Ch4 Home

Ok, so perhaps their destiny laid just a bit farther than the next cloud, or the subsequent two or three…after 141 she stopped counting the clouds and instead focused on the icebergs. Those, too, were too numerous to count, and increasingly more so the more North they went. The sun had long passed its climax and was now descending through the thickening clouds. A storm sat ominously on the eastern horizon, dark sheets of rain and snow pummeling a small island in the distance.

Valka could sense they were nearing their destination. She wasn't sure how, but she could almost feel the Storm Cutter relax the farther north they went. It was the same feeling she got after returning home after a long journey to a neighboring land. Home. The certainty of the revelation startled her. The dragon was taking them to his home. Excitement and nervousness jittered inside her like a swarm of Terrible Terrors that had just eaten the foreign delicacy chocolate.

Was it a nest? Were there many dragons living there or was this dragon a solitary one? What did his home look like? Perhaps it was a mountain or volcano, or some isolated tropical island, though with how far north they were, she highly doubted that one. However, for all her imaginings, nothing could have prepared her for the astounding truth.

Still gliding high above the clouds, the first she saw was an icy glint piercing the fluffy white ocean. The sun sank until it hovered just above the cloud cover, and its warm peach rays shot across the sky. Valka's breath caught in her throat as the world appeared to light ablaze in the setting sun. Enormous spires of blue green ice erupted from the clouds and cast glittering shadows and reflections onto the world around. Words couldn't do it justice. It was like the massive ice structure, both in breathtaking contrast and complete balance with the world around it, glowed with its own inner light.

The Storm Cutter glanced back at her with pride, before descending through the cloud cover. Valka didn't think she had ever seen anything more beautiful in all her life and likely never would. As if to prove her wrong, they broke through the clouds and she saw the base of the immense structure. It was like a mountainous ice fortress, a castle of sorts but any castle made by man would be dwarfed and put to shame in the shadow of this….this…

Home.

For all its harsh and icy exterior, Valka sensed the warmth it held. She could see it in the Storm Cutter's eyes, the pure joy and pride as he flew, the eager warbles that made her laugh, the warmth that radiated from his very soul.

This was home.

They ducked and wove through towering sea stacks and stone archways all painted in the same green-blue ice. Snow fell beneath the clouds and a few icebergs drifted in the bay around the island. Valka craned her neck as they flew up one of the cliff faces of the island and startled when she suddenly found herself in a tunnel. It grew dark but the Storm Cutter didn't miss a beat, easily navigating among the narrow corridors that apparently made up the interior of the vast stone and ice island.

They landed in a small area were the tunnel opened up and flattened out. Valka dismounted, careful not to jostle Raven, who had fallen asleep but a few moments ago. The Storm Cutter motioned with his head for her to follow, and they continued on foot through the tunnels too narrow for the large dragon to fly through. The rocky terrain was difficult for Valka to traverse but the Storm Cutter was always ready with a hooked wing when she slipped or needed help scaling a particularly steep incline.

The creature's intellect astounded Valka, more so with every movement, but his actions reflected something deeper than simply brain capacity. The dragon understood her limitations and was quick to offer assistance. It was compassion and humility coming from a beast that had every right to be proud of its strengths in the presence of such a weak being.

It reminded her of the days Stoick would go exploring with her. The burly, red-haired young man at the time knew how much Valka loved such adventures, and despite the oddity of such desires and the judgmental glances he sometimes received for indulging such oddities, he loved seeing Valka happy more than anything. He had said as much on several occasions. It had surprised the tenderhearted woman more than anything that he would stoop from his Viking pride just to accompany her on her adventures. It was then that she had started to hope that someday Stoick would be able to look past the Viking Way and see things from her perspective.

Valka shook her head. Now was not the time to doubt her decisions. While she didn't doubt that Stoick loved her, she knew he could never change. People don't change, some people are just born different.

Like her and her daughter who were currently in dragon nest, which was supposed to be a Helheim on earth, being led by a beast that was supposedly incapable of any emotion other than hatred. Everything they knew of dragons was wrong but they were just too stubborn to admit it. She cursed the stubbornness of men and turned her attention back to the present.

Light had appeared at the end of the tunnel and a surprisingly warm breeze drifted between the ice laden rock walls. The Storm Cutter moved on ahead of her when the tunnel opened up and Valka stepped out into the open.

For the third time that day, she had her breath stolen from her lungs. It was beautiful beyond words, like she had just stepped through a portal to another world. It was a world all its own. Sweeping blue ice encased the massive cavern, though cavern was not the right word. The atmosphere of the world was far lighter than a cavern, far more grand and peaceful than anything the world of man had produced. As though to spite the harsh environment outside, there was lush greenery growing all over the immense rock walls and icy spires. Streams trickled in and gathered to form a waterfall that cascaded down into a frosty blue lake.

And the dragons!

Valka had never seen so many dragons! There had to have been hundreds, all drifting peacefully around a massive vine covered stone spire in the center of the dome. She recognized some, the regulars around Berk were present, as well as some more foreign ones, and dozens of different kinds that she couldn't identify or be able to catalog if she spent 20 years doing so.

Cloud Jumper watched in amusement as the woman gazed around the room in wonder and understood her feelings. He too had been in awe the first time he had been invited to the Sanctuary by the King. Speaking of which…

The Storm Cutter bumped his head lightly into Valka's side and guided her closer to the edge of the natural terrace they were on. At this point nothing would have surprised the Viking woman, but what stood before her now was beyond compare. A massive white creature rose from the glittering blue lake, a cluster of spine-like horns crowning his head and blue eyes light as ice but warm as fire shining down at her. The legendary titan of the dragon world, the King of all dragons, the Great Bewilderbeast.

Valka barely noticed the Storm Cutter bow, his wings outspread and eyes cast down. Her eyes were enraptured by the Bewilderbeast's, their intensity and kindness. They reflected everything she knew lay within every dragon and so much more. They held an ancient soul and ageless wisdom, and a tenderness that could only be compared to that of a father or grandfather who watched over and cared for his family.

The mighty dragon inspected her with a calculating gaze, taking in her flush face and stray hairs, her lean figure and coming to rest on the small bundle in her arms. His gaze flickered to the Storm Cutter with a flash of concern, and to Valka's immense shock, spoke.

Would you care to explain the situation to me, Cloud Jumper? His voice was deep and though it commanded obedience, it was kind and understanding as well. It filled the air but seemed to echo in Valka's mind more than the atmosphere, which only served to confuse her more. The Bewilderbeast spared her an amused look before immediately returning his attention to the Storm Cutter he addressed as Cloud Jumper.

Said Storm Cutter shifted uneasily under the King's unwavering stare. "I'm sorry, my King. I did retrieve the Dragon Soul as requested, but there was a complication… a few actually. In my haste, I missed the fact that the woman was still carrying her hatchling." He turned his attention to the stunned woman, who quickly overcame her shock of hearing dragons speak to become even more shocked and confused by what they were saying. "I am terribly sorry. It was meant to just be you." He eyes reflected the honesty in his voice, and although Valka did not fully understand what he was apologizing for, she could not find it in her heart to be mad at the Storm Cutter- Cloud Jumper, she reminded herself.

"An apology is not necessary," she placed a forgiving hand on Cloud Jumper's snout, which he gladly leaned into. "May I ask…How are you communicating?"

The King smiled, pleased that the woman was so forgiving of such a large mistake and more than happy to answer a few questions. Do you know what I am? He responded with a question of his own.

"A Bewilderbeast," Valka nodded in awe, still astounded by the might and majesty of the creature.

More than that, though. I am an Alpha. The chief, if you will, of this nest. With that responsibility comes power and it differs slightly with every Alpha. I have the capability to bond minds together, as I am doing now for you and Cloud Jumper and myself. It is not an overly pleasant experience for some dragons, and as such I do not resort to often. There are those in this world who would use such power to bend the will of their subjects to do their bidding, but I am not one of them.

"How horrible," Valka mused and looked to Cloud Jumper. While he remained silent for a time, he did not appear uncomfortable. To think that there were Alphas that abused such an amazing power made her sick. In just her short time here with the Bewilderbeast, she understood deeper about the true nature of dragons than if she had spent the rest of her life back on Berk.

Just to be here, in this haven, far from the cruel influence of men, made her feel safer than she had ever felt. And she never wanted to leave.

Cloud Jumper nudged her and smiled a sheepish yet hopeful smile. "Do you like it?"

Valka could only smile back. "I don't have the words. It's … amazing," she breathed.

The King once again found himself mildly surprised and deeply pleased with the woman's reaction. There was no doubt that she was meant to be here. With that said, it was time for a proper introduction. He stood and blew out a small puff of icy air that caught in the woman's hair. She laughed and dusted herself off.

I am referred to as simply King, there was pride in his voice but no trace of the arrogance that would accompany the title had it been given to a man. And this is my home. Welcome to the Sanctuary of the Great Bewilderbeast.

~:.~.:~:.~.:~:.

AN

To guest MMM: Raven is kind of supposed to be a female hiccup. She replaces him in this universe, but she may be more of an OC as she may have quite a different personality as the story goes on. So, not hiccup's sister either. Sorry for the confusion.

Also, i have a few more chapters written out and the updates may come rather quickly because i'm excited to see what everyone thinks of them, but later updates may come slower because i still have to write them. I plan on making this story quite long, following Raven through her entire life, maybe a flashback of the world pre-HTTYD.

Please R&R, i want to know what you all think!