Trygve's POV
"Arvid?" I asked as we walked through the forest. I hadn't been able to get Vera off of my mind in the past few days.
"Yes, brother?" he replied.
I stopped walking as I dragged my hand through my hair. "I'm sorry."
He paused to look at me. "You're going after her, aren't you?" he asked me gently, a hint of sadness entering his voice.
"I have to. I-" I couldn't finish the thought. How does one explain that they are going to betray their brother, family and tribe? How does one begin to explain the amount of change I had to make if I wanted Vera in my life? How does one tell their brother that they probably will never see each other again? "She's a-"
He cut me off. "I know." And just like that, he saved me from explaining.
I looked at him in surprise. "I'm going to..." I started.
He nodded again. "Take one from the arena. I'll cover for you," he said.
"We won't be able to see each other again, will we?" I asked him.
He smiled sadly. "You won't regret going after her. Trust me on that," he murmured as he enveloped me in a hug.
"I'm going to miss you," I told him as tears threatened to spill.
"I'll miss you, too," he stated. "Be careful."
"I will. I'll-"
He shook his head. "Don't, Trygve. Don't make promises that you won't be able to keep. Go," he told me. I spared one final glance at my brother before running to the arena.
The arena was circular with many cages lining its walls. I entered its walls cautiously. This would be the last time I laid eyes on this place. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath.
"I need your help," I said to the dragons held within the cages. The silence that followed my request was deafening.
"Why should we help you, Scaleless?" a dragon demanded. I let out a shaky breath. I had just understood a dragon.
"You shouldn't," I replied. Another long silence filled the air.
"Who are you, Scaleless?" the same voice demanded.
"Trygve. Trygve Stormfall," my voice quavered as I spoke.
A laugh rose from the cage. "I remember you," she stated. "You're the one that brought Vera Haddock here," the dragon said.
"I am. I'm trying to find her again," I started slowly.
"Why would a dragon hunter seek out the niece of the King if not to kill her?" they demanded.
Feeling bold, I walked towards the cage. "Because I love her." Silence fell again.
"The dragon hunter loves a dragon. A likely story," she snapped.
"I know what she is. And I love her anyway. That's why I came to you," I replied, my chin held high.
The dragon hummed in consideration. "And what would I get in return for helping you?"
"Freedom. You bring me to Vera Haddock, and I'll let you all out of the cages," I told the dragons.
"And how do you know that once you let us out, we won't kill you?"
"I don't. But the fact that I'm even having this conversation with you proves that you're interested," I remarked.
"Maybe I am. Your offer is certainly tempting. Plus, if you wish Vera harm, she could easily kill you," they muttered dryly.
I smiled. "One of the reasons that I love her," I replied brightly.
"Alright, Trygve." My heart leaped into my throat. "You have a deal. You free us, and I'll bring you to Vera Haddock," they stated. I gulped as I nodded.
I cautiously opened the levers holding the cages shut. A golden-brown Deadly Nadder stepped out of the first one. The Nadder had many scars covering its scales. They tentatively shook out their wings.
"It's good to be free," they said. "I suppose if we're to spend the next days together, I should tell you my name. My name is Ylva," she said.
Many dragons were taking wing as we stood there eyeing each other warily. Eventually, she caved.
"Get on, I must finish my part of the bargain," she sighed. I let out a breath of relief as I climbed onto her back. The thick brown scales were warm as I sat on her shoulders. She stood there for a good while, stretching her wings and turning her head. "This is strange," she muttered to herself. I had to agree with her assessment of the situation. "It has been a long while since a Stormwing sat on a dragon's back," she told me.
"What do you mean?" I asked her.
"Where do you think your name comes from? The Stormfalls used to be called Stormwings," she stated. "They were great allies... Until we fell out..."
"I never knew that," I remarked as she took off.
-----
We'd been flying for weeks. Ylva and I had become more comfortable in each other's presence during our time together.
A stick snapped just outside of our camp. I immediately drew my sword as I stood protectively in front of Ylva. I peered into the trees, spotting a shadow moving amongst the branches. I let out a small breath of relief when I saw that it was another dragon. I laid down my sword as I sat down.
"Hey," I said in acknowledgement to the gronckle.
The gronckle looked at me in shock. "What do you want, Scaleless?" it demanded.
"Geez! I just said 'hey'! No need to be aggressive," I said defensively.
Another look of shock. "What kind of scaleless are you?" they asked.
It was my turn to look shocked. The gronckle had a point. I had been relieved to see a dragon instead of a human. I'd spent the last weeks travelling with a dragon, to find a dragon. I was in love with a dragon. I left my tribe and family behind to chase after said dragon. I had set a whole flock of dragons free, relying on their gratitude to keep me alive.
In all honesty, I had stopped being a Stormfall a long time ago. I could no longer pride myself on that name, not now that I knew the truth behind it. Maybe it was time to crash and burn the new family tradition and replace it with a legacy to be remembered. A legacy that we should've been living all these years.
So when I looked back up at the gronckle and Ylva, who were watching me curiously, I said, "Trygve. I'm Trygve Stormwing."
A/N
3 chapters left plus the epilogues. It's too soon! :(
Dreamchaser and Arvid are 27.
Solfrid is 25.
Falcon and Trygve are 24.
Delta's children are 23.
Osmund is 22.
Zephyr and Twilight are 20.
Nuffink is 18.
Aurora is 4.
Blackmoon and Cloudscale are dead.
YOU ARE READING
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