Author's Note: Whoa. Writing chapters is so much easier than writing episodes, I might be able to get this done in a week tops.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Haedryin!


Chapter 2: Where No One Goes

At one point in time, I would have been perfectly content with everything dumped on my shoulders at once.

At times, it does feel like that.

As I got older, I realized the less and less I want to actually take on my birthright. At eighteen, I was lost and prepared to pick it up, just so the feeling would depart from my soul and never return again.

Heir.

Heir and soon to be chieftess.

No.

No.

No.

As stupid and childish as it is, I want to be free. Free to fly forever on the long hours of the day, free to laugh, to love, to be me, to let my powers go. Taking up being chieftess is like willingly shoving on gloves for a very, very long time, never to fly, to laugh, love or be me ever again. Instead, I have to be, I have to be my dad.

Every fiber of my being from the tip of my head down to my five toes refuses to accept this, like pouring a bucket of saltwater on a bleeding wound and expecting the person not to cry out or flinch. Even at nearly twenty, I still don't feel ready for this, it's too soon.

A high whistle draws me from my thoughts and I look out at the open ocean stretching out across the horizon for miles on end. Someday, I'm going to fly to the edge of the world where the water will drop off in large waves and draw it. Toothless's wings beat under me, muscles beating effortlessly. His wings stretch out, black easy to spot against the dark blue ocean.

I sigh the sound muffled through the dark blue helmet covering my face. I narrow my eyes and look forward trying to pull myself away from my thoughts and panic attack. I'm just not ready. I won't ever be, sorry dad, I await your papers of disownment in the morning.

Toothless shifts under me and looks back at me, toxic green focused and secure, he knows what he's doing and needs my attention with his. Right. I grab the metal bar for his tailfin with my left hand and pull it out, Toothless's gliding upwards slightly. I'm flat on my stomach across his back, Toothless's speed fast enough to shear a sheep of it's wool.

I grip the handles tighter, my muscles tensing as I wait for the right moment. Toothless warbles back at me and I pull myself into a sitting position shoving my prosthetic into place. I pull the tailfin forward and duck as Toothless dives under a Sea Shockers wing before ascending in a near ninety degree angle, rocketing upwards towards the clouds.

My head clears and I release a breath I didn't know I'm holding, the feeling of flight, exhilarating and terrifying all at once. Free.

Flying is freedom.

Toothless drops backwards his wings folding into his sides, I release a handle looking back to make sure we won't run into any dragons, again. That was terrific, I really didn't know Razorwhip's flew in packs before me and Toothless crashed into them. Nothing appears through the thick clouds and Toothless spins several times snapping his wings open at the last second he can before we leave the clouds and glides forward a happy moan escaping his lips.

I throw my arms out the feeling of wind rippling through my fingers relieving. Timberjacks fly overhead and I watch them for a second before I smile softly patting Toothless's neck. "So, whatya say bud, you wanna give this another shot?" I ask. He tenses and groans looking back at me. "Toothless," I tease and pat his head, "it'll be fine." I assure. Well, hopefully. Anything to get my mind off this morning, even if that includes leaping off my dragon to crash into yet, another island.

I pull my foot forward his tail locking into place before I unlatch the cords attaching me to the saddle and roll my shoulders straightening. "Ready?" I ask. Toothless grunts his ready, and protests, surprise, surprise.

I tip off his right side plummeting downwards my heart leaping into my chest from the free fall. My face breaks into a smile and I push my hands into my sides, "Yeah!" I cry. Toothless catches up with me easily and I pull my head up towards him, grinning wildly, he sticks out his tongue, leaving a trail of slobber I'm sure, but he's clearly enjoying this despite his earlier protests. We spin around each other for a few seconds before I see the end of the clouds. I glance at Toothless before I throw my arms out the ice fabric spreading across my upper arms to my feet in a sharp slanted line. The wind snaps me upwards and I grip the edges of the freezing fabric pulling it out and keeping it that way. I twist my wrist slightly and spot from the corner of my eye as the ice fin spreads across my back.

Toothless spreads his wings, but stays behind me, I look back at him and smirk at his happy look. Yup, you're enjoying this. I look forward and spin several times laughing with delight. A sudden fireball appears ahead of me and I pull up, barely missing it, I look back at Toothless, "Hey! Toothless!" I cry in frustration.

He smirks before firing another plasma blast. I tug the fabric upwards pulling above the fire and release a breath a soft smile spreading across my face, I look back at the Night Fury, "This is amazing!" I call towards him looking forward again.

The clouds part and I spot a sea stack in front of me. Still working on the rough edges and turns and such, can't prefect that in less than two seconds, "No longer amazing! TOOTHLESS!" I yell and look back at him.

He spots the same sea stack and roars in panic his wings flapping in desperation but the tailfin keeps him locked. Oh, great! This is so much better than having to worry about chiefing, by the way this is going, I won't even be around to say how I crashed into the sea stack.

Toothless growing desperate fires a blast at the sea stack, I let out a strangled cry before his claw grabs my prosthetic and tugs me down towards him his talons wrapping around my arms and chest as his wings fold around us. I wrap my arms around myself before Toothless crashes smashing into a tree, "Uh!" I groan and another, "Oof!" I moan, he rolls around on a few logs,"Ow!" before finally coming to a stop.

Well that ended better than expected.

Toothless's wings open giving me permission to leave his protective cocoon. I sit up and pull on a gear to my leg switching it to the walking part of the metal parts I'd made. I stand and walk away from Toothless stumbling slightly. I wave my hands the ice wings exploding into thousands of snowflakes. "Wow, that really came out of nowhere." I say and brush my shirt off whipping my head around as a echoing boom rings through the air. The sea stack, tips over smashing into the ocean with a huge splash the sound ringing around us.

Oops.

Toothless looks back at me his face clearly saying, 'your fault.'

It's just a sea stack, it's not like we knocked down an entire island, I have high doubts anyone is going to miss it. I twist my wrist up and see the snowflakes of the ice fin explode landing at my feet before melting. I look back at Toothless, "We really gotta work on your solo gliding bud, that locked up tail makes for some pretty sloppy rescue maneuvers, eh?" I ask and smirk pulling my helmet off.

The wind ripples through my bangs and I brush them away from my face, my fingers lingering on the frozen ends. My long skirt cut down the middle blows in the wind, my long hair flowing with it. It's braided in two separate braids that part after a ponytail-ish thing, with two short pieces of hair a little past my shoulder braided, I'm pretty sure one fell out during the flight though, I move forward towards the edge of the cliff staring out at the new stretch of land.

Another reason I love flying, Toothless and I have been mapping the archipelago for a year and a half now but every time I see somewhere new, it still takes my breath away. I look forward at the golden forest spreading across the isle, the cliffs rising in the distance and the thick fog that seems to spread across everything, "Wow, looks like we found another one, bud." I say and tilt my head slightly. A pebble hits the side of my head, not hard enough to hurt, but it stings, I whip around looking at Toothless as he huffs and looks away from me.

I move forward and grin, tilting my head slightly, "Oh, what, you want an apology, is that why you're pouting big baby boo?" I ask smirking. Toothless open and closes his jaws a few times mimicking me. A smile spreads across my face and I throw my helmet to the side leaping onto him. I wrap my arms around his neck, "Well try this on!" I call and shove against him. He doesn't move, or seem to be anything but a solid brick of stone. Oh, come on! He still doesn't jerk, move or do anything, "Oooh, you feeling it yet? Picking up on all my heart felt remorse?"

I wrap my legs around him and Toothless stands moving forward on two legs towards the cliff's edge, "Aw, come on! Come on, y-you wouldn't hurt a one legged, Snow Que-" I look down seeing the ocean very, very far below. I'm not scared of heights, but the idea of falling down that is not a fun one. I wrap my arms around him and let out a terrified yelp. My grip on his cold scales starts to falter and I slide away from him. "Ah! You're right, you're right! You win! You win." I assure and tighten my death grip. Please don't let me fall!

My legs dangle uselessly beneath me and Toothless lets out his dragon laugh before he tips backwards and shoves me to the ground playfully. I laugh and shove back at him, "Ah, she's down! And it's ugly, dragons and Vikings enemies again, locked in combat to the bitter-" Toothless collapses on me, smashing my chest and the rest of the sentence dies in my throat. I groan and look back at him, pleading with my eyes for him to get off me.

Toothless smirks before he leans forward and starts to lick every inch of me his tongue can reach. I shove his head away grimacing in disgust, I flip backwards onto my feet and groan, "You know this freezes as soon as it touches me." Toothless laughs a proud expression playing across his face, I wipe off as much of the spit as I can and whatever remains freezes into shards of ice, I pick several off and throw them back at Toothless. Toothless glares at me and I toss my hair from my face before I throw my hands out and send a flurry of snow in Toothless's direction.

He growls at me before he starts to lick off the snow. I walk forward and pull the map of the barbaric archipelago from a pouch hanging off my belt. I move Lighten to the side, the staff wrapped and not in full length moving easily. I spread the paper out on the ground and get to my knees before flipping open the notebook attached to my forearm. I rip out an empty page and close it lifting it up. Toothless licks the paper and I press it down on the map, freezing the spit into place.

I flip open my compass staring at the needle for a second, north-west. I close the lid and grab my knife from my forearm, shoving the twisted metal against my pencil sharpening the end coated with coal. I shove the blade back into it's holder. "So," I start and put my pencil in my mouth spreading out the paper better before pulling the wood from my mouth, "what should we name it?" I ask and look at Toothless.

He, in response, licks his armpit. I roll my eyes slightly and move my left hand towards the paper, "Itchy Armpit it is." I say and smirk tracing the isle down on the empty sheet,"So what do you reckon, bud? Think we might find a few Timberjacks in those woods? The old Whispering Death or two in the rocks?" I stop drawing looking up at Toothless,"Who knows? Maybe we'll finally track down another Night Fury." He leans in close to my face and I sit back on my heel sighing, "Wouldn't that be something." I force a tight lipped smile on my face. Five years, and we still haven't seen another jet black, plasma blasting dragon sailing across the sky. Toothless really can't be the rest of the Night Fury's, he just can't. "So what do you say? Just keep going?" I ask Toothless let out a deep hum, for a no. Yeah, me too.

A sudden screech feels the air and I twist around looking behind me and Toothless as my other half does the same. Asher and Stormfly land and the Hofferson slides off his dragon's back, I grin and Toothless jumps over towards Stormfly the two racing off. Asher walks forward, "Afternoon, my king, where have you been?" I ask and turn back towards the map.

"Oh, winning races what else? The real question is, where have you been, Milady?" Asher asks and plops down next to me. Hyperventilating.

"Avoiding my dad."

Asher shakes his head slightly, "Oh no, what happened now?" He asks. Way too much for me to process. I pat his arm and he twitches slightly.

"Oh, ha, you're going to love this," I assure and hand him the pencil getting to my feet. "I wake up the sun is shining, Terrible Terror's singing on the rooftop. I saunter down to breakfast thinking all is right with the world and I get: 'Iyn, we need to talk.'" I say mimicking my dad's heavy accent. Asher pipes up.

"Not now dad, I got a whole day of goofing off to get started. You know, blizzards to start, islands to crash into." Asher says throwing his shoulders out and shaking them. I laugh from his high pitch as he fails to mimic a girl.

"First of all, I-I don't sound like that who-what, is this character? Second, crashing into islands? And third, what's that thing you're doing with my shoulders?" I ask mimicking his shoulder rolls, he laughs, shrugging his shoulders again. I roll my eyes," Yeah, okay. A truly flattering impersonation, anyway, he goes,-" I continue my mimic of my dad, pounding on my chest slightly, "'You're the pride of Berk, Iyn, and I couldn't be prouder-'"

"-Aw, thanks dad, I'm pretty impressed with myself to." Asher finishes swinging his arms back and forth.

I laugh again, "When have I ever done that with my hands?" I demand and wave my arms towards him.

"You just did!" Asher says pointing at me as he laughs. I let out a frustrated breath and steady his arms.

"Okay, just hold still, very serious." I tell him, you have no idea how much this is affecting me. Asher, if you're going to mimic me, please do it right. He nods but smiles. I continue the mimic, "'You're all grown up and since no chief could ever ask for a better successor, I've decided-'"

"-To make you Chieftess, oh my Thor!" Asher finishes catching on, he jumps to his feet hands shaking with excitement, "Haedryin that's amazing!" He shouts and punches my arm. I groan and rub my upper arm shooting him an unhappy look. It is a lot of things, but amazing is not one of them. The furthest from it.

Toothless and Stormfly, chasing each other run past us tipping me and Asher we fall, he lands on top of me and pulls away. I roll over and take his offered hand he pulls me to my feet, "Yeah so…this is what I'm dealing with."

"What'd you tell him?" He asks, I look at him. Tell him? I was gone before he could even blink after he said that. I'm not ready for this, I am not ready for this.

"I-I didn't, by the time he turned around I was gone." Asher smirks at this before he leans down picks up the map folding it and hands it to me nodding softly.

"Huh, well it's a lot of responsibility, the map will have to wait for sure, and I'll need to fly Toothless since you'll be to busy but-" His voice dies as he realizes what he just said. Flying Toothless is my thing, my freedom, everything. I can't, just-no.

"It's not me, Asher, all those speeches and planning, running the village, that's his thing." I say softly shoving the map into my pocket. Asher sighs and shakes his head.

"I think you're missing the point I mean chieftess. What an honor, I'd be pretty excited." He says. I sigh and look up at him. You would. It's not who I am, it will never be me.

"I-I'm not like you. You know exactly who you are, you always have but, I'm still looking." I say and move towards the cliff's edge. I grab my helmet and sit down on the edge looking out at the stretch of land. "I know that I'm not my father and I never met my mother, so what does that make me?" I ask and sit on the cliff's edge.

Asher sits down next to me and sighs his fingers brushing the side of my head as he grabs the strands of my dark auburn hair, weaving the loose hair into a braid. After I started braiding a large peice of hair from his part a little above his bangs, Asher has taken it upon himself to braid two braids into my hair all the time, I'm not sure why, but it gives him great thrill and me annoyance. But I keep them in for him. He ties off the braid his fingers twitching as he separates the frozen ends. I silently wish he'd keep braiding it forever, it's safe, there's no responsibility weighing on me when he braids.

He pulls his hands back, "Haedryin, you're the Snow Queen, if that doesn't give you some idea, I don't know what to do with you, Milady." He says with a tone that can still verge on a laugh. I glance at him, silently pleading with him to be serious.

"I know that." I assure. But the Snow Queen is a title, not an identity, I don't know who I am, but I know that I'm not a chieftess or leader, I prefer hiding in the back of everything hoping no one but select few to notice me. The other riders, Asher, dragons and my dad. I can't rule a village, I'd have a heart attack the first day and die.

Asher sighs and moves his hand down, resting it on mine fingers twitching before resting, "What you're searching for isn't out there, Haedryin," He says and glances at the forest surrounding us. He rests a hand on my heart, "it's in here." Asher pulls his hand back, "Maybe you just don't see it yet." He leans forward and kisses my cheek softly. I look forward my eyes widening as I see a the thick fog splitting away from the horizon, a thick black cloud of smoke taking it's place. Something is either on fire, or just burned down.

"Maybe," I agree and don't remove my gaze from the smoke, "but you know there is something out there." I say and I spot Asher brushing his lips with the back of his hand a disgusted look on his face.

"Your highness," he starts but I grab his chin and force it upwards for him to spot the smoke in the horizon. "What?" He starts looking up at me. I release his chin and get to my foot and prosthetic tossing my hair from my face as Asher scrambles to his feet. We share a look.

"Mount up, "I command looking at the smoke, "we're checking it out."


Authors Note: :)

Please review!