Hello again. In this chapter, Hiccup finds out why she'd different and meets a new friend who only wanted to be alone. Posting this chapter 9-1-2014. Next chapter to be posted in 4-5 days. I'd like to give a big thank you to everyone as well as to Warrior Nun for being an amazing beta reader. Thank you and please enjoy.

…

Hiccup tried her hardest to keep the tears from falling down her face as she and her family returned home after the raid, her tiny arms wrapped around her mother's neck for both comfort and to hide her defeated expression. She thought of what she had done and what the elderly man had said, finally coming to a disquieting reality…

She was different.

She just wanted to play; to be free and run around like it was what she was meant and born to do.

What did I do wrong? Hiccup wondered silently as the door to the house opened as she, her mother, father, her uncle, Alvin, and Gobber entered. The fire was left lit, forming shadows over the walls and floor as they all stayed silent till Stoick walked over to Valka to comfort his daughter.

"Hiccup," he softly called, her head motioning towards him with small dewdrops over her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup meekly whimpered, forcing the droplets to stay where they were.

Stoick caught his breath before placing a palm onto her warm cheek, wiping away the little droplets from her lids. He wasn't angry with her for running off. He could never be angry with her. He knew Hiccup was naturally curious; he was just worried that she could have gotten hurt. Thank the gods she didn't but he knew what Mildew had said about her really struck her badly.

"It's not your fault, sweetie, you're still too young to understand," he leaned down and kissed her cheek lightly.

"I'll take her back to bed, she's had a rough night," Valka said turning towards the staircase to Hiccup's room, nuzzling her soft hair with her chin as they both faded from view.

"The nerve of the old man, accusing an innocent child of something so outrageous," Alvin bitterly scowled as he took seat on a wooden chair by the kitchen table. "An' Hiccup of all people. Why if ya hadn't of stopped me Stoick, I would have shown the geezer a real demon," he was trying not to shout, keeping his gruff voice to a subtle bark.

"Believe me, Al, I'm not thrilled about this either." Stoick sighed as he sat on a chair by the fireplace, poking at the coals with a fire iron. His mind traced back to those vivid minutes passed, and how on the inside he wanted to snap.

…

He had lost sight of Hiccup, she was just too fast. There was fire climbing up walls and everyone was shouting. The sound of high-pitched cries filled the air and everyone knew what was coming.

After the villages first encounter with the dark shadow, an investigation was held, with little results as to what had so easily demolished the study machine. It was one of the village elders who identified the call of the creature as that of the unholy offspring of lighting and death itself. The dreaded…

"NIGHT FURY!" someone screamed out as a warning before another yelled.

"GET DOWN!"

Its flash of blue fire destroyed yet another catapult, rendering the village's aerial defense into burning piles of destruction. With the entire village covered in flames, nearly all hope lost, many began to cough as suffocation took hold of their lungs. Stoick was brought to his knees, the fear that his only child, still so young and full of life would meet her untimely end by death of smoke.

As if by an act of mercy from the gods, a soothing gale of fresh mist shrouded the village, smothering the flames and pushing away the toxic miasma, leaving only the dewy fragrance of meadows and a feeling of rejuvenation.

The illness within everyone's lungs began to heal, their energy restored as if given a day of relaxation. Many of the injured men and women, covered in cuts, bruise and burn marks could feel their skin become restored as the mist touched their forms.

It was a miracle sent by the gods, they all whispered in praise.

Soon everyone was back on their feet, the dragons also retreating seeing their fires disappearing and once they got what they wanted. It was a moment later when there was a sound of bellowing from a man. Turning around, the villagers were left to watch in dismay at the sight of little Hiccup, hastily running away from Mildew as he attempted to lunge his staff to her small body. She looked petrified by his actions and they didn't blame her. He had the look of a mad man on his face, shouting out the words.

"Demon Child!"

Hiccup immediately sped towards her mother who scooped her up, shielding her away from the elderly lunatic. Alvin and Stoick blocked Mildew's path towards the child, both men with looks of utter rage and rancor.

"She's a sorceress! An abomination...!"

…

It had taken everything inside of Stoick to not simple beat Mildew for uttering such dark words to his child, but he was still a chief and needed to act like one. It pained his heart so much because he desperately wanted to defend his child's honor.

"I should have done something…" Stoick argued to himself.

"And what then?" Gobber started in an understanding tone. "You did the only thing you could do as the chief. I know you feel you've let her down, Stoick, but there comes a time where you have to be a chief as well as a father. Each is a difficult task on its own."

"Well I've had it with Mildew an' his sour attitude. Since he met her he's been telling everyone she's destined to be a great leader, and now he's off feeding lies about her to the entire neighborhood. It's perjury of the lowest kind!" Alvin pounded his mighty fist to the table, sending a bowl of fresh fruit tumbling to the side.

Valka slowly made her way down the steps, her arms wrapped around herself. Her expression was low and her blue eyes looked as though they were on the verge of tears.

Stoick lifted himself off his seat and embraced her in a comforting hold. She was always the closest to Hiccup, she understood her far more than he did and he knew this pained her most out of everyone.

"It's going to be alright, dear. We'll figure something out," he soothed her as he stroked her long auburn braids.

At the sensation of his hands around her, she broke down, large trails of tears running down her thin face. "She's not a monster," she managed between her sobs. "I wish things weren't so complicated…"

Stoick couldn't hold back the single tear that fell from his face as he pressed his lips over her forehead.

" Me too, dear," he managed as Alvin and Gobber both joined in, all embracing Valka as her moaned for a better future for her Hiccup.

…

Up the steps and away from her father's, uncle's and Gobber's sight and sound, Hiccup softly spoke to her mother, "Mama."

"Yes, dear," Valka answered as they made it to the cradle.

"You're human?"

Valka paused for a moment before confessing, "Yes."

"And Daddy?"

"Yes," she answered, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Normal humans don't talk to and turn into dragons, do they?" Hiccup was far more advanced in language then people realized. Her mother had asked her to keep her words to a minimum around others and she now knew it was because she wasn't average.

To Valka, this was one of the toughest answers of her life. She knew Hiccup was still human, but that was simply a part of her, the other half wasn't. "No…"

"Mama?"

Valka looked down to her child, seeing the small dews of tears rolling down her pink cheeks. They shined and glittered a crystal-like radiance, as if quartz was turned to pure liquid. It took everything in her not to join her daughter in tears.

Hiccup's small voice was shaking as she held her hand to her face. "I know things. About the rains and winds, the seasons, the stars…" Hiccup looked out to the skylight.

It severed a reminder of the day she met her brother and first transformed. Her mother insisted to her father that he leave an opening when he was repairing the roof, so she could see the stars and have light at night. They would both go to check on her some nights, only to find her out of the cradle and be seated on the floor as she watched the lights in the sky with the eyes of a true star-gazer.

"I know our language and writings as well as dragons' speech," her green eyes darted to her mother's, more tears flowing down. "What am I?"

Valka had to muster all her courage in order not to cry before her child. It wasn't Hiccup's fault she was born this way; if anything it was a blessing and a curse that she touched the crystal statue not so long ago. She was so clever but she had to hide that from the world as well as her other form. Valka had to constantly keep watch on her because she still didn't have control over her shape shifting and her biggest fear was for Hiccup being seen and hurt by the very people she was around. Just like today. When Mildew confessed to seeing her Runner form, she had gone pale. Thankfully no one believed his claims but if only they knew how right he was about her being a dragon.

But her daughter could never be a monster. If saying she was, she was admitting that all dragons were and she knew that wasn't the case anymore. The Storm Cutter was kind to her and her child. Hiccup, her little Mist Runner, was a blessing. All her life, she preached how they were merely misunderstood creatures and she was right.

Hiccup was a bridge between two worlds, one of man and one of dragon. She'd grow to see both sides of the realms, their beauty as well as their destruction as well as eventually learning the truth about her Viking heritage. Valka and Stoick had yet to tell her about the raids, the dragons and her people's purpose and reason for being here on an island at sea known as Berk. Once she knew...how would she react to the violence of man and the carnage of beast?

"You're Hiccup. My sweet child…" Valka said holding her close. "You're so special to your father and I. This world…I fear it is not yet ready to accept you so willingly like I am."

"Can we ever tell anyone?" Hiccup asked as her tears were drawing her closer to sleep.

"The way our world is now, no. I pray one day the universe will change and you won't need to hide yourself anymore," Valka whispered as she laid her child onto her cradle and tucked her in.

Slowly, Hiccup's eyes began to close into sleep, the final tears rolling down her face as Valka kissed them away. She tried to dream of a world where she could freely be herself as both human and dragon, but all she saw was fire and men chasing her away with sticks.

…

Taking a step onto the damp moss, Hiccup paced forward into the tree lands, going further with every passing minute. It wasn't long before she felt close to the source of this magnetic pull onto her body. She was over a cliff by the time the echoes were close enough for her to feel on the tips of her padded paws.

Rising before the sun, Hiccup left her house before her parents awoke. She could feel a sudden vibration, luring her outside, a continual rhythmic pulsation and she had to go find it. For a long time, she had been able to feel it and today she'd figure out what it could possibly be. She didn't want to worry her family by leaving, but she just had to know what this feeling inside of her was.

Looking over the cliff side, she could see a gaping hole on the side of the stone rising. She calculated if she could make the jump down and once feeling confident, plunged down to the opening. The inside of the cave was warm and slightly damp with the smell of ocean spray. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and could see her big brother resting comfortably on the ground. She had wondered where he'd gone to and her tail wagged knowing he never left. Slowly making her way towards him, she could see how massive he was compared to her.

He looked so peaceful to the point where Hiccup instinctively curled up right beside him, trying not to stir him awake. Unfortunately, he was a light sleeper and once her fur made contact with his scales, his eyes shot open to see her by his side.

"How'd you get here, little sister?" he softly asked, leaning down to nuzzle her face.

"I believe I followed your heartbeat," she softly answered before swallowing the lump in her throat. "May I ask you something, brother?"

"Of course."

"What am I?" her eyes dilated as she chirped.

The Storm Cutter looked down to his Mist Runner sibling as he lifted himself up. He knew this day would come and was both thrilled and saddened by what had to be said.

She listened to his words intently. She was distraught by the realities before her. How man and dragon were at war, and how her kind were killed for material gain. It was a lot to take in and all she could do was cuddle closely to her brother as he told her everything.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked once finished with his tale.

Hiccup nodded and nuzzled herself deeper onto him. "Can you teach me? About my heritage? Please train me to be a dragon."

Taking hold of her small soft body with his wings, he held her close to his heart so she could feel its beating. "That's all I ever wanted."

…

"Do you really have to leave so early in the season?" Valka asked as she handed Stoick his travel sack.

The pier was full of Vikings either getting ready to board ship or say their farewells to others. It was an early fall morning, and the winds had been fair, a good sign for traveling.

"I'm sorry, but the sooner we head out and locate the nest, the better life will be here for everyone," he weakly smiled before giving her a sweet peck. "Don't worry, I'll be back." He looked down to Hiccup as she watched her father with big eyes. Kneeling to her level, he gave his little girl a cozy hug, not wanting to let her go or to go himself. "I'll be leaving for a few days, Hiccup. I'm counting on you to be brave for your mother because I know she'll miss me very much. Can you do that for me?" he smiled to her, wanting her final image of him being that of a happy face.

"I will. I'll be here," she softly whispered to him putting on her pluckiest face.

"What are ya talking about, Stoick? We all know Hiccup an' me sis are gonna miss me more," Alvin joked as he slapped him on the back.

"Oh you think so?" Stoick smirked mockingly as he rose to his friend's side. "Tell us Hiccup, who are you going to miss the most? You're Uncle Alvin or me?"

Hiccup looked over to both men whom she'd known for three years. She loved them both dearly. Her father taught her to write and showed her how to read maps and she enjoyed every minute of it. Her uncle liked to joke around a lot and they would fight/play with small wooden swords where he'd be a breakneck buccaneer and she'd be a fearless conqueror. He'd always let her win and she enjoyed those moments very much. Thinking long and hard, she smiled brightly before giggling out loud at the sight of someone else.

"Both! Gobber!" she ran out to him as he wheeled a large crate full of weapons.

Stoick and Alvin watched as she sped towards him, both laughing hardly to her answer and to her running circles around the blacksmith. They knew she enjoyed his tales of adventures and mystical creatures.

"Mornin'!" Gobber called out as he made it to Valka, Alvin and Stoick, Hiccup wrapping herself tightly onto his wooden leg. "Here are those weapons you ordered: five dozen swords, four dozen axes, forty-nine spears and three dozen cases of bolas, coming to a grand total of…"

"One hundred ninety-three!" Hiccup shouted out as she released herself from his leg.

Gobber looked down to her before pulling out a spreadsheet from his back pocket and doing the math. His eyes widened as he realized she was correct.

"I don't know how she does it sometimes," Stoick confessed before patting her on the head.

Once the weapons were boarded and everyone was on their ships ready to set sail, Hiccup gave one final farewell wave to her father and uncle as they sailed further away till there was nothing left over the horizon but a small speck.

"Come on, Hiccup, let's get ourselves some groceries before we head home," Valka insisted, Hiccup following close behind with her little Storm Cutter toy at hand.

The market place wasn't too crowded now that many had left, making it was easy for Valka to pick to the things she and Hiccup would enjoy together. Hiccup was busy admiring her toy till she sensed someone staring at her uncomfortably. Looking behind her, she could see Mildew, glaring daggers at her in the worst way possible. Ever since that fateful night, she felt she now had to always be still and as far away from him as humanly probable. Leaning closer to her mother, she wrapped her arm around her leg for comfort.

Feeling this, Valka looked to see where Hiccup was staring at and her eyes narrowed to the old man and his sheep companion. Gathering her items and paying for them, she nudged Hiccup to follow and both made their way towards home.

Before reaching the house, they bumped into Finn and Aarne by the bakery, both making their way home as well after collecting bread.

"Morning, Finn, Aarne," Valka smiled to both.

"Good morning to you too, Val, Hiccup," Finn greeted kindly.

"Hello, Mr. Hofferson and Aarne," little Hiccup smiled brightly as she looked to Aarne who turning away from her sights.

"Hello," he coldly spoke.

Aarne was now walking on his own, and had short straight locks of gold like his uncle but he still couldn't look Hiccup directly in the eyes, she was still too odd for him. At first he thought it was because he didn't like the idea of being friends with a girl but that wasn't the case when their neighbors, the Thorson's, had twins, one of them a girl and he didn't seem to mind her but there was something about Hiccup that didn't seem to fit right with him. The other young Vikings were like him, tough and wanting to fight. Hiccup never seemed to want to play with them or be around them but was always polite when meeting them and never wished to fight. She was…different.

While the two adults talked about current events, Hiccup stepped forward towards Aarne with a bounce. "Would it be alright if we could be friends, Aarne?"

He looked over to her from the corner of his blue eyes, glaring at her. That smile… he thought. It made him feel sick on the inside to see that toothy smile of hers. "No, freak," he spat bitterly, quiet enough for only her to hear.

Hiccup's eyes widened and her smile disappeared. She knew this word all too well, she would hear many of the adults call her this after Mildew started pointing out things about her like her intelligence and agility to walk and run at such a young age as well as her strange fascination with the forest. They always spoke it softly, but she had excellent hearing and picked up on every bitter word aimed at her. She couldn't understand why they would say such horrible things about her. She was always courteous to everyone, even Mildew. Retreating back in her steps, she stood by her mother with her head down in silence.

Aarne looked towards her fully, seeing her defeated face and a new emotion fell over him. It stung his heart and made his inner being feel dark and disgusting. This was his first pain of guilt. He knew what he said wasn't polite, however he wasn't expecting this kind of a reaction from her, he thought she would just smile and continue on with being Hiccup. He reached his hand out to apologize, only to find her hiding on the opposite end of her mother's side away from him. She wouldn't even face him and for the first time he wanted her to. Before he could make amends, they parted their separate ways, he looking back to see her holding onto her mother's hand for comfort.

He hurt her really bad.

When Valka and Hiccup returned home, they began putting the food away. Noticing her daughter's low expression, Valka leaned close to her. "Something troubling you, dear?"

Her eyes still down, Hiccup responded with a question. "May I play outside with big brother today, please?"

Hiccup had told her mother about her history and all she now knew about dragons. Valka was greatly impressed with her daughter's thirst to be a part of both worlds and wondered when the time came, what side she would choose to stand by. Over the past two years Hiccup managed to gain control over her shifting and would only morph when she was either with the Storm Cutter or when she was alone with her mother. She felt terrible to have to hide something like this from Stoick, the one person she could trust with anything, but as a mother she knew she had to keep her child safe.

"Of course, dear. Be careful," Valka softly nudged her towards the back door, seeing the faint smile and glisten in her child's eyes as she bolted out into the green. "Come home before sunset, I'm making meatballs!" she called out with a smile.

"Brother," Hiccup howled out once at a fair distance from the village.

As usual, she hid her clothing under a hollowed tree so she wouldn't dirty them and they were quite uncomfortable to wear once she was in her Runner body. She couldn't sense his presence and figured he had duties to fulfill with the Alpha dragon he spoke so respectfully of. He told her one day he'd take her there to meet him so she could learn how to be an Alpha herself when the time came. Over their time together, they played and she learned of their origins as well as how to be a proper Mist Runner. With him, she didn't feel different, she felt at home.

Turning the corner by a large stone, she spotted a dark figure crouching as if ready to strike. Curiosity took hold and she silently crept close to the mumbling creature.

…

"The Night Fury is fearless. He's not afraid of anything. I'm gonna kill you deer, I'm gonna snap your neck and bring you to the prince," the young Night Fury cheered to himself, his eyes locked on a fawn. At three going on four, he was promoted to scouting duties, which meant going out and collecting food during the daytime. It was a dangerous task since they would be easy to spot, but he wasn't scared of Vikings. He arched his back more, not even noticing the thick layer of fog surrounding the area. "I'm focused. Nothing can get behind me…"

"Hello," the sound of a foreign bark startled him from his stooping position as he jumped into the air like a frightened cat.

Landing on his paws, he turned to see the fawn had run off and he scowled as he turned to the creature who dared to distract him. His eyes widened at what he saw. It was an adorable tan dragon about his age, but not like one he had ever seen before. That still didn't change the fact that he was angry.

"What's the big idea sneaking up on me like that?! I almost had that fawn where I wanted it!"

"Well you were mumbling pretty loudly and I thought you said nothing could get behind you," the furred dragon giggled.

His eyes slit as he pounced onto the female dragon. He hated being laughed at and would show this furball a piece of his mind. To his surprise, he was having a hard time actually pinning her down. Every time he'd try to claw and pounce towards her, she'd dodge him effortlessly. They tumbled about, getting covered in dirt and grass as they barked and hissed at each other like a bickering cat and dog. He finally managed to pin her front to the ground and was prepared to rip off her wings till he looked to only small cream-colored spots trailing her backside.

"You don't have wings?" he said out loud in a confused tone.

"I'm flightless! Now get off, you're heavy!" the female growled.

"No way, I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson. Nobody laughs at me and gets away with it," he was about to bite down on her nape when a ball of light appeared before his eyes and flashed onto his face. The blast didn't hurt; it felt like a spray of mist if anything but it distracted him enough for her to release herself from his weight.

"Well maybe next time you shouldn't monologue to yourself," she barked out to him with her tail flicking from side to side.

"I was not!" he hissed as they circled around each other.

"Was too," she yapped back.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"No," the brown dragon switched.

"YES, I WAS!" the Night Fury shouted before realizing she tricked him. He pouted and turned the other way; he was tired of her anyways.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you," she called out as he walked away.

"Well thankfully, I'm not you, so I'm going…AAAHHH!" he was stopped mid sentence by a netter trap. His body bounced several times before the net stabilized and he began thrashing about at the metal link chains in pure aggression. He looked out to the now seated female dragon about his size as her eyes watched him closely.

"I told…" she started.

"Shut up! You distracted me!" He continued to flay with no changes to his current situation to the point where he tried himself out by frustration. All the while the flightless dragon just stared at him as he swung from side to side. "What? Gonna laugh at me some more!"

"Would you like some help down? I know how these traps work. I won't tell anyone," she stood up and wagged her long thin fluffy tail. She had never really interacted with another dragon other than her brother. He was always sure that she keep herself hidden from other dragons but this one was fun, rude and a bit aggressive, but fun nonetheless.

"I don't need your help. I'm fine on my own," the Night Fury stubbornly huffed looking away from her till finally looking back.

There was something about her eyes that felt different from others he had known. She wasn't tough but was definitely faster than him and used light orbs to stun him. He couldn't put his claws on it but she wasn't a typical dragon and that wasn't counting her furry and wingless body.

"If you change your mind," she said before seating again. "I'll be right here. But a fair warning, the villagers come check these traps every week and tomorrow is the start of a new cycle." Closing her eyes, the female took a short nap.

The Night Fury watched her closely. She seemed to know more about the people here than he did. Does she live here? He questioned for a few moments before he got impatient and groaned out in fatigue. "Ugh! Fine, help me out. This is so humiliating…"

Perking her ears up she jumped awake and walked to the tree where the trap was situated. Using her blunt crystal talons, she expertly climbed up to the branch where the trap was held. Slowly she lowered her body down. "Engage the safety-pin, dislodge the trigger strut," she hummed as she motioned about.

"And you say I monologue...AAAHHH!" he fell onto the floor with a thump but was finally free.

"I'm teaching you a lesson, this way if you or any other dragons get caught, you'll know how to get out," she said getting off the chain rope and back to the ground where she pulled the metal net with her gem-like teeth. The action triggered it to spring back but this time it was empty.

The Night Fury wasn't used to acts of kindness outside of the Gronckle, so he wasn't too sure how to respond. "Thanks… Who are you?"

Hiccup kept silent. Her brother told her to never identify herself to another dragon unless she had to and felt safe doing so. She couldn't tell him her human name or what she was but she trusted him a bit more than her own people.

"I'm a Mist Runner. And you?" she asked leaning in closer to him, their snouts were very close.

He shied away a few steps from her not out of fear but bashfulness you could say. He had heard tales of Mist Runners from the Hive and to his and everyone's knowledge, they were extinct. But she did match the description of one and what reason would she have to lie to him? He cleared his throat before answering. "Night Fury."

"Oh, you're the one that keeps breaking the catapults. My big brother said that something like that had to be done by a powerful dragon. You must be strong!" her eyes lit up as she circled around him and he doing the same.

"I am. I heard Mist Runners were really fast. Is it true?" he was growing curious of the new dragon as he smirked.

"Naturally. I'm the fastest," she grinned back.

"I don't know? I'm quite the runner myself, no pun intended."

"Oh yeah! Wanna bet!" Hiccup challenged.

"You sure? I won't want you to ruin your pretty coat, Runner," he teased as he got into position.

"I'm so sure I'll win. I'll give you a ten second head start!"

They both took their positions and like she said, she gave him a head start. He was running like a wildcat, determined to out race the female till a swift breeze flew right past him.

"Come on, Fury, show me what you've got!" she provoked sticking out her tongue.

This only fueled his fire and he pushed harder, close to her but not nearly enough to be right by her side. They sped towards a stone wall, tall and study. He looked to her claws and knew she couldn't climb that but with her speed she was able to literally run up the flat structure before kicking her hind legs outward back towards the starting line. He smirked and followed suit, this time using his wings. If it was her running against his flying, there was no doubt in his head he'd win. His acceleration increased and flew right by her, shooting her a smug wink. Puffing out her cheeks, she bristled her fur and sprinted faster, a trail of mist behind her. Both were neck and neck by now, him pushing his wings to their limit as well as she to her legs. In the end, they weren't too sure who won the race as the stopped on a dime side by side, panting heavily before Hiccup pounced on top of him, barking as they rolled around.

They were both so entranced in their game, that they didn't see the Gronckle looking down on them till the Night Fury caught the Mist Runner by her tail.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to…" he began trying to cover up his tracks.

"It was my fault, I distracted him, it's not his fault, please don't be mad at him," Hiccup lowered her body and head in respect. The Night Fury's mouth went slightly ajar to her action and words, she was defending him.

The Gronckle looked down to the female dragon and his eyes widened. He knew immediately what she was and needless to say, he was speechless. Mist Runners were thought to be mainland dragons, so why was one on an island so far from its homeland?

"Settle down. I'm not here to punish anyone," the Gronckle smiled. "Mist Runner, why are you so far from home?"

"This is my home, sir," she answered politely.

"And your family?" he continued.

Hiccup held her words for a moment. "It's only my big brother and I."

The Gronckle was curious now. "And is he a Mist Runner too?"

"He's a…" she paused when she felt the atmosphere harden and turned to them.

"You have to go! Brother doesn't like strangers!"

The Night Fury was about to protest when the sound of heavy beatings filled the air and the outline of a Storm Cutter came into view as he flew past them.

"Well it was nice meeting you, Runner, we'll be taking our leave now," the Gronckle hastily shoved his pupil away from the now dangerous female. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was an angry, over protective Storm Cutter on his tail.

Walking away, the Night Fury looked back to the Mist Runner and turned around quickly and sped to her, rubbing her snout to his. It was a common dragon greeting and farewell sign, but it was also something one did when making a friend.

"I'll beat you next time we meet. And I won't fall for any of your tricks. I won't monologue either," he grunted before feeling her return the gesture.

"Well next time I have to be sneaky and get ya while you're flying, cheater," she didn't want to have to tell her new and first friend outside of her brother goodbye, so this would have to do.

They looked into each other's eyes and she leaned in and licked his cheek. His insides felt fuzzy and not thinking for another second flew off in the opposite direction, soon followed by his mentor who chuckled lightly.

Little did they know that below them, the Whispering Death listened carefully with dark intent in her snow-white eyes.

…

"Looks like you made quite the friend there, Night Fury," the Gronckle smirked once they retrieved some fawns for their prince.

"She's alright for a flightless dragon. But that doesn't mean we're friends or that I like her. I still think girls are gross."

The Gronckle smiled down to his pupil as they flew back to Dragon Island. "Ha-ha, one of these days you're going to change your mind about them and you'll be pining over one just like her."

"Please! Her and I? Never gonna happen. I'd sooner become flightless myself before I fall for her," he stuck his snout in the air and used one of his paws to wipe away the area she licked. It was dry but he still felt this warm tingling feeling over it and his heart was thumping like crazy. "I'm fine on my own."

…

After learning new things with her brother, whom she didn't tell of the Night Fury and Gronckle, she made her way home where she retrieved her clothing and turned back into a human. As she was making it towards the back door, a hard feeling came over the side of her head. From the far end of a boulder she could hear the snickers of three-year olds, Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut. They grew up on the tales that she was a freak and treated her like such. To them, she wasn't one of them. She talked funny, using big words and was always in the forest till nightfall.

Hiccup ignored them the best she could and entered her house to the smell of burnt yak. Gobber was seated on the far side of the table, staring at the plate of dark and charcoal like 'meatballs' Valka made. Somehow it seemed her cooking only managed to become worse over the years and as a friend he always came to eat dinner with her and Hiccup when Stoick was out for nest hunts.

"They're not that bad, Gobber, so stop making that face," Valka insisted as she took a bite out of one.

"What? The face of a man about to meet his untimely demise by the hands of his friend's horrid cooking? Was it that obvious?" he grimaced as he tapped the meatball with his spoon. Somehow despite its burnt nature it managed to jiggle about like flan.

Hiccup pulled out her seat and took a plate of her mother's meatballs along with a slice of bread and strawberry jam. She didn't mind her mother's cooking, she knew she put a lot of effort into it and it made her happy when she finished her plate.

Gobber leaned next to Hiccup and held her head close. "I can't believe you have this growing child eating this so-called food, Val. You've ruined her sense of taste for life," he pretended to cry.

"Oh, hush and eat your share, you big baby," Valka snipped as she smiled to her little girl who gladly ate her food on her plate till it was clean.

"I made a friend today," Hiccup said once her mouth was clear from bread.

"You did now? In the forest?" her mother asked.

Hiccup nodded. "He's very strong but a cheater at racing games."

"Was it a troll?" Gobber asked once he swallowed a meatball whole, feeling it roll around in his stomach like a rock. "They steal your socks you know."

"I don't think he was a troll," Hiccup smiled. "He was more like a big kitty-cat!"

"Well, tell your kitty-cat friend to be wary of those buggers. Took all my good left socks, the sneaky beast, but I'll get 'em one of these day!" he said lifting himself up.

"Don't be so dramatic," Valka smirked as she filled his plate with more meatballs.

…

"Anything to report?" Red Death commanded. The sun had set to another glorious day of him as prince.

"Conditions in the eastern quarters are faring well, soon the mother yaks will birth their young and there will be plenty for you to consume, my liege," the Gronckle answered looking in attention. He had thought over telling the prince about the Mist Runner and the Storm Cutter but went against it in the end. If he managed to gain either, and if he had the Runner, the Cutter would surely come, but it was too big a risk. She didn't deserve a life where she'd be treated as a stuffed doll for Red Death to ogle at. As a flightless dragon, she wouldn't be able to join in raids and breeding her would not be easy if that were to be Red Death's goal, seeing as she was presumably the last. He feared he'd try to mate her and the Night Fury, seeing as they were both of close age and he'd get a kick out of watching two prized dragons fornicate before his eyes. He couldn't allow that to happen to either of them.

"I, however, have incredible news," the Whispering Death grinned. "While over on the Isle known as Berk, I came across a very peculiar dragon."

The Gronckle shot daggers at her to not continue but to no avail.

"A dragon covered in a cloak of fur with the ability to accelerate even faster than a Night Fury," she gave the young dragon a cheeky look as he stood at attention. His eyes were wild towards her.

Red Death was truly intrigue by the revelation. "So, the Mist Runner lives and you didn't bring it here?"

"She is guarded by yet another marvelous creature, the Storm Cutter."

The hive began to mutter about. Two dragons of the mainland on an island after centuries of being gone, it was incredible.

Red Death looked to the Gronckle and the Night Fury. "Did you two happen to see these alleged dragons."

They both knew lying would only get them into deep trouble and if they did the Whispering Death would use it as leverage on them. Reluctantly, they admitted the truth.

"They are both housed on Berk, my Liege, however, the Runner had made it clear the Cutter doesn't take well to others. If tales about them are to be taken to truth, he will slaughter every last one of us if this is done with haste. An attempt to take her now would only lead to prove this, Cutters tend to fight till the death and if that Cutter is gone, we lose the Runner for sure," the Gronckle convinced.

"And what would you suggest, Gronckle?" Red Death asked, his foul breath right to the Gronckle's face.

"That we strategize properly. There is but one Runner, if the cards are not dealt with efficiently, you lose your chance to gain her. I believe the best course of action is to wait and gather information on the two. Don't you find it odd how a three-year old Mist Runner and adult Storm Cutter could survive on their own on an island full of Vikings without being caught or killed? They're cunning breeds, and to catch a sly fox you have to find its weaknesses and strike." He hoped that was enough to persuade his prince to wait and thankfully he seemed to like the idea.

"You're right. It's too big a risk to snatch my little Mist Runner so soon. Yes, this is perfect. We wait till next year's solstice, this should provide sufficient time for her to mature more beautifully after the frost and for the Cutter to grow comfortable till we strike. Soon, they will both be mine." He snickered darkly at all the wonderful little ideas he'd soon have for his new pets. Until the end of next year's summer, he'd have what he'd want.

From the far corner of the hive, a Zippleback looked to one another's heads and gave a deep and terrifying gulp.

This isn't good, they both thought, knowing the true origins of the young Runner.