Disclaimer: I don't own How To Train Your Dragon, or any of the associated characters.

Summary: See Previous Chapters.

CHAPTER TWO

Natalya woke up in her mother's old bed the next day, feeling unusually warm. Reluctantly, still half-asleep, she slowly opened her eyes… and was jolted to full awareness when she discovered that one of yesterday's new friends had followed her home.

That explained the warmth, at least, even if it caused a whole host of other problems.

Luckily, there was some smoked meat and fish in the cold-room, and Natalya had left a batch of bread dough to rise overnight. That would provide a decent excuse for where she had been, if anyone even asked, and a dragon would get the oven going a lot faster than Natalya could.

She mimed blowing into the oven as she shaped the dough into loaves and was rewarded with a small burst of flame that lit the fire. She stroked the dragon just behind its frill and put the bread on, laying out plans for getting the dragon out of the house un-noticed.

Natalya had considered telling Hiccup about the dragons when she learned more and adjusted to the situation herself, but it turned out to be un-necessary.

The purple dragon, who Natalya had eventually named Skyfire, hadn't stopped somehow showing up by the time Natalya awoke in the morning, no matter what she tried. More importantly, the dragon was growing fast enough that smuggling her out under the coracle wasn't going to work for much longer, if only because Natalya wasn't strong enough to carry both of them.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a short knock and the door opening unexpectedly. "Gobber gave me the day off so he could fix his hand, and I thought – "

Hiccup stopped mid-sentence and stared, making an obvious effort to stay calm. "Natalya, what – "

Natalya yanked him inside and shut the door before he could accidentally alert anyone and before a less reasonable Viking noticed the dragon curled up by the fire. "You'll never believe this, but she followed me home."

Hiccup groped for a chair and practically fell into it. "Natalya, that's insane! A Dragon, following you home? How? What breed is it, anyway? What are you - ?"

Natalya giggled. "I know, but she did. Remember when I borrowed your journal to make a copy of the Book of Dragons last month? Well, I ran into some Terrors having a fight with some seagulls, and I was trying to run but they carried off my coracle, with me and the day's catch inside of it."

Hiccup was not-so-discreetly checking her for injuries, and Natalya batted his hands away. "Stop that, I'm fine! Anyway, they took me to where they live, but there were no adult dragons, just babies. I fed them and at the end of the day they took me back."

Hiccup closed his eyes. "I can't believe I'm even saying this, but does it have a name? What breed is it?"

Natalya shrugged. "I was thinking of Skyfire, but that's only a thought. As for the breed, I think she's a mix. She looks mostly like a Skrill, but the lines are softer and more graceful, with a longer neck. Her wings are closest to a Sky Dragon, and she spends a lot of time soaking up the sun, like they do. She's also looking to become a lot bigger than a Skrill, and Sky Dragons are one of the biggest breeds out there. Luckily, they're also one of the gentlest. What?"

Hiccup was grinning fondly. "I haven't seen you so enthusiastic about anything before, that's all. How are you going to explain disappearing all the time, though? If you keep it up, that is."

Natalya shrugged again, shoving away a pang of sorrow. "I'm illegitimate. My father provides only two-thirds of my support, as required by law, and the less I'm around, the happier the Hoffersons are. Astrid does have three brothers, after all. The Hall is mine, as the third of support provided by my mother's family, so if I get Father's permission, I can live here instead. He talked with the Hoffersons about it on his last trip."

That was practical, though Natalya would still need to find a way of supporting herself. Bastards brought very little to an alliance, so their chances of marriage were never high. Hiccup nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing. "Sensible. But, truthfully, why are you doing this?"

Natalya paused. "Truthfully, I don't know; it just feels right. But think about it. Every baby dragon that I feed is one less that is likely to grow up to raid Berk. Terrors hunt in packs, and if I can teach them to use a net, they won't need to raid our stores. Dragons get old just like we do, and if we can create a generation of non-hostile dragons…"

"We can stop the war! Natalya, that's brilliant!" Hiccup tried to swing her around, overbalanced and brought them both crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs and laughter. "Thanks for telling me. I know it was a risk."

Natalya helped him up and hugged him. "We're best friends, aren't we? Besides, you're the smartest person I know, and I won't be able to do this all by myself."

Hiccup grew serious. "Even if your plan works perfectly, it's going to take a long time. I only just started in the Forge, but I already have plenty of ideas for weapons. If we can capture grown dragons, instead of killing them, we can study them."

Natalya smiled gratefully, not needing words. "You get Sun's Day off, don't you? I'll introduce you then."

Natalya wasn't stupid, and knew the dangers of introducing Hiccup to the Dragons.

For one thing, he was the son of the chief, and the consequences for him if they were discovered too soon would be much more severe. For another, Hiccup was not a good liar, and loved his father fiercely. Hiccup didn't know the dragons, didn't love them as Natalya did – not yet. Friendship or not, if it came to a choice between Stoick and the Village, or Natalya and the dragons, she didn't know where Hiccup would fall.

For now, it was a good thing that they were both so small and could fit easily into the coracle. He screamed a lot less than Natalya had on her first flight, which she found both relieving and annoying. He didn't freeze like Natalya had the first time, either. In fact, she didn't even need to teach him how to approach the dragons!

If Hiccup had been even a little less her friend, Natalya would have been pouting. As it was, she was perhaps a bit too pleased when Hiccup sat down beside her, hands shaking a little. "That might probably be the most terrifying thing I've done in my life."

Natalya smiled. "It's not that bad, and it gets easier, especially when you consider that they're only babies." She paused a moment, "Well? Do you think we can do it?"

Hiccup nudged her. "I think that you can do anything you put your mind to, though I don't know how much help I'll be. Gobber keeps a very close eye on me, and probably the most I'll be able to do if figure out inventions that capture instead of kill."

His friend shrugged. "Well, nothing is going to happen in the short-term, and while I don't wish Stoick any misfortune, a day will come when you'll be Chief, and in a position to make a difference."

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A/N: According to Viking Answer Lady, Sex outside of Marriage was a bit of a tricky subject. Marriages were arranged by families with little regard for the future husband and wife, who were expected to work things out later, but since several sagas record a wife maiming or even killing a husband she really didn't want, presumably she was asked if she had any serious objections. Men could have concubines or bed-slaves, but women were expected to be chaste and faithful. This is where it gets tricky.

If a woman was seduced or raped, no stigma was attached, unlike many other countries of the time. An acknowledged bastard would only receive two-thirds of support from the father's family, unlike a legitimate child who would be fully supported. An unacknowledged bastard would be totally reliant on its mother's family, and the mother would have less chance of making a good marriage. This was another reason Vikings did not have long courtships, as the sagas also record eight cases of an extended courtship resulting in an illegitimate child.

With all the dragon raids, Berk is probably not very prosperous. The Hoffersons already have at least one child (probably more) both parents and likely an extended family to support. Regardless of personal feelings toward a child they don't really understand or relate to, they will not be unhappy if she is no longer their responsibility.