Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 2 - A Good Start

A/N: This is a short chapter, I'm aware. But I needed it to be written. Also, I didn't make this clear before, but this is NOT a one-shot story. It's more like an infinity-shot story :) A.K.A. I have so many ideas knocking around in this brain of mine that this story will probably never end.

Disclaimer: Do I want to own it? Yes. Do I actually own it? NO.

VALKA'S POV

After a lot of internal debate, I decided to give the Stormcutter a name. I wasn't sure about it at first. The last thing I wanted was to humanize a dragon that could still very well kill me. But so far it had been perfectly docile, and I had already gotten pretty sick of calling it 'dragon'. So...

"How do you feel about the name Cloudjumper?" I asked, glancing up to meet its golden eyes. It was curled up a few feet away, clearly exhausted from the long flight. We were still in the same spot as before, since I wasn't really sure where to go from here. The island had appeared to be uninhabited from what I could see on the way in, so there was no hope of a rescue. My only plan at the moment was to find a way to survive in this glorified ice cave.

The Stormcutter's nose flaps fluttered, and it warbled lightly.

"I'll take that to mean you like the name," I said with a shrug. "Oh, by the way, are you a male or female? I feel like it's an important distinction. Uh...blink twice if you're male," I told it, feeling kind of ridiculous. I would soon go crazy with these one-sided conversations. Cloudjumper blinked twice as instructed.

"Well, Cloudjumper, my name is Valka. This is my son, Hiccup," I introduced, leaning down to place a kiss on Hiccup's forehead. The blanket that had been wrapped around him had loosened, allowing him to bring his foot to his mouth as a chew toy. His eyes were wandering all over the place, taking in all the new sights and sounds. "You, my dear, are way too calm about this," I muttered sarcastically. He babbled in response, making me chuckle at his adorableness.

I stood to my feet, cradling him to my chest again, then shuffled over near the cliff edge. I made sure to keep my distance from Cloudjumper. His head turned all the way around, just like an owl's, so he could follow my movements. I ignored him, taking a closer look at my new environment.

It was beautiful, I had to admit. The crisp air was refreshing in here compared to the frigid temperature of outside. In fact, I was tempted to take off a layer of clothing. The nest had an almost tropical vibe to it. The squawks and roars of the dragons didn't strike fear into me as they sometimes did on Berk. It was just...peaceful.

My gaze fell to Hiccup, and shame suddenly filled my entire being. I shouldn't like anything about this place. It was my prison. I belonged back on Berk, with Stoick, with my people. Hiccup belonged with his father. He was just a baby! He couldn't survive out here. Not here...with these dragons. They were the enemy...right?

No, a firm voice whispered in my mind. No, they weren't the enemy. Vikings kill dragons, dragons kill vikings. It all just seemed so pointless. Cloudjumper might've taken me away from Berk, but he hasn't harmed a hair on my head, or Hiccup's. And all the dragons in this nest were just...living.

Berk was chaotic. Dangerous. Kill or be killed.

This place was calm. Serene. And perhaps even safe...

I ran a finger over Hiccup's cheek. Maybe Cloudjumper had taken us for a reason. Maybe there was a better future for Hiccup here. There would be no Dragon War, no tough expectations to live up to. Hiccup could be free.

I have to do what's best for my son, I thought fiercely, and I knew without a doubt I had made up my mind. I took in a deep breath, looking over my shoulder. Cloudjumper clambered to his feet, moving as close to me as he dared. "Promise me you did the right thing," I demanded, turning around to face him. "Promise me I'm supposed to be here." My tone became slightly desperate towards the end of my sentence, but I didn't care.