I could see it. Trodding through the grass, grazing like there's nothing wrong at all, like all's right with the world, like it wasn't about to become my lunch. Slowly, and quietly, I slipped an arrow from my quiver, notching the end to the strong. Taking a slow, deep breath, I pulled back on the string, causing a light straining noise to sound through the air. I'd hoped my prey wouldn't hear it, and thanked the Gods that it didn't stop grazing. I just about to let the arrow fly when…

"Raaaaaaaawr!" A familiar, loud, and rather high-pitched roar resounded through the entire forest, making the small deer I was hunting shoot it's head up. And as Nightshade landed in the small clearing, roaring at the deer, it ran off, no doubt terrified.

"Nightshade!" I yelled, incredibly frustrated as the young Skrill turned and looked at me, letting out some laughter. So she thinks that was funny? "What was that for?!" I demanded. "That was gonna be my dinner!" I whined, jumping down from the hunting blind I'd been hiding in. Nightshade let out a confused rumble and pointed to the ocean with her snout. "Listen, you might be ok with nothing but fish and mutton to eat, but I'm not." I told her with a sigh.

"Rrrr?" She gave a questioning rumble, tilting her head.

"Listen, in the past three years, the only time I ever got some variety in my diet is if we stop at a market or pub, which doesn't happen often." I reminded her. "I need variety in my diet, and I decided I was in the mood for venison, that is, deer." I said simply, sighing heavily. Now I have to have fish or mutton again. Most likely fish, as wild sheep are not too common on this island. Eh, maybe I'll run into a wild boar or something. Heck, I'd eat a snake right now if I could find one. "Let's just head back to camp." I sighed, mounting my dragon. With a warble, she shot up into the sky.

It's been three years since I was banished by Mala for 'oppressing' a dragon. I spend most of my time on this island, one completely untouched by human hands. Mainly because of the Flightmare that's made this island it's habitat. At least, it is it's habitat during the time of year in which the glowing algae, well, glows. Currently, it is not glowing, so the Flightmare, dubbed Blaze by yours truly, is not currently inhabiting this island. Even if he was, I wouldn't be in any danger from him. I've already made it clear that I'm a friend, as is Nightshade. And, he should be returning within the month.

Anywho, anytime that is not spent on my little island is spent at inns or other such establishments in towns or villages that I visit. I've made several friends/acquaintances across the archipelago, and some beyond, both dragon and human, but none have compared to Nightshade, who's grown a lot since I left home. Back then, when she stood next to me, hunched over like Skrills normally are, her head would be levelled with my lower chest, without straightening her wings vertically to make herself look bigger that is. Now, when she stands behind me, she can rest her snout on my shoulder, again, without using her wings to make herself look bigger. She's still small compared to other Skrills, but that's because she was still an early teenager. Some dragons age at the same rate as humans, Skrills being among them. When I first found her, she was only just entering puberty, so that means about nine or ten years old. Now, she'd be 13, maybe 14.

She's easily the closest friend I've had in a long time, including some other friends I've had in my past lives. She's not like the innumerable pets I've had over the centuries. She's intelligent, sentient, and fiercely loyal to me, as I am to her. That's more than could be said for man of the human friends I've had, as well as the near human friends, aliens, elves, demons, etc. Won't find any of those in this universe unfortunately, but the dragons more than make up for that with all the mysteries and secrets they have, just waiting to be discovered.

A warble from Nightshade brought me out of my thoughts. "What's wrong?" I asked her. She gave a light croon, directing her snout to the storm clouds approaching. "Oh, I see." I smiled brightly. "Let's go." I told her, grinning with excitement. I love doing this just as much as she does.

As we approached the clouds, Nightshade started flapping her wings rapidly, rattling her scales, which generated static electricity. From all I've seen from her, I've discovered that Skrills can indeed redirect lightning from storms, but the bit about storing it in their bodies for later use is not completely true. Like any dragon, they have a shot limit, four shots to be exact. A dragon's body naturally produces fuel for their fire, so when their out, they slowly recharge. Skrills can wait, like any other dragon, or they can instantly charge up by flying into a storm, much like how a Typhoomerang can eat a couple of eels to recharge instantly. As for the Plasma Bolts, she has a seven shot limit there. There is more info on her Plasma Bolt, but I'll get to that another time.

Anywho, with the electricity that her scales generated, Nightshade developed a few small bolts of electricity sparkling around her body. As I stated before, my armour was completely insulated, meaning electricity that hit me would be completely harmless. It also helped that we were not touching the ground, so the lightning wouldn't be all that attracted to my armour in the first place. Still, every bit helps. Now, the electricity that Nights generated has given her body a charge. Positive or negative, I don't know, but now the lightning will be more attracted to her.

*Crack!*

A large lightning bolt hit her, making the electricity build up around her, and increase her speed. Damn, this is such a thrill, seeing the lightning strike Nights, feeling it empower her. I don't think I'll ever find anything that fills me with such adrenaline. Well, except for maybe one, small little thing…

"So what do you say Girl? Wanna give the Jump another shot?" I asked with a grin. Nightshade stiffened before her head dropped in exasperation. "Oh come on Nights, it'll work!" I laughed. "Probably" I added mentally. Tightening the harness I'd recently built in to the footholds of her saddle, specifically for the occasion, I gripped the small handles on the saddle tightly. Now I won't fall off.

*Booooom!*

Another bolt of lightning hit the young Skrill, increasing her speed further. "You ready?" I asked her, leaning forward so as to keep our combined weight as streamlined as possible. She warbled an affirmation, her eyes focussed. The electricity around her startled travelling around her body, and mine by extension, faster as we flew through the air. With one more hard flap of her wings, it grew in size, and the clouds startled crackling with thunder. "Alright Nightshade… Jump!" I cried out. With a loud roar, she pushed her wings back as a bolt of lightning hit us, and we both felt the pull as we rode the lightning.

"Wooooooohaaaaaaa!" I cheered as Nights and I soared through the lightning. It was an intense experience. The feeling of the electricity coursing through my entire body as we sped was exhilarating, though exhausting. And the sights, simply beautiful. It was like an electric version of Hyperspace or Warp Speed in Star Wars/Star Trek, but if you focussed, you could see your surroundings, rather than just the lightning tunnel-esque construct that we travelled through.

Unfortunately, the Jump, as I named it, is rather draining on me. Regardless of my origins, past lives, and experience with dragons, I'm still only human. In this world at least. And no matter now insulated my armour is, being electrocuted constantly is draining to anyone. I might not suffer any damage, but I will be drained. The first time I tried the Jump, I fell off and into the ocean. Drifted on a log for hours before Nights found me. The second time, I passed out from the strain and Nights flew me back home. As time went by, I've been able to get better and better at handling the Jump, but it's still far from perfected. Well, it is technically perfected, I'm just not used to it, but I digress.

The strain was started to get to me, and since the lightning was too loud for Nightshade to hear me, I placed my hand on the side of her neck, giving it a noticeable squeeze. When she felt this, she knew it was getting too much for me, and she instantly dropped out of the lightning. Finding the closest place to land, Nightshade glided down and landed on the first thing she could; a sea stack.

"Phew…" I breathed out, landing right on my ass as I practically fell out of the saddle. Leaning back, using my arms to support my weight, I slowly waited to catch my breath. Nightshade also gave a light croon of concern, leaning down to face me. "I'm alright Girl." I smiled tiredly at her, placing a comforting hand on her snout. "Just worn out is all." I let out a hard exhale, allowing all my body weight to fall to the ground, staring right up at sky, which was still covered in storm clouds.

"Crrrrr." Nightshade hummed, laying down beside me, her head on my stomach. Smiling, I pet her right behind her crown spikes, which she loves.

"At least we managed to land this time." I chuckled, which Nights returned. "Although…" I sat up, making Nights move her head to my lap. "I'm not gonna be able to do that again, at least, not today, and it's already sunset." I said, looking at the beautiful setting sun, just barely visible behind the clouds. "Given how long we were in the Jump, I'd say it'll take maybe six hour flight to get home." I sighed. "Maybe more."

"Vrrrr." Nightshade cooed happily at the thought. She does love long flights, I know that, and I do as well, but it's better when we do it together.

"Graaaah!" A sudden, loud roar in the distance brought me from my thoughts. Nights and I got up to see what it was. At the edge of the sea stack, we could see a single ship, with chains attached to a dragon, which was trying, and failing, to fly away. Frowning, I pulled out my binoculars, which was really just two spy-glasses that I had Nightshade weld together, and took a closer look.

"Dragon Hunters." I growled, anger seeping into my being as I saw the symbol on the boat's sails. They were reeling a small, rather young, Changewing in with their dragon-proof winches and chains. I hated those guys. I've had more than a few encounters with them, and even met Viggo Grimborn face to face once or twice. Unfortunately, I've never been able to actually get him. I'd like nothing more than to save countless dragons by running the bastard through, he's supposed to die by falling into a volcano on Dragon's Edge. At least, I think he is. I wouldn't be surprised if he survived that, but I never watched any of Race to the Edge from that point; I died before it came out.

"Grrr." Nightshade was clearly just as angered by their presence as I was. We'd heard about a Skrill that they'd slaughtered some time ago from a friend. More on them later, but right now, I need to save that Changewing.

"Come on Girl." I said, mounting her. She hissed in determinations, spreading her wings as electricity crackled around her. "Up high. We'll attack from above, throw them off, and give us a little time advantage." I told her. She warbled in understanding and shot up into the clouds, where we wouldn't be seen. Using my binoculars, I saw how the Changewing was putting up a fight. It's acid was indeed melting the chains, but there were several of them, and it couldn't get them all before being caught. My guess is that this group of hunters is formed specifically for the capture of Changwings, since their one of the precious few dragons that can escape dragon-proof cages.

As we circled the ship from high up, I prepped my bow and nocked an arrow. I've been practising shooting in the air, whilst moving and hitting moving targets. I'm sure I won't screw this up. I hope. I nudged Nightshade with my foot, telling her it's time. With a harsh snarl, she dived. Keeping my hold on my arrow, I waited until just the right time, right before Nightshade would fire. We were just seconds away from crashing into the ship when I released the arrow. It buried itself in one of the Hunters' eye, and fell to the floor.

"Now!" I ordered Nightshade. In an instant, she shot a Plasma Bolt at the ship before arcing away from the ship and circling back, sending several of the Hunter's flying.

"Dragon Rider!" The captain of the ship hollored, and the crew members that weren't unconscious or dead aimed their crossbows and bows Nightshade and I. "Fire!" He yelled. A small barrage of Dragon Root arrows/bolts flew towards Nights. Expertly, she dodged them all without any trouble.

"Nightshade, Lightning!" I ordered as I readied another arrow. Nights opened her mouth and shot a bolt of lightning at the ship, causing the mast and several crates and barrels to set a light. This distracted several of the Hunters that were holding the young Changewing, giving it a chance to burn through the remaining chains. Unfortunately, it had a Dragon Root arrow embedded in it's leg. With its sense overwhelmed, it was just barely able to whittle its way through the air and land on a nearby rock. "Alright then, now that that's out of the way…" I trailed off with a wicked grin. I directed Nightshade up before turning her 180, heading straight for the ship. "Plasma Bolt! Full power!" I yelled. She let out a loud roar and shot a white hot blast of fire that burst right through the ship. With a satisfied smile, I flew off towards the injured Changewing, leaving the ship to sink.

As I landed on the large rock that the young Changewing had, I was able to get a good look at it. It was small, probably small enough to fit on Nightshade's wing if she extended it. And judging by it's build, I'd have to say that it was male. A very young male. And he was one of the less than common green Changewings. As for the arrow, after pulling it out, I had Nightshade incinerate it so that the solution on the tip wouldn't grow into more Dragon Root, then I tended to the Dragon. I gave it some of the antidote for Dragon Root that I'd prepped for surprises, made from Bitterweed, Fire Fern, and Purple Oleander.

"Whoa!" I yelped when the Changewing suddenly hurled up a massive puddle of acid. With the antidote now in his system, he should be regaining his senses. And that means he'll be able to see me clearly, and will probably think I'm an enemy. Fuck. "Yipe!" I yelped, rolling to the side as it suddenly saw me and shot a blob of acid. Do NOT want to get hit by that.

"Grrrrr." Nights growled at him, ready to pounce.

"Nights, no." I told, holding a hand before her. She relaxed her posture, but kept her glare focussed on the small Changewing, who was still glaring at me, as if it didn't register Nightshade's presence at all.

"Rssss." He hissed at me with a snarl.

"Rssss." I returned the hiss, snarling myself. This shocked the Dragon, who dropped it's angered face to look at me with confusion.

This is the best way to train a Changewing; mimic it's actions. No doubt stemming from their ability to camouflage, they respond well to mimicry. So, by mimicking their actions, one can convince a Changewing that they are not the enemy, as I am doing so eloquently right now. When he tilted his head in confusion, I copied the action, and only turned my head back when he did. As he narrowed his eyes, so did I. When he took a step forward, that's when I went in for the proverbial kill. He stepped forward with his right front paw, so I extended my right arm, letting my hand hovering a small distance away from his face. Hesitantly, he leaned forward and sniffed it, not leaving my eyes with his. After an extremely long moment, he leaned right into my hand, resting the tip of his snout against my palm.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Now that that's out of the way." I said, leaning over to inspect his wounded leg. He let me touch it without any problems. "This'll sting a little, but it'll help." I told him soothingly. Even if he couldn't fully understand me, I'm sure he gets the message from my tone of voice. Carefully, I poured a little bit of the Dragon Root antidote on his wound, making him hiss in pain. The antidote has the added benefit of preventing infection in a wound like this, and it ensures little scar tissue. "There we go." I smiled at him, petting his head. "Who's brave little fella?" I cooed, smiling as he leaned into m hand, purring.

"Hff!" I heard a huff to the side. Nights was looking at me with frustrated narrow eyes before looking away, her nose in the air.

"Ha! Don't be jealous Nightshade." I shook my head, standing up and walking over to her. "You're still my Number One Dragon" I grinned widely at her, petting her behind her crown spikes again. This time, I hit a spot that makes her putty in my hands, right behind the fifth spike on the left. She started purring ridiculously loudly, leaning into me. "There's my girl." I grinned smugly as she suddenly backed off, knowing what I was doing. When she glared at me, I gave her the most innocent smile I could before walking over to the Changewing, who seemed intrigued by our interactions. "Alright Nights, here's the deal." I said, picking up the Changewing. He seemed startled by the action, but he didn't object. Though he was a little big, and it did take some effort on my part, I was able to carry him to Nightshade's back. "This little guy is too small to fly all the way to Changewing Island, so we're going to give him a lift." Nights huffed as I mounted her. "And once we return home, I promise to shower you with as much love and affection as you want. Complete with two half-cooked spitroasted sheep, your favorite, and nice brush down with the silver brush I bought. Deal?" I asked.

"Croo?" She perked up at the mention of the silver brush. I'd bought a wire brush some time ago, and it's wires were made of pure silver, like my dagger. Being like any other Skrill, loving the presence of conductive metals, and that seemed to extend to being bushed with conductive wires. As for the half cooked sheep, sheep is the food of choice for most Skrills, and for some reason that I cannot fathom, Nightshade loves eating half-cooked mutton. Dragons can eat raw meat just fine, and most don't seem to like cooked meat, but Nights loves half-cooked mutton. Just another bullet to add to the list of things unique about my dragon.

"Deal?" I repeated, leaning a little to see her face better as she looked over her shoulder to look at me.

"Rrrr!" She rumbled happily, taking off. I smiled in satisfaction at striking the deal. The Changewing cried out in awe, seeing the height we were able to fly at. Being so young, he probably hasn't flown all that high before just yet, so I can understand how that would be exciting for him.

With an amused chuckle, I shook my head and directed Nights towards Changewing Island, where the little guy will no doubt find a home.

"Wah!" I yelped as I dodged a blob of acid from a cloaked Changewing. "Finally." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. We'd been looking for hours. After landing on Changewing Island, which took at least 12 hours to get to, Nights and I started walking through the forests, hoping to find a pack of wild Changewings that would take the guy we found in. I'm certain they would; Changewings are fiercely loyal to their own kind, and heavily pack-orientated. If a hatchling is all alone, then he'd find a home here.

There was just the case of finding a pack in the first place. Apparently though, one found us instead.

"Hssss." Nights hissed sending a glare at the red Changewing that uncloaked itself. Several seconds later, a couple more uncloaked, showing that I was surrounded.

"Calm down Nightshade." I said to my dragon softly, holding a hand out in the universal 'stop' gesture. She calmed her posture and stopped the hissing, but didn't let her guard down. Nor did her glare let up. "I am not an enemy." I said the alpha of this little pack, a large red Changewing, darker than the other red ones. Not quite a Titan Wing, but he's getting there. All he did in response to my words was climb down from the tree he was standing on and level his head with mine. "I found this little one about to be captured and no doubt exploited yesterday." I spoke, softly again, as I clicked my fingers in Nightshade's direction. Picking up on what I wanted, she turned a little and showed the small Changewing that was on her back. Seeing one of his own, he perked up and jumped off of her, scampering over towards the Alpha Changewing and I.

"Rrrrr?" The Alpha tilted it's head, seeing the hatchling standing next to me.

"He was about to be captured by some very bad people when I intervened." I explained, petting the little guy next to me. He cooed happily at the gesture. "I brought him here because I knew he'd have a home here." I continued, nudging the little guy forward. Nervously, he approached the Alpha, his head crouched down as he looked up at the bigger dragon. Narrowing his eyes, the Alpha leaned down and sniffed the little guy, making his breath speed up a little with nerves. Pulling back, he let a light huff before turning away, climbing back into the tree and disappearing. Judging by the way the little guy perked up, I'd guess that's a good sign. As the remaining Changewings climbed up and disappeared from sight, the little guy looked up at me.

"Cree?" he squeaked questioningly, almost as if asking if it's ok.

"Go on." I smiled at him. Giving out a cyr of joy, he gave me one big lick on my face and scampered up the tree. As he looked back at me once more, I smiled, wiping the miniscule amount of saliva off of my face. "Go on." I repeated, smiling. He gave one more loud cry of delight before continuing on his way. Releasing a loud exhale, I looked at Nightshade with a tired smile. "What's say we find someplace to sleep, eh Girl? Someplace not inhabited by numerous packs of territorial acid-shooting dragons?" I asked, walking over to her and jumping up into the saddle. "Then we can head home and you'll get that brushing I promised." I received a light shock for that. "And the sheep, yes, I know." I sighed. Giving a happy coo, Nights extended her wings and took off.

"Finally!" I cheered, having nailed a deer in the neck. It fell to the ground, all life in its body lost, as it bled out, a process which took little more than three seconds with the arrow having sliced through it's jugular. "At last, something other than mutton and fish." I sighed happily, jumping down from the hunting blind I'd used to keep my presence hidden. With an eager smile, I grabbed the now dead deer by its hind legs and hauled it over to my campsite, where I could skin it and cook it. I'll feed inedible or gross bits to Nightshade. She doesn't seem to mind eating raw animal intestines or hearts. Ugh…

It's been a few days since I took that young Changewing to Changewing Island, and things have been quiet for me since then. No Dragon Hunters in the area to raid, no injured dragons in the area that need help, and it'll be a few months before Blaze stops by here, since the glowing algae won't be glowing until then. I am in need of some supplies though, so I'll be heading to a market or something soon. I'll probably use the last of my spices on the deer I just killed, and I need some tools and materials for a project I've been working on.

Anyways, as soon as I got back to camp, I got to work on the deer. I made quick work of it's pelt and set it aside. I could use it for making some leather. It won't be a lot, but it could be of some use. I need some leather straps for the little project I'm working on, and I could probably use it for making a new grip for my sword; it has gotten a little worn out in the past few years. After setting the pelt aside, keeping it spread with the fur side down, I got to work on separating the legs of the carcass, right at the groin area, taking with them as much meat as possible. I set them on the hide, keeping it off of the dirt, and then got to cutting out the backstraps. As I moved to set them on the hide, I noticed Nightshade about to grab one of the legs.

"Oi! Don't touch!" I scolded her. She responded with a growl, glaring defiantly. "You get all the mutton and fish you want. This is mine." I said firmly. She let out a huff, walking away as she grumbled, almost like a child saying 'no fair!' "Hey, I never eat anything that you hunt." I reminded her. She growled in irritation, setting herself down on the ground, looking away from me. Rolling my eyes, I got back to work.

After getting the second backstrap onto the pile of meat on the hide, and cutting away all the back sinew to make a new bowstring, I continued on to the gut sack, slicing it open and letting all the organs fall out. Gagging slightly at the smell, I cut out the liver, heart, and kidneys, setting them on the hide. I got rid of the remaining organs, as I had no use for them, and moved on the the tenderloins and ribs. I was thankful that the skinning knife I'd bought some time ago was able to cut through the bones of an animal, though with some effort. Once all of the meat was resting on the hide, I went over to the barrel I had at my camp. Opening it, one could see the liquid that was inside, as well as several cuts of meat from my prior hunts. Salt Brine was a common method of preservation in these times. Not as effective as pickling or salt layering, but I don't need it to last for years, so the brine was enough.

I carefully placed each cut of meat into the solution with the rest, being sure to remove some of the liquid whenever it got too close to the top. Once I'd placed all but a few cuts, one of the hindquarters, the heart, the kidneys, and the liver specifically, I closed the barrels and walked over to the fire pit I'd built.

"Hey Nights." I called out to the young Skrill, who looked at me with still visible annoyance. "Oh don't be like that." I rolled my eyes, picking up the deer's heart and tossing it to her. She instantly perked up and chomped the organ out of the air, devouring it happily. Yuck. "You mind lighting this up for me?" I asked her, pointing to the fire pit and holding up the liver. Eying the piece of meat, she sent a small Plasma Bolt at the pit, which slowly turned to a normal flame. "Thank you Nightshade." I smiled, tossing her the liver. What followed was the same as with the heart, as was the case with the kidneys. I reiterate, yuck.

Now, whilst I waited for the fire to get hotter and ready for cooking, I got to work on cutting up the deer hindquarter. A deer's hindquarter holds five cuts of meat, an eye round, a top round, a bottom round, a sirloin, and a shank. It's easy enough to separate the cuts. If you just slice in the right areas with your knife, they should come apart relatively easily. Then it's just a case of cutting of all the excess fat and sinew before cooking them. By the time I was done, the fire was roaring hot and ready to cook the meat. So, I grabbed a long, thin metal bar that I use specifically for this purpose and skewered the meat, letting it hang off of two stands over the fire. You could call this spitroasting, but I didn't impale the entire carcass through it's asshole and out it's mouth, so I don't know if this counts. Anyway, after sprinkling some seasoning on the top halves of each cut, I sat down by Nightshade, and waited for the meat to cook. I'd turn it over shortly and repeat the process.

"Almost done." I sighed dreamily as I spun the venison around again, applying one last pinch of seasoning. One more spin after this and it should be good. Ready for the delightful ritual of nature that is the consumption of delicious foods. It has been way too long since I'd had anything that was not lamb/mutton or of the sea. And there aren't very many deer on this island, so finding one so soon after one running away was indeed a stroke of good luck.

"Rrrrr…" I heard Nightshade rumbling in her sleep. I smiled at the sight, though with a small shake of my head. It's barely sunset and she's already out like a candle in a snowstorm. And she was laying in the cutest, most ridiculous way possible; on her back, her wings strewn out to the sides as far as they would go, and her snout was resting on the ground upside down, perfectly perpendicular to her wings. And her tail, hah! Her tail was swaying side to side, probably without her even being aware of it.

"Lazy reptile." I smiled, getting back to the food. Finally~ Tis done! After taking the metal bar off of the stands and getting all of the meat onto a large plate, I was about to grab the eye round and and cut off a piece of the sirloin, when all of a sudden, a loud roar, caught my attention.

And it wasn't Nightshade's.

"Raaaarrrrr!" The roar sounded in the distance, getting louder. Focussing my attention on the direction the roar was coming from. Sure enough, I could see the shape of a dragon approaching. It was long and slim, with a long, thin tail. It's wings were long and shiny, and it had four legs, unlike Nights. As it grew closer, I could see a hint of bright green eyes. It took a few seconds before I figured out who it was.

"Windshear!" I said loudly, a wide smile on my face. The steel clad dragon roared in delight in response to my calling out her name. As soon as she landed, Nightshade shot up from her nap, ready to attack whatever was coming at her. Then she saw who it was and let out a cry of joy at the sight of her friend.

"Hey, Harkon." Windshear's rider, a raven haired girl with beautiful emerald eyes greeted me. She wore a brown leather chest piece over a long sleeved grey tunic, which was mostly covered up by her arm guards and shoulder guard, both of which were made from Windshear's loose spines, and the aforementioned chest piece. She wore a dragon scale skirt, also covered with armour plating made from Windshear's spines, and her outfit was completed with a pair of dark leggings and fur boots.

"Heather!" I smiled widely at my friend. She was the one who told me of the slaughtered Skrill some time ago. She was raiding a Dragon Hunter ship and found a Skrill carcass skinned and butchered. Nights and I have been more ruthless when raiding them ever since. "Wait, what's wrong?" I asked, walking up to her as I saw the somber look on her face.

"I… I found something out a few days ago and…" She trailed off with a sigh. "I wanted to deal with it by myself, but…" She hugged herself, a broken look on her face. "At the same time, I didn't want to be alone… I just… didn't know who else to turn to." She sighed. Giving her a sympathetic look, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. She stiffened at the contact, but quickly relaxed.

"Heather, you're my friend, and I will always be here for you, OK?" I asked, separated from her, looking into her eyes. "If you need help, provisions, or just want to talk, I'm always here, you got that?" I asked. She smiled softly and nodded, hugging me this time. I was about half a head taller than her, so it was easy for her to bury her face in my shoulder.

"Thanks Harkon…" She murmured, her voice muffled by my armour.

"Anytime Heather." I smiled, embracing her once more. As we separated, I lead her to the bench that rested by the fire pit. "Are you hungry? I just finished cooking up some venison. There's plenty." I told her.

"That sounds great." She said with a tired but sincere smile. Smiling back, I nodded and went to cut up some meat for the two of us. The rest I'd hang up later and use to make dried meat, just for something different.

"So, you had Dagur at axe point, but your friend on the Night Fury came in and told you he was your brother?" I grimaced. Of course I already knew this. I'd watched Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, and the first four seasons of Race to the Edge. As stated before, the last thing I saw was Viggo falling into a volcano. I don't know what happened after that. Except for the second movie of course. "That is…" I trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Insane? Crazy? Deranged?" Heather supplied miserably. Finding out that he who decimated her village was her own flesh and blood has clearly hit her hard.

"Surprising." I corrected as we both smiled wryly. Nightshade and Windshear had fallen asleep next to each other in the corner of my campsite.

"You know what Dagur called me before I flew off?" She asked with a humourless smile. "Heather the Unhinged." She sighed. "Then he said that he knew I'd be back, and that he'd welcome me with open arms." She set her food aside burying her face in her hands. "What do I do?" She asked softly.

"Who says you have to do anything?" I asked. Her head shot up in confusion.

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"Heather, what does the word family mean to you?" I asked, setting my own food aside for now, scooching over to her. "Is family just blood, and nothing else? Or is family about those who you love and care for?" I asked, taking her hand comfortingly. "My people believe that blood is just that, blood, and nothing more." I smiled softly. "Several decades ago, the King and Queen of my home actually adopted a young girl. And when they passed, that little girl inherited the throne." I explained, telling her of my now deceased grandmother. For the record, I haven't told Heather that I'm a Prince, or anybody really. It gets in the way of a good conversation. Right now, Heather is my main focus.

"They'd let someone they're not related to rule?" Heather asked in surprise. Understandable. Most monarchies wouldn't let one who doesn't have royal blood sit on the throne. The Defenders of the Wing were not one of them.

"As I said, blood doesn't matter to us. We believe that family is about love, those you care for, not those that you share blood with." I reminded her. "So, what is family to you? Blood? Or love?" I asked her.

"I… I loved my Mom and Dad…" She whispered. "They raised me… They loved me…" She continued, wiping away a few tears before they could fall. "Oswald the Agreeable, I know he loved me, but…" Her breath hitched.

"He didn't raise you." I finished for her. She nodded. After a moment, the dams broke. She started crying openly. Heather, this strong, passionate young girl, was crying before me. Smiling sadly, I draped an arm around her. She didn't object. She just let herself cry, something that rarely happens with her. Like I said, Heather's a very strong girl. This kind of vulnerability is not something she normally allows for herself. However, with such a huge emotional blow, like learning that the man she despises more than anything is actually her brother, that'd break anyone's walls. All I can do right now is be here for her.

That in mind, I sat there, holding her until she fell asleep.

It was a tough night. Sleeping next to your dragon as she uses her wing to cover you is not as comfortable as it sounds. Sure, it was warm, thanks to Nightshade's body heat, but there was not a comfortable position that I could sleep in. So now, as I wake up under Nightshade's wing, having let Heather use my bed for the night, I find myself incredibly stiff and sore. It'll go away in a few hours, but I should really make space in the shelter I built for a second bed. Heather's the only one who actually comes here, and I'd like to avoid being this stiff in the future.

Once I'd managed to work out all the kinks in my muscles, thank the Gods I didn't sleep in my armour, just a pair of brown leather pants and a black tunic, I went over to the salt brine barrel and fished out a nice big piece of mutton for Nights, as well as a fish for myself. Walking over to the sleeping lizard, I nudged her a little, earning a few rumbling groans of displeasure.

"Come on Nights, wake up. I need to head to the Northern Markets today." I told her. Judging by the sun's position, I would say it's about late morning. 10 or 11am. "We slept rather late, so wake up and eat up." I told her, dropping the brine in front of her. She huffed and opened her eyes sleepily, lazily digging into to the sheep whilst I entered my hut. "Hey Heather, I'm about to make…" I stopped in the middle of the sentence as a delicious smell hit my nose. On my workbench, there was a bowl with four perfectly cooked yak chops. Under said bowl, was a folded piece of paper. Setting the fish I held down, I picked up the piece of paper and opened it.

It was a short letter, from Heather.

Harkon,

Sorry for bailing on you when you were asleep. I spent half the night awake thinking about what you said, and I decided you were right. Dagur may be my own flesh and blood, but he is not my family. He still killed my parents, the ones who raised me. I can't just let that go. I hope you understand.

Thank you for being a good shoulder to cry on last night, both literally and figuratively. You've helped me in so many ways, I figured leaving behind some breakfast was the least I could. I promise I won't stay away for so long this time. And I'll be sure to send letters.

Heather.

PS: I saw some of your designs. If you manage to make those wrist blades, I'd like one.

I couldn't help smiling at the last bit, shaking my head. Typical Heather. Smart girl, proud and strong, but incredibly sneaky, sly and more curious than a cat. I had indeed been working on putting together a set of Assassin's Creed style wrist blades. And I was almost finished. I just needed to perfect the trigger mechanism. They were themed after Connor Kenway's blades from Assassin's Creed III, in that one could twist the blade to a regular knife grip, or a reverse grip.

Still though, I think I have more pressing issues to think of. I didn't think about it last night because I was focussed cheering Heather up, but if she found out about Dagur being her brother, then that means Race to the Edge has already started. And if she's going after him now, that means she's about to 'join' the Dragon Hunters. Shit's about to get real, which means I need to confirm my little theory about the Dragon Eye soon. If I'm right, it may just turn the tides of the war with Viggo to the Dragon Riders' favour.

OK, I just have to say this, I have a BIG surprise concerning the Dragon Eye in this story. Something about it nagged at the back of my mind for a long time, and after getting several other opinions, I finally made a decision. You should find out within a few chapters. I don't know how many, but it will only happen after Viggo gets the Dragon Eye. And no, I won't be preventing that. If Viggo doesn't get the Dragon Eye, Hiccup won't build the awesome new Night Fury themed one. So yeah. That's still happening.

Now, concerning the Hidden Blades. I always thought they would be awesome in the HTTYD universe. One individual suggested it a few days ago, though I had been planning it from the start. I also intend to include the Phantom Blade in here. If anyone else has any idea for a mechanical wonder, I'm all ears. Nothing from RWBY though. I've never watched it. That animation hurts my eyes, literally.

Also, was Heather's first appearance here a little too… weepy? For lack of a better term. I figured she'd be horror struck finding out Dagur, the man who slaughtered her family, was actually her blood brother. She is a rather tough individual, but a massive blow like that would make anybody break down. At least, in my eyes. What do you guys think?