p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"span lang="EN-US"The large, burly character who I presumed was the chief stared me down, probably assessing whether or not I was a threat and if I came with harmful intent. My three dragons probably didn't prove my innocence, but since they calmly sat by my side without doing much of anything they couldn't really prove the Vikings otherwise either. Suddenly a large, black shadow leapt over the chief's head and crashed into me. A wet tongue licked my face and the creature was almost purring in content. I pushed it off me and froze in surprise. emstrongShadow?! /strong/em/spanspan lang="EN-US"The black Night Fury that had disappeared from our nursery so many years ago when it was just a cub stood before me all grown up and majestic./spanspan lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"br /span"Toothless" a scrawny looking, brown haired boy yelled. "Toothless, where are you going?!" the black dragon looked at the boy and wagged its tail happily. "You can't just go running off like that!"br /"Toothless? Is that what they call you?" I said to the dragon as I scratched his chin. He licked my face affectionately yet again and I pushed him away. "Okay, okay. I get it. I missed you too!" Ice made a jealous but happy sound as he pounced the Night Fury known as Toothless. They wrestled for a few seconds before affectionately rubbing against each /emspan lang="EN-US"'I can't believe that Shadow is here!' /span/emspan lang="EN-US"Ice said /spanemspan lang="EN-US"'He seems to be known as 'Toothless' now, though.'br /spanspan lang="EN-US"'Shadow, Toothless… Same thing. A name is just a name when talking about the same dragon.'br /spanspan lang="EN-US"'True'/span/emspan lang="EN-US" I smiled as I watched the two a id="_GPLITA_10" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"old friends/a as they reunited. The brown haired boy looked at them with big, green /span"That's a… Night Fury…" without me noticing everyone had gone silent and was staring at us - more especially the /"Yes, his name is Ice" I said with a smile. "He's my partner."br /"I've never seen another Night Fury before" he walked up to Ice and carefully reached his hand out. Ice glared at the hand for a few moments before turning around and walking over to me. He rubbed against me in the most adorable manner before sending another irritated glare at the /span lang="EN-US"em'As if I would let just anyone touch me'/em /spanspan lang="EN-US"he grumbled. I rolled my eyes at his tantrum and focused back on what was going on. Everyone looked at me as if they expected me to do /span"Ehum… Hello?" the confidence from earlier suddenly left me and I a id="_GPLITA_11" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"started/a to feel very small a id="_GPLITA_12" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"next/a to all these big, tall and not to mention muscular /"What did you say your name was again?" the big, chief-like man said as he looked down at me with his greenish grey eyes clouded by confusion./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"The Vikings locked my dragons and I in an arena like structure that had a big a id="_GPLITA_13" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"sign in/a front of it marking it as 'Academy'. After many complaints from Ice and a good nap they finally came to let us out from the surprisingly dragon proof structure - trust me, Ice tested it, a lot. After locking my dragons back inside they lead me into the village and into a house that they explained belonged to the chief. They told me that I should rest and that I was allowed to stay here until other living arrangements could be made. It seemed as if they had decided to trust me, for now. I sat down on the bed that I had been told to sleep on, feeling lonely with the dragons locked up on the other side of the town. I laid down with a sigh, the nap from earlier had taken care of some of the tiredness so I knew the hunger gnawing at my stomach would keep me up for at least a few more hours. I closed my eyes and somehow managed to dose off./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"There was a knock on the door and the scent of food assaulted my nose as the door a id="_GPLITA_14" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"opened/a with a squeak. I sat up abruptly and suddenly I was face to face with the same green eyed boy from /"I thought you might be hungry" he said with a slight smile. "I'm Hiccup, by the way."br /"Aliane" I reached my hand out only to realize that his hands were occupied by the two plates of food. I awkwardly lower it back down. "Aliane Dragonrider."br /"Trust me, I know" he laughed. "You're all anyone is talking about around here. Apparently you made quite the impression."br /"Oh, eh, I suppose I strongwas /strongtrying to be a bit dramatic…" I said feeling a tiny bit shy. The food smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the tasty looking chicken drum. The boy, Hiccup, seemed to have noticed me staring at the food as chuckled and handed me one of the plates before he sat down in the wooden chair next to the bed. My mouth was watering as I stared down at the food and my stomach grumbled at the /"You can eat" he picked some food off his plate. I reached for the chicken and took a small bite - it was just as delicious as it smelled. I quickly gobbled the rest of the food up, once I finished I noticed Hiccup staring at /"I-I'm sorry…" I blushed. It was quiet for a while, the awkwardness from earlier reaching new heights - or that's what it felt like for /"That Night Fury, Ice" there was a curious glimmer in his eyes. "Has he been with you for a long time? You seemed to have a strong bond."br /"We've been together since birth, actually. He was the dragon my parents choose for me before we were born, my perfect partner."br /"Your perfect partner?"br /"A dragon that was born at the same moment as it's rider. You see, the closer in age you are to your dragon the closer your bond will be able to grow - with practice of course" I smiled as I thought back on the time I had spent with Ice. "It's kind of like the bond between you and Toothless, but closer."br /"How do you mean 'closer'?"br /"You see, I come from a tribe of dragon riders who live in sort of a symbiotic relationship with the dragons. We care for and raise the young, heard cattle and make sure that everyone is fed and healthy and the dragons keep us safe. In the beginning it was a id="_GPLITA_6" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"a relationship/a born from necessity but as time passed and the bond of need evolved into one of love and understanding the bond between our species evolved into a connection of hearts between dragon and rider - a bond so strong that even the minds become as one."br /"A bond so strong that even the minds become as one…?"br /"Yes" I giggled at the confused look on his face. "How should I explain? Have you ever felt as if you could almost understand Toothless' feelings and thoughts, even for a moment?" he nodded lightly, as if in deep thought. "For us it's even more than that, we can communicate our thoughts and feelings directly - with our minds. Only with our partner though, even though we often take on the task of raising and training several dragons we only a id="_GPLITA_7" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"share/a this special bond with the dragon that was chosen for us."br /"Oh…" He seemed to think about the new a id="_GPLITA_8" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"information/a he had been given. "So you're telling me you can read the minds of dragons?!"br /"No, no. I have a mental link with Ice that allows us to communicate mentally but I can't read his mind, I can't read any dragons mind."br /"Huh…" the food had been since long finished and the room grew quiet as Hiccup pondered on the news of another dragon training tribe - one far more advanced then the one existing here on Berk. The front door squeaked and heavy footsteps walked across the wooden floor. "Dad's back" he mumbled. "Maybe you should get some rest. There will probably be a rather long day tomorrow" he got up and walked out the door, greeting his father before he continued up the stairs. I laid back down and pulled the fur plaid over me. With my stomach full of food and the warm plaid covering my body it suddenly became hard to keep my eyes a id="_GPLITA_9" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"open/a and before I knew it I had drifted off into a deep, deep sleep./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"The Vikings locked my dragons and I in an arena like structure that had a big a id="_GPLITA_13" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"sign in/a front of it marking it as 'Academy'. After many complaints from Ice and a good nap they finally came to let us out from the surprisingly dragon proof structure - trust me, Ice tested it, a lot. After locking my dragons back inside they lead me into the village and into a house that they explained belonged to the chief. They told me that I should rest and that I was allowed to stay here until other living arrangements could be made. It seemed as if they had decided to trust me, for now. I sat down on the bed that I had been told to sleep on, feeling lonely with the dragons locked up on the other side of the town. I laid down with a sigh, the nap from earlier had taken care of some of the tiredness so I knew the hunger gnawing at my stomach would keep me up for at least a few more hours. I closed my eyes and somehow managed to dose off./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"There was a knock on the door and the scent of food assaulted my nose as the door a id="_GPLITA_14" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"opened/a with a squeak. I sat up abruptly and suddenly I was face to face with the same green eyed boy from /"I thought you might be hungry" he said with a slight smile. "I'm Hiccup, by the way."br /"Aliane" I reached my hand out only to realize that his hands were occupied by the two plates of food. I awkwardly lower it back down. "Aliane Dragonrider."br /"Trust me, I know" he laughed. "You're all anyone is talking about around here. Apparently you made quite the impression."br /"Oh, eh, I suppose I strongwas /strongtrying to be a bit dramatic…" I said feeling a tiny bit shy. The food smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the tasty looking chicken drum. The boy, Hiccup, seemed to have noticed me staring at the food as chuckled and handed me one of the plates before he sat down in the wooden chair next to the bed. My mouth was watering as I stared down at the food and my stomach grumbled at the /"You can eat" he picked some food off his plate. I reached for the chicken and took a small bite - it was just as delicious as it smelled. I quickly gobbled the rest of the food up, once I finished I noticed Hiccup staring at /"I-I'm sorry…" I blushed. It was quiet for a while, the awkwardness from earlier reaching new heights - or that's what it felt like for /"That Night Fury, Ice" there was a curious glimmer in his eyes. "Has he been with you for a long time? You seemed to have a strong bond."br /"We've been together since birth, actually. He was the dragon my parents choose for me before we were born, my perfect partner."br /"Your perfect partner?"br /"A dragon that was born at the same moment as it's rider. You see, the closer in age you are to your dragon the closer your bond will be able to grow - with practice of course" I smiled as I thought back on the time I had spent with Ice. "It's kind of like the bond between you and Toothless, but closer."br /"How do you mean 'closer'?"br /"You see, I come from a tribe of dragon riders who live in sort of a symbiotic relationship with the dragons. We care for and raise the young, heard cattle and make sure that everyone is fed and healthy and the dragons keep us safe. In the beginning it was a id="_GPLITA_6" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"a relationship/a born from necessity but as time passed and the bond of need evolved into one of love and understanding the bond between our species evolved into a connection of hearts between dragon and rider - a bond so strong that even the minds become as one."br /"A bond so strong that even the minds become as one…?"br /"Yes" I giggled at the confused look on his face. "How should I explain? Have you ever felt as if you could almost understand Toothless' feelings and thoughts, even for a moment?" he nodded lightly, as if in deep thought. "For us it's even more than that, we can communicate our thoughts and feelings directly - with our minds. Only with our partner though, even though we often take on the task of raising and training several dragons we only a id="_GPLITA_7" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"share/a this special bond with the dragon that was chosen for us."br /"Oh…" He seemed to think about the new a id="_GPLITA_8" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"information/a he had been given. "So you're telling me you can read the minds of dragons?!"br /"No, no. I have a mental link with Ice that allows us to communicate mentally but I can't read his mind, I can't read any dragons mind."br /"Huh…" the food had been since long finished and the room grew quiet as Hiccup pondered on the news of another dragon training tribe - one far more advanced then the one existing here on Berk. The front door squeaked and heavy footsteps walked across the wooden floor. "Dad's back" he mumbled. "Maybe you should get some rest. There will probably be a rather long day tomorrow" he got up and walked out the door, greeting his father before he continued up the stairs. I laid back down and pulled the fur plaid over me. With my stomach full of food and the warm plaid covering my body it suddenly became hard to keep my eyes a id="_GPLITA_9" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;" title="Click to Continue by CouponDropDown" href="#"open/a and before I knew it I had drifted off into a deep, deep sleep./p