ]

"Curse the day I wafted into this place!" I scowl, seated firmly upon my black dragon as she landed on a rock sticking high out of the ocean. We were in the thickest fog I'd ever seen, much worse than that around my home island. Needless to say, we were lost.

We had tried to fly high above the fogs, but yet it just ended in clouds that I could not see the ocean from. Swimming below the water was hard for both Zera and myself, for I wore armor and she had to carry the weight of two. We had opted to flying in a straight line, hoping to find our way out of the mists, but sadly we had flown dozens of miles and not found anything.

"Listen, Zera. Maybe we can hear something…" We train our ears, my eyes darting back and forth against the fogs. I needed something, anything to get us out of here safely. I was starving and I knew my dragon was nearing so as well. We both needed sleep, but none of these rocks that jutted out of the waters were big enough for either of us to sleep safely. Not only that, but it was now nothing but darkness out, no stars shining or anything. I could barely see the hand in front of my face, let alone my dragon.

All in all, we weren't in a good situation.

I pull my curling, white locks around to my shoulder, praying to Odin for assistance. As if answered in prayer by the God himself, Zera shoots off into the foreboding white mists. Something had moved up ahead, the noise of flapping reaching my ears. I urge my beast forward, hoping to find something to lead us towards land. As we near, I am able to make out a great creature of sizeable mass holding a rider atop it.

"Hello!" I call to the darkness. The mass moves closer, almost startled, and swivels in our general direction. I now could see a flame being lit on a torch, lighting up the man's face. He was a large, behemoth of a man, probably close to my age, atop a beast that looked to be made of solid rocks.

"Where are you?" He calls to the darkness that surrounded us. "Are you friend or foe? Are you lost?"

"Depends on your intentions," I make my voice roll through the fogs, noticing he was unable to see the two of us. Zera blended into the darkness marvelously, keeping me hidden for protection. "We indeed are lost. We have been searching for an island that we cannot find for three days. We are out of food and have not slept since. We call for aid."

"Why do you sound as if you are in the air, woman?" He was becoming shifty, his beast turning in circles towards our voice. "Let's discuss that later. Come where I can see you."

"I must know of your intentions, Viking!" I holler, finally halting in mid-air instead of circling the man. I needed sleep…

"A true Viking would never harm a woman unless she was trying to kill him," he recalls, urging her forward. "I will not hurt you. Just come where I can see you so I can get you somewhere safe and away from these fogs."

I had no choice but to trust him. It was likely he knew where shelter was, and even the island I was searching for. Carefully, I nudge Zera forward, wrapping my fur closer around myself to shield against the unyielding, frigid air.

The man nearly falls from his beast, staring in shock at the two of us. I did not know if he was more surprised to see me or the dragon I sat upon. He steers closer, only getting as close as my friend would allow before she let out a throaty growl, keeping the noise quiet but still threatening.

"Another Night Fury…" I could hear him murmur. "Come on, we'll get back to Berk that way we can get you away from the fogs. They're tricky to get around through."

"The best idea I've heard in weeks."

I follow him for miles, feeling the strain on Zera, and finally to a massive island with all sorts of dragons roaming around and Vikings alike. Every house looked new, despite the obvious age of the few still awake. I figured that their dragons destroyed and rebuilt half of the island, in the least.

We land a bit away from the village, urged to step from our winged beasts. I unravel my cloak, removing my helmet from my bag and keeping it wrapped in a light cloth, as I carried it when I traveled to avoid unnecessary scratches. The only scratches that should be on a valkyries helmet are those with stories of battles behind them, not from being carried in a saddlebag roughly.

"I'm Fishlegs." The Viking sticks his hand out and I gently take the stubby fingers. I could see his dragon eyeing my strange one warily. "Who are you?"

"Valdis," I disclose, smiling slightly. "Please, can you take me to your chief?"

"Yeah, yeah of course. Follow me again." He then looks warily at my beast. "Is it possible for her to stay here? She might make the dragons uneasy, with being a stranger and all."

I sigh, figuring this would be the case, before rounding on Zera. "I'll be back in a bit, alright? Don't come unless I call you. Stand at attention and be aware in case, alright?"

Zera nods, sitting tall and alert without movement before I begin walking away with 'Fishlegs'. What a strange name…

He leads me to a grand hall, the few people that were moving around and awake staring as if I had two heads. Obviously it was not often loan strangers appeared in Berk. I simply hold my head high as the door is opened and the two of us enter the nearly-empty building.

"Fishlegs, what are you doing here?" A tall, thick man appears, his beard long and a shaggy red coloring. "Who is this young woman?"

"Chief, she's a rider that I found lost in the fogs on patrol." Fishlegs nervously shifts again, this time twiddling his fingers. "Chief Stoick, she rides a Night Fury…"

"What?" His eyes scan me up and down. "I did not believe another of those existed, especially outside of Berk!" I was being sized up, noticing how his eyes lingered upon my sword. "Are you a fighter, lass? Messenger, perhaps?" He had seen the cloth bundled in my arms. "You're a bit to pretty to be a messenger. Where did you find a Night Fury? What are your intentions?"

"Chief Stoick, is it?" I smile warily, the fatigue wearing on my nerves. "I have come to Berk on a quest for my Shadow Stalker, or Night Fury as you've called her, from a very far land. For years, I have been her rider, and for few less years she has been restless. This is a matter I will discuss more with you in the morning hours, if you would allow a place for food and bed for the two of us. We have not slept for days and ran out of food just two nights ago."

"How do I know I can trust you, lass?" The massive man narrows his eyes, crossing his thick forearms across his vast chest. "It's not often that women in armor on a Night Fury appears on my front door."

I smile lightly. "I did not expect a Viking to trust so easily." With this, I unfurl my helmet, propping the winged metal atop my head and standing firm. "My name is Valdis. I have come from the island of the women chosen for a life after their death. I have come from the isle of valkyries, Chief Stoick. Thus it is the reason I ride a beast thought to be extinct and am the only rider I have ever found of such."

"A valkyrie on Berk!" Stoick removes his hands from his chest, throwing them in the air. "A rare sight indeed! It is not often you people leave your island, and it is even rarer that one should survive the seas, the winds, or the fogs either when trying to find it!" He turns towards Fishlegs, who stood- once again- in shock at the situation. "Fishlegs, go have the empty lodging prepared for our honored guest. Now, boy! We have a real, live valkyrie on our doorstep and you stand their gawking!"

Fishlegs run off, a laugh breaking my lips. I had not expected them to be this welcoming, that was certain, but I had hoped for such. Odin had answered my prayers, trying to keep me safe. It was not my time to cross over and lead the slain to Valhalla after all.

"I'm sorry if we were so rude before. We are not trusting of strangers," he murmurs in his thick accent, motioning for me a seat. After taking it, he screams towards the back of the building, "Bring the lass a full plate and a cup of mead! Oh, and a basket for her dragon, would you!" Once Stoick turns back to me, he eagerly sits in front of me. "Would you be so kind as to call your dragon in? I would like to see him."

"Her," I correct before letting out a loud, ear-splitting whistle. Moments later, a noise could be heard in the rafters above as Zera climbs through a window near the roof, hiding in the shadows. The only thing seen were the crimson of her irises. "Zera, come down here. We should not fear our friends. They are some of those that shall be lead to Valhalla, those of Vikings."

She stalks down, cautiously circling behind me and looking over my shoulder at the man. Stoick was in awe, reaching out to pet the dragon. She snorts, smoke coming from her nostrils, before I lay a hand on her wing. Reluctantly, she allows the man to place his bear of a hand on her snout.

"What are these?" He notices the spikes that protruded behind her ears, solid white and made of bone. The same type of spike was found at the end of her tail, the only color on the beast. "I wonder if this is just of the females…" He smiles at me proudly just as the food is delivered, the woman ushered away to leave the three of us alone. "She's a beaut!"

I begin wolfing down the meal before me, drinking quickly on the mead. Zera did not hesitate either, her head fully in the basket of fresh fish. Once the two of us were full and content, now feeling nothing but fatigue on our minds, Fishlegs returns to lead us towards our small home."You must meet my son first thing in the morning! Him and his wife will be excited to find another dragon like Toothless." He shakes my hand roughly, causing me to grin. Stoick reminded me of the heavier set of my people, rough around the edges and even more brutal without realizing. "Sleep as long as you'd like and then I'll send someone over to get you to lead you back to the dining hall."

"I'll find my way back." I stand, ready to remove this armor and sleep for hours. "Thank you, Chief Stoick of Berk. I might be dead in the fog with my dragon if not for your Viking."

"We're honored to have you. May Odin smile upon you." He bows his head as I follow Fishlegs from the hall.

I memorized the way as best as I could with the sleep wearing on my eyes and making my body heavy. I leaned a bit on Zera for support as he opened the door and lead me into a decent-sized hut with a bed in the middle of one wall with a chest at the end of it, the rest of the room empty.

"Sorry for the lack of stuff. We don't have anything else right now." He looked genuinely embarrassed. "If you decide to stay a while, we can have things built in the place to make it a bit more like home and…"

I touch his arm, moving forwards and silencing the man in one movement. Zera pounces through the large doors, moving to the open space to making a nesting spot upon the cold ground. She heats it up with some of her fire, wrapping into herself after shrugging of my packs.

"This is more than perfect, Fishlegs. Thank you for everything." I smile, then turn towards the bed fully. I was exhausted and I was so close to a warm blanket and a comfortable bed. "Good night."

"Night." The man, a few shades darker of red, exit's the house and allows me to strip down and set my armor carefully off to the side. I was asleep as soon as I crawled under the blankets.