Dragon Friend (sequel to the dragon boy) Chapter 11 - Tales of the Past
frostcup fanfic

Authors note: so here we are! How Valka and Cloudjumper met- through the dragons eyes. And a bit of mysteries at the end^^ anyway I hope you like it not that long to the climax now! Please leave a review(I love them so much!^^) and I will be back tommorow!

"It was nineteen cycles ago." He recollected. "I was a part of a raid on Craggy Viking Mountain, and I'd broken into a hut, to search for food, or animals."

This must have been before the Vikings made peace with the dragons, Jack realised. He'd never heard much about it before- Hiccup never liked to speak on the subject- so listened curiously.

"Only... it was empty. There was no food. But there was, something else, there... I heard it wailing... softly... sadly. Intrigued, I moved closer- and then saw it. A tiny, little, human child. All skin with a little hair on its head- not a scale on it. So small, so vulnerable. So different from a dragon, and yet... I was drawn to it." Jack watched, taken in by the story, and the way he told it. It was a life changing moment for the Stormcutter, and there was something mesmerising about the story.

It reminded Jack of the first time he'd seen a kid- that magical moment he'd never forget, and always look back at with a smile. The kid had been sad, and completely unaware of his presence. He was crying, and he never found out why. But he couldn't stand to see it so sad. He'd caused a light snowfall to cheer it up... and the way the kid's face lit up when he saw it... Jack wished he could just capture that moment forever.

"It looked scared with all the noise and commotion outside, so I carefully reached out a wing towards it." He realised Cloudjumper was still telling his story and turned to him again to listen.

"It stopped looking so scared, and looked at me, curiously. It grasped onto the end claw of my wing, holding it with such a tight, yet feeble, grip... I had never seen a human like this before. It was so, innocent so dependant on others. It was mesmerising- the tiny little, curious eyes looking at mine, as it smiled happily, pulling my wing a little closer..." He paused a little, lost in the moment, then looked across at his rider and her son.

"How strange it is to see that weak, little child grown to nearly adulthood." He muttered, as he remembered the child he had met all those years ago, and compared it with the young man standing by his rider now. Wait, he was talking about Hiccup? Jack knew he was telling the story of how he met Valka, but somehow the notion that Hiccup might be a part of it never occurred to him. The story suddenly seemed a lot more personal now. "He still has that same curiosity in him." Cloudjumper noticed, before returning to the story.

"I don't know how long I would have stayed like that, but a noise behind me made me turn. it was another human, old and grown. A woman- eyes filled with terror over the possible fate of the child. She had to be his mother... Yet although I was stood by her child she didn't attack me. That intrigued me. Any other human would have killed me on sight. I moved closer. She backed away, scared, but still made no move to attack me. I looked at her... and she looked at me. Something seemed to pass between us... and I realised, then, that this wasn't a savage, dragon slaying beast. But an intelligent creature, just trying to protect its own, and its right to survive. The more I looked, the more I understood her, and suddenly, I felt like I understood her, better than I did myself. I guess that would have been the time a trust bond would have formed, if I were a Sky Dragon, such as you. But the moment didnt last. One of the others in the raid mustn't have known I was there because the room caved in. I panicked, swinging round, and caught the babe with the tip of my claw."

Jack had never really wondered how his friend had got that scar, but he recalled the way Valka had flinched with shock as she'd seen it, and realised- Valka had recognised Hiccup, through that scar.

"The child started wailing again. The noises from outside grew louder- one of them was a loud, rough voice that I recognised. It was the brutal leader of the humans, that had downed many an innocent dragon- he had a truly terrible reputation among us- and... I thought the woman was in danger. If not from him, from the house collapsing, and... I can't really explain it... but I felt like I just had to keep her safe. I picked her up and carried her off. She struggled, and called out, but I thought she was just panicking over her first flight, and carried on flying... I didn't know where to go. I'd assisted a human- breaking one of the biggest laws of the nest. Neither she nor I would be safe there, so... I abandoned the nest, and searched for a place to stay for us both."

Jack had never had a home to abandon. He'd been wandering all his life, but, still... he could imagine how hard it must have been, to leave all that he'd ever known behind... and all for the sake of a human. He realised, the bond between Cloudjumper and Valka just might be even stronger than that of Hiccup and Toothless. Cloudjumper took a breathe, and continued.
"Then, I came across this place. The Alpha offered to take us in.."

"... and I've been living here ever since." Valka told her son. He looked at her, amazed. He never had known what had happened that night, but now he did, it felt like a piece of him had finally slotted into place. One of the biggest mysteries of his life, finally, made sense.

"So what about you?" She asked.
"Wha- me?" He said, a little flustered. She smiled a little.
"What have, you, been doing all these years? She asked, curiously.

Oh where to begin Hiccup thought, thinking of the many adventures he'd had.

"Well, the usual." He started. "Worked at the forge, helped look after the sheep, tamed a Night Fury, defeated a giant sea dragon, transformed Berk, and sorted out a whole bunch of dragon problems we had- not to mention he Outcasts and Beserkers." He recalled, Valka's expression growing more surprised impressed and shocked with every addition to the list. "But, hey, that's life when you're a Viking." He joked.

Valka laughed quietly, staring at him in amazement.
"Incredible... You've done all that... and, changing Berk- I didn't think it was possible." She marvelled.
"It wasn't easy." He admitted. "I'd say it cost me an arm and leg, but it only actually took the leg." He smiled. "But, yeah... it was hard..." He reflected, thinking about how he'd been before he had Toothless.

The village disappointment, tossed here and there. Frequently seen as a walking disaster. He didn't notice Valka looking, sadly, at him. The guilt of not being there for him written across her face.

"You done yet?" The voice came from above them. They both looked up, surprised, to see a white haired havoc maker hanging, above their heads, off the wing of a certain Stormcutter- who tilted his head, and chuckled a little in the back of his throat, at their faces. Jack also chuckled.
'Again with the hanging by the knees.' Hiccup said, Jack laughed.
'You gotta love a classic.' He smirked, swinging down from the wing tip.

Hiccup opened his mouth, about to say something, when Jack tilted his head in confusion, looking behind them.
"What's up with that Scuttleclaw?" He muttered. Valka and Hiccup turned to see a little, purple dragon tentatively watching their group- it seemed to be looking at Valka in particular, the others it eyed, warily.
"Oh, it's him. He was rescued a few days ago, from a trap. He's gotten himself himself in a lot of trouble over the time he's been here... I better go see what's happened." She told them, standing, before looking, hesitantly, back at them. "Are you okay staying here, whilst I sort him out?" She asked, troubled by leaving her son for even a second. She didn't want him to think she was abandoning him again.

Hiccup nodded like it was no big deal.
"Sure, go ahead." But the white haired boy, Jack, seemed to be watching her rather discerningly, it gave her the feeling that he could sense her upset, and unnerved her greatly.

She went to tend to the injured hatchling, scooping it up in her arms, and taking it to a private cave to examine it. But she found her mind wasn't in it.

She just couldn't stop thinking about Hiccup. Did he think she was a terrible mother for leaving him like that? Was she a terrible mother for leaving him like that? Would he think she cared more about the dragons, than she did him? The baby squealed in protest, as she accidentally touched its tender underbelly, harder than she should have done.
"Sorry." she muttered, apologetically, even though it couldn't understand her.

"Want some help?" Someone asked from behind her.

It was Hiccup's friend, Jack the traveller. He walked over, and crouched down beside the hatchling with her. She let him sit by her, not quite comfortable with this boy she barely knew. She hadn't been in the company of another human being since nineteen years ago. Hiccup was different- he was her son- this boy, though... she wasn't quite sure how to react with him.

He examined the young dragon for a few seconds, then, as though it had told him what was wrong, he lifted its foot, to reveal a small, bright red bite mark.
"Fireworm bite." He noticed. "Stepped on it when he wasn't looking where he was going." She looked at him- how did he know? Then again, it was on the Scuttleclaw's foot, so she guessed that made sense.
"Put a bit of ice on it, he'll be fine." He said, half to himself, picking up a small chunk of frozen ice, and holding it so the red hot wound. Right, yes, that was what you were supposed to do for it- she just wasn't thinking straight at all.

Jack looked at her again, those bright, blue eyes seemed to see straight through her.
"Well that's the dragon sorted." He commented. "What about you?" He asked. "What's your problem?"

Valka considered denying it, but his gaze was like that of some of the dragons she'd met- there was something in them which told her hed see through any lie, and wouldn't leave her until he knew the answer. Still, she hesitated. She had trouble trusting people after so long alone- she'd only just met this boy, and knew almost nothing about him. She didn't open up easily- a stubborn bit of vikingness that had stayed with her over the years. Why should she tell him, she thought. Then again, Hiccup trusted him, that had to count for something.

Plus, looking in his eyes, slightly unnerving though their understanding was, there was a kind of familiarity there, and a genuine desire to help. He was genuinely concerned for her, and wanted to help.

Almost unexpectedly, she found herself trusting him, there was something familiar about those eyes.
"It's just... am I terrible for leaving him like that?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" He asked, settling down on the floor more comfortably, she knew what he meant- was she going on about just now or back then.

That was when she realised- it wasn't the fact the she had left him now that was bothering her, it was the fact that she had left him, all those years ago.
"I should have gone back." She muttered. "I shouldn't have left him to go through all that on his own. I should have been there for him. All that he went through, without me, when I should have been at his side, helping him through it." She vented to the younger boy.

Feeling guilty about leaving Hiccup alone, to struggle through life on Berk without him... Jack could relate to that. It wasn't as long as nineteen years, but he understood the feeling.

"But, I didn't. I just stayed here." She continued, Jack cut her off.
"Then all the more reason to be with him now. So what you weren't there when he tamed the Night Fury, or burnt down the forge. You can't change that. You're here now, and, to Hiccup, that's all that matters." He told her, she took in his words.

She'd never realised how much she missed hearing the reassuring words of another human- she'd thought, as an adult, she could cope with things herself, but now, she realised, that wasn't true. Everyone needed someone to talk to now and then. She looked at him. He was a lot smarter than he looked... wise, even. She smiled, and nodded at him, appreciatively, in typical dragon fashion. He nodded back, accepting her gratitude.

The Scuttleclaw she was still holding wriggled, and pulled out of her grasp. She'd forgotten she was holding it, and it wasn't limping as it ran, so he guessed it was okay. Jack looked at her, a smile touching his lips as he stood up, and for once his gaze didn't bother her, she felt herself relaxing. He was just a kid, she thought to herself- what about him, had ever unnerved her in the first place.
"Come on. We should get back." He told her.

She got up to follow him out, and, it was then, she realised, she recognised something. Something in his eyes. It was more than a kind of familiarity there- it was almost of if... she'd seen them before.
"Have I met you before?" She asked him, he looked at her, confused.
"No, I don't think so." He responded.
"It's just... I feel like I've seen you before." She explained.

He thought about it, then panicked. What if she'd spotted the connection between him and the white dragon, she would have seen flying, earlier?! He had to get her off he trail.
"No. I travel a lot, maybe you saw me from the back of Cloudjumper." He suggested.

That didn't seem right, Valka thought... she'd seen those eyes before, she just couldn't place them.
"Mmmm." She said, thoughtfully. "Oh well, lets go back to Hiccup." She decided, it was obvious he wasn't going to be any help, she'd figure it out later- but it was really annoying her.

They returned to the place they'd last left Hiccup. Surprise, surprise, Jack thought, he'd brought the map out. He was surprised he'd made it this long without adding the sanctuary to it.

Hiccup looked up, as he saw them approaching, and started explaining the map to Valka. Without him noticing, she sneaked off to draw extra map lines in the snow surrounding them. They were still in his winter creation from earlier, and Jack had to admit- spring, or no- this had to be one of his best yet.

Was that it? He thought, as she reached the end of the extension she'd made, around the top of her son's map. Well, he could do a little better than that, he thought.

Swinging his foot forwards, he carved a little trench into the snow, but as his foot kicked forwards, he willed the trench to continue, getting it to spread and curve, until it formed an island. Several more trench islands formed, right the way around the entire map. It wasn't much, compared to his full knowledge of the islands, but enough to drop the jaws of his rider friends.

Hiccup was just looking up, admiring his mothers handiwork.
'Wow.' Jack heard him thinking. 'I'm gonna need a whole lot more paper.' Jack grinned, and whistled to draw their attention, before gesturing, expansively, at his much larger extension.

'Yeah, I think you do.' He thought to an amazed Hiccup. He chuckled at both Valka's, and Hiccup's, expressions, as the spun to take in the whole thing.

Then his laughter stopped suddenly, and his head turned to face the main part of the nest. Hiccup looked at him, confused.
"What's up?" He asked, aloud. Then he saw what.

What had to be nearly every dragon in the sanctuary, was taking flight in the main section of it. Jack had no idea what was going on, but apparently, Valka did. She grinned as she saw the swarm of flying dragons, and ran up to Cloudjumper, climbing swiftly onto his back.
"Come on, get up!" She bade the boys. They, just as quickly, mounted Toothless.
"What's going on?" Jack asked. Valka's eyes glimmered.

"We're going fishing."