HTLANF: How to Heal a Broken Heart

How to Heal a Broken Heart

Hey my li'l embers! I know I said the next book would be on The Hidden World, but I figured you guys would be curious about what happens after Kala bolted, so here it is! Hope you guys like it!

~~~HTLANF~~~

I have never been one to fear who I am. I have always been proud of the woman I have become and accepted that I am unique in more ways than one. Sure, there are the common fears I have like any dragon or Viking would. I fear losing the ones I love, eels, being abandoned, and failing to protect my home. But I never expected for a certain fear to join that list.

For the first time in the twenty winters I have roamed the lands and skies above, I feared...myself.

I feared that I would harm my family and friends without warning, with no recollection of even doing so to begin with. I feared that I would go feral and kill my entire tribe then flee to kill even more people without hesitation. I feared losing sight of who I am to bloodlust. And most of all, I feared that I betrayed my mate's trust.

But I know that I haven't. I know he doesn't blame me for our father's death. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice each time he told me. And yet, there is still that nagging feeling that will not leave me that makes me feel as though I have ruined the trust between us.

Which is why I ran.

~~~HTLANF~~~

Kala didn't turn back as she bolted from the hut, not once stopping in her frantic sprint to get somewhere secluded from the one place that has truly felt like home to her in the past twenty winters of her existence. She didn't pay attention to where she was running to, she just ran like Akatosh himself was chasing her down to punish her for her wrong doings.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed or how she ended up at the bottom of the cove, but none of that mattered to her as she hid underneath the large roots that grew into the cove from above and laid down to rest.

~~~HTLANF~~~

The following morning, Kala awoke to the calming sounds of the waterfall and the wildlife that resided within the surrounding forest. She released a breath as she stood, stretching out her body before making her way to the lake.

As she looked upon her reflection on the water's surface, she froze in fear as tears welled up in her green orbs. What stared back at her was a terrified dragon and that made it all the more painful to look at. Kala swatted the water before backing away and transforming into her human form. She took long, deep breaths to calm her nerves as well as to prevent a panic attack, running her fingers through her hair that had been let down the day before by her mate's comforting gestures.

After what felt like hours, she was finally calm enough to finally let herself assess the situation before her. She stood in nothing but her night tunic, not thinking to grab any other clothing in her haste to flee the night before. But there was no turning back now. Kala would just have to do without until she either was able to face her tribe once again or until Hiccup inevitably came to check on her.

She then looked about the cove and crossed her arms, biting her lip. It was glaringly obvious to her that she would need a proper shelter to keep her warm and protected from the elements during her self-isolation from the other Berkians. Especially since she refused to transform again from fear of losing control of her own body once again. So the only option would be to build a proper shelter from what she had access to within the forest.

Once she got a meal in, she began to gather materials to make tools to hunt and gather wood as well as other things that would come in handy. Kala was able to make a sharp axe out of a chunk of rock that was close to the lake and tied it to a thick enough stick that it would hold for a good long while. She then trekked out of the cove in search of wood and vines to begin the construction of what she hoped deep down would be a temporary home.