How To Train Your Dragon- From One World To Another

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(s):

Norwegian Pirate- Two Steps From Hell

Author Warning, Notes:

This symbol (*) means that there's something written about this particular paragraph in the Ending Author's Notes.

Viewpoint Signs:

***MS*** (movie scene)

***EMS*** (end of movie scene)

***WPov.*** (watcher's point of view)

...

Chapter 26

She kept on climbing until she reached the very top where one of the ship-crew helped her over the gunwale and sat her down on her feet.

Ronja stiffened and looked up at her helper when she heard him say:'' Well, well, well, you are still a child! How did you get yourself in such unlucky situation as this?''

...

The man who had pulled her over the gunwale had shoulder length black hair, blue eyes and a short bushy beard. He also had a strong built with broad shoulders.

And he was looking down at her with a raised eyebrow as he waited for an answer from the girl looking up at him.

Ronja tried to answer but the shouting had left her throat more ravaged and when she tried to speak she could only produce a hoarse cough.

'' Give her some water!'' the man ordered one of the other crew members standing around nearby.

Ronja looked up when she finally stopped coughing and watched as the man walked over to a large wooden barrel and picked up a ladle from a hook inserted into the side of the barrel.

He then opened the lid and scooped up some water onto the ladle.

When he brought it over to Ronja and handed it to her, Ronja was hard pressed to keep from gulping the whole thing down in one go.

She still remembered what her mother had taught Sonja and her about survival in the wild when one hadn't had anything to drink for a long wild.

If she drunk the water too quickly it would come right back up again. And she didn't want that.

The water may not have tasted fresh and not wonderfully cool on her throat and tongue, but it was still immensely healing to her parched up tongue and throat.

And besides, the slow sips were giving her the time she needed to make up a believable tale as to how she had ended up on the small boat.

'' To make a long story short, I was kidnapped from my home in the land of the northern mainland called Suomi. I'd been scavenging for mushrooms in the forest when I was grabbed, bound, gagged and taken to slave-traders. I was eventually bought by a buyer in the slave-markets, but unfortunately, my slave trader became tired of me and decided to get rid of my presence by sending me adrift in the middle of the ocean,'' Ronja answered, at last, her voice still hoarse.

Tears tickled at the corners of her eyes before sliding down her cheeks.

***Wpov.***

'' AWW!''

I looked slightly embarrassed at my own tearful reaction in the presence of strangers and looked down at my lap. I didn't want to face the reactions of the people watching the 'movie' with me, even though the group reaction seemed to be sympathetic.

'' I'm pretty sure that... you didn't even have to act those tears,'' Fishlegs murmured and found comfort in Meatlug who nuzzled him.

'' And the 'lie' you told that crew-member wasn't even a full lie now, was it?'' Astrid agreed with a sad sigh.

'' No, no I guess not, '' I sighed and turned my head in my father's direction.

My dad gave me a small smile. '' Yes, it was a lie, but not a full lie. And even if you HAD told a full lie I wouldn't have begrudged you for it when you were in such a precarious situation. You were kidnapped from 'Suomi', Finland, but just not by the people you mentioned.''

'' Odin was the one to kidnap you, and the place you mentioned being kidnapped from was pretty much accurate.'' Hiccup murmured, looking at me with a slight, sad grin to his lips.

'' As what you were doing!'' Snotlout cut in with a weak smile.

'' You sure are a better liar than Hiccup is, for sure.''

''SNOTLOUT!''

He shrunk back slightly from the admonishing exclamation for his words from almost every parent in the room.

And I grimaced slightly when my father said: ''I do not begrudge you for lying that time, but do not make a habit of lying to anybody,'' my father added in a serious tone.

***MS***

The man who had asked her the question regarded her thoughtfully for a long moment before saying: '' I shall take you to the captain's quarters where my cousin will make the decision on what shall be done with you.''

Ronja nodded silently and solemnly allowed the man to put his hand on her shoulder as he led her across the deck of the ship.

The gathered ship- crew members standing around listening to her story moved to one side to allow them passage.

Some were looking at Ronja with suspicion, some with curiosity and some seemed to not really care that there was a child on board.

Ronja tried not to pay their presence any mind as she was escorted towards the back of the ship where they entered through an open doorway that led into the interior of the ship with its captain's quarters (and perhaps other rooms, too).

...

Sometime later inside the captain's quarters...

I don't see any reason why we should take this half-grown kid along. She would just be in the way of the crew. Even so much as her peeling vegetables in the kitchen or mopping the decks would bring distraction to the crew on board.''

Ronja grimaced inwardly at the captain's decisive words.

She felt a prick of renewed panic beginning to accumulate in her heart but took care in keeping it from showing on her face as she stood there in front of the captain of the ship, alongside the man who had escorted her down to these lower quarters of the ship.

'' Sir, I can make myself barely noticeable on this ship if you'll have me on board as a potato peeler or a deck mopper. Once we have reached the nearest inhabited Island I'll disappear as quickly as I'd appeared on the path of your vessel.''

'' As I said, you are already a distraction to the crew for the simple fact that you are an adolescent female that was found on a tiny vessel bobbing in the middle of the open ocean,'' the tall muscular captain (with a high black ponytail) growled out, looking Ronja in the eyes with an exasperated expression.

'' So what shall be done with her, then?'' Ronja's escort asked before the girl could retort with words to defend herself against the captain's accusations.

'' Escort her back to that blasted dinghy of her's and cut the ropes to send her adrift! She is of no use to us.''

Ronja uttered a choked gasp at the captain's answer, and even the man who had been her escort frowned for a moment before giving her an apologetic expression as he grasped her shoulder tightly and spun her around to face the door.

'' Oh, I must say I quite disagree with you there, big brother. This teenager, Ronja, her name was wasn't it?! looks to be quite able-bodied despite her short stature. I'm sure we could use her on board as a potato peeler, a mopper or even a babysitter. Under careful observation, of course, and with an oath that if any harm comes to my son under her care there will be severe consequences.''

Ronja slowly turned her head around to face the opposite door within the captain's quarters and found, much to her surprise that there was a tall woman standing by the doorway holding a small toddler in her arms.

'' Oh!' Ronja sounded out quietly under her breath as the woman stepped further into the light in the room.

'' Valda, I'm the captain of this ship! Therefore I make the decisions on what should be done with an uninvited guest.''

'' And you know very well how much our brother hates being wasteful with lives that could potentially be influenceable to do their part within the community of our tribe. Although I wouldn't say no for a bit of experimenting at first.''

'' Huh, what do you mean by experimenting?'' the woman's brother growled out.

'' Letting her go free in Laketown and sending spies to watch how she would go with surviving on an island all alone without anyone familiar to turn to unless she takes the chance with strangers.''

Ronja could barely hold back a grimace at the tall woman's words. She swallowed thickly when she saw the little toddler had his face pressed into the side of his mother's neck, deeply asleep in his position.

Despite this mother's obvious want to make her survival into a game of some sort, Ronja was starting to feel a spark of hope bloom in her heart again.

Maybe being set adrift wouldn't be her fate after all. Maybe she would be taken to an island where she could head off to 'build a bridge in life' for herself.

That is if the captain would agree to his sister's idea. He certainly was more annoyed than agreeable at the moment, and Ronja crossed her fingers and the toes stuffed inside her boots, for good measure.

The captain's loud, exasperated groan had her look down at the ground at her feet.

But she jumped at the sound of someone slamming a fist against the wooden table in the room.

'' You know sometimes I don't understand either your twin brother's or your addiction to making things like this a game for your amusement.''

The tall woman uttered a snort at his brother's words.

'' You know very well I'm nowhere near as addicted to 'making things a game', as you put it, as our dear little brother.''

Then she gave a chuckle and kissed her toddler's forehead when he gave a tiny snuffling noise in his sleep and snuggled closer against his mother's neck.

Ronja felt a twinge in her heart at the sight of the mother caring for her boy.

She dearly missed her own mother. And her father who had been her rock these past months.

'' Besides you know I don't have the kind of apt for the strategy games our brother seems to be so fond of. That's why he snatched the title of Chief under the noses of you and me, big brother.''

'' Don't remind me!'' the hulking captain snapped out, rolling his eyes.

'' So what exactly are you suggesting we do with the kid? We take her along as a slave for the next two weeks till we reach the island of Laketown and then we just let her go and have spies trail her to see how she survives in an unknown land?''

'' And if she doesn't cope with the situation she can then became my handmaiden and occasional babysitter. I doubt she would 'bite the hand that feeds her','' the tall woman said with a smile to her full, pink lips.

Ronja jolted at the woman's words.

'' So now I'm seen as just a test subject?! By the Gods,'' she thought, seething inwardly over being seen as such.

But she had to admit that being seen as a test subject was better than being seen as just trash to be discarded and sent adrift immediately.

But again, it was up to the ship's captain to give the final word of acceptance.

'' Oh very well then, Valda, I give up! Do as you please with this runt! BUT she is of your responsibility and headache from this moment on. Have fun!''

'' Oh, I'm sure I'll have fun giving you the job of babysitting for a while,'' Valda answered with a playful smirk as she walked briskly over to the captain, gently peeled her son's arms from around her neck, and handed him over to her hulking sized brother.

The Captain took the toddler with a slight grunt before cradling his tiny nephew against one of his beefy arms.

The little boy gave a sleepy sound and snuggled comfortably against his uncle's wide chest, still very much in slumberland.

The woman regarded boy and uncle for a moment with a fond smile to her lips before switching her attention to Ronja who snapped her eyes away from the rather adorable scene and focused on the mother who was now walking around her.

She looked to be checking her over, and Ronja stayed motionless under the inspection, albeit clenching her hands into fists in an effort to still her want to turn with the woman's circling (she didn't feel all that comfortable in exposing her back to the stranger).

It wasn't the hulking captain in the room who brought a sudden chill throughout Ronja's body (that had nothing to do with the temperature within the bedroom).

It was the tall woman, (who was probably only a few centimetres shorter than her brother), wearing a long hemmed hauberk under her violet dress and dark leather belt.

Ronja looked straight into the other's brown eyes with an earnest expression when she came to stand right in front of her.

''Hmm...'' the woman, who was also a mother, muttered as she looked me over. She fingered her chin with her thumb before putting out her right hand that had a ring on one of the fingers.

The man, who had pulled her on board the ship was standing right behind her, and Ronja grunted at the slight shove he dealt to her back.

She leaned forward to kiss the ring that had a red ruby on the centre, before pulling back slowly.

'' My name is Valda, sister of the current Chief of our Tribe. I don't make a habit of allowing trespassers go free once they've entered a ship transporting my son anywhere in the archipelago,'' Valda spoke, her dark eyes narrowed in warning.

Ronja swallowed hard, unable to lower her gaze from the rather tall woman as she regarded her thoughtfully.

'' My brother does have the tendency to have trespassers prosecuted immediately, but when it comes to me I have a different policy. You were kidnapped from your own island, weren't you?''

Ronja nodded slowly.

I tend to want to see if the person can take control of his or her own life before I move in to take their freedom.''

Ronja stood up straighter on the wooden floor, her arms hanging by her sides despite the shiver running down her spine from the tense atmosphere in the room.

'' In other words, if you aren't able to cope with life while free, I shall take you in as a member of the staff. And once in my household, you would be my slave for the rest of your life. How would you answer to my proposal?'' Valda fired out with a hard voice.

'' I would answer that I'd gain nothing from refusing such a proposal if it were to come to it, ma'am,'' Ronja answered, nervously, after a moment of thinking.

'' And if you were to try and scam my son or me?''

'' I would gain nothing from scamming either of you, ma'am,'' Ronja answered truthfully, biting her lower lip.

''And what were to happen if you were to attempting to scam either me or my son?'' Valda asked her voice low and more threatening as she leaned a fraction closer.

Ronja winced, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso.

The change in Valda's voice had suddenly made the room temperature seem to plummet a bit.

'' You would have me executed without mercy, '' Ronja answered quickly, softly, but audibly so as not to give any reason for the woman to become irritated with her.

'' Very good of you to catch on so quickly. Now, let's get you settled in your quarters and find you some 'shifts' at least, so you don't need to sleep in those odd clothing tonight,'' the woman finally said after a long moment of staring into Ronja's face.

Ronja silently nodded in answer and allowed the woman to lower a hand on her shoulder, and then lead her out the open door of the Captain's quarters...

To be continued...

End of Chapter 26

...

Author's Note(s):

Sorry for this small 'cliffhanger' of sorts, readers :) 

The name 'Valda' is a Latin name. It translates to the word, or name 'brave'.

Constructive criticism is much appreciated by me, the Author.