A girl's worth

Chapter 2

  At first glance, Thyra Osbern seems like an average viking girl, if not for her love for dragons. The idea of training dragons instead of fighting them is something many vikings have embraced by now, but, unlike them, she has an extra reason to love the reptilians. She can actually communicate with them.

Well, honestly ... it's not really that straightforward. After all, dragons don't communicate like humans do. Instead of words, dragons use body language and feelings to get their thoughts across. So actually, it's more accurate to say that Thyra can intercept those feelings and put them into words.

It's not a very common gift, some might even call it a curse but Thyra has never seen it that way. To her, it's always meant that she's meant to help the dragon community merge with the vikings. To gain mutual understanding.

For years, she'd been alone in that way of thinking. That is, until she met Hiccup, son of the chief of the Hooligan tribe, an average-sized tribe in the middle of the archipelago on a small island called Berk. From the first time she met him, she knew he was different. That belief was proven correct when he found his dragon Toothless, the Night Fury. It's one of the rarest dragon species, earning its name from the fact that it has a black skin tone and almost only attacks at night.

As Berk began to open up to the idea of living together with dragons, she started teaching vikings to work alongside the dragons which resulted in her earning a special place on the island as 'dragon whisperer'.

Even though they offered her a permanent home on the island, she decided to stay on Dragon Island where she takes care of ill and vulnerable dragons. Dragons she rescues with the help of Hiccup and his friends. She truly has a lot to thank the Berkians for. These Hooligans have truly become like family to her even though she knows that they can never know the complete truth about her.

She closes her eyes, only allowing herself to think about the wind that blows through her hair as they're flying through the air, Gaoth's blue skin blending in perfectly with the blue sky. In no time at all, they arrive at Berk, circling around the main settlement to end up in the woods on the other side of the island. "Our past is behind us, Gaoth. They don't need to know the truth because it doesn't matter anymore," she mutters softly. For some time now, her thoughts have gone back to her family once upon a long time ago. Every time, a feeling of longing and sorrow fall over her but she knows that she can never go back, that she's better off now.

Gaoth lets out a low rumbling in her throat, wanting to lighten her rider's mood as she can feel the girl starting to get down. Just to prove her point, she performs a few tricks, earning a chuckle from Thyra. "You're right. It's no use living in the past while we can have so much fun here in the present."

As they reach the edge of a cliff, they can already see a group of people and dragons there, busy setting down food and drinks. "Hey, guys!" Thyra calls out as she jumps off of Gaoth's back as soon as they've landed. "I heard something about a picnic happening."

Six heads turn in their directions, greetings being thrown at them.

"Glad you could make it," Astrid says, moving over to hug Thyra. She's Hiccup's (un)official girlfriend and the rider of Stormfly, a Deadly Nadder. This type of dragon moves on two legs with spines all over its body. Even though they look very dangerous, they can be big sweethearts.

"You heard right. Come on," the blonde girl says, leading Thyra over to the others, Gaoth following not too far behind. They sit down with the others, enjoying sandwiches and tea while the dragons snack on fish and play together.

Suddenly, Gaoth stops moving, standing still while she seems to listen to something. "What's wrong, girl?" Thyra asks, immediately noticing her dragon's strange behavior. She takes a moment to assess what the dragon is feeling though what she finds sends waves of terror washing over her.

"What is it?" Hiccup asks, the whole group falling silent as they watch the dragon and rider.

"Dragon hunters," Thyra says, rushing over to the Windslicer and climbing on. "They're heavily armed and surrounding the island. Hiccup, you and Fishlegs should fly to your father, warn him that we're about to be attacked. Meanwhile, we need to move all wild dragons, make them flee at least for a little while. Snotlout, you and the twins should take the east side of the island. Astrid, you and I will take the west side."

Already, all riders are on their dragons, nodding as they hear the plan. As soon as she's done talking, they take off, the picnic forgotten completely.