Hello all and welcome to the next chapter! Sorry it's taken so long to update, but the end of the school year is crazy! Anyway, I hope you like it. Please review if you can, favorite if you feel so inclined, and otherwise enjoy the story!

Many thanks to the two guests, DoctorAllonzy, and just-another-giraffe for reviewing!

"Alpha Commands" "Dragon Speech" Dragon Thoughts "Human Speech"


When dawn finally came and my sore eyes remained open for longer than a few bleary moments, I somehow managed to drag myself to my feet. I turned my head up to the sky, watching the mist rise and fill with the golden light of the new sun, and sent one last wish to the eternal fires for Stormfly. I hoped...I hoped she was at peace. Closing my eyes tightly, I moved thoughts of my friend away from the front of my mind and instead focussed on my bonds to the other dragons. I spent a time inspecting each, ensuring that every one was strong and stable. Once I was certain that none had suffered any severe injury in the time I had been...unavailable, I focused on my bond to Cloudjumper.

Cloudjumper had been of great assistance over the last few weeks since I became Alpha. I'd had no idea what I was doing, and no real experience to apply to providing for and ensuring the continued safety of my nest. After all, I'd lived with the Red Death's nest for as long as I could remember and she hadn't been exactly benevolent.

Cloudjumper, on the other hand, had lived nearly his entire life under the care of a very wise and powerful alpha. He had certainly learned enough to tell me many a thing about how the White Bewilderbeast had led his nest. He was the only admirable Alpha I'd ever known and I regretted that I hadn't spent much time in his presence; certainly not enough time to learn how to lead a horde of fire-breathing, trouble-seeking dragons.

Trouble-seeking indeed.

I had no sooner opened my bond with Cloudjumper than he notified me that Hookfang was looking to start a fight with the Terrors...inside the Great Hall. Of all the places to… "I'll be there as soon as I can," I sent with about as much ire as could drip from a telepathic message.

It actually took me a minute to make my way through the trees and back to Berk. I was so used to having Hiccup around that having to run quickly was actually not as normal as one might expect. Usually, if there was an emergency, Hiccup would vault onto my back and we'd be off at an actually respectable speed. Still, as I loped into Berk's busy streets I thought back to that first Snoggletog when Hiccup had made me a fully self-flying rig. Though I had definitely appreciated the gesture, flying was something special for the two of us and I intended to keep it that way. Occasional running and slower speed be damned; I still would rather be grounded than fly without Hiccup.

I thought of Hiccup, wondered how he was, and realised I hadn't thought to check on him during my morning routine. This realisation startled me as much as I startled a viking with a wheelbarrow full of cabbages as I raced around a corner. Hiccup was usually the first of my family I checked up on, so to make up for my mistake I focused on our bond as I leapt over a Gronkle who was trundling through the street. A lance of shame went through me. I barely had to focus on our bond to feel the distress practically vibrating through it. Here I had been, away from my nest and my best friend when both had needed me.

As I neared the Great Hall, sounds of angry dragons filled my ears and I shook my guilt aside. Dangerous situation first, distress second. It certainly wouldn't improve Hiccup's mood if the Great Hall, newly rebuilt from all the destruction from the Bewilderbeast attack, was destroyed first thing in the morning. Approaching the building, I saw Cloudjumper on the roof. He gave me a nod before flying off to find Valka, no doubt, and I rolled my eyes. Gee, thanks. Leave the pissed off dragons to me, why don'tcha. Not like I'd want any help.

Sarcasm and fighting first thing in the morning, what could be better?

I bounded through the doors of the hall with a bang and a roar, making everyone in the room freeze for a moment, just long enough for me to get a handle on what was happening. Three of the huge oak tables had been overturned or smashed to pieces. Two of Gothi's Terrors seemed to be stuck to the ceiling while Gothi herself slept in a chair by the fireplace, seemingly unperturbed by the racket and destruction that had clearly reigned around her. Several vikings, all glaring angrily, seemed to be covered in their morning meals. One of the walls appeared scorched in several spots, and a young Zippleback was hiding beneath one of the remaining tables in fear.

The aggressors, of course, had their eyes on me. Hookfang was on his back, smouldering slightly as if he'd set himself on fire recently, on top of a broken table. At least a dozen Terrors were in the process of pinning him, some nipping at his tail and exposed underbelly and one profoundly stupid Terror with his mouth around one of Hookfang's long horns.

As the shock of my entrance wore off, the Terrors' looks changed to those of meek innocence. I immediately sent them a glare that said I was having none of it, and then looked at the still-fiery Hookfang. To my frustration, Hookfang returned my glare with equal fire and challenge.

I no longer had to ask who'd started the fight.

I approached Hookfang with all the strength and authority I could muster, more than I'd expected as it seemed my grief worked well to fuel my fury. As I approached, the Terrors quickly backed away, but Hookfang, still looking for a fight apparently, stood tall before me. "Would you care to explain what exactly is going on here?" I said with a hiss. Hookfang responded with a snarl.

"My business with those little rats with wings has nothing to do with you, alpha."

My expression turned hard. "You made it my business when you decided it was a good idea to destroy a building first thing in the morning. It is my duty to keep order and balance within the nest. So, I will ask again, what is going on here?"

Hookfang sneered down at me and growled out, "As if you would care! You don't even bother to protect your own, yet here you come running when one of your precious human's playpens gets a little scorched." My nose flared at the implied insult, but Hookfang wasn't done yet. "It's obvious, isn't it. You think you're so much better than us, so much stronger. The child of lightning and death itself. Hah! As if. Any real dragon can see how good of an alpha you are."

My glare grew even sharper. "Watch your mouth, Hookfang," I snarled. "I'm giving you a warning, I will not tolerate this kind of insult or destructive idiocy again." I sent one more reproachful look to the Terrors, who all bowed their heads in respect. As I turned away from Hookfang and moved a few steps towards the door I couldn't help but shoot at him, "And if you really want to prove how much of a 'real dragon' you are, you should do it somewhere you can embarrass yourself without an audience."

I didn't have to turn around to know how Hookfang's face twisted at that, and I felt a bit of a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. However, my victory faded fast and I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard his next words.

"An alpha protects its own, but with how you just let Stormfly die, it seems you don't care enough to protect a damn one of us."

For a moment I forgot how to breathe as lightning flashed again before my eyes. My blood flushed cold and every dragon in the hall froze. For a moment, nothing moved, no one breathed. Even the humans felt the sudden tension, thicker than a Gronkle's hide. Then absolute fury burned through my blood, pounding with a ferocity only born of anger and guilt. I wheeled towards Hookfang and lunged, crossing the space between us faster than he could react. With a single move I took one of his massive wings in my mouth and flung him towards the entryway. The strength of my throw left him sailing towards the massive doors, which burst open as Hookfang connected with them and fell tumbling out. He looked a bit dazed as I stalked out after him, fixing him with a glare as murderous as they come.

"How dare you," I snarled. "How dare you act as if I didn't care when Stormfly...I saw everything, Hookfang! You can't see something like that happen to someone you cherish and not care a hell of a lot."

"Yak shit! If you really cared, you would've done everything in your power to bring her home!" The dazedness was gone from Hookfang's eyes as he rose to his feet again. There was a crowd of dragons and humans alike gathering in a wide circle around us. Somewhere in the back of my mind, in a part that was not working very hard to hold back my anger, it was noted that we shouldn't do this so publicly. Oh, well. A little too late now to suggest talking in private.

"Did you?" Hookfang spat accusingly at me. "Tell me, Toothless, did you do everything in your power to bring her home alive?"

I reeled a bit at the question and my anger faded. My mind kindly supplied all the guilt-dripping memories of flying after Stormfly.

I could've flown faster, if I was honest. I probably could've flown faster if I'd just tried, if I'd felt any real sense of danger. I'd thought this would be like all the other getaway attempts that pair had made recently, that they'd turn around eventually and Hiccup would knock some comfort and sense into the hard-headed woman he loved. That's how I'd expected it to go. And because I hadn't been ready for anything unexpected, I hadn't protected Stormfly. She had died because of me, because of my inattentiveness and confidence. I'd been so confident that I didn't really have to worry, that I didn't have to push my body to the absolute limit to catch up before she flew too far.

It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault.

The thought kept circling round and round in a hurricane in my mind. Guilt, such guilt, flooded my every sense. My body suddenly felt as if it weighed as much as a mountain.

I looked into Hookfang's furious eyes and my silence was all he needed. He let out a screeching battle roar, lifted his wings, and prepared to charge. I'm sure he would've tried to kill me then and there if another dragon hadn't emerged from the crowd to stand in front of me.

"Meatlug?"

She gazed at Hookfang with a look of such sadness that he visibly deflated a bit. He certainly didn't charge with her in the way. Meatlug had been one of the dragons that had been captured and used for viking training alongside Hookfang. Although Hookfang had been one of the dragons most affected by that time, Meatlug had certainly experienced her fair share of trauma as she'd been imprisoned the longest of the group. That was one of the things that made Meatlug understand all of us, especially Hookfang, so well: she'd lived our struggles and reminded us every so often that we have survived.

"Hookfang," she murmured, "do you really think this is what Stormfly would have wanted? For her two best friends to tear each other apart in their grief?"

For the first time this morning, Hookfang's furious expression cracked. Meatlug turned to look at me and said just as quietly as before, "I'm sure Toothless did everything he could at the time to save Stormfly. He is a good alpha, with a good heart." She turned to look at Hookfang again. "Go, Hookfang. Grieve properly. You two can work this out when your heads are clearer."

I looked on in awe as Hookfang turned away and took to the skies, trying to get away before we saw his face crumble, finally showing his true feelings. I saw it anyway.

I turned to Meatlug once he was gone and said gratefully, "Thank you."

She turned to me as well and gave me a sad smile, "You're welcome, alpha Toothless. You should go too. Your human and his mate are grieving as well. You should be with them."

Meatlug was usually so quiet, definitely the quietest in our group. But every once in awhile, she would remind us of just how caring she could be.

I listened to her counsel and nodded my thanks again before turning and bounding away towards Hiccup's house. Clearly, everyone was trying to deal with Stormfly's passing as best they could. For me, I needed to be with Hiccup. And based on the state of our bond, he needed me too.


I bounded up the hill and leapt up, climbing the house, to get into the large opening that was the entrance to my room. As soon as I was in I smelled the tears, wafting up from downstairs. I slipped from my room and padded quietly down the now dragon-sized stairs to the ground floor.

Sitting before the fireplace was Hiccup and Astrid. Astrid was wrapped up in a fur blanket and nestled securely in Hiccup's side, head resting gently on his chest. His right arm was wrapped around her shoulder, holding her tight, while his left hand held the hand that was just barely poking out from the furry bundle. As I neared, I could clearly see Hiccup's thumb making little circles over Astrid's hand, Astrid's red, tear-stained face, and the wet mess that had become one side of Hiccup's shirt. Still, he didn't seem to notice. He was so lost between the woman he loved and the thoughts running through his head that he didn't even notice me until I crooned gently. Hiccup looked up and saw me, head near the floor and eyes downcast, and I felt a bit of affection thrum through our bond. That only made me feel even more guilty. All the same, Hiccup disengaged his hand from Astrid's and motioned for me to come over.

I approached slowly, fully aware that Astrid might not take kindly to my presence. But when she looked up and saw me, only the tiniest smile tugged at her lips. To see such a little thing on the tear-tracked face of the strongest viking woman I've ever known broke my heart.

Both Hiccup and Astrid extended their hands to me and as I curled myself around them, they rested their hands on my head, stroking gently. I heard Astrid hiccup slightly and smelled the fresh tears before I looked up to see them making their way down her face. Hiccup pulled her close to him again and I wrapped myself tighter around them.

I don't know how long we sat there together before sleep claimed us, but I know it didn't take too long before the smell of Astrid's tears were joined by another and my heart cried for both the humans I loved so dearly and my departed friend.


Thank you for reading my story! I'll update again soon. And don't worry, we'll see our mysterious dragoness again soon. Don't forget to review if you feel so inspired and enjoy all the other wonderful stories on this site just waiting to be read!