I just wanted to take a quick moment to respond to Orca, for some reason it wouldn't let me write you in the feedback section, but if you're interested in the cover picture, yes, I did that, also the one I use for my icon, though it's technically unfinished. The full resolution composite can be found on my DeviantArt account. My user name is Pomepurple if you're interested. Thank you so much everyone for reading 3

Chapter 9- Confrontation-week 3
Hiccup was getting restless and he was well aware of his desire to leave the confines of the village where he had been recuperating. Three weeks was a long time and he could not place what it meant, this desire to explore was eating at him and he began to feel like some sort of caged bird desperate to be free and soar in the wind. He knew the schedule of his captor as well as she, for the chiefs daughter was also a harvester of the precious flowers which seemed to have preferences on when they aught be picked. He knew that at that moment and for the next hour at least, Ardala would be in those treacherous fields with the few people specially trained in gathering the mysterious plant, carefully cultivating and processing leaves into something that could be handled by more people than the special few. If he was going to make an escape, it was definitely the time to do it. His method of self-removal from the village was simple; out the back of the big hut and through the protective barrier out into the woods. He could be free for a short time and be back to their home before Ardala or anyone else in the village would discover that he was gone. The tree line on that side of the village was slightly less dense than the boundary for the rest of the outer rim of the village. It was as if one spot had over time become a bit threadbare but overlooked and forgotten about. It made for an opportune port with which to exercise his independence despite the over protective warnings.
Hiccup took once last glance over his shoulder to make sure that no one was watching and made a beeline for the trees. He knew Ardala would be mad if she found him gone. She had been coddling him since the night she found him and he knew it was mainly for his own good but he was mostly healed from head to toe minus his arm which was rapidly mending under expert care and must have been knitted together somewhat as he was starting to get the inclination to use it in short measures. The only other thing that could have been of concern was his cracked ribs which were no longer taped or blackened. Only pale yellow or slight browning remained to betray their fragility. Yes, he was not broken anymore and was certain that bigger vantages were what he needed the most, and was not disappointed when he saw the beautiful cliff side beach and seemingly endless meadows. "Where are all the yaks?" He wondered silently, but questioned it immediately after. There was something on the edge of his thoughts and he wondered if it was some fragment of a lost memory but soon misplaced it as the black shape came barreling across the field even as the unseen blue one rose from the eerie depths of the ocean.
Hiccup opened his mouth to exhale a strangled scream as the creature, which he could only assume was in fact a dragon, closed the gap between them at supernatural speeds. Hiccup knew he did not stand a chance to get away from what surely must be his death and so he hid his head under crooked arms and hid his face in anticipation for the end.
A moment later he heard a noise from one direction but felt the wind strike him at some impossible speed...from right over him. He slowly looked up in astonishment as the black dragon actively repelled the blue in a gesture of hostile intent. The dragon seemed bent on his task and Hiccup made the choice to run while he still possessed the ability and tore off down the field back towards the protective tree line. The black creature looked over its shoulder at Hiccup and let out a tremendous roar which made the boy tremble so bad he nearly went head over heels into the foliage.

-
"By the gods Hiccup, are you okay?" Ardala meticulously searched every inch of him including his scalp under his hair but found nothing beyond a few tiny scrapes.
He made a nervous sound in his throat with the onslaught of attention his girlfriend was exhibiting and gently attempted to fend her off. "I'm fine. Fine, totally fine."
Ardala wrinkled her nose and raised her head a few degrees in a skeptical scowl, "That's a little too fine."
"What?" Asked Hiccup, pretending to be shocked, "I'm fine, nothing happened." He looked her in the eye and she was not buying it. He gave an exasperated sigh; would she think less of him if she knew how afraid he had been? "I got caught between a couple of dragons in a minor... skirmish." As he said that he looked mostly at the floor though his body language was somewhat sporadic as his arms were flailing and his head tossed as he tried in vain to conceal his embarrassment. "But I'm fine! The black one was way more interested in the blue one than little ol' me." He looked up and met her piercing gaze again.
"What black one?" She asked. "Don't you mean dark blue?" She sat on the edge of the bed, her initial frustration and concerns having been spent.
"No," replied Hiccup confused in his recollection, "it was black all over. It had huge green eyes; it kept looking at me..." Again he thought he had missed something important and could not figure out what. It was frustrating to think that all the information he was looking for as buried somewhere close and he was lacking access to it. Ardala appeared to be thinking deeply and was not party to his inner struggle. "What is it Ardala?" Hiccup asked.
She looked thoughtful as she replied, "All the dragons on Auroros are the same species."
"The two I saw today were totally different." Hiccup sat next to her on the bed and gently placed his hand on her back.
"That's got me worried." She sighed. "New dragons might make things complicated." She turned and faced Hiccup, looking at him sincerely before kissing him gently and whispering, "You scared me today."
Hiccup mumbled an apology and stroked her back. He enjoyed her kisses and delighted that she seemed to genuinely enjoy them too.
"I have an idea for next time you feel the need to get yourself killed." She hushed him before he could get defensive, and continued only when she saw she had his undivided attention. "Take me with you."
"Alright m'lady." He whispered, running the fingers of his left hand through her luxurious hair while ignoring any awkward angles he was forced into because of the sling on his right. He did not dwell on it as she did not really seem to mind.

-
Two weeks passed and Hiccup had begun to forget the initial terror of his experience with the dragons. He spent his time drawing the two dragons from memory and had littered their dwelling with parchments scrawled with the two beasts. He had tried to occupy his time with his work but once again had started to get restless even though the bones in his arm had knitted together enough to use the appendage which made him a more active member in the forge. He was able to implement his designs much faster with not having to rely on the master smithy for the physical aspect of the job.
He asked Ardala to accompany him on his exploits beyond the village border this time for a multitude of reasons. First, he believed that they were at a slight advantage if they stuck together though he was in no mood to test his theory if they should separate. Next, Ardala may have the opportunity to help him classify the new dragon and perhaps she could then also aid him in figuring out what to do about it. Lastly, he was hoping the overall visit would go better a second time around as he was silently cursing himself for being a bit of a coward. Every time he thought he may have seen a dragon either in the shadows or near the trees, he felt like his legs were liquefying under him and he did not like it. His dreams were plagued with them and often he would find himself waking up drenched with his sweat from the terror.
"Let's go." He said, steeling himself with a deep inhale and sounding as brave as he dared while trembling on the inside and not particularly desiring to see any dragons at all. He picked up a shield and a light sword from the corner of the hut near the door. "Extra manly right?" He smirked which made Ardala grin. Stifling a giggle she gently pinched his nose and kissed his forehead. "Oh yes, really scary. Those dragons won't know what to do with all of this." She gestured to all of him and he snorted.