HALLI | How to Train Your Lira

The Feeling of Connection

The white bonnet slid casually off Lira's head, revealing short windswept hair. It had been caught in the woods a few days before the voyage and she had to cut her long strands off. The bonnet covered her short hair from the wandering eyes of other Burgess villagers. The long trip to Berk from the small colony was coming to an end and the large stone pillars that guarded the island could be seen through the fog. She didn't love the island, it was always cold and groggy. The only thing to keep her sane was the old friends that she'd known since her family had lived there when she was very young. This year dragons were a new addition but Hiccup, the Chief's son, had written to her explain how he, and a very special dragon, had changed the minds of every Viking on the island.

The ship pulled up to port. Lira tried to fix her salty, light brown hair, to no avail. Here she felt no need for the white bonnet and stuck it between a crate and the side of the hull. The first thing to see from the gangway was a cluster of Vikings and dragons standing and smiling, ready to meet the visitors. Jack smashed past Lira, who called out, "Slow down!"

He ignored her voice, as per usual and met up with the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, after greeting Hiccup. Lira walked much more calmly down the docks and towards the skinny Viking she hadn't seen in years. To her surprise (and his) he'd outgrown her over the time they'd spent apart. 

"Long time no see," He joked and made a gesture over her head to show his height difference.

"Still annoying I see." Lira hugged him. Stoick, the chief and Hiccup's dad, smiled at her. She smiled back from over Hiccup's shoulder and waved. Hiccup pulled apart and looked behind him. His father now busy talking to your parents and helping to carry some cases your family had brought.

"Where's this Toothless I've been hearing all about?"

"He should be around here somewhere..."

Hiccup called him a few times, no answers.

"That's actually really strange."

Lira looked around in hopes to catch a glimpse of what Hiccup's drawings had shown her.

"Well from the pictures you drew he looks amazing."

"He really is. And the- the bond we have is so strong. I've never felt anything like it before. It's really amazing."

"Okay, keep bragging. I feel like the only thing I'm connected to is my own feet."

He stopped and looked at her weird, "Barely."

She realized he was mocking her clumsy nature and smacked the back of his head lightly, "For real though, I'd give anything to make a real connection with anything."

Hiccup looked at her with a sad grin, "We'll find you a dragon."

"Yeah, I hope so."

Hiccup and Lira continued their walk around the town.

"Hiccup! Hiccup! Lira? Hi." Callum Houlegate came running towards them, a larger dragon, running on two legs, followed her with enthusiasm, she was tall and her dark hair was plaited into two braids, "Astrid, Stormfly, Fell, and I were flying by the far north islands and we found a Nadder. I don't think it can fly..."

"I can't find Toothless!" Hiccups said a little shocked at the fact.

Callum twisted her thick eyebrows, "I'll just fly up on Fell and look for him quick."

She disappeared over the tree line. Lira looked at Hiccup, "What kind of dragon is that?"

"Fell is a Hobblegrunt. He's usually that orange-yellow but the thing about Hobblegrunts is that they change color to show their mood or even to calm other dragons down."

Callum and Fell reappeared over the horizon, a black, cat-like dragon burst from the trees beneath them.  His scales shown brightly with a bit of hidden wonder locked into his green eyes, much like Hiccup's own eyes.

"Where were you bud?" Hiccup asked the vibrating dragon who was pushing his way up into his arms.

"Don't mind that, We need to go, it'll be dark soon," Callum called down from the back of her dragon still hovering in the air.

Hiccup pulled himself over Toothless' back, "Coming?" His hand reached out to help Lira up. She nodded and used his hand to help herself up onto the leather saddle. She was shaking a bit and gripped onto Hiccup. Obviously, she'd never flown before.

With a couple of pulsing strokes, the Nightfury's wings beat them into the open sky. Lira gasped and dug her head down into his back. She mumbled about not wanting to die but Hiccup chuckled and said, "Look out into the sky before you miss it."

Lira opened her eyes and looked down into red water, her chin lifted and she saw the colors of the sky painted in a red and orange sunset.

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before," Lira said staring out over the open water. Hiccup smiled, "There's nothing like it, complete freedom."

Lira rested her head on his shoulder, "amazing."

She loved the words he spoke, of freedom and connection. She wanted to be free of the conforms of the Burgess colony, and from her family's. The idea of being able to go anywhere she wanted and to explore something so unknown with something she felt a complete connection with, something that understood her, felt so surreal. Hiccup who had frozen with her head on his shoulder took a chance and rested his head on top of hers.

A small island appeared on the horizon, Callum slowed Fell down and spoke to Hiccup and Lira, "There it is. Astrid should be down there with it."

The dragons dropped into the island's brush. Astrid sat on the beach two similar looking dragons sat on either side of her. One a light blue scattered with yellow and white, and the other laying low, its wings spread open, a solid sky blue.

"He's so blue," Lira commented to herself as Hiccup and Callum greeted Astrid. She informed them that he was, in fact, a boy and that a small portion of his wing was ripped. Hiccup started pulling a large fishnet out of the bags attached to Toothless' saddle. The riders started to attach the net to their dragons. Lira walked over to the injured dragon and sat about five feet in front of its nose.  He looked at her with dark blue eyes, they were calm. She shifted closer to him, "Hiccup and the others will help you."

There was something in his eyes that reminded her of freedom, maybe it was those open skies that folded over his body and back into his eyes.

"You're so blue."

She scooted closer; his breath warmed her legs. Lira reached out slowly and brushed the tip of his nose with the back of her fingers. He stayed still for a moment then jerked suddenly to the left. His movement made her jump up and run back about twice as far as she was when they'd started. She kept her distance as they herded him onto the net to be carried back to Berk for medical attention, but she couldn't keep her eyes off him and he seemed to look back.

Hiccup stopped Lira before she could leave to go to her families hut that night, "Hey don't let me forget I have something to show you in the morning."

You nodded and he released your arm, "Oh, and Lira..." She turned to look at him, "I think you should name the new dragon, you seem to have a connection with him."

"Blue."

"Blue?"

"Yeah, I've named him Blue."

"Okay, Blue it is."

Lira smiled, "Goodnight Hiccup."

"Goodnight, Milady."

Lira turned and walked off towards her family's small hut.