Chapter 2: The Downed Dragon
I would love to say that I have a brilliant strategy all backed up for when this went south but honestly the only thing running through my head is: AHHHHH!
I let out a scream as I race down the hill stumbling over my feet but managing to barely keep myself upright. I can feel the dragons hot breath on my back as it snaps at me maybe five feet away. Panic quickens my sprint. I slip slightly crashing into a wall but I stumble to my feet with my hands and get up and keep running forward. I reach a torch torch tower and thrust myself behind it, pulling my arms up close to my sides as a wave of fire passes me on either side.
My eyes are wide with fear but I still manage to grasp enough courage to look to the left waiting for the dragon to show itself and bite off my head. A blur zooms across my vision. I snap my gaze to the right as Stoick punches the dragon's face away from me. It's on my right. Of course it is. I force my shaking limbs to move away from the flames.
The Monstrous Nightmare let's put a growl to which Stoick responds by cracking his knuckles, utterly unfazed. The dragon spits out a pathetic amount of fire but the chief straightens his helmet, I clasp my fingers together watching them letting my heart rate decrease.
"You're all out." Stoick says then swings his fist up punching the Monstrous Nightmare across the face, with a quick kick to it's jaw the dragon lets out an angry roar before it spins around and takes off towards the rest of the retreating dragons.
The flaming tower pops before the base gives out and it collapses in on itself. The large burning wood breaks, tipping downwards and the top breaks off rolling down the hill. Several people leap out of the way diving to the side to avoid being run over. It rams into six or seven things and I wince. Ooo, ouch, elgh.
Oh, and there's one more thing you should know.
I sigh and watch as the dragons take the sheep in the very net we had been trying to catch them in a few minutes ago. I am so utterly useful! I mean seriously, who else can destroy half the village in less than ten minutes? I rub my upper arm with a gloved hand and bite down on my lip, I am so dead. "Sorry, Dad." I say adding pressure to my bite.
Yes, that is me. Haedryin the only child and daughter of the chief.
I can feel his heavy glare on my back and purse my lips before lifting my hand up in the general direction of Raven Point, "Okay, but I hit a Night Fury." I say quickly and smirk slightly with satisfaction. I hit it. I hit it. Everything is going to change. It has to-it will. Dad clearly not sharing my excitement grabs the back of my vest and shirt, starting to walk off dragging me with him. I stagger along next to him nearly tripping myself a few times as my feet don't weave an easy walking pattern. "Oh, it's not like the last few times, Dad!" I say, feeling the urge to groan as I see he doesn't believe me again, granted the last few times have been false but this is real! I mean, he was just as excited as me when I declared it when I was fourteen. But now, everything I say goes in one ear then out the other. I grit my teeth in frustration before more words blurt off from my suddenly very loose tongue. "I mean, I really actually hit it. You guys we're busy and I had a very clear shot it went down just past Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there before it-"
"STOP!" Dad shouts. He releases me and whirls around looking back at me looking every seven foot one he is. My words choke in my throat and I clench my fists glancing towards the side for a moment. I'm not exactly sure for what. I have no supporters, Gobber really only listens to my rants out of pity. He turns to face me and takes in a deep breath as if preparing to reprimand a child.
That's all I am.
A child.
"Just stop." He says only slightly calmer, not even that. I bite my lower lip and look down memorizing the grass under my feet a patch of green with a few yellow blades sticking towards the sky. Winter is coming and the ground is starting to catch up with that fact, I'm pulled from my distracted thoughts at my father's next words."Every time you step outside disaster falls! Can you not see I have bigger problems?"
Then caring for your daughter? Oh, enlighten me. I scowl at the ground and fold my arms across my chest burying my fingertips underneath the clothing."Winter is almost here and I have an entire village to feed." He finishes. I look up from the ground and meet his eyes looking at him through my long dark eyelashes.
"Well between me and you "the village" could do with a little less feeding don't you think?"
"This isn't a joke Iyn!" He shouts raising his hands in frustration. "Oh, why can't you follow the simplest orders?" Follow the simplest orders?
"I-I can't stop myself!" I blurt and raise my gloved hands making a twisting motion as if pulling a head from a body and say, "I see a dragon and I have to just...kill it. You know? It's who I am, Dad." He sighs and rubs his forehead looking like there are more than a dozen places he's counting that he would rather be.
"Oh, you are many things, Iyn, but a dragon killer? That is not one of them." He says then adds a little softer his expression remaining the same. "Get back to the house." He turns to Gobber his tone once again hardening."Make sure she gets there." He looks at the remains of the torch tower. "I have her mess to clean up."
Wow thanks.
Gobber whacks the side of my head and I sigh and will my legs to move forward with more force than should be necessary as I start to walk up the hill to my house. As we walk, we pass by the other teens, Ruffnut laughs, pleased quite obviously by the destruction placed before her. I grit my teeth and lower my gaze.
"Quite the performance." Tuffnut adds. Ruffnut shoves at his shoulder and he punches her on the arm lightly for whatever reason.
"I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!" Snotlout says as I walk by laughing as she gestures outwards towards the mess I created. Thanks, I feel so much better about it now. Snotlout is my cousin but she does her best to make sure people think we're not related, as if trying to reassure everyone she doesn't have any family ties with the village screw up.
I snap out of my thoughts my sarcasm the only thing working right in my head right now, "Thank you, thank you. I was trying." I say dryly. I walk past Asher who is sharpening his axe and sends me a almost pitying look but my head remains down. Asher's never really been mean to me like everyone else but he ignores me which is almost as bad. I don't exist to half the village and am ridiculed and bullied by the rest of it.
I hate it here.
When we reach the hill leading up to my house I don't look back but say to Gobber," I really did hit one."
"Sure," He agrees. He like everyone else, doesn't believe me.
"He never listens, and when he does it's always with this disappointed scowl like someone skimmed him the meat on his sandwich." I step up the wooden steps to the porch and turn lifting up my gloved hands lowering my voice to mimic my dad's thick scottish accent; "Excuse me barmaid, I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I wanted and extra large boy with beefy arms and extra guts and glory on the side." I say angrily and throw my arms out as if gesturing to someone else beside me, "This, this here is a girl and a talking fishbone." I let as much bitterness as possible seep into my voice and a sorceress. I sigh heavily and toss my bangs from my face.
"Now, you're thinking about this all wrong." Gobber says voice verging on a chuckle. I raise my head, how? There's not much to mess up. "It's not so much what you look like; it's what inside that he can't stand." He assures.
How on any distant island-archipelago, let alone star supposed to make me feel better? Inside, what's inside is what he can't stand. It's true though, inside is dangerous energy a weapon that I can't control. I give him an irritated look and turn to the door, "Thank you for summing that up." I say sarcastically. Really. Thanks.
I push the door open, "Look, the point is: stop trying so hard to be something you're not." Gobber says. I sigh and his sympathetic look and look away from him. I just want to be normal. I just...
"I just want to be one of you guys." I say quietly before shoving the door all the way open and slip inside shutting it behind me. I lean against the wood for a moment staring at the lower level of the house. A fire pit is in the center of the downstairs level and beyond that is the table then a kitchen and a hall on the left leading towards a guest bedroom and my dad's. I purse my lips tightly together in a thin line before letting out a long breath.
Fine. If Dad won't help me search for a dragon I will do it myself.
I glance at the door behind me for a moment before taking off through the house and taking off towards the back door. I rip it open and throw myself outside towards the woods behind our house. I've been in the woods more than I can count. I practically live there. The trees offer no mocking there is no worrying about them tattling on me if I accidentally release my curse.
I quickly make it up the hill and race into the woods, pulling out my notebook, I trace a small map of Berk and add a single X as to where I am pretty sure the Night Fury is. It was dark, I didn't get an exact picture perfect image on where it is anyway. Looks like I'm going to be here for a while.
After nearly two hours I step into a part of the forest, glancing at the small clearing where I am sure the Night Fury is and see...Nothing.
Wonderful.
I grip the book tighter but release a sigh and mark another X. I move forward and turn back a few pages to other sketches, I've drawn other stuff, inventions mostly. But I do have one of Asher, my dad, and a few of the mountains of Berk and a cove I discovered a few years back. I've never taken an art class in my life and no one really knows about the drawings.
I glance at the one of Asher, he was throwing an axe when I drew this. It's one of my best. It had been only thing I could do at the time, anyway. The teens had invited me- correction: Asher invited me to train with them, but since I am incapable of lifting an axe, it didn't end so well. I still don't know if Asher did it out of pity or he like everyone else is trying to get rid of me.
After wandering around Raven Point for a few hours I come across another marked spot and close my eyes, it is going to be there. I open them and...nothing. Again.
I let out a frustrated breath, and mark another X where the dragon might be- it's hopeless it's NOT HERE! I scribble all over the two pages in frustration before slamming the book shut and shoving it onto a satchel I wear at my hip. I kick a rock in front of me and frost spreads over the edges of it. It's hopeless. A light snowfall starts to fall surrounding me and I look up at it in anger.
I didn't ask for this. It's bad enough that I'm a runt did I have to be cursed to?
The dragon isn't helping me in the slightest. Dad is probably right and I did miss, again. Wouldn't be the first and won't be the last. I toss my hair from my face and clench my fists tightly in anger.
"Some people lose their knife or their mug, "I say feeling annoyance build up, "No, I managed to lose an entire dragon!" I whack a branch in front of me in frustration and it swings back smacking me in the forehead above my eyebrow. I yelp and slam my hand over the wound my freezing fingers immediately helping with the sting.
I glare at the tree and then my eyes trail down as I see a long black trail covering the tree bark. The tree is split in two and blackish as if something burned it or crashed. I look at the ground near the roots, there's a long dip as if something crashed here. How did I miss that?
Quickly forgetting my about my eye, I duck under the branch and into the dip following it to the end. I climb up slightly and look over the upturned dirt. My heart skips a beat.
Lying on the ground is a Night Fury.
I take in a sharp, hitched breath and pull my head down.
I force a calming breath through my nose and poke my head over again, the Night Fury is wrapped in ropes and unmoving. I stand up a little, courage building. I am not afraid, I am not afraid, I'm not afraid. This is my chance, probably my only chance. I search myself. Where is the dagger? My fingers brush against the hilt and I grasp it pulling it from the sheath. I hold it in both hands for a moment forcing myself to breathe properly.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
I jump behind a tall rock and then glance past it taking a long look at the downed beast. It's caught in a bola, not just any bola, my bola. It looks both asleep and in pain. "I-I did it." I realize. "Oh, I did it!" I cry and move away from the rock my heart raising. "This-this fixes everything. Yes!" I say and place a foot on the dragon's arm. "I have brought down this mighty beast."
The dragon shifts suddenly and I leap backwards with a yelp of surprise my gloved hands grip sliding the dagger almost slipping from my grip. The dragon takes in a deep heaved breath and I regain my balance stumbling forward raising my dagger in front of me.
I freeze as I look to the side and see the dragons toxic green eyes are staring up at me.
My own green eyes widen in surprise before I turn away from the dragon's piercing stare. Don't look at it, just shove the blade through the heart and kill it. My fingers twitch across the hilt of the dagger and I lift it up letting out shaky breaths. "I'm going to kill you dragon." I say to the dragon looking it in the eyes.
It stares.
"I'm gonna-I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father." I say. "I am a Viking." I tell myself. Not a sorceress, "I am a Viking!"
I raise the blade above my head, just move the blade dow-just do it! Iyn! My eyes slip open slightly meeting the Night Fury's. I don't see a heartless beast ready to kill me without a second thought, nor do I see a defenseless animal begging for life. Fear. The dragon lets out a moan before closing it's eyes and laying its head down.
It's accepting its fate.
My resolve crumbles my thoughts whirling past me and I drop the dagger blade flat on my head. I can't kill this creature, it's just like me.
I stumble backwards, "I did this." I mumble ashamed. I turn to walk away, but pause, looking back. This dragon is not going to suffer the same fate as me. Stuck here bound to the ground and forced to live on this island. I am going to free it. I move forward and lean down lifting the dagger up and start to saw at the ropes.
SNAP!
A rope breaks and I move on to the next one. It can just fly away but I'm stuck here.
SNAP!
One more left….
SNAP!
The second the last ropes snaps the dragon pounces on me. I take in a hitched breath as its claws wrap around my throat it's going to kill me! I push myself further into the ground and see that I, as this beast was seconds ago, am trapped. The dragon opens it's mouth preparing to blast me out of existence, my hands press into the ground and I can feel the power seeping through them. The dragon's glare hardens and I squeeze my eyes shut tightly. Any moment now; a whistling blast will be the last thing I ever see.
The Night Fury's claw leaves my neck and I feel it's looming shadow over me before it roars angrily in my ear.
I rip my eyes open watching as it snaps around and takes off through the forest. I'm...alive. It didn't...it..what?
Frost and ice are all around me covering the ground and trees nearby like a lethal blanket. I grab my dagger and shakily stand. I look around me at the magic before I release a slow breath. I take a step forward hearing the creak the ice makes as it forms under my feet. I continue walking through the forest, wandering until I can keep my magic in check. By the time I get home the sun is long gone.
I open the door and see dad sitting next to the fireplace poking at the flames. I freeze slightly. Why are you always here when I don't want you to be? I turn racing up the stairs, almost there two more steps- "Haedryin." Dad calls. I cringe. I must have done something particularly bad to get my full name. Usually it's just, "Iyn".
"Dad," I say. I go down a few steps, "I-I have to talk to you, Dad." He turns around, clasping his hands together.
"I need to speak with you to, Iyn." He says.
"I don't want to - I think it time- Fight dragons." We say at the same time.
"What?" We ask in sync again looking each other in the eyes.
"Uh, you go first." He says. Curiosity getting the better of me I go down the stairs.
"No, you go first." I say.
"Alright, You get your wish: Dragon training you start in the morning."
WHAT!?
"Oh cats, I should have gone first." I say quickly. "Because, I was thinking, we have a surplus of dragon fighting Vikings but do you we have enough-" I pause, um, um, um, "bread making Vikings, or small home repair-" He tosses an axe in my arms and I nearly fall backwards from the weight. Where did it come from! It was not in his hand two seconds ago!
"You'll need that." He says with a brisk nod, as if telling himself.
I stare at the tall redhead in disbelief, "I don't want to fight dragons." I say honestly, he laughs.
"Come on, yes you do." He says as though it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Rephrase: Dad, I can't kill dragons." I say he turns around serious again.
"It's time, Haedryin."
"Can you not hear me?" I ask.
He turns towering over me, "When you carry this axe," He says and easily lifts it from my arms, "You carry all of us with you." He says, and places it back in my arms. I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes letting my bangs fall in front of them. "Which means: you act like us, you talk like us, and you think like us." He then looks at me. "No more of all...this."
I drop the axe a little in annoyance, "You just gestured to all of me." Apparently it is now a thing.
His gaze hardens, "Deal?" He asks.
"This conversation is feeling very one sided." I inform him. It always does.
"Deal?" He asks louder.
I sigh,"Deal."
"Good," he says and tosses a pack over his shoulder. He's probably going after the dragons nest, again. It's nearing winter and this should be the last expedition for the season. He walks toward the door, "Train hard." He says and clenches his fist before he puts his helmet on and opens the door, "I'll be back. Probably."
I raise an eyebrow at his words, "And I'll be here." I say to him, he shuts the door with a squeaking slam and I add softly, "Maybe."