Hey there lads and lassies...

So. This is awkward.

Before you ask, yes, I realize it has been a little over two months. I have gotten a few reviews and PMs reminding me of that fact. That being said, this is the point where one would usually give a long and boring explanation... Well, I wont put you guys through that. I'll just give you the short and sweet version.

I wont deny the fact that graduation was part of it. I was obviously very insanely busy. However, a few of you (those who PMed me asking me where the he** I was), are aware of my... *ahem* ..."incident". That, I will not go into great detail about. Lets just say that it is incredibly difficult to do practically anything at all when your body is broken like that. If you would like to know more, feel free to PM me. I don't mind sharing. It would just be a waste of chapter space for me to explain it all on here. :)

So anyway, here we are! I hope you guys haven't lost interest in the story with me being gone so long... I hope you can understand. Postings will now resume to Mondays for the time being, and will increase back to Mondays and Fridays at a later date.

You may want to go back and reread the last three chapters, just to jog your memory, but I'll help you right here too. This chapter enters into the morning of the teen's departure from the safe shores of Berk out to prove themselves Vikings. Hiccup was having a hard time with this, but Ari has helped her through it (being very generous with his words and kisses...). Stoick has also informed Hiccup that she will marry Ari, not Martyr, and now she feels closer to him than ever, though she hasn't shared this little fact with him yet. Hiccup is also struggling with how she thinks the Tribe views her as their future Chieftain, and Toothless is very rightly upset at her departure.

Well, that's about it! Hope you guys like it, though in my opinion this chapter is a little slow... Oh well. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiccup woke early the next morning. Actually, it wasn't quite dawn yet, and this was the fifth time she had woken from her fitful slumber. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, not even bothering to try and go back to sleep. She doubted she would have much success, and she had to get up soon anyway. Everyone rose with the sun for the Hunting Trip.

Gods. It had come up so fast. Now, it was finally here. She guessed that this was the reason for her lack of sleep. Yes, she felt safe with Ari and her friends by her side. She knew that they would all protect each other. But still, she couldn't help but be a little nervous, and was kept awake by such. It was a big deal, their rite of passage. It was tradition. It was dangerous. And when they came back, they wouldn't be kids anymore. They would be full members of the Tribe.

But it would be okay. They would be okay. Ari had promised this, and Ari never broke his promises. As long as they all stayed together, they would come back alive and victorious. She might feel more secure, though, if her best friend were permitted to come with her.

Thinking this, she shifted to her side, coming face to face with her Night Fury. He laid on the bed with her, taking up almost every inch of it. She imagined that it wasn't very comfortable for him, but he slept with her anyway. Mostly it was just when she was sick or hurt or he was just feeling overly affectionate or possessive. In this case, he was upset that she was leaving. He was taking it pretty hard, which made sense. Since the beginning, there had only been a couple of times that they had been apart for more than a few hours. Now, they would be separated for nearly five days. Toothless was not happy about this.

He wasn't the only one. Hiccup's heart ached at the thought of being away from him so long. He was her dragon, and she his rider. They were best friends. But, it went deeper than that. While all of those on Berk with dragons shared a special bond with them, Hiccup and Toothless' was somehow stronger. It had something to do with how they were the first ones, not killing each other when everything in their world told them they should, and then learning about each other and building trust. It also had something to do with their missing limbs, his tail fin and her leg. She had shot him down, grounding him in the process. He had saved her life, condemning her to a prosthetic as the price. Now, they needed each other. Toothless couldn't fly without her, and with her help, he took her to places Vikings had never known before.

They were with each other everyday, flew with each other everyday. But, for the next five days, they wouldn't be. It was going to be a very long five days.

She checked the sky's status. It was still a good half hour before sunrise. They had time.

"Toothless," she whispered. His eyes opened lazily to meet hers. "Want to go for one last flight?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ari rolled over once again, trying in vain to get comfortable.

He sighed heavily. It was no use. He couldn't calm himself enough. He'd woken up several times throughout the night, having difficulty falling back to sleep. Then, whenever he did, he would have nightmares. Actually, he had been having nightmares for weeks. It seemed that every other time he closed his eyes his mind would imagine the unbearable scenario of Hiccup's death. Rogue arrow. A Whispering Death. Training accident. Tripping on her prosthetic and falling from some great height. Drowning was a popular one. But whatever the cause, the image of Hiccup's cold, lifeless body haunted him.

It was unnerving. Why was he having these dreams? It's not like Hiccup was in any immediate danger. Plus, he would protect her on the Hunting Trip. All would be fine. Right? So why worry?

He had asked his mother about it, who consulted the elder Gothi. They had just told him it was nerves, that it would pass once they got back. Had he been a girl, Gothi would have declared his dreams to be a look into the future, the Gods giving him a preview in order to give him the chance to prevent it. But he wasn't. He was glad he wasn't. The thought of Hiccup actually almost dying tore at his heart so much that he had to force himself to stop thinking about it.

He tried to let his mind wander, to think about other things. This was difficult until a sound pulled him from his anxious trance.

Freyja stretched from her spot on the floor next to his bed. She lifted her head to look at him and cooed as he sat up. He smiled patting her affectionately. She hummed and pressed her snout to his middle.

"Ah, Freyja..." he dragged out her name as he scratched her thoroughly. She leaned into him, sighing as he did so.

He loved Freyja. She was an amazing, beautiful Nadder. Though vain, she was strong, determined, and loyal. She was a quick and willing learner, a master flyer, and a bit of a show off. More than once, when they had been flying over the ocean, she had turned sideways to look at her reflection in the water, dropping Ari in the process due to the quick, unfortunate angle that unlatched his harness. Yes, she was a bit self praising and over confident, but he loved her all the same. She was his dragon, and he her rider. They were a great pair, as friends and in the air.

Thinking this, he caught her attention as he spoke again. "Freyja?" She cocked her head to the side to look at him. "Want to go for one last flight?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiccup closed her eyes and breathed in deep, letting the cold air fill her lungs. Flying still hadn't lost it's effect. Being up in the air... it was amazing. And every once in awhile, she would close her eyes and let the wind blow on her face and through her hair while Toothless sailed smooth. It was peaceful, relaxing. But this was only allowed for a moment. She opened her eyes and clicked the stirrup.

Toothless responded accordingly, shifting up and then falling into a side spin. Toothless loved spinning, she had come to learn. He did it as often as he could. She didn't mind it. In fact, she loved it. But it couldn't even compare to her absolute favorite move.

She clicked the stirrup again and they started climbing, just as the sun's rays began to clear the horizon. They climbed, up and up and up into the clear winter sky. Then, with another click to the stirrup, they stopped. Toothless was still as she unhooked her harness and jumped off the saddle, diving backwards in an acrobatic move through the air and towards the ocean below.

She spun, then fell straight, keeping her arms and legs locked at her sides. She was like an arrow, speeding by, hardly making a sound. Again, she kept her eyes closed and let the wind blow past her face. This, freefalling down toward the earth, was by far the most thrilling thing ever. There she was, high in the sky, falling towards her death. But she wasn't. She wouldn't die. She was cheating, her Night Fury standing by to catch her. She was doing something no other Viking had done before her, playing at the feet of the Gods themselves, and now cheating death. And just for a second, as she sped through the air, completely weightless, she felt like she was flying all on her own.

She took another deep breath, then opened her eyes and spread out her arms and legs, slowing her fall. She would have to get back on Toothless soon. The ground was closing in. She shifted her head to the side to look at the dragon. He met her eyes, giving her a gummy smile. She laughed at the sight. She doubted that would ever get old either.

Smoothly, she positioned herself next to him and latched herself back into place, then shifted the stirrup and leveled out. They came very close to the water. So much so that they had to climb again to clear the cliffs of Berk. It was stupid. It was crazy. But then again, so was everything else in their life that had happened lately.

She pat her dragon's head prasingly. "Good job, sweetie." He hummed in response.

Faintly, she heard a whistle sound through the air. She knew that whistle. She searched around for it until her eyes came to rest on Ari and Freyja, flying towards her. They weren't the only ones. She saw Fishlegs and Meatlug pulling up the rear, as well as the twins with Doppelganger and Snotlout with Inferno. Apparently, no one could sleep that morning.

"Couldn't sleep?" Ari asked her as the pair leveled out beside them.

Hiccup shook her head. "Not a chance."

"Same here." He gestured around. "All of us."

The others greeted her as they caught up. "We've got about an hour until we have to be ready," called Ruffnut, a smile growing on her lips. "Anyone want to race?"

And so they did, the six of them and their dragons. They raced and tried to out trick one another for as long as they could, dreading the moment when they would have to land.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~

The teens stood in a straight line in front of their Chief, listening as he gave them his last words of advice. Their dragon's stood behind them, just as orderly, carrying the teen's packs and weapons.

Hiccup's eyes left her father and trailed down the line to her right. Tuffnut stood directly beside her, Twit the Terror ever present on his shoulders, with his sister just after. They looked bored, and she doubted that they were listening. Snotlout stood beyond them, looking considerably more focused, which was surprising. She had guessed that he would be just as bored, having the attention span of a sparrow. Then again, Snotlout had changed a lot recently. He had definitely matured the most, though he had had some catching up to do. In stark contrast to how he would have looked earlier in the year, he stood tall and at attention, brows furled in concentration as he hung on their Chief's every word. And then there was Fishlegs at the end, the even larger boy than he was previously looking practically the same as he did half a year ago. The only real differences were his even bigger size and the practically full beard he had growing. Other than that, he looked just as anxious and awkward as always.

Then she glanced over at Ari. He looked, for lack of any better word, perfect. Strong, focused, straight-backed. She took in his size again, how he had grown several more inches. He didn't have any facial hair like the other boys, though she had a feeling that he shaved. She didn't think he would let it grow much until it was even and full. Otherwise it would bother him to no end. That wouldn't be too long, though.

He looked just as a full blown Viking ought to look. And Freyja behind him, his pack hanging off the horn on her snout, mirrored him perfectly. She stood tall and proud, as if she too were listening to the great Chief's words.

Thinking this, Hiccup quickly turned her head back to her father, realizing that she should probably be paying more attention.

"This is all the advice I can give you," the great man said. Hiccup silently cursed herself, knowing she had missed practically the whole speech.

"But," her father continued, "in the end, it will be your own wits and ability that will keep you alive. But you shouldn't just rely on yourself. No, that would be unwise." He looked down at each of them, catching each of the young viking's eyes in the process. "My last and most important piece of advice for you is this: look out for one another. Protect one another. And fight. Fight with everything you have, until there is nothing left. And when that happens, well... You're Vikings, and Vikings don't die lying down." He paused a moment, letting this sink in. He certainly had all of their attention now. "Keep each other alive. Put the others before yourself. Should you die, die a warrior's death." He cracked a smile. "We'll all see you in Valhalla."

He shook his head, releasing himself and the young Vikings in front of him from his trance. "But, I'm getting ahead of myself. This is just a hunting trip." Hiccup let out a sigh of relief, hearing more than one of her friends do the same beside her. Her father had a way of shaking people up inside, even if it was unintentional. "You will be fine, so long as you follow your instincts and protect one another. You will hunt, you will bring back food for your tribe, and you will return as true Vikings of Berk."

The crowd around them cheered, and the young almost-Vikings smiled. This was it. They were off, and now they had the spirits of the Tribe backing them.

"Now, off with you all!" Stoick shouted amidst the cheers. "And return by the fourth sunset!" At that, the teens turned to bid their dragons goodbye.

Hiccup grabbed her pack off of Toothless' back, working the large thing over her shoulders. "Thanks, sweetie," she told him. He hummed, though reluctantly, then pressed a somewhat slobbery boot in his mouth to her middle.

"Oh, thank you." She took it from him, the boot she had designed specifically for the trip. She sat on the ground and proceeded to undo the straps from her prosthetic. She slipped the thing off, immediately wincing as biting cold touched the tender skin. Quick as she could manage, she placed what was left of her left leg in the boot, into a snug holder outfitted with a spring mechanism for a near-natural walking pattern, and strapped in. She tucked in her leggings, a smile of satisfaction spread on her lips.

"New leg?" Came her father's voice. He put out a hand to help her up. She took it, and righted herself in front of him.

"Sort of," she explained. "It has almost the same design, only with a boot over it so that i can have the traction. And there's a weight in the toe, for balance."

He continued to stare at it, observing her work. "I looks real."

Hiccup looked down as well. It did look like a real leg. If someone didn't know any better, they wouldn't know the difference.

Hiccup merely shrugged. "I suppose so. The idea behind it was just so that I wouldn't be as clumsy. But," she went on, lifting her leg and moving it around, "It's pretty heavy. We'll see how this trip goes. And Toothless' stirrup can easily be adjusted to fit the boot. I'll just have to get used to the weight."

The large man shrugged. "The longer you leave it on, the easier it will be to manage. You will get stronger."

Hiccup let out a weak laugh. "At least it makes me look stronger." There, her other reason for the leg. It looked real. It distracted people away from the fact that she was crippled. It made people forget her weakness. It made her look stronger. That was the idea, anyway.

"Oh, lass," she heard her father sigh, and looked up to meet his eyes. "No one doubts your strength. Even if we did, even if anyone did, you've already proved that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

But it did matter. At least, it did in this context. She was the official heir of the tribe and future Chieftain. How could she do that if her people constantly looked at her and saw weakness? No. She needed to be more than that. She needed to be more than the scrawny girl that broke all the rules. She needed to be strong. Because it did matter what her tribe thought of her. How could he, the current Chief, not understand that?

She kept her mouth shut though, as he continued. "You've proved yourself stronger than any of us. The only person you haven't proved it to yet is yourself." He placed a hand on her head, patting her copper hair. "Perhaps, by the time you get back, you will see what the rest of us see."

She doubted anyone else could see what he saw, whatever that was, besides Ari. And they were both biased. But again, she didn't voice her uncertainty, instead settling on a nod.

Her father gave her another long glance. "I guess I'll keep this safe for you, then," he said, taking the metal prosthetic from her.

She shrugged as she handed it to him. "Sure." She had actually had her mind set on tossing the thing. But she could do that when she got back.

Stoick pat her hair again. "You'll be alright, lass. Just remember all you've been taught, and we'll see you soon."

She nodded, then stepped forward and hugged

him. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Hiccup," she heard him murmur into her hair, then squeezed her tighter. It was right then that she realized it. Right then, as he was hugging her, she she realized how hard and frightening it was for him too. And it was that, despite everything else, that made her want to cry.

But she didn't. That would be weak. Instead, she hugged him for a few seconds more, then pulled away without another word. Then she turned to Toothless.

The dragon hummed as he looked down at her from his upright sitting position. There was really nothing to say. They had said everything that needed to be said during their flight that morning. So, she simply stepped up to the Night Fury and threw her arms around his neck.

The dragon purred and rested his head on her shoulder, while his paw came up and wrapped around her tiny frame.

"I'll miss you, Toothless," she said into his midnight scales, trying with all her might to hold back the tears. She pulled back and met his eyes with a wary smile. "But I'll be back soon, okay?"

In response to this, he licked her, then smiled at her with that toothless, gummy smile, which made her laugh. This, she guessed, was the point, as Toothless would always try to cheer her up when she was upset. It worked. He cooed happily.

Ari appeared at her side. "Ready?"

She sighed. "As I'll ever be." She turned back to her dragon and stood on her toes, planting a kiss on his head. "I'll see you soon, sweetie."

The rest of the teens were finishing up their own goodbyes. When they were done, they all stood together and faced their small ship, the one that would take them on their journey. But no one moved. In fact, they all looked to Hiccup. She was the leader. She was their further Chieftain. She was the one who changed their world. She was the one that had led them into battle before, and now, she would lead them on the trip. They looked to her, and this was one of the many moments, Hiccup realized, that she would have to step up and prove herself. So she did.

Ari was eying her as well, waiting for the okay. Finally, she hitched her pack higher up on her shoulders, took a breath, and turned to him with a nod.

With that, as she moved forward, he fell into step right behind her to her side, as any second in command would, and together they walked up the plank, the others in tow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you have it! Hope you liked it, and that the continuation of this story was worth my absence. Once again, if you have any question/comments/concerns, I have no problem answering. Just didn't want to bore all the people who don't care to know by putting a long explanation up here. :)

Also, as you might have noticed, the title is slightly different. Being gone so long has given me time to ponder such things as character growth and arches. Therefore... SUBTITLES. :D These, I feel, will just add to the epicness that is this trilogy, and will add emphasis to how the characters change over the years and their own personal arches. And so, The Mirrors of Eyes is now "The Mirrors of Eyes: The Outcasts". In the Eye of a Pirate is now "In the Eye of a Pirate: The Vikings". And finally, Through the Eyes of Children is now "Through the Eyes of Children: The Warriors"

And now, here is a quote from such. From the upcoming story, 'Through the Eyes of Children: The Warriors', here's a quote from... Camacazi!

"I don't want to be the future Chieftain of a Tribe that's responsible for the senseless murder of a great man! I don't want to have anything to do with it! With this Tribe, with this family, and especially not you!"

Snap. Who could she be talking about, I wonder? :S Guess you'll just have to wait and find out!

Write on, my friends.

~StoriesOfAnInsomniac