How To Train Your Dragon- From One World To Another, And Yet I'm Home  

Disclaimer:

The Film 'How To Train Your Dragon', is Copyrighted by DreamWorks Animation and Distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and released on March 26, 2010

The DreamWorks 'Dragons' were directed by Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders and released in 2013- 2018. I only claim Copyright to my characters and some of the elements of the story that are of my own creation.

Chapter Soundtrack:

Taylor Davis, Lux Aeterna (from 'Requiem for a Dream)

Author Warning:

This Chapter overshadows a small smidgen of my own OC-character's future story-events. It also holds some spoilers for Dragons: Race to the Edge Season 6.

To those who have yet to see the newest season and don't want to read any spoilers, enter this story with caution.

P.S. (*) and a number in the middle tell that there is something written in the Author's Note about said paragraph.

*D* means Diary Text and *ED** means End of Diary

*BOF*** means the Beginning of Flashback

*EOF*** means the End of Flashback

...

Chapter 1 PROLOGUE 

Dear Diary,

I had once known in my sane state of mind that falling into another world or dimension through unexpected portals that just popped out of nowhere without any warning or fall through TV- screens or computer screens, was something that just didn't happen to sane people...

Except maybe in peoples wildest dreams as they sleep comfortably in their beds. When I was younger, I read so many Fan-fictions of such wild stories happening on my father's computer. Some stories had well thought through plots and written content. And then there were those that had not been so great. Like those characters with blatant Mary-Sues.Then again, some had been pretty good even with the slight tendencies of a Mary-Sue: ish touch thrown into the character's profile.

And some of the Fan-fiction stories had needed just half a chapter to determine that they had been unworthy of reading due to bad plot. Or the content had been riddled with so many spelling mistakes that it had been more than a little frustrating to read; though I detain from elaborating which ones exactly I had not deemed worthy of reading further than a chapter.

Going back to my first paragraph, I had believed for years that going to another world or dimension was in the supernatural zone and so out in the impossible zone.

At eleven years old I had still been close to an ordinary girl from the 20th century Finland, but with some prowess that went beyond the normal norm of a teenager living in this time-frame.

Until that very year, following our twelfth birthday on September 15th, my mother had told Sonja and myself of her past life in another age and dimension. And her story of how she came to be apart of the modern age opened me up to believe that such a fate could happen to a person.

My mother hadn't been a typical 20th-century mother. She had been brought to my father's dimension through the intervening of Óðinn (Odin) himself who rules over Ásgarðr (Asgard) as the king. A chief of the Æsir.

Nevertheless, my parents had looked and acted like any other person living in a modern age world. And so had my sister and me, most of the day. But in secret, our family lives had been anything but the normal norm.

Therefore our family had withheld a secret from everyone who wasn't in relation to us or hadn't been there when Sigrun had appeared out of nowhere. We had to hold information from even the closest of friends, for if our family secrets had ever leaked out to public notice, it would have caused an uproar in our nation. Our family would likely have been deemed completely eccentric, and it would have become a very dark world locked in the halls of a Mental Asylum. Well, that could have been the most drastic of measures put into action in the Finnish Nation.

Anyway, my adventure (''Or more like a nightmare,'' my younger self would have said) had been shoved on me 'out of the blue' like some great big boulder during the first week of August, just three weeks away from my thirteenth birthday.

If anyone had been there to ask me my opinion at the very moment it had happened, their answer would have been,'' It had been too unexpected, and not at all welcome.''

And to be bluntly honest, what sane sort of person with 'a brain' would have purposefully wanted to be taken to another world without their consent? I'm sure mum had been heartbroken over losing her family for a very long time until she came to accept that she had to become apart of a new world.

Therefore it was such a heart- wrenching thought that I'd been taken to this world without a promise that I would see my beloved father again. Odin really had committed a very unfair course of action that had affected not only one person but everyone I cared about. My father had already lost a wife and daughter! My grandparents had already lost one grandchild and an amiable daughter-in-law. Therefore, with my new home being Berk, those close to my heart had lost another family member to an unexpected circumstance.

What had made the hurt fester even deeper was the truth that even on Berk I had to act. I had to make it seem like I didn't have family on the island. 

And the reason was, that there were Viking Villages out there in the Archipelago that had heard of Sigrun Ingrid Haddock. And the Chiefs of those tribes would probably have questioned whether my claim to be related to the chief of Berk had been just a ploy to gain favour from Stoick the Vast. They could have said something along the lines of, '' She has dangerous ulterior motives. She is a dangerous impostor bent on slithering her way into Stoick the Vast's household.''

In the worst case scenario, I could have been executed for treason. Or I would have faced a milder punishment, like being banished from the island of Berk forever. It was impossible to prove my claims, as I carried no tangible, seeable proof that I was related to a prestigious family-line. Telling anyone on Berk, even to Hiccup, that I was the niece of Stoick the Vast, could have made 'Thor's Mighty Hammer' fall on my head to end my life. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Therefore, counting in those weeks I hadn't been on Berk, that secrecy had gone on for almost sixteen months. Which, by the beginning of that Devastating Winter' following the end of the hate between Vikings and Dragons, had begun to really wear on my heart. I had still been very much a loner, a nobody without a family on Berk. And I hadn't been able to deny they want to fill in that gaping wound in my heart. Therefore the sentimental side of me had been on a constant war-path with my more logical side.

My heart may have wanted to own up, but another part of me hadn't been able to find it in itself to allow me to let my guard down. I hadn't been able to afford to let those secrets out. Such secrets had to be kept from not only those who weren't related to me but also from family. But once again, it had been through Odin's intervention that the people of Berk had finally been shown, and I mean shown, the secrets I had been keeping from them for months on end.

I could hardly have imagined those events. That I had at last been reunited with my father after months of hardships. But I had no longer been the same little girl he had known months ago. I'd been through a journey of' growth' and experienced a shift in how I'd come to view life in another dimension and time-frame. And my less than savoury opinions had been turned around.

I had come to have a sense of belonging to this world more than the one I'd left. I had even found love, that turned out to be true love. But that love hadn't come without the big choices I had to make for my future.

I learned a lot more about just how important trust and friendships could be as I became a part of a tight-knitted friendship-group. This past year I struggled to learn how to make the right decisions that would have benefited everyone. And ultimately it came to be, that I had to learn the hard way that I should have been more open about my plans with the other Dragon Riders.

Also, being brave and steadily persistent in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement had been qualities that needed to be learnt over the years. If there was a word that described all of what I mentioned in that last sentence, and what I had needed to achieve true greatness, it would be the one small but important remnant that was held within the hearts of the people in the Nation that was and is a part of me. It was the 'Finnish Sisu', which is best described as 'Finnish perseverance'.

'' True, its been years, now, since I came to be a part of this world and yet I've come to see that there is still so much for me to experience and to learn

Now where to begin describing my journey? Most old stories have a clear beginning, seldom not beginning with a 'Once Upon a Time', but I think I'll go for something different. Maybe in the time frame of the cold month, us Berkians call 'The Devastating Winter', long following the memorable day Vikings and Dragons became enemies no more.

*ED***

I  contemplatively, scribbled the latest paragraph in my diary as I sat on the side of the bed, inside the bedroom of the hut that belonged to my husband and me. I paused, blinking tiredly before staring down at the written text with tired eyes rimmed with dark shadows.

I yawned sleepily, straining to see the short paragraph I'd just written. It had become an every night occurrence to wake up from a nightmare, sometimes to a myriad of sensations such as violent itching, tingling and twitching. Or even worse, a burning and aching sensation in my missing limb. What always followed was me desperately trying to find something to occupy my brain until the phantom sensations reverted, and I felt exhausted enough to sleep again.

'' Oh gods, I really need to get my emotions under control before I end up getting endless insomnia,'' I thought in exasperation before yawning a second time. I closed my diary and set it aside on the nightstand beside the bed, along with the coal- pen that I'd been using to write. I then snuffed out the oil- lamp and laid my head down on the soft pillows, just as a soft whimper suddenly escaped the lips of the young man lying on the bed beside me.

I sat up a little and looked at my husband. He was sleeping fitfully, unaware that his wife was awake and could hear him whimpering into his pillow. The small pained noises issuing from his mouth made my heart twinge in sympathy for the normally so tough male Viking. I was about to reach over and give him a small nudge, when he gave a loud cry of, '' No!''

I jumped slightly when Snotlout suddenly rolled onto his back, still in the throes of what looked like a terrible nightmare. He tossed fitfully, his face screwed up in emotional agony.

I gasped slightly, squirming to completely face my husband and put a hand on his wide chest. I could feel his heart racing beneath my fingertips and the slickness of perspiration on his shirtless chest. For a second I contemplated whether I should be the one to wake him up and talk to him when he was like this. Snotlout could lash out at me in retaliation for whatever monster was plaguing his dreams. But I made up my mind when the sound of his voice, filled with such agony, called out...

'' D- don't take her! Please, don't!''

I quickly sat up to light the oil-lamp before turning to wake up Snotlout.

''RONJA, NO!''

And just like that, the nightmare itself had finally woken him up. I clasped his shoulder comfortingly, leaning my cheek against his chest even as his arms circled around me in desperation. His light blue eyes swivelled around for a moment until pinpointing my own.

'' R- Ronja?! Oh, thank Odin,'' he muttered, wiping at his tearing eyes with his palm.

'' Snotlout, are you... okay?''

Stupid question, really, but words had failed me for the time being.

'' I- I'm fine, Ronja, just... go back to sleep,'' Snotlout muttered shakily, wiping at his eyes again. His eyes couldn't stop tearing up and I just shook my head in exasperation. It was the same ol' dance in which he was trying to 'shoo' me away, but I knew him better than most. And it was obvious to me that his soul was bothered by something important.

'' I can tell that by just looking at your face that you aren't okay. Tell me, Snotlout, do you see me being quiet about the reasons I sometimes cry at night?'' I retorted softly.

'' You cry because you keep recollecting those moments of torture as a prisoner of Johann and Krogan,'' Snotlout answered. An expression of sympathy, sadness and vulnerability flooded onto his face.

'' But my reasons for crying are rather... embarrassing,'' he added hesitantly.

'' Really, because do I look like I would laugh at your feelings?'' I asked with a raised eyebrow as his fingers gently caressed the left side of my face that still held the faint remnants of bruises. His fingers then slowly slid down to my jawline where he hesitated, his large fingers hovering over the fading hand- print bruise decorating both sides of my neck. Then he noticeably winced and pulled his hand away completely to wipe his eyes with the same hand. Snotlout then uttered a small sigh, his eyes beginning to fill up with tears again.

'' Snotlout, we've been over this before. I'll listen to what you have to say whenever you have something on your mind that makes you feel horrible inside and deprives you of sleep,'' I whispered, stroking the long dark bangs that had flopped over his eyes. Something that didn't often happen when he had been wearing a Viking Helmet all day.

'' Yeah... well... do you remember those nightmares I had that made me crazy and unpredictable? Back when we were attempting to destroy the Dragon- Hunters Dragon-root cultures?''

I nodded solemnly, remembering just how badly Spitelout's words about his son failing his expectation had affected my husband following the day of the 'Storehouse Island: A secret cache of emergency supplies to be accessed in case of an attack on Berk' reveal.

'' T- those nightmares have returned to haunt me, only... your words in them had changed. Y-you were saying,' how could I have ever married a guy who fails me in time of need again and again? You are the reason I was captured by Krogan and his Dragon Flyers and tortured until I could hardly be recognised as Sonja's twin-sister','' Snotlout choked out, his expression deeply pained.

I gasped sharply at his words, my own eyes immediately stinging with tears of compassion for the young man.

'' A-and I feel that it could be true, Ronja. None of the horrible stuff would have happened if I'd been the one to go to the Northern Markets for that stupid chicken feed! Everything went straight to Helheim because you pardoned me from shopping!'' Snotlout whined out, his voice filled with emotional agony.

'' Yes, I did fly off to do the shopping at the Northern Markets, but I met Heather along the way. As well as the traitor who we had all believed to be a trustworthy ally. I was totally duped by 'Traitor Johann! All of us were! I don't blame you for anything that happened to me, Snotlout,'' I told him earnestly, clasping his cheeks between my palms.

'' But I noticed you were tense and worried about something as you were saying goodbye to me at the Club-house. I should have picked up on your worried demeanour, better, and offered to go to the markets with you even though I loathe shopping. But instead, I let you go alone,'' Snotlout whimpered, a small sound akin to a sob escaping his lips.

'' And I should have told someone about the existence of those two Dragon- eye lenses I'd carried on me since we were kids. You or any of the other Dragon Riders had no idea I would be targeted by our enemies. I should never have taken such a massive risk, Snotlout. And I'm sorry for making you and everyone else so worried about me,'' I whispered back as a few tears slid down my cheeks. I clasped the sides of his head against my palms.

'' We can't change what happened in the past,'' I continued, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead before resting my forehead against the area I had touched with my lips.

'' I'm safe now, 'Lout'. I'm right here, with you.''

'' I- I know you are, 'Ro. It- its just that... I wasn't the one to save you. Hiccup and Viggo were the ones who found you in that secret Dragon- hunter base,'' Snotlout moaned as he reached up to cling to my lower arms.

'' I just... can't help but feel afraid of being seen as a failure for not being there when... when it all happened. I wouldn't be surprised if my father looked down at me for that failure,'' he added as he angled his head to press a kiss to my wet cheek.

'' Did your father tell you that he saw you as a failure, following my rescue?'' I asked, suddenly climbing on top him and resting my forearms against his chest. I peered straight into his pupils, almost demanding him to answer.

'' N-no, but I guess I just... believe he would have seen me as a failure for not being there,'' he answered truthfully.

'' There is the ' I guess' and ' I believe', you blockhead. Look, I can't be certain as to what Spitelout's reaction was upon me getting rescued by Hiccup and Viggo, but until we know for certain, until we talk things over with your father, just don't dwell on the 'what ifs','' I retorted with a small, worried frown crossing my face. I then leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the lips.

'' And remember, what happened to me in enemies hands wasn't your fault. I don't blame you for anything,'' I murmured against his soft lips before giving him another kiss that he immediately returned, deepening the moment further. I sighed blissfully as his large, strong, but right now extremely gentle hands snaked up to caress my upper back and the back of my neck.

It was a peaceful moment, so tender and filled with love and affection. We believed nothing would infiltrate the perfect ending to our heartfelt talk. Until...

SNAP, BJOIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG

The second we heard one of our traps triggered, our minds went into high-alert. (*1) My hand quickly groped for the artificial wooden limb that I'd taken off every evening to rest my stump during the night-hours while Snotlout immediately went for his sword he had kept at hand's reach.

''WHOAAAAAAA AAAAAAH!''

CRASHHHHHH

''OWWWWWWWWWW OUCH!''

A smirk grazed my lips as I recognised the voices of our friends.''The Jorgenson Yak Master,'' I deadpanned, slowly putting my limb aside.

'' Yep, but without the Yakiti- yak,'' Snotlout answered as he too put aside his weapon. We shared a wild smirk, still entangled in each other's arms.

'' You know something, 'Ro', I sort of feel sorry for our friends, but then again I don't. Those five just ruined a perfect private moment,'' Snotlout murmured as we stayed where we were, listening to the yelps and the curses echoing from our lower house-quarters.

'' Hahaha! You set that trap right where they would stumble upon it entering the hut, didn't you?'' I snickered, languidly leaning the side of my head against his bare chest.

Snotlout was about to answer me, when...

''SNOTLOUT! YOU MUTTONHEAD!''

'' GET US DOWN FROM HERE, SNOTLOUT!''

'' HATE TO AGREE WITH ASTRID AND FISHLEGS, BUT THIS ISN'T SUCH A FUN PRANK!''

'' I AGREE TO YOUR SENTIMENT, DEAR BROTHER!''

'' EVERYONE, WOULD YOU JUST CALM DOWN! BUT... Snotlout, get us off this net right NOW!''

'' Pah, you all should have known better than to enter our hut in the middle of the night,'' Snotlout grumbled with a scowl.

I slowly rolled off his chest, and my husband had the warm blanket off of him with an angry flick of his hand. I snagged the blanket to cover myself as he slowly slid off the edge of the bed. I immediately sat up and crawled over to the end of the bed to peek over the edge as Snotlout stomped loudly towards the metal hook inserted into the wall.

The sight of the largely entangled pile of Dragon Riders entrapped in the large net cursing and moaning as they held their heads, had me snickering helplessly even though I knew I shouldn't be laughing at them.

Anca and Hookfang were lying down by the foot of the stairs, assumingly not caring that the other Riders were caught in a net right inside the hut after the first explosion of noises. They two Dragons looked like they had barely moved at all.

The moans and curses increased tremendously when Snotlout untied the rope from around the hook and allowed the net to fall none too gently against the wooden floor of our hut.

'' W- what in the name of Valhalla was that, Snotlout?'' Fishlegs spluttered out breathlessly once the Twins and Astrid rolled off his stomach. Poor Hiccup had caught the weight of the whole lot of them on his back, and it took him a while to regain his breath.

'' The Jorgenson Yak Master!'' I shrieked through helpless laughter before ducking out of sight to regain my wits about me. I must have been more sleep deprived than I'd first believed.

'' Funny, 'Ro! And if this is your idea of a witty prank, I'm gonna murder you, Snotlout!'' Astrid snapped loudly as she staggered to her feet, brushing at her chemise.

'' Ooohhh! You know I seemingly recall something like this happening to us on the 'Dreadful Day of Loki's Day'!'' Tuffnut dramatically sang out to Ruffnut as the two sat on the floor.

'' Indeed, dear brother, indeed we were pranked by two great adversaries who combined their heads to trap us. Ooooh, the traps, snappy traaaaapsssss!'' Ruffnut sang out to me as I peeked over the side again.

I had just managed to curb in my laughter, but the Thorstons' words had the effect of making me burst out laughing again, especially when Astrid graced the Twins words with a heated look.

'' Odin help me with this madness,'' Hiccup coughed out sarcastically as he finally got up with the help of Astrid and Toothless, who had ambled in behind the Riders and had not been caught by the trap. The Nightfury looked rather resigned like he had witnessed a similar incident. And he had witnessed one back at Storehouse Island.

'' This was NOT a prank! It was an added protection to trap any godforsaken Dragon Flyer, or Krogan himself if they dared to sneak into our hut in the middle of the night! But instead of a Dragon Flyer, I caught a net-full of trespassing Dragon Riders!'' Snotlout retorted loudly as he stomped across the floor and climbed back into bed.

I rubbed a palm across my face, managing to grin at my husband's comment as I watched Hiccup gesturing for Toothless to stay on the ground- floor. I scooted back until I was leaning against Snotlout's broad chest for comfort. I then draped the covers back over us both as we heard the others footsteps climbing the stairs up to our bedroom area.

Thump, click, thump-click, thump-click...

I found my smile faltering, but pushed my expression back to neutral as our friends got to the top of the stairs. The sound of my cousin's prosthetic had once been like any other sound to me, I'd gotten used to it over the years. But now, after what had occurred at the secret Dragon- hunter base, things would never be like they had once been. Not for me anyways. The sound of prosthetic limbs was now a reminder of the decision I had made to ensure that I'd live to fight another day.

'' As much as I'd like to give you credit for setting up efficient traps you are aware, I hope, that it's been a week since the Final Battle between Johann's and Krogan's men and us,'' Hiccup stated, frowning slightly at my husband.

''Besides, Johann was encased in solid ice and Krogan disappeared out of sight and sound,'' Astrid said with an exasperated expression on her pretty face as she and my cousin sat down on my side of the bed. Hiccup reached over to rest his hand lightly on my blanket-covered left leg.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut crowded in on the right side of the bed, where Snotlout's legs were covered by the said blanket, and Fishleg's sat on the foot of the bed.

I opened my mouth to answer, but it was my husband who retorted,'' I set it up for my wife's sake in hopes that it would eventually help the both of us to sleep at ease during nights, Astrid.''

'' Oh, because you still have nightmares of the...,?'' Fishlegs started to say to me, but stopped mid-sentence, looking discomfited.

'' Your still having nightmares about... well... you being tortured?'' Astrid managed to ask, albeit quietly and solemn-faced.

I started sitting up a little straighter, but the healing whipping marks on my back abruptly protested at the movement.

'' With all the moving around I've done tonight, I must have overdone it a little. And now I'm paying for it,'' I snarked inwardly, involuntary hissing as pain slivered across the numerous whip-marks crisscrossing across my back. After a moment of struggling, I managed to push myself into a sitting position on the mattress.

'' Yes, and... I'm paranoid that Krogan could come after me again,'' I answered, looking at the others who were all regarding me with anxious expressions.

'' We all thought Dagur had been heroicly killed when he attacked Viggo's shipyard, and yet he survived. And when Viggo fell into the volcano on Dragon Edge, we had all believed it had been the last we'd see of him and yet he managed to cheat death, anyway,'' I spoke in a dulled voice.

I looked from one Rider to the next with apprehension seeping through into my expression.

'' I let Krogan go free in a moment of weakness when I could have ended him on Berserker Island. Therefore that man would most likely have crawled into some sort of hideaway, if not back to the man who was his employer. I'm not letting my guard down unless we find Krogan's dead-body somewhere.''

An awkward silence grew between us and I looked down, past my hands and towards my blanketed feet. On one side I could see the shape of my leg making the blanket rise, but on my right, the rise stopped a hands length from my knee. My eyes fixed upon that leg, or what was supposed to be one. Another sliver of pain cut across the healing scars on my back and I winced, heaving in a sharp breath when my sight abruptly turned blurred and unclear.

A myriad of sounds suddenly rang in my ears and I cringed heavily as an awful memory pushed its way to the surface of my mind.

Krogan's taunting, evil jibes mingled with the 'CRACK' of a whip striking human flesh. Then the sound of a sword cutting through flesh and bone interlocked with the first memory and conjured it all into one explosion of sound, before agony akin to the one I'd felt that day suddenly coursed through the skin, bone and tendons of a make belief limb that my mind had created to exist.

A piercing shriek ripped loose from my lips as I tossed aside the blanket and lunged forward to grab my leg that was the source of my sudden agony. But I felt nothing but the wood underneath my fingertips. My heart raced in my chest and I could hardly breathe.

My ears felt like they were underwater, the voices of the others growing distorted, but I thought I could pick up the sounds of several sharp animalistic screeches somewhere nearby. But I couldn't place as to who owned those sounds.

'' Astrid, Snotlout, WHAT are you...?''

My cousin's loud voice was drowned by a sharp 'CLICK' and hissing sound, followed by a louder...

CRACKKK

Something crashed into the wooden bed right over where my ankle was supposed to be, where I hadn't reached to grasp. I forced my blurred sight to focus on the source and saw...

My sword! It was just there, sunk into the wood! And right next to it I could see a familiar sword alight with flames. And yet something was very different. There was no agony from the weapon that had been stabbed into the wood, nor from the one with flames licking at the surface of the blade. I felt no razor sharp edge cutting and burning into my own flesh, nor smell the acrid stench that was supposed to billow outwards. The fire- sword was just there, its flames dancing and reflecting off the metal sword stabbed into wood beside it.

I could suddenly heave air back into my lungs and the haze started to slowly lift, chasing away the frightening images that had run rampant in my head. I just sat there, unmoving, my breathing coming in easier, deeper, and I lifted a hand to my chest and closed my eyes in order to fully expand my ribcage. Now that my thoughts were a fraction clearer I could feel how my heart hammered beneath my fingertips, as well as the weight of another person's muscular arm over my shoulders.

And the person's breathing pattern was unmistakable. Snotlout had been leaning over me all this while, holding the larger sword beside the other, right in the line of my vision. But far enough away from the surface of the wood so that it didn't catch fire.

I slowly opened my eyes to see Astrid still leaning forward where she had half- crouched, her right hand holding onto the handle of my sword. She was staring at me with fear- widened blue eyes.

''S-Snotlout?! Ast- Astrid?! '' I managed to choke out breathlessly.

'' Oh, thank Thor, that's over!'' Astrid exclaimed with relief flooding her expression.

Snotlout breathed in sharply with relief and tightened his grip on my shoulders as I almost pitched forward on the bed.

'' Umm... guys... I would normally think that if someone reacts to a pain source that's not even there, its suitably spooky and cool,'' Tuffnut suddenly spoke up, voice uncharacteristically weak.

'' But that was just plain spooky, haunting even,'' Ruffnut finished in the exact tone.

'' Tuffnut, Ruffnut! Will you two shut u...,'' Fishlegs started to say with a vehement glare to his face, but at my sudden outburst, he fell silent.

'' Their not wrong, Fishlegs! My own 'messed up' brain made me react to a phantom conjuration of a still existing limb! Is it not enough that I'm sleep deprived due to the nightmares?!'' I rasped out, gesturing wildly to my stump of a leg before my shoulders started to shake with harsh, rueful laughter that roused unbidden from my throat.

Snotlout, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs and the Twins all gasped sharply.

'' I thought I had made it clear to myself that losing a leg was the only possible way to escape that wretched place. I'm absolutely pathetic crying over it, still! And useless to you as a Dragon Rider,'' I chuckled out, looking away as tears started to slide unbidden from my eyes and down to my cheeks before falling onto the mattress.

I wasn't able to see my own face but from the way the others were staring at me I could venture a guess; the dark shadows under my eyes and the harsh laughter would have given off the image of someone akin to a deranged woman.

'' Ssshhhh... you are not pathetic, Ronja! Your strong to have gotten over a terrible family tragedy years ago! You survived in the hands of our enemies! And you are going to get over these memories that still haunt you!'' Snotlout said adamantly, his voice rough with emotion.

My laughter fell away at the tone of his voice; it had been filled with such assurance and belief in me. And... I hoped his last words ended up being true.

I could hear a couple of my friends utter a noise that sounded close to a sob and a sniffle as I slowly twisted around so that my cheek was touching the side of Snotlout's nose. It hurt to move my back, but I could care less as we shared a brief, gentle nuzzle right in front of everyone until I had to turn around because my wounds ached again.

'CLICK'

I flinched violently at the sound of a sharp clicking sound. Snotlout had used his right hand to switch off the dancing flames of his sword. I hazily following his hand movement and was a bit surprised when he offered the still hot blade to Hiccup who wordlessly grasped the handle.

I followed my cousin's movements as he stood up to walk towards the headboard of our bed. Hiccup didn't speak a word as he stared at the fire-sword for a moment, his shoulders tense as he rested a steadying hand against a large, painted wooden-Dragon statue for a moment before he carefully slipped the sword back in its metal-holster strapped to the bed's headboard.

Crackkkkk

I flinched ever so slightly when Astrid ripped my sword off the wooden bed. I followed the sound to its source and saw her staring thoughtfully at the thin bladed sword for a moment before she slipped it back into its wooden holster that I had at hand's reach beside my pillow.

Then Snotlout's arms slowly pulled me backwards until my back touched his chest. I heaved in a shaky breath as he nuzzled his cheek, and the tip of his nose, against the back of my neck. Slowly but surely my panic and distress began to reside as I focused on my husband's breathing and heartbeat. The rhythm of them felt both reassuring and comforting to my ears.

Thump, click, thump, click, thump, click...

There was the sound of my cousin returning to sit down on the edge of the bed, then two more pairs of arms, spindlier than Snotlout's, were wrapped around me.

'' Don't ever say those words again,'Ro'. I don't want to see you losing your self-worth because of what happened; you aren't weak, and you aren't useless to us,'' I heard Hiccup murmur in a rather broken tone.

'' Snotlout and Hiccup are both right. You're much stronger than you think, 'Ro'! Those horrible memories will fade,'' Astrid said, her voice soft as she rested her cheek against mine in a sisterly manner.

I hugged them both back even as my eyes slid closed. Sheer, heavy exhaustion had crept in and my eyelids felt like they had suddenly turned to lead.

'' We're here to help you. All of us are here for you,'' I heard Fishlegs say firmly.

I offered a shaky smile in his direction, eyes still closed and took in the feel of another pair of arms, bigger but less muscular, that encircled me with a comforting hold.

'' And never doubt that,'' the twins added in their characteristic drama-tone.

I uttered a chuckle that sounded nothing like the one I'd produced earlier. This was one of those moments where I well and truly relished and appreciated the familiarity of the Twins voices, as well as their presence when they squeezed into the group-hug with their long, spindly arms grasping whatever they could. 

And then I happened to yawn.

'' That's it, its bedtime for you,' Ro! And don't you dare argue with me. Your body is clearly telling you it hasn't had enough sleep these days,'' Snotlout uttered in a firm tone.

His words had the effect of the others loosening their grips on me.

'' Says the person who has had to deal with me startling awake every night these past seven days,'' I murmured as Snotlout yawned deeply, his jaw popping wide open.

And as it turned out, the yawning was contagious. I smiled in amusement when Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs and the twins followed suit.

'' Looks like we're not the only ones having sleep deprivations,'' Snotlout commented as he allowed himself to fall back onto the mattress, pulling me along with him until he had the back of my neck nestled comfortably against the crook of his arm.

'' Speaking of which, we never got to the bottom of why you guys came to this hut in the middle of the night,'' I said softly, forcing my heavy eyes open to see the others exchanging discomfited glances with each other.

For a moment no one spoke, but then the sound of a dragon giving a worried rumble from deep within its chest, followed by a deep yawn, had me looking up at the bed-post. I hadn't even realized that three fire-breathing Dragons had entered the bedroom at some point during my 'phantom limb' scare. They looked to have climbed into the bedroom in worry for my health but had hung back to let us humans deal with my 'unseen phantoms' the human way.

There was Toothless, standing up on his hind legs so he could see over the bedpost, and Anca and Hookfang had both squeezed into the room on both sides, taking up most of the floor space. Their large heads were leaning far over the side of the bedpost, so near that I could clearly feel the hot air billowing from their nostrils. I found myself offering a sheepish smile to the dragons, and humans alike.

'' What were you all worried about? You pretty much confirmed that you weren't thinking that Krogan would return to seek vengeance on me.''

This time the others exchanged sheepish, embarrassed expressions. None of them looked very comfortable in revealing their personal reasons for wanting to come to this hut in the first place. And that's when my wandering eyes happened to catch sight of the rolled up parchments slipped into my friend's belts.

'' Oh Gods! Seriously, you guys, I wrote those letters as 'last words' in case I really did die,'' I thought as I recognised the looks of the parchments. A sad expression appeared on my face as I turned to address my husband. I paused, though, when I realized he had perked up slightly as if he had noticed the rolled up papers as well.

'' Oh Thor, not you, too, Snotlout, '' I thought before blowing out a calming huff of air. I closed my eyes for a moment as I fought with the want to snatch those parchments away, crumple them up and have Anca incinerate them out of existence so that one could never ever set their sights on the text again.

'' Right, let's just... all go to bed, shall we?! In fact, Snotlout, let's let 'the gang' bed with us tonight. With how things stand I think it would be the best course of action. Maybe we can all sleep easier if we're here together. Honestly, why would you people read messages that should have been destroyed the moment it was official that I wasn't gonna die?!''

After a few seconds, Snotlout gave a resigned nod and gestured invitingly for the others to take a comfortable spot on the bed that could easily fit three men the same size as my father-in-law.

'' But let's try not to make this a continuing habit, okay guys?! And no dragons climbing onto the bed, either. It just about takes all our weight without collapsing on itself, but if even Toothless gets on this bed we will all fall right through the floor,'' Snotlout murmured sleepily.

'' Thanks for that mental insight, Snotlout,'' Hiccup snarked without rancour before he spread himself on the bed on my right side, his hip lightly touching my leg. He silently gestured for Toothless to not join us on the bed as we Vikings made ourselves comfortable.

Hookfang and Anca took the moment to reach over the bed-post to nuzzle me on the cheeks.

'' Goodnight Anca, Hookfang,'' I whispered fondly, reaching up to rub their snouts briefly before exhaustion made me drop my hand. I heard Snotlout murmur a quiet 'goodnight' to Hookfang and Anca when the two Nightmares nuzzled him, too. I then chuckled lightly when Toothless padded over to where he could reach me and snuffled against my chest. I rubbed his scaly head until the Nightfury slowly pulled away and did something he didn't bother to do often, which was to reach over and affectionately nudge Snotlout on the shoulder.

Toothless then padded over to his Rider, licked him and rubbed his head against Hiccup's cheek before laying down on the floor beside the bed.

I was so tired, the exhaustion aching in my body, and yet I still fought sleep for a moment longer so I could survey the sight of my best friends and family all joined on the same bed. I was sure, without having to look, that Anca and Hookfang, who had refused to sleep at the stables since the day I'd been rescued, were now laid out on the floor partially behind the bedpost with their necks curled together in a show of affection.

Astrid had lain down closest to me, her head facing Hiccup. Her feet were resting on Hiccup's lap, which he looked to not mind in the slightest. Fishlegs was sprawled on the foot of the bed that was wide enough to accommodate his bulk. Basically, he was one large human pillow for Tuffnut who was stretched out on Snotlout's side of the bed with Ruffnut using her brother's legs to lay her head against. For once the twins were not bickering or shoving each other, and no one else seemed to have the energy to talk anymore. It actually brought into perspective how deeply tiredness was plaguing us.

'' The story I'm going to tell begins at the Great Hall during the cold month of Devastating Winter, long following the memorable day Vikings and Dragons became enemies no more,'' I spoke in my head with a sleepy smile, looking from my now sleeping husband to Hiccup who had his left hand resting lightly on my knee; to Astrid who was laying beside me with her right hand touching my shoulder and then to Fishlegs who was sprawled at the foot of the bed, close enough that his back was touching my foot.

Ruffnut had her other hand resting against my stumped- leg, but I found that I didn't mind the small weight against it; she wasn't doing any harm, anyway. And Tuffnut was entirely stretched out on the mattress, his lanky arm lightly pressing against the same leg and brushing faintly against the edge of where my limb ended. I took that said position in stride, finding the sensation more grounding than anything else.

'' Like you said once, Tuffnut, the bond between us Dragon Riders really is precious. And to think, I tested the strength of that bond more than once the past year and almost broke them in the process. And yet you guys eventually found it in your hearts to forgive me for those lapses in judgement. Goodnight, all of you, and thank you for being willing to put up with my problems.''

With those as my last thoughts, I finally allowed my heavy eye-lids to close. It didn't take me long to drift off to sleep...

End Of Chapter 1 Prologue

...

Author Note:

Quite an unexpected beginning, isn't it?

When I wrote this Prologue my head was still buzzing with the mode brought on by the HTTY Dragon- Race to the Edge series. So I decided to foreshadow some future events of my version of the series without fully explaining how and when some events occurred.

Hope this wasn't a too confusing Prologue.

P.S. (*1) With a lot of other serious happenings in that time period of the HTTY Dragon- Race to the Edge, I thought it likely that there wouldn't have been time to make Ronja a better artificial limb. Besides, she would still have needed to keep from putting too much pressure on the limb as it healed.

Also, I was struck with the realization that if Ronja had to choose between a sword and her wooden leg, she would take the wooden- leg, because how else would she be able to get away from the enemy if she was disabled with one leg.

...

P.S.S Constructive criticism is always welcomed by the Author