𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter twenty-eight; yrsa
❝ the bewilderbeast! ❞

     YRSA REMEMBERED, not long ago, she had been begging to have known Valka to have even the slimmest idea what she was up for in her near future. A wife of a Chief? Yrsa never thought herself capable. It had always been on her mind when she got betrothed, but Hiccup was always so distant from that specific responsibility even she forgot about it sometimes. Now, Valka stood right before her; tall, slender, beautiful━it was like Yrsa was staring at another Hiccup in her soul and her mind, in her smile and the way her face lit up. He was so much like his mother, it startled her, because for all her life so far, all she's seen was Hiccup next to his father and the differences were plenty in stature. (Not so much personality, of course, they were just as stubborn as the other). 

     She realised she wanted to be proper, and good, and make Valka like her. While there was a part of her that wanted to bring up the fact she had abandoned Hiccup for twenty years, since Hiccup seemed to have forgiven that truth over his surprise (and happiness), Yrsa didn't. She suspected it wasn't her place, and if Hiccup was going to forgive his mother, then Yrsa was going to be nice. And it was easy when Valka gushed at her beauty and made her laugh from the questions she asked her son. And the way he was smiling at Yrsa━gods, of course, she saw, and it made her blush even more. 

      Valka decided to turn back to Toothless, and Yrsa glanced back over at Hiccup, walking to him━she wanted to be by his side, to be there for him, but to also just give him this moment. He hasn't met his mother; he couldn't remember her━all he heard was stories and here she was, alive, and just like him. 

      But he appreciated it. He took her hand and held it tight, keeping her with him at his side like they've always been━ever since they found Toothless. 

      "How did you manage to find him?" Valka was murmuring, back to petting and pampering Toothless who was by far happy to receive it. Yrsa smiled at her friend and Helrose who just wanted attention, too, dipping her head under and purring. Their dragons have latched onto Valka very quickly, and in Yrsa's experience, that was always a good sign.

       But that sentence; that question, it sent Hiccup into a flurry of nerves. He gripped Yrsa's hand tighter as he looked away, fiddling with one of his braids. He probably thought as soon as his mother heard the story, she'd be horrified. Yrsa squeezed his palm encouragingly. 

      Hiccup took a deep breath and muttered, "Yrs and I found him in the woods," he began. "He━he was shot down━" he began his gestures, subtle and weak━as he always did when he was anxious, "━and wounded..."

      Valka's face fell. She turned around, and her brows furrowed into a furious anger. Hiccup couldn't meet that gaze. Yrsa pursed her lips, feeling a bout of shame herself━she had gone to the woods in the first place to kill Toothless ... 

       With a sigh, Valka left Toothless and wandered over to a bright blue-scaled dragon with gorgeous burnt-orange spots. "This Snafflefang lost his leg━" she brushed his snout and gestured to a lumped limb near his tail, "━to one of Drago Bludvist's iron traps. This Raincutter━" she extended her fingers up to one of the taller dragons "━had her wing sliced by a razor netting. And this━oh━this poor Hobblegrunt..." Valka turned to a hestiant, shuffling dragon, gently holding out her hands for the dragon to sniff, for his eyes were albeit a milky, distant white. As soon as he recognised her, he brushed against her palm, scales turning a happy yellow, "was blinded by a tree snare and then left to die alone and scared."

      Hiccup let go of Yrsa's hand, twidling his fingers as he wandered up to Toothless. She watched him, heart in her throat. Helrose settled behind her and she naturally reached up to graze her chin. "And what of this?" asked Valka, using her staff to hoist up the red fabric of Toothless's tail. "Did Drago or his trappers do this, too?"

      "Oh..." Hiccup's nervous chuckles started. Toothless peered at the two of them, eyes wide. "Heh━yeah ..." He swung his arms, awkwardly rolling backwards and forwards on his feet. "Well, crazy thing is ... I'm actually the one who shot him down." Toothless nudged him, sensing his nerves. Yrsa gazed at Valka, anxious of her reaction. Hiccup's mother frowned, more intruiged than angry. There was a relief Yrsa felt in her shoulders. "Hey, it's━it's okay, though!" Hiccup quickly added, giving Toothless a great, big and loving scratch. "He got me back! Right, bud? You couldn't save all of me, could you? You just had to make it even, so━" Hiccup swung out his left foot and gestured wildly with a grin, "━peg leg!"

      Yrsa chuckled, light-hearted as Toothless hoisted Hiccup over his head and onto his neck. His rider laughed, hugging him and scratching him with a gorgeous smile upon his face. Toothless glanced at her, tongue hanging out and she scrunched her nose at him. She then turned and hugged Helrose's neck, giving her the attention she's been demanding. 

      But Valka was still frowning. "Erm ... what did your father think of your Night Fury friend?"

      Hiccup faltered. "Oh, he━he didn't take it all that well." Valka hummed shortly, in agreemet. "But then, he changed━" she glanced up, shocked at these words. Yrsa nodded helpfully. "They all did. Pretty soon, everyone back home had dragons of their own."

      Valka scoffed lightly, "If only it were possible."

      "No, really."

      "Believe me," she sighed, "I tired, as well, but people are not capable of change, Hiccup. Some of us ... were just born different." She glanced at her Stormcutter. Hiccup frowned, slipping off Toothless. Valka met his gaze, and hung her head. 

      Then, she told them her story. "Berk was a land of kill or be killed, but I believed peace was possible." Valka made a face, bouncing her brows. "It was a very unpopular opinion. Then, one night, a dragon broke into our house━" she glanced up at Hiccup, solemn, "━finding you in the cradle. I rushed to protect you! But ..." there was suddenly a breath of a smile on her face. She returned her eyes to her beloved dragon, "what I saw was proof of everything I believed. This wasn't a vicious beast, but an intelligent, gentle creature, whose soul reflected my own."

      Those words struck Yrsa. She glanced back at Helrose and into her dark pools; mischevious, elegant, kind and loving ... it took her back to the day Yrsa first did look into her eyes, and found a similarity she couldn't explain. And in Toothless, too━his fear, his defeat; he had been ready to die that day with Yrsa and Hiccup hovering over him ... just as scared as they were. 

      Valka went back to hanging her head, her posture slumped as she hugged her stomach. Yrsa thought she might cry, shuffling towards Hiccup with a shameful murmur, "You and your father nearly died that night. All because I couldn't kill a dragon."

      Hiccup pursed his lips and walked up to her, stopping just in front. He managed a stiff, sad smile, "Eh ... runs in the family."

      "It broke my heart to stay away, but I believed you'd be safer if I did."

      "How did you survive?" Hiccup's words were breathless.

      "Oh, Cloudjumper never meant to harm me," said Valka, starting to walk towards the cliff's edge. Hiccup followed her and Yrsa shuffed on behind, fingers settled against Helrose's scales. "He must have thought I belonged here, in the home of the great Bewilderbeast."

       Reaching the edge, Yrsa couldn't keep in her gasp. How had she not seen before━?

      In the deep waters at the bottom of the hollowed mountain, nestled a gigantic, snow-white dragon. A sea dragon━by far exceeding the size of any Yrsa has seen before. Ten times as large as the largest blue whale. Glistening with scales that shimmered like the ice around it, with mighty tusks and a coral of jetted spikes from his crown. His eyes were small, and his mouth flat━he reminded Yrsa of an old and wise man, one that has seen the years and could predict many more. Graceful, silent, seemingly gentle━but Yrsa knew that this was the dragon that had destroyed Eret's fort. 

      Valka smiled at Yrsa's reaction and she looped an arm back, guiding her up and to her side. "The alpha species," she stated. "One of the very few that still exist. Every nest has its queen, but this is the king of all dragons. With his icy breath," she pointed her staff upwards to the icy geysers and caves, "this graceful giant built our nest, a safe haven for dragons everywhere."

      "Wait," Hiccup's voice was hoarse, like he had trouble finding it in his awe, "that's the ice-spitter? He's responsible for all that destruction?"

       Valka started to lead them down to the ledge below, walking amongst ferns and moss-covered rocks. "He protects us. We all live under his care, and his command."

      Passing a group of baby Scuttleclaws, Helrose and Toothless were separated from their riders immediately as the little dragons raced over to play. Seeing, Valka let out a joyful laugh, "All but the babes, of course." Cloudjumper proudly walked behind, peering at Hiccup and Yrsa's dragons with a tilt of his owl-like head. When the babies overwhelmed them too much, he leaned down and scared them off with a quick roar. They swooped past and Hiccup had to duck. "Who listen to no one."

      They darted towards the mighty Bewilderbeast, settling on his large tusks, his spiked crown and stubbed chin. He watched them with his green eyes before huffing them away with a small gust of icy wind. The entire mountain shook and the waters gushed as he moved, standing up and towards the group of them by the ledge. Yrsa froze up, if not a little terrified to see such a gigantic creature move. He turned his long tusked head to stare at them and Valka lowered herself to her knees, bowing her head. 

      Yrsa and Hiccup were tiny in comparison━ants to the foot of a giant, staring right into those hypnotic eyes that seemed to just make her a little dizzy in the head and wobbly at the knees. The dragon continued to rise until he was inches from them, and Yrsa felt the ice from his breath chill through her furs and into her boots━as if searching, determining whether she was welcome. A king in his palace━no, his entire kingdom. 

      "I have lived among them for twenty years," continued Valka, slowly standing back up, "discovering their secrets."

      The Great Bewilderbeast narrowed his eyes and then, puffed out a breath of smoke. It turned into snow, brushing forth out to Yrsa and Hiccup, covering their faces and their hair. Yrsa hunched up, hearing Valka chuckle. "He likes you," she said.

      That's good, thought Yrsa as she opened her eyes and shook the snow from her brows and fringe. I don't want to be froken in one of those ice-spikes anytime soon. She turned to Hiccup to see how he ended up and couldn't help but let loose a laugh to see his freckled cheeks, thick brows and hair completely covered in snow. 

      He narrowed his eyes at her and shook the snow off like a wet dog onto her. She gasped, smacking him as she brushed off all that snow again. Looking back over at the Bewilderbeast, she smiled, grateful that he trusted them. She bowed her head respecfully. 

      Valka chuckled at them. "You must be hungry," she then said.

      Yrsa didn't even realise until now; and her stomach gave a soft grumble in reply. She flushed. Hiccup nodded, "Uh ... yeah, I could eat."

     "Good," smiled his mother. Then, she grabbed their hands and pulled them along. "It's feeding time."

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟

      SHE WAS confused as to why they were out here in the cold, hovering high above the ocean with the flock of dragons━every single one; thousands━flying out behind them. But there was also a flutter to Yrsa's stomach. She clung onto her saddle, almost standing in her eagerness to try and see below to what Valka had them stop in front. Seashockers swam in circles, churning the waters to what hid beneath. She grinned, glancing at Hiccup with flushed cheeks from the cold, her braids cascading behind her in the wind. He was confused, brows furrowed but the smile on his face was filled with bright amusement at the way she gracefully perched on her saddle, crouched to try and see. 

      With the wind in her hair, her furs, her clothes and stinging at her eyes, Yrsa knew there was no better feeling than to fly a dragon. Giving her her own wings in the flutter of her heart and the want to cheer out to the heavens with joy. She looked over at Valka standing on Cloudjumper's bare back, rooted with no troubles. She wanted to do that━she wanted to learn how to ride a dragon like that. 

      She's stood on Helrose's back multiple times as she's flown in racing to catch sheep and snag them from her friends, but the way Valka moved━so strong and graceful like she was a dragon herself, Yrsa was begging to do it as well. She wanted to learn everything. She wanted to know Hiccup's mother like a future daughter-in-law should. 

     "Hey, I━I thought we were going to eat?" Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at the flock of dragons starting to surround them, above and below.

     "Oh!" chuckled Valka, swinging her staff to point down below at the churning waters. "We are!"

      Then from the waters, burst out the Bewilderbeast. Yrsa gaped, delighted in her shock and awe as water sprayed in showers of small waves over them, dampening her cheeks and her clothes. She swept her legs around and back properly on Helrose's saddle as she bounced in her excitement. The Bewilderbeast opened his maw wide, and amongst his gums and his winding throat and rows of shredded teeth, were schools and schools of fish. 

       And with a bellow, he sprayed them all loose.

      Fish flew up in all directions, still alive and wriggling. Yrsa ducked down low, watching dragons swoop in and snatch up whatever they desired. Valka held her stomach in her laughter at the looks on Yrsa and Hiccup's faces. Helrose dipped her head, a vibrating purr in the back of her throat desperate to grab some of her own. 

     "Go on, girl!" laughed Yrsa and she cheered as they dived down. She clung on tight, almost flat against her saddle at Helrose's speed. She dipped, she spun━she grabbed as many fish as she could muster in her mouth, looking back to see whether Toothless had followed. The Night Fury was like a child on Snoggletog, gobbling up wolffish here and there and everywhere. Yrsa locked gazes with Hiccup, and she's never seen him smile so much. It made her smile until her cheeks hurt, heart warm and light for the glint in his jade eyes━a burst of happiness locked away for so long. 

     After lunch, they were out again, soaring through the clouds and glaciers; they settled down on a snow bank near the island and Hiccup brought out his map. Yrsa played with Helrose, Toothless and Cloudjumper as he explained all the places they've been. From inside to outside the Archipelago and all the stories with it. 

      She giggled to herself as she swiftly jumped away from Toothless and he spun back, grinning his gummy grin and hunching his back legs to try and catch her all over again. She just hooked her arms around Helrose's neck and together, they ran behind Cloudjumper, who watched this all with a twist of his head and a curious bellow in the back of his throat. Toothless landed in the snow and shook it all off, and Helrose laughed at his misfortune from the back of her throat. 

     Then, Cloudjumper decided to join in for a swift flick of his tail. Yrsa gasped as the snow bank behind her fell down on top of her and Helrose. The Stormcutter just went back to his proud stance, watching his rider and her son, pretending as if nothing had even happened. 

      Yrsa and Helrose spent the next good ten minutes fixing themselves and getting the snow out of their hair and scales━very similar in their huffed posture and grumbling sounds. She looked over to rejoin the conversation and her eyes widened to see Valka on foot, rushing around the snow. With her staff, she drew out an abundance of islands, glaciers, sea stacks━everything in this area of the world Hiccup hasn't yet explored. 

      Until Toothless wanted to draw as well. He snagged some ice from the outer-edges of the sanctuary and brought it across Valka's drawing, spinning and swiping and jumping. Hiccup's face fell, exasperated but he smiled soon enough at the chuckles his mother and Yrsa made when Toothless stopped and the ice hung down off his tongue, stuck. 

      He shook it and turned to Yrsa for an explanation. She just laughed. 

      Valka smiled at her and rushed over. Snagging her hand again, she said, "Come on," and they were up in the air again. 

     Taking to the wind geysers to the East set of islands from the mountain, Valka tried to teach Yrsa how to stand on a dragon as she did. With the wind keeping her aloft, Yrsa was light as a feather across Helrose's back. Arms out like she had wings of her own, hair now long out of her braids and just a mess of curls up into the air, Yrsa was giddy like a child. She almost slipped once or twice━or a hundred times, she's lost count━but she was having the time of her life. And Helrose was too. She was roaring with glee at the feel of the warm wind beating her wings up and tickling her underbelly. With the sun cascading down and reflecting off the snow and ice, Yrsa could see gorgeous glows of purple patterns she's never even noticed on Helrose before━like gemstones were embedded into her very scales. 

      "I'm doing it!" announced Yrsa happily, arms flung out and feet spread along Helrose's back, rooted in-between her razor-spiked spines. She looked over to Valka, grinning and Hiccup's mother nodded, eyes twinkling with amusement the same way her son's did. 

      Then the wind gusted stronger that time and Yrsa yelped. Her legs swung up and she quickly grapsed the front handles of Helrose's saddle, heart racing. But the fear disappeared just as soon, and she was back to laughing. 

      Knowing he was already watching her, Yrsa looked over and grinned at Hiccup. He had that smile on his face━her favourite smile. The smile that she rarely saw, but when she did, it made her happy, too. To see the person who helped her become who she was today; helped her realise herself, be comfortable in who she wanted to be, let herself gain friendships in people she used to push away and shun to protect herself━to be as happy as he was. She would do anything to see that smile every day. 

      With expertise, Valka danced her feet around Cloudjumper's back and prancing up along his wings. Sliding down them, she hooked her staff against the talon of a Deadly Nadder and down onto Helrose's back. Yrsa watched her, impressed and Hiccup's mother squeezed her shoulder in passing. Her dance continued along Helrose's long, slender black-purple wings before she leapt up. The wind kept her aloft as she reached over and ruffled Hiccup's hair. He chuckled, leaning over to see where she'd go next. Valka smiled and just dropped off the edge of Toothless's wing. Under her, Cloudjumper returned, and they resurfaced as one. Valka crouched down a little as she led the way further up into the clouds. 

      Yrsa took a deep breath, eyes closed as she felt the icy wind fill her lungs. 

     Valka sighed, leaning back with a small smile, "Oh, when I'm up here, I don't even feel the cold! I just feel━"

     "Free," Hiccup finished. 

      Yrsa's heart warmed through the winter cold to see the way he and his mother smiled. 

      Valka threw her arms out, laughing into the wind, "This is what it is to be a dragon!"

      Hiccup grinned. Yrsa recognised that look. Oh, gods.

     "It's all well and good to call yourself a dragon━" he reached down and locked Toothless's tail in and unhooked himself from his saddle. He stood up onto his feet, Yrsa's shoulders fell, knowing full too well what was happening, "━but can you fly?"

     And with that said, he leapt off down into the clouds. 

     Valka gasped with horror, peering down only to falter. Yrsa and Helrose both had a very blank look upon their faces, completely over Hiccup throwing himself into deadly situations like this with this damned flight-suit.

      Hooking in his wings, he shot back up and Toothless turned to Cloudjumper, smug at the suprised look upon the Stormcutter's face.

      Yrsa's eyes widened. "Toothless!" she scolded in a rushed whisper.

      He looked at her, then he realised. His face dropped and he quickly proppelled himself down into a dive to catch up with his rider. Hiccup's cheers echoed up, calling in the wind. Yrsa guided Helrose down with Valka, seeing him turn on his back to try and catch his mother's response. 

      When he didn't see her, he frowned.

      But she soon appeared beside him and Hiccup grinned.

      However, it was short-lived as Yrsa saw what they were heading straight into. "Uh━Hiccup?" he didn't hear her. "Hiccup!"

      He spun back down and his eyes widened. He was hurtling straight towards a snow-packed sea-stack. "Oh, gods━oh, gods━TOOTHLESS!"

      The Night Fury shrieked and flapped his wings. With a final fold, he shot to his rider and wrapped him up to his belly. Together, they broke through the snow onto the other side. 

     Helrose grumbled at the sight. Yrsa patted her neck. "Yeah, I know, girl━me too."

     Swooping around, they quickly caught up. Landing on the snow, Yrsa unhooked herself and jumped off her saddle, rushing forward to check whether Hiccup and Toothless were okay. 

      Toothless bellowed a groan, shaking the snow from his eyes. He lifted his wing to check under and he and Yrsa both shot up, startled to see Hiccup not underneath there. Her heart dropped, spinning on her boots to try and see where he could be━oh gods━

      A body exploded through the snow beside her. Yrsa yelped and fell back onto her bottom. She glowered as Hiccup threw his arms up, grinning. "Ha━ha!" He climbed out of the snow in his victory. Toothless and Yrsa both went flat in their faces. Helrose ignored them all, checking under her wings for any snow to clean off. "Yeah!" He jumped up, ignorant to their looks. "Man, almost!" he turned to Toothless who sneezed snow from his nose. "We just about had it that time."

      At those words, Yrsa got to her feet and socked him across the shoulder. "Ow!" he cried but had little time to respond for Toothless got his own pay-back, swiping his tail underneath and sending Hiccup's back into the snow. 

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟

     a/n: reasons to live no. 1: yrsa playing chasies with toothless and helrose around cloudjumper

     sorry if there are any mistakes!! i hope you guys liked this chapter!!! i'll see you guys soon in the next <3333