Chapter Two
Elsa held her breath. It had been a long time since she made anything other than ice rinks and snowstorms with her ice powers. And even longer still, a snowman. Olaf had been her last one. But this one wasn't a snowman. It was a snow…dragon. She let her breath go in a puff. How hard could that be?
The empty dining hall seemed too big for her little experiment, but since Anna had just eaten, it was the only place that seemed safe. The staff would leave this place alone and Anna had probably rushed off to find Kristoff. Kristoff. Elsa's stomach tightened. Who had a ring for her little sister. And who would be asking her hand in marriage tomorrow.
She tried to push that thought away and concentrate on the dragon. What kind would she make?
Elsa pulled a thick, leather-bound book closer to her. Creatures of Myth didn't seem too comprehensive of a resource, but it had been the only choice. She flipped the dusty book open to the page and a half devoted to dragons. Large, fearsome creatures. Ones that breathed fire and brought death and destruction to everything they touched. Only one picture – a dragon with teeth extending past its jaw-line, a ridged back, and scales in every shade of red.
Elsa rolled her eyes and slammed the book shut. Not really the best birthday gift for a nineteen year old. "Maybe I could make it a bit more … approachable," she muttered.
But what kind of dragon would her sister like? She should've asked when the topic arose, but her annoyance had taken that opportunity away. Her annoyance did that for most things these days.
Rubbing her temple, she sat down at the table. Being Queen was not like she had expected. All the responsibility. All the stress. All the people wanting so many things.
She wanted to give her people everything they deserved and more, but the money didn't come in as much as they needed it. Her shoulders slumped. She had never been more easily annoyed. But she didn't want to turn into an angry Queen. It wouldn't be right, or fair, to run Arendelle like that. Not after her eternal winter.
Elsa swirled some snow in her hand. Even though it seemed her people liked her, she felt like she still needed to prove her worth. A snow dragon for their beloved princess might just do the trick.
She imagined the gleeful look on Anna's face. More than that, a snow dragon for her little sister would do wonders for Elsa's mood.
Conjuring up snowflakes, she pieced the crystals together, swirling them round and round until a shape appeared. Narrow wings past its flank, hooked claws on all four paws, ridged snout, tiny ears, a little pooch for the belly.
Elsa stepped back and eyed her work. The tail seemed too long, the wings, too narrow. What kind of ears did a dragon even have? She smoothed out some of the detail, pulled the claws in a bit, and cut the tail shorter.
Now it looked like a dog.
Elsa heaved a sigh. "What did I get myself into?"
Demolishing the dog, she tried again, this time focusing as much as possible on the details. A streamlined body, yes that would be good. And a narrow ridged tail the length of that body. Wide wings tucked by its back. A short neck and head. No, she demolished that. A little longer neck, with a rounded oval face. The snout ridged like before. Oval eyes. And a little oval belly, too. Was that too fat? She smoothed out the belly a little, then added claws to all four paws. Little pointed ears – the inset ones reminded her too much of a snake – and some ridges down the back of its neck for good measure. It had to look a little fearsome, being a dragon and all.
With a final flourish she added little details - a snowflake pattern down its back, blue-ice for its eyes, a semi-clear ice for its wings.
Elsa leaned back. The snow-dragon sat on its hindquarters, claws extended, mouth slightly open. Elsa added teeth, shorter ones, nothing like the picture in her book. She pushed the tail around one leg and curled it up towards its belly. Sealed some blue-ice in the ridges. The dragon, even if it curled up on its side, wouldn't fill one of their dinner plates.
Miniature. Elsa smiled. Just like Anna wanted.
But how would she call it to life? She thought back. With Olaf she was testing her powers, but this little dragon hardly counted as a test. And she never figured out how Olaf came to life. The snowman was so tightly linked to her childhood and the fun she had with Anna, that she always wished he was alive. For Anna's sake, of course. But a dragon?
Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why would I want a dragon to come to life?"
For Anna.
For when Anna left her to be with Kristoff.
For when Anna left her behind.
The dragon could protect her. It could be with her when Elsa wasn't. It could comfort her. Elsa sagged forward, resting her elbows on the table. Her vision watered. She would miss her sister so much. They had just started to get to know one another. And Elsa would be left alone. She conjured up some crystals and drifted them onto the dragon's belly. Anna would like the sparkles.
Elsa closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Kristoff hadn't even proposed yet and already she jumped forward to Anna moving out. She was being silly, getting this worked up. And maybe Anna wouldn't move out at all. Maybe Anna and Kristoff would live in the palace. Maybe…
Something nudged her elbow.
She raised her head and shrieked. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she leaned as far back as her chair would allow.
The dragon had come to life.
Astrid sauntered into the new training arena. The Monstrous Nightmare followed her. Of course it would. Astrid grinned. She was the best dragon trainer ever, after all. After Hiccup, of course. The Nightmare slipped inside, head low, eyes glazed. Stormfly stalked in after it. The Nightmare crouched in the corner of the arena, glaring at the pair. Astrid tried to quietly close the arena's gates, but the metallic clang couldn't be softened.
She turned her back on the Nightmare, a daring move since it hadn't really been trained yet. Stormfly would keep a close eye on the newbie. She put her mother's battle ax down, resting it on the stone wall, and glanced at the pair.
Stormfly kept her posture unaggressive, crouched but not tense, watchful but not viciously so. Still, the Nightmare glared. With all the new species from Valka's lair it seemed odd that this dragon would feel scared here. The other dragons fit in well enough with theirs. This was a Nightmare, though. Not like one of those Alpha beasts.
Astrid could handle a Nightmare.
She eyed the structure. But could this new training arena handle it? After the fight with Drago and the Bewilderbeast's destruction, they had to re-build. Hiccup had decided to re-build the training arena to mimic the one of old, the one where Vikings would kill dragons. Now they used it to train the new dragons, the ones that got a bit cranky. Like this Nightmare. Complete with a metal chains crisscrossing the top just in case a new dragon got out of hand. It replicated the place so well Astrid swore dragon blood lingered in the air. Impossible, of course.
The Nightmare snorted. A burst of flame shot from its mouth, calling her attention.
She smiled. "Come on, now, boy, it can't be that bad."
Reaching down she grabbed a fish and threw it up in the air. Stormfly darted up and snatched it. Astrid laughed. Only then did she spot Hiccup watching them from above, watching the newest dragon. Or analyzing her performance? She couldn't tell. Her laughter died down. An ache grew inside of her, seeing him again, but she pushed it away. As chief, didn't he have other things to worry about?
Patting Stormfly, she muttered, "Good girl. Now let him get it."
Her dragon landed with a thump, watching the new dragon as Astrid reached for another fish. Astrid tossed it over to the Nightmare. The Nightmare eyed the morsel, narrowed its eyes at Astrid, then gulped the fish down.
Astrid stepped closer. It wouldn't attack her. Not on her turf. Not with Hiccup watching. She reached for its horns, then ran her hands down the dragon's side. The dragon shifted, but Astrid moved with it. It snorted again. Astrid rolled her eyes. Stubborn. Some dragons didn't like human contact, but judging from their first encounter, this one certainly wasn't one. Pausing over the right hindquarter, she ran her other hand down its injured leg, testing for breaks.
The dragon jerked away and snapped at Astrid's hand. Stormfly darted over, grumbling, but Astrid waved her back. She slapped the Nightmare's snout. "Stop it."
The Nightmare blinked, shaking its head. It glared at Astrid, but didn't attack. Sometimes the harsher way did work. She fought the impulse to smirk at Hiccup. He probably disapproved.
Astrid frowned. "Look, I'm trying to help, you stubborn dragon. I gave you fish, didn't I? Now settle down."
The dragon lowered its head. She went back to studying the injury. Broken at the calf, the leg would need to be put in a splint in order to heal correctly. She leaned closer. The dragon carried some luck though, any further down and it would've lost the ability to walk. A mass of twigs and leaves stuck to one side. She'd have to get the stuff off to see the wound. The Nightmare certainly wouldn't like that. But it had to be done. If left alone, the wound might fester.
"Need any help there, Astrid?" Hiccup's voice rang through the arena.
Astrid winced. With an injured dragon, and one that the other Vikings weren't too keen on, she probably would need the extra help. Anyone's help other than his, that is.
Containing her scream, Elsa stared at the little dragon. Eyes wide, it reared on its hind legs and sent a small burst of ice at her. The dragon unfurled its wings and toppled backwards, head over claw. Landing in a heap, it drew its wings over its face and curled its tail around, forming a distinct, if tiny, wall between it and Elsa.
Elsa laughed. "Anna will love you."
She reached out her hand and stroked the dragon's wings. The dragon trembled. Elsa drew back. "Don't be scared, little one."
As if in reply, the dragon lifted its wing and stared at her with one beady eye. She smiled. "See, nothing to be afraid of."
Would the dragon be able to talk, like Olaf? It didn't seem to have the ability. The dragon stretched, flaring its wings behind and pushing its tail into the air. Then it sat back on its hunches, eyeing her.
Elsa pursed her lips. "Now what to do with you?"
A crash came from the kitchens, followed by a shout. "You better leave, Princess, or the Queen will have your head! You're not supposed to be in here until supper."
Another voice floated in. "Okay, okay. I just wanted some chocolate to hold me over."
Anna? Elsa couldn't believe her bad luck. The one time she actually didn't want to see her little sister. She looked back at the dragon. "We have to hide you," she whispered.
The dragon titled its head. Maybe it understood?
Elsa summoned her powers, forming a clear ice dome. When she slipped the new creation over the dragon, the dragon curled up into a tight ball and closed its eyes. Elsa nodded. Good dragon.
"Heavens, what am I doing?" she murmured, waving her hands a little. The dome became slightly opaque, then solid white.
Just in time, too. Anna slid into the room. "Elsa!" She rushed over to the table and sat in a chair next to her. "What's that?"
Anna reached out to touch the dome, but Elsa slapped her hand away. "Don't touch."
"Why not? Is it for my birthday?" Anna grinned.
"Yes," Elsa replied.
Anna squealed and hopped a little in her seat. "But I wanna see what it is."
A corner of the dome began to crack. Elsa fixed it with a nonchalant wave of her hand, sealing a shard of blue ice over fracture. "And I want to keep it a surprise. You'll see tomorrow." She waved at the archway leading out of the dining room. "Go find Kristoff."
Kristoff, the man who'd propose to her soon. Elsa's stomach flipped.
"Well, if you insist." Anna rose and gave Elsa a hug. "But I'd better be shocked and awed tomorrow by that little surprise of yours."
Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and waved as her sister disappeared around a corner. "Yes, tomorrow."
Once the bouncing footsteps faded away, Elsa sighed. She tapped the ice dome, shattering it. Empty. The dragon had forced an ice shard through the table, cracking it, leaving only a ring of ice in its path.
"Oh no!" Elsa peeked under the tablecloth. Nothing. She searched the windows. Nothing. Elsa ran her hand over the damaged wood, pads of her fingers tracing the cold shards, the splintered wood.
Elsa searched and searched and still couldn't find her newest creation. And it wasn't like she could tell anyone else that she created it. The people of Arendelle would panic. A creature of lore loose in the Arendelle. No one could know. But when she went to bed that night, her thoughts swirled. How could she have done such a stupid thing? Create a dragon. Where would a dragon even go?
Astrid had given the dragon some food and water then left him alone for a while. Perhaps the dragon wouldn't be as feisty after eating. Maybe she could do it alone. Really she just hoped if she stalled enough, Hiccup would be caught up in other chiefly duties. The Ruffnut or Tuffnut could help out. Once the light started to fade, though, Astrid knew she'd have to take care of that wound before the dragon fell asleep.
She went into the arena, Hiccup walking in after, bringing a bucket of water with him. Astrid didn't look at him. She couldn't. Hands slickening, she patted the dragon to get rid of the sweat. The Nightmare growled, a low rumble deep in its belly. Maybe it didn't like Hiccup. That would be a first. Astrid stroked the dragon's side and the Nightmare calmed. Astrid smiled. Yes, she was good at this.
"So," Hiccup said, plopping the water by Astrid's knee. "Where'd you find him?"
Astrid kept her eyes on the blood-red scales of the dragon's thigh. "In the valley a mile west of here."
"A mile?" Hiccup's voice rose. "Isn't that cutting it a bit close?"
Astrid frowned, her voice hardening. "Yeah, but I caught him, didn't I? I got him in here, didn't I?"
"True. How's his leg?"
"I need to clean the wound. You'll need to hold onto him. But be careful, he's stubborn."
"This guy?"
"Yes." Astrid glanced over her shoulder. Hiccup, clad in all his chiefdom glory, had his arms wrapped around the Nightmare's neck. The dragon closed its eyes and nuzzled Hiccup's shoulder. How? She was good, but Hiccup would always be better. Astrid turned away. She hoped he hadn't noticed how the muscle in her jaw twitched. "Well, he was stubborn, then."
"I think he's just happy to have your hand on him." Hiccup said. She glared at him. "I-I mean, he's just happy that you're touching him. That you're around."
Astrid shook her head and turned back to the wound. They had gone back to his awkward phase then, it seemed. Well, everything would be awkward for awhile. "Just keep him still."
"Okay."
Stormfly started to growl. Astrid shook her head. She loved her dragon but Stormfly could be a little over protective sometimes. "I'm just helping him out, Stormfly, it's all right."
With sure hands, she removed the leaves and twigs, then sloughed some water onto the wound. The dragon trembled, but didn't jerk away. It wouldn't. Not with Hiccup around. Blood dripped down the dragon's leg, forming a puddle by its foot. Astrid pursed her lips and leaned closer. The wound seemed clean enough, but if she left it to air she feared the dragon would poke at it. Where's a cloth when she needed one?
"Here." A bundle of fabric fell at Astrid's feet. Hiccup cleared his throat. "I brought it along in case you wanted to bandage it."
Astrid sighed. He was a good chief. She'd give him that. "Thank you," she muttered.
She tied the bandage around the dragon's leg as quickly as she could and stepped back. Hiccup rubbed the Nightmare's neck once more, then he moved away as well.
The Nightmare peered at them, then at its leg.
Stormfly's growls grew deeper. Astrid ignored her, but Stormfly's tail bumped into her back. Astrid spun around and threw up her hands. "What?"
But Stormfly wasn't looking at her. Stormfly wasn't even looking at the Nightmare. Stormfly looked upward. Astrid stared, too. At first, she didn't see anything.
Then something glinted.
Something in the sky… glinted. The Nightmare growled, too. Another attack? Astrid started for Stormfly, intending to leap on her back. She didn't have to though. The glinting stopped.
A snowflake the size of a coin fell into the arena, landing soft on the hard-packed ground. Astrid inched closer. The snowflake lifted, spun, glowed it seemed. Then, all at once, a tiny white dragon crystallized.
SQ: Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and followers thus far! I promise in the next chapter Astrid and Elsa will meet. I wanted to do it in this one, but it got a bit long so I had to break it in two. I tried to make Astrid a bit cockier in her sections. What did you think of the little snow dragon's ability? And how do you think Hiccup's going to react? 1) Scream like a little girl? 2) Call for Toothless? or 3) Yell at Astrid?