Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 3 - Mysterious Discoveries

Things were definitely looking up.

A couple days later, I was knee deep in the lake, giving Hiccup a bath. Cloudjumper was sitting close by, ever the watchful guardian. None of the other dragons had gotten near us yet. I wasn't sure if it was Cloudjumper that kept them away, or if they'd just accepted us as part of the flock. Either way, I was getting more and more comfortable letting Hiccup out of reach. He couldn't really crawl yet, but he did manage to scoot around. I often found him trying to make his way towards the dark tunnel that leads out of our cavern and deeper into the mountain. I've also noticed how attentive he is to the dragons. He's not afraid of them at all. I'm pretty sure he loves Cloudjumper more than me, and Cloud definitely has a strong fondness for my son.

When I finished scrubbing the dirt off Hiccup, I lifted him out of the water, blowing raspberries on his stomach. He giggled and squirmed, enjoying the attention. I wrapped him in a thin layer of fur and trudged out of the water. As soon as I made it to shore, I felt the ground beneath my feet quake. My eyes widened in a panic and I ran to Cloudjumper, who had become my source of comfort and safety in the short time I'd known him. He didn't look alarmed in the slightest. Instead, he gazed out towards the water, then bowed.

"What are you...?" The words died in my throat as a giant dragon rose out of the lake, sending a ripple of waves out in every direction. I gasped, clinging to Cloudjumper as a dragon I'd thought was a myth stared down at me. Its eyes seemed to penetrate through to my soul, and I couldn't look away. I should've known...a nest this size? Of course there's an Alpha. A Bewilderbeast! A magnificent Tidal Class dragon, a legend. He didn't look angry. Actually, there was a certain mirthfulness to his expression. I gulped, unsure whether to speak or not. Or maybe I should bow like Cloudjumper? The Alpha brought his head down closer to the surface, then blew out a soft breath that instantly showered me in a frosty powder. I laughed, shaking out my hair. Hiccup sneezed, then gave me a gummy smile.

"Hello to you, too...Alpha," I greeted, grinning up at him. It all made sense now, and I felt stupid for not having figured it out before. I'd read about Bewilderbeasts long ago in a dusty old journal I'd found in the library. Many vikings on Berk regarded me as the odd, book-smart woman who spent too much time reading about dragons and not enough time killing them. Whenever there was a raid, I would hide away in the Great Hall, studying all the different species in hopes that I would find an answer to all our problems. I didn't find a solution, but I did expand my dragon knowledge. The journal I'd found had plenty of information about Bewilderbeasts—how anyone managed to get the information is beyond me. It depicted a creature the size of a mountain with spiky frills all along its body. It spits ice instead of fire, and it can control other dragons.

I hadn't believed a word when I'd read it, but now...seeing it standing right in front of me...My eyes drifted to where the dragons were circling overhead. Did the Alpha control them? It didn't seem like it. Cloudjumper had bowed out of respect, but he still had his own wits about him, his own personality. And the Alpha himself was imposing, yet somehow I didn't feel threatened. If anything, I felt even safer than I had five minutes ago. There was no way anything on the outside could get past him.

The giant settled down to rest in the water, his movements causing the earth to practically groan. Once he stilled, there was the familiar quiet that I'd already grown accustomed to, save for the sounds of dragons flying above. A small group of baby dragons flew over to the Alpha, landing on his face and chewing on his spiky tendrils. He watched them play without protest. It was clear then that this dragon was a protector, not a destroyer. This was his nest, and he was loved and respected, not feared.

Cloudjumper nudged me, asking for scratches. I obliged, sending him an amazed smile. "I wish I'd known about this place before," I told him softly. "A true haven." Cloud purred in agreement.

Hiccup began to whimper a bit, letting me know it was his lunch time. "Who's a hungry boy?" I chuckled. I took my place on Cloudjumper's back, and he flew us back to our cavern entrance. Right as I slid onto the ground, Cloud stepped in front of me and let out a fierce growl, a sound I'd never heard coming from him. I instinctively shied away from him, shielding Hiccup, but I soon noticed that his growl was directed in front of us. My eyebrows furrowed and I peeked around his wing, trying to spot the threat.

It took me a minute, but eventually I was able to make out two glowing green eyes with slitted pupils. A shiver went down my spine and I took a step backwards, sucking in a sharp breath. What is that? Cloudjumper growled even louder, and suddenly the mysterious creature moved into the light to reveal a dragon that I didn't recognize from any book. It was dark as night, with a slender body and large, bat-like wings. Sharp teeth flashed as it snarled back even more aggressively than Cloud. It looked like the ultimate predator. And based on Cloudjumper's reaction, it was no friend to me or Hiccup.

My shoulders dropped in surprise when a much smaller copy of the black dragon appeared. Its posture was frightened—lowered ears and head—and the first dragon leaned down to nuzzle it briefly. I could recognize the situation better than anyone. This was just a mother protecting her baby. We'd gotten too close, and she'd reacted defensively.

I held up a hand slowly, ignoring Cloudjumper's warning growl. "It's okay," I told her in what I hoped was a soothing tone. "We won't hurt you or your hatchling. I promise. You don't have to be afraid," I said, inching closer. She eyed me warily, taking a step back for each one I took forward. The little hatchling between her legs moved in sync with her, its bright yellow eyes flicking between us.

As soon as her back foot hit a rock blocking her path, she screeched, grabbing her hatchling and launching into the air. I yelped and ducked down, protecting Hiccup as her claws just barely missed the top of my head. When I was sure she was gone, I spun around with wide eyes. I could see her fly into a cave far above us. I collapsed into a sitting position, checking to make sure Hiccup was alright. He grumbled irritably at being jostled around, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the sudden events. Cloud's eyes had followed the black dragon until she flew out of sight, but now he looked back at me and crooned sympathetically.

Are you okay? He seemed to ask, based on the wide pupils and tilted head.

I huffed, gesturing in the general direction of where the crazy, feral dragon had disappeared. "What kind of dragon was that?" I question him, knowing I would get no response. I scoured my memories for anything I might've seen in the Book of Dragons, or even one of the old journals, but nothing came to mind.

I sighed, standing to my feet. Of course, just when I'm starting to feel comfortable in a nest full of wild dragons, that one had to show up. Cloudjumper has such a calm, friendly disposition and even he became hostile in her presence. If I'd come across her when I was alone, I had no doubt that she would've killed me. I bit my lip as I rocked Hiccup gently. What was I supposed to do now?