Cloud's Journey: Home

The Mind Reader

I became conscious that I was awake, but I didn't open my eyes. My body was stiff and cold, like a corpse. Maybe I had died. Egil had killed me during the night.

Light came through a thin crack between my eyelids. Ok it was morning, and I was still breathing. But where was I?

Stiff as stone, I pushed myself to my knees. My eyes wouldn't open properly as I leaned forward and saw the drop off only a few feet away.

Oh yeah. I'm here. I thought, sitting back. I stretched, each muscle popping as they broke from their coils. Loosened, I slumped against the cliff side, a tear sliding down my cheek.

I'm back to the beginning. Is this how my life is to plan out? I don't think I can stand it.

The stress came to choke me, stiffening my body again. My breathing felt pinched. My thoughts were chased away so that I stared straight ahead, not blinking, not moving.

A shadow whisked over me, snapping me out of my daze. My eyes shot up and my heart flipped.

Please don't be them, please--.

My mouth dropped open. It was a lone dragon. It had purple scales and was leaning over a cliff shelf above me.

This was one of those dragons on the icebergs, the one I couldn't take my eyes from.

It croaked, and flapped down in front of me.

My heart strings drooped again. "Don't you try to kill me too." I sighed.

The dragon tilted its head, then lowered it. Some of the scales on its body changed to blue.

"Um, I'm fine." I told it. I checked it over. It was a she.

A coo rumbled in her long throat. She picked up a rock and tossed it in the air. Gravity carried the rock back down and bounced it off her snout.

I covered my mouth with my hand and sniffed.

The dragon changed to green before she reached down and nibbled at my sea shell-laced leggings. She sniffed from my legs to my face and blew out a puff of smoke.

"Hey, quit it!" I pushed her back, trying not to laugh.

She bounced in place and turned yellow.

"Woah," The corner of my mouth lifted.

She seemed to smile, like a dolphin seems to. She shook her yellow head and stepped closer. I finally let the smile soften my face. The dragon lowered her head so we were eye to eye and then nuzzled me, knocking me to the side.

"Hey!" I laughed, grabbing her head. A jolt went through me. I stared into the kind, amber eyes.

'...the dragon will choose you...' Hiccup's words played in my mind. 'You'll know when you've found the right one.'

My heart started to spin until I thought I could fly with my own arms to the stars! I squealed, but the energy still fizzed inside me.

My dragon cocked her head and a light shade of purple tinged her yellow scales. Yes, she was MY dragon. I had my dragon now!

"I have a dragon now!" I cheered out loud. My new friend backed away.

"No!" I reached out to her. "Please don't go."

Don't fly away like the rest of them.

Purple and green settled over her scales as she came back to me. I stood up. She didn't move. I hugged her.

"Thank you." I whispered. She purred.

When I let go, she lowered her head and smiled up at me. My eyes roamed from her shoulder to her back.

No. It's too soon.

But my hands and feet itched.

"Do... do you mind if I ride you?" I asked.

She tilted her head.

"I might be crazy but," I stepped up to her shoulder, reaching under to scratch her chest. She cooed and her spine shivered. In one move, I swept my leg up over her back.

She squawked and spun in a circle. I scratched her neck and shoulders until she calmed down.

Yes! I nudged her sides. "Let's fly!"

She looked at me, then spread her wings. I bumped around a bit when she started trotting toward the edge of the shelf. My heart sky-rocketed as she jumped off the edge and flapped her wings, carrying us higher and higher into the sky.

My breath was snatched away. The view below became more beautiful. On top of the cliff I had slept on was a clear, shining pond of water. Around me were wispy clouds. This was what I'd been waiting for forever.

"WOOOOHOOO!!!" I threw my hands in the air and let the wind bathe me. This was where I belonged.

The fizz drained out and I lay down across my new friend's shoulders to relax.

"Oh thank you, thank you." I breathed. My dragon smiled at me.

Wait until Hiccup sees this. I smiled.

Then my smile disappeared. He would never know. Egil was out to kill me, and if I even went near Hiccup, Egil might get scared and kill him too.

My dragon cooed. I looked down. She was blue and purple again, her eyes asking me why I was sad.

"I'm fine." I told her, forcing a smile. "I'm alive, and I have the best mood dragon in the world."

The tips of her crest changed to yellow, but it didn't spread. She turned to scan the view beneath us, the began to descend.

"Where are we going?" I asked, holding her neck as we flew lower.

She flew back to the cliff where we'd met and landed on the very top by the pond. It was a lot bigger than I thought, more like a lake than a pond. I dismounted and drank. Woah. The waters were colder and fresher than any water I had ever tasted.

My new dragon flew off over the lake. She hovered in one spot, waited, and then her claws slashed the water. She flew back to me with two fish in her talons.

My belly growled as she set them in front of me. "You really are a mind reader," I smiled. "You knew I was hungry before I did."

She made a chuckling sound and toasted the fish with a light flame. While I ate, she watched me.

"Thanks." I said, throwing the last skeleton away. She nuzzled me and a warmness spread through me. "I love you."