━━ 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀
❝ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ
valkyrie frode was a girl
where they went? 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 ❞
in which a young woman
has become one of the best
dragon riders there is...
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chapter twenty-seven new, new tail
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EVERYONE SETup camp for the night. Canvas and sheep-skin tents of too many bright colours covered the plain in the centre of the island everyone had started to call New Berk. New Berk, as if Old Berk didn't matter anymore. The land of their ancestors had become nothing more than something in the back of their mind as they slumbered in their shelters on this new land after they had been forced to run away. It didn't settle right in Hott's skin, but he didn't say anything.
He was one of the last to set up camp. It was strange, since he started before everyone else. Maybe he was holding onto hope that this wasn't permanent━that maybe they'll find their way back to Berk. But just because it was wishful thinking, didn't make it true. Spikemoth had long gone to sleep, curled up by the fire he had made for the two of them a little way aways from the streets of campsites and tents. It made Hott feel like he was staying out at night on an island back when he was younger, exploring with just him, his dragon, and his friends. It was calming. Made him feel like he was still surrounded by simpler times. Less responsibility, less realisation━he was a teenager with dreams far too big for him to carry, and an ego to match, trying his best to be the best Viking his father could want. Trying to be the best at everything.
Hott hadn't even gone inside once he finished setting up. He sat outside, watching the fire die down to embers with a charcoal pencil scratching against parchment as he drew the view of the cliffs in the distance. He could hear the waterfalls even this far away━and it was beautiful, the sound ... it was peaceful with everyone else asleep.
He licked his thumb and smudged the mist of the water hitting the pools on the ledges. He wiped the charcoal excess on his pants.
He tried to imagine this place with wooden buildings, an arena, cobblestone streets and wooden walkways leading down to the docks. Hott tried to imagine this place just like Berk, and he could never get close.
Grass crunched underfoot of a pair of boots. Hott glanced up, a little surprised to see Astrid. She sent him a tired smile━she looked weary, her blonde hair like grey moonlight rather than bright yellow. "Hey," she greeted softly, her voice cracking in the back of her throat, "can't sleep?"
"You're back early from scouting," he said instead, adding some finishing touches to his drawing. "How did it go?"
Astrid sat down beside him with a miserable sigh. Stormfly followed not long after, deciding to take rest at a respectful distance to Spikemoth━not too far, but also close enough that neither of their wings would get more dirty in the morning than necessary. Deadly Nadder's were funny like that. "There's nothing left."
