The following days Eyla was anxious, always worried that her mother would tell her father. Everytime she got home and her parents were there, or if she met her father in the village, she was always afraid that he would say something. But nothing happened. Yet.
Eyla continued to see Storm everyday, but fly they mostly did when it was getting dark, all so that it would be as little risk as possible that someone would see them. The men shooting at the dragon, and him going down, had really scared her. She didn`t know what she would do if she lost him. In this short time, he had given her so much. She didn`t know what she would do without him and she hoped she would never have to find out.
Eyla came home after being in the woods for a few hours. It was still daylight and a few hours befor it would start getting dark, but she had been flying with Storm anyway. When Eyla got inside she stopped when she saw her mother in the big room, preparing dinner. She looked at her, waiting for her to tell her she told her fathr about the dragon.
Sigrid walked towards her.
"I saw you", she said.
Eyla froze and just looked at her.
"I saw you up there in the air", she continued.
"What do you mean?" Brand asked. "Up where? What was she doing?"
Eyla froze again. She hadn`t heard him walk in. She didn`t look at him so he wouldn`t see how scared she was. She wouldn`t be able to explain. She looked at her mother, silently begging her not to say anything.
Sigrid looked at her for a few seconds. To Eyla it felt a lot longer than it actually was.
"I saw her climbing a cliff. I just want her to be careful", Sigrid said, not taking her eyes off her daughter.
"And why is she climbing a cliff?" Brand asked.
"Getting over my fear of heights", Eyla said, hoping he didn`t hear how unsteady her voice was.
"I was just getting my axe", Brand said. "Gunnar and Longlegs saw a ship. We´re going out to see what they want."
Eyla and Sigrid watched him as he took his axe and left the house again. Sigrid turned to Eyla again.
"I haven`t said anything, I won`t say anything. Only because I see how happy that dragon makes you." Her gaze hardened. "But don`t for a second think that I won`t have it killed if you get hurt."
Eyla`s heart dropped and she just looked at her, hit by her last words. She could only hope it would never come to that. But if her mother had seen her on the dragon, did that mean someone else might have done the same?
Eyla had trouble sleeping that night. She never heard her father walk in when her mother had told her she saw her, maybe she hadn`t either. He had believed them when they said she was climbing a cliff. But that wasn`t what scared her. What scared her was if someone else had seen her and Storm. Someone who wouldn`t keep quiet. She hoped that her mother had been the only one.
Valka had been watching Hiccup the last couple of days. Not every second, she wasn`t stalking him. But she kept an eye on him to see if he would leave the island. But the only flying he and Toothless had done was with Astrid and Stormfly. Sometimes Snortlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut had also been with them. Valka had been on Berk for almost a year now, but she didn`t always understand the twins. But they did give you something to laugh at from time to time, but sometimes you just wanted to shake your head.
Hiccup had been doing things he had to do as chief, mediate in arguments, calm people down when a dragon burned down something. The water system was a great idea, but it didn`t put out all fires. He helped Gobber, and also helped with the Dragon Academy. Valka was proud of him.
Now she saw Hiccup and Toothless walk out of the village, not really sneaking, but she had a feeling they were leaving. She went to get Cloudjumper so she could follow them. When she saw Hiccup and Toothless rise in the air and fly away from Berk, she smiled. She was right.
Eyla was happy to see Hiccup again in the afternoon and some of her worries faded. Seeing them always got her in a good mood. All her worries always disappeared. They didn`t mean anything when she was with Storm, Hiccup and Toothless.
Hiccup had only been there for a couple of minutes when suddenly something big flew up from below. It was the biggest dragon Eyla had ever seen so close. Eyla moved her head, following the dragon as it flew up and over them. When they had passed them Eyla lost balance and sat down, like something had pulled her up and then dropped her.
"Hi, mom", she heard Hiccup say.
Eyla got up on her feet again and turned around. Now that the dragon had folded it wings, it looked at bit smaller, but was still the biggest dragon she had seen so close. Next to it stood a woman. She looked like she should be about the same age as Eyla`s parents. There was something about her. Hiccup never told her about his mother. The woman stood tall and proud and somehow it made Eyla feel… small… She didn`t know how to explain it.
"How did you get here?" Hiccup asked.
"I followed you", the woman said and smiled. "I was curious about this girl."
Eyla looked from the woman to Hiccup. So he had been talking about her… She wondered what he had said about her. The woman looked at her.
"I`m Valka", the woman said with a smile and held out her hand.
Eyla walked up to her. The big dragon next to Valka lowered its head towards Eyla. Eyla looked at it, then slowly raised her hand, and then stopped. She let it fall. The dragon tilted its head down to the left and then to the right, not taking its eyes off her. Eyla got the feeling that this was a very intelligent creature. Valka saw a quick smile on the girl. When Eyla turned to her, she put her hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
"My son told me that you are special, and I can see that you are."
"I am? I mean, he did?"
Valka smiled and let go of her.
"You are not afraid of dragons. You understand them."
"That is kind of thanks to Storm", she said slowly, feeling a bit unsure.
"Where is your dragon?"
Eyla looked to the left and then to the right, and saw Storm come out from the trees.
"Tbere", she said and pointed.
Eyla saw how Valka kind of lit up when she saw the blue dragon.
"He is beautiful." She walked towards him.
Storm looked at her with interest. He lowered his head and she reached out her hand and touched him.
"I don`t think I`ve ever seen a dragon like this", Valka said. "And I have seen many. He is really beautiful. That color. And he`s young. He`s only seven."
"How do you know that?" Eyla asked.
Valka pressed lightly on the dragon`s chin and he raised his head. Valka pointed at some small tines, silently counting them. Storm nudged her, wanting her to pet him. Valka laughed and pet him. Eyla smiled. If Storm would have been a lot smaller, he would have crawled up in her arms. But Eyla wasn`t jealous. It was just fun to watch.
"Now I want to fly, I want to see him in the air", Valka said.
"Sure, but we have to stay on this part of the Island", Eyla said.
Valka nodded and then walked to her dragon. Eyla and Hiccup got on her their dragons and they took off. Eyla was a bit surprised to see that Valka`s dragon had four wings, she hadn`t noticed that when they came. Her dragon was a lot bigger than both Toothless and Storm.
Like always, Eyla enoyed being in the air on Storm. It was fun to watch Valka on her dragon. It was like she was one with the dragon, and she was so… free. Like nothing else mattered. She could see some of it in Hiccup too, they were both special.
Eyla sighed and closed her eyes. She held out her arms and just enjoyed being on Storm. This was life. Nothing could compare to this. She opened her eyes and put her hands on the saddle again when she felt the dragon turn. He turned upside down, but Eyla wasn`t afraid to fall now. She had somethig to hold on too, even if she had to hold on tight. But they had done this a couple of times now and she started to enjoy it.
Eyla watched HIccup and Valka on their dragons. The bond they shared with their dragons and the bond between the two humans. Eyla suddenly felt sad and made her dragon fly towards the cliffs again. The others followed. When Storm landed, Eyla got off and stood next to him and stroked his neck.
"Is something wrong?" Hiccup asked.
"I… I just wish…. That this would have happened earlier", Eyla said. "Getting to know Storm." She turned to look at Hiccup with a tear in her eye. "And you. I wish I would have met you when I was a child. Then I wouldn`t have been alone."
Hiccup and Valka looked at each other. It was almost the same words Hiccup had used. He looked at Eyla and smiled.
"I wish that too." He was silent for a few seconds. "I wish I could take you with me to Berk. Meet my firends and see all the dragons."
"I would like to, but I don`t know how that would happen", Eyla said. "I can`t just leave. I can`t go alone in a boat or leave on Storm."
"We`ll figure something out."
Eyla looked at them and smiled. She would love to go to Berk and see where Hiccup lived, but it felt impossible. See how they shared their lives with dragons. But as long a he came here she could still see him.
"I better get going now", Eyla said after a little while. "I´ve been gone for a couple of hours, I should get home."
They said goodbye and Eyla started walking towards the trees.
"She does have the soul of a dragon", Valka said as they watched her leave. "You just have too look at her, how she interacts with the dragons, and you know."
.After walking in the woods for a little while Eyla started running. But suddenly something struck the legs out from her and she fell on her back. The tip of a sword was pointing at her. She looked up and saw Ben. Of course.
"Now you tell me what you are doing in the woods every day. Why you sneak away and are gone for hours."
He had seen her go, like many others probably, but he didn`t know why. That was good. But he had a sword in his hands and she had nothing.
"I wouldn`t do that if I were you."
Hiccup. What`s he doing here?
Ben looked at the young man standing in front of him. He was quite short, very thin, and had a prosthesis. What was he gonna do?
"How did you get here?"
"Oh, from the sky", Hiccup said. "Well, from another island, but from the sky."
Ben frowned. He didn`t like this man.
"And what are you going to do? You don`t even have a weapon."
Ben saw him take something from his right leg. He didn`t know what it was, but it was quite big and elongated and seemed to be made out of metal.
"Don`t be so sure", Hiccup said. "Now I tell you again. Let her go."
Eyla thought it was quite fascinating how calm, but still confident, Hiccup sounded. Ben was bigger, taller and had more muscles, but Hiccup didn`t seem to care.
"Or do you wanna find out what`s really inside of this?" Hiccup continued.
Ben looked at him, very irritated. It could be just a trick, but the wasn`t sure he wanted to find out. He took a few steps back and lowered the sword.
"You`re lucky this time. But I will find out", he said and looked at Eyla.
Eyla got up on her feet and watched Ben run towards the village. She turned to Hiccup.
"I thought you left?"
"We were going to, but I saw him and thought maybe you needed some help."
"I`m glad you came. But you have to go now. If he finds out what you meant by coming from the sky…."
"We`ll go. I`ll be back soon."
They said goodbye again and walked in seperste directions. Eyla was glad that Hiccup came, she didn´t know what Ben would do, and she wasn`t sure she could comvince him. But part of her wished that Hiccup hadn`t come. What if Ben would have seen Toothless or the other dragon?
A/N. Like always every view, favorite, follow and review is very much appreciated, and I hope everyone who reads the story likes it.
I have posted 2 oneshots under the title Free and if you read them I hope you like them. I could have written them in the story, but especially the one with Hiccup and Toothless I wanted on its own.
I will try to update as soon as possible, but I have some things to figure out for the upcoming chapters. I have also started writing a new fanfic that I hope to post in a couple of weeks.