Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dream-Girl
Hiccup was used to strange dreams.
He frequently got glimpse of the gods fight up in Asgard, he had nightmares from being eaten by cannibals to wild beasts ripping him apart to the Red Death and dying again and again in her flames. He dreamed of his home, his childhood and sometimes his dreams were just fast moving and changing pictures of places and things he didn't know.
And usually something was happening in his dreams so he would wake up with a start, a fast beating heart and sweat covering his forehead.
But when sleep pulled him into his arms this time, it was gentle and different.
A small light grew until he could make out his new surroundings.
It looked like he was in a cave, again. But the grayish-white stone was covered by thousand of tapestries, small and big, long and short, colorful, simple and difficult. Tapestries showing wonderful scenery and pictures of people doing…stuff…
But Hiccup was drawn to the head of the cave.
The wall looked like it was solid ten meters long and maybe three high.
In front of said wall stood a tall loom and at said loom sat girl. She was maybe a year or two younger than Hiccup. She had hair the color of caramel and her skin was of a soft alabaster. She sat with the back to him but he could see how fats she moved her hands through the loom.
With every move he could hear the clinging of bracelets and necklaces.
Her dark brown dress was simple but pretty with short sleeves and along skirt.
But it was the tapestry that drew him closer.
It looked so real! Like, if he would touch it he would actually feel the leaves of the trees and the water in the brooks.
He drew a sharp breath when he stood right behind the girl.
Now he saw the tapestry in full detail. And, oh my, he recognized the scene.
He saw himself, held by the arms by two knights. The cruel features of Ulric were like the ones of the real person. He held the slave mark in his hands.
Unable to look at it any longer he turned his head to the left and gasped.
From the loom, the weaving expended fell to the ground, before it sneaked over the ground like a giant snake.
The wool was thick and the colors shone bright.
Fascinated Hiccup moved along the pictures that showed all of his adventures in chronologic order.
He flinched when he passed the out-raged face of King George of Derandolia, shivered at the thought of the cannibals.
When he passed the pictures of Loki and him, a soft smile graced his lips.
And a shudder of absolute terror ran through him when he saw himself falling into the flames, Toothless desperately reaching out for him.
He quickly walked past that scene.
He stopped at the end of the tapestry. A picture that burned in his soul marked the beginning. Just thinking of hit made his insides warm up and relaxed his body.
He saw himself, head down with one hand outstretched and Toothless, pressing his muzzle into his offered palm.
"Your story is quite a lot."
Hiccup jumped. He really had to work on that. He couldn't always flinch like a little girl in the dark when someone addressed him.
He turned around to the girl. She had put aside her weaving material and looked at him.
Her face was still that of a child, soft and round with big brown eyes.
Her small hands stroke the tapestry carefully.
"You…you can see me?" he asked carefully. She smiled. "Of course. After all, I called you." Hiccup hesitated. "Are…are you a goddess?" She laughed. "No. But the closest thing next. I'm a prophet. Or an oracle. Or a seer, whatever you want to call it. I can see both, the past and the future." Curios he stepped closer. "And who are you?" he asked. "My name is Illiona. High-Priestess-in-training." She introduced herself. He bowed slightly. "I'm…" "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son to Stoick the Vast and Valhallarama the Hero, ex-Viking, first Dragon-Trainer in the Archipelago after your ancestor, chosen one of the gods, destroyer of the Red Death, hero of the prophecy and the hope to bring light in the world and fight the darkness. Yes, I know you Hiccup. I have followed your fate ever since I had my vision of you befriending that Night Fury of yours." She smiled. He smiled back. But then he frowned. "You mean you see my future?" "Only glimpse and pieces, nothing that makes too much sense. But that is not why I called you." She hesitated. "Actually it is. I had a vision. It was different then what I normally receive. It was more like an instruction. To you." "Instructions? From whom? The gods?" She shrugged. "I don't know. The paths of live and destiny are mysterious and unknown." "Tell me about that prophecy." "Vision." "Vision." He corrected himself.
She didn't start right away. She turned back to her long tapestry.
"I weave what I see. It's automatically, I don't control it. Only when I finish the picture I see what I actually made and have to find out what it means.
Sometimes there are only pictures in my head, sometimes a voice that whispers to me, other times it's just a feeling.
For hours and days I sit and weave."
She stroke the fabric again.
"I followed your journey. And I must say, you are so brave." He smiled. "Thanks but I think I have a lot of luck too." "Maybe. But I still admire your decisions. Your way to cope with problems. How you face every problem."
Hiccup raised his eyebrows.
"That Ice-Queen just said the opposite. That I don't face trouble and how I always run." "I don't talk about the past Hiccup. I talk about now and the future. Your mistakes of the past are your keys for the future."
She looked at him with wisdom beyond her age in her eyes.
He nodded slowly.
She turned back to the wall ahead of her that was still empty.
"This tapestry is going to hang there one day. When your story is told. It will be remembered for thousands of years." "Thanks but that's not necessary." "It's not like you will have an influence on that." She smiled at him.
Then she frowned.
"My vision…it was strange." "So you mentioned." "No, I mean, it was clear. Visions are never clear." "What did it say?"
"Seeker shall stumble upon six. Skill shall show him the way. The music of courage will sing in his ears. Strength shall not come easy to him, where as hope shall fill his heart. Love he shall find but all is to be lost without the clear sight." She repeated.
Hiccup looked at her dumbfound.
"And that was clear?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I forgot you are not used to visions." She gestured him to step closer. Together they stared at the part of the tapestry she was working on. It showed him, Kate and Josh with Toothless and Nightlight at the top cliffs around the Cauldron of Dead Sailors.
Hesitantly he touched the fabric. It was soft und thicker then he'd thought.
"You have great friends Hiccup." Illiona whispered.
He looked at her and saw that she was eyeing him intensively.
"They care a great deal for you." "Yeah." He mumbled and frowned. "Friends are hard to find. Especially in times of need, like this." "I think it's more like they find me. It's not like I'm looking out for new friends. I certainly didn't ask Kate to join me nor did I search for Josh!" "And you didn't intend on befriending Toothless!" Illiona added. "Ander here we are." She finished with a gentle smile.
"Yeah, here we are." "And it only did you good." "Yeah, it did. If I hadn't been there myself I wouldn't believe so." Then he turned fully around. "But I still don't get what your vision has to do with my new friends." She smiled and took his hand. "Yes you do. You said it yourself. It's not like you searched intentionally for them. They found you. But you let them find you Because deep inside you knew you needed them. That was how they could find you." Hiccup frowned. "I'm not sure I understand…"
"You are so close to understanding Hiccup. You are!" she interrupted him. "Open your eyes to the truth. They are more than your friends. They're your destiny. You all are the light!" His frown deepened. "Is it part of your job-description to be so mysterious and do you have to speak in riddles?"
Illiona groaned and sighed. She pressed her small hand against his forehead.
"You're waking up now. Think about my words."
Hiccup felt himself drifting away. "Oh, and Hiccup?" "Yes?" It was like walking away from here through a tunnel she got smaller with each step and her voice got more silent. "Don't tell anyone from me. Technically I'm not allowed to contact you." "Why?" "They don't like sharing me. Most people don't even know I exist." "Why?" "Let's just say, knowledge is power. I know a lot. They are afraid someone else might want me?" "Who thinks so?" Her voice was very faint now. "A lot of people. But that is not important. Continue going east. And be careful. Stay clear of the fog! I don't need to be a seer to see…"
That was the moment Hiccup woke up.
"Oh nice of you to join the party, I thought you were permanently in a come." Kate said sarcastically but he could hear the worry in her voice.
He groaned.
"I had the weirdest dream ever!" he said and sat up. "Oh really? What was it about?" Hiccup opened his mouth but suddenly he remembered Illionas plea. Something in her voice made him obey. "Oh…nothing…only you and Josh and you were both wearing dresses and dancing to some strange song and Toothless was there too, he was wearing some pink ribbons." He lied.
Kate just raised an eyebrow.
"You really have strange dreams."
He gave her a faint smile.
"Anyway, what's the plan?" "We're going east."
Stay clear of the fog. What fog?
An: And back I am! Naw, not really but I had this nice Idea.
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