This is my FORTH update today. I hope you're all liking where this story's headed. I've got quite a bit in store for you all. :) Shout-outs:

Wanli8970: Same here! I get all the best ideas at the very LAST minute, and for some reason, it works out better than I would have had it any other way! Strange how things work like that sometimes, huh? :) I'm just glad I get ideas at all. :D And yeah...BAD ARGUMENT! :) Awful. I have a trust/don't trust thing with Raven. Like, "To trust, or not to trust, that is the question" thing going on. :)

"It was a normal day on my island," Raven started. "Nothing new. Isen-my sister-and I were at our house, doing what we normally did. Just regular stuff. We...we were talking and laughing about different outfits and other mindless stuff, and then the door swung open."

Raven paused. Hiccup didn't press, but he was intently interested. Raven continued:

"He told us our parents had fallen off the side of a ravine," said Raven.

"Fear of Heights," Hiccup said. "You told me you were afraid of heights because it had to do with your..." he hesitated. "Never mind. Keep going."

"Yeah, you're right," said Raven. "That's why I'm afraid of heights, sort of like how you developed a temporary fear of dragons. It had to do with someone you loved." She shook her head. "Isen didn't take it well," said Raven. "She kicked me out and yelled at me. I...I didn't have anyone else, Hiccup. The family who loved me had died, and the family I had had disowned me. So...I built the little raft thing you found me by and left. I...shipwrecked, I guess, because I remember falling asleep during a storm and waking up with Astrid in my face."

The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Toothless and Eyelicker stared at their masters, wondering what in the world had happened. Raven shook her head.

"When I met Astrid," said Raven, "at first I thought it was Isen. And when I met you...I don't know. You were really the only person who came to me first. Whenever I wanted to make friends back on my island, I would have to go to them. But it was different this time. You came to me. It wasn't...it wasn't something I was used to. And then you offered me a place on Berk. You didn't care you didn't know me, you just saw I needed help and were willing to give it to me. And for that, I am thankful. You have no idea what it gave me, but I can try to explain."

He waited for her to continue.

"Hope," said Raven. "You gave me Hope. Hope that things could change, hope that I could have a new life, hope that maybe, just maybe, I could have friends who didn't care about my past, but in order for me to really know if you cared about it or not, I would have had to tell you my past. Do you care, now that you know where I came from? Do you want to kick me off your is-"

"Of course not, Raven!" said Hiccup before Raven could even finish her sentence. "Why would I judge you from where you came from?"

"I don't know," said Raven. "I'm afraid of heights, rather useless..."

"Seriously?" asked Hiccup. "I'm not afraid of heights, Raven, but I can't even pick up an axe without nearly decapitating myself. Speaking of useless, how about the fact I don't even have all my bodyparts?"

Raven was tempted to ask what happened to his leg. She had seen it when they first met, she just hadn't mentioned it. Instead of asking about that, she prompted, "But you can do other things! You have a brilliant mind, you can train dragons without hardly even trying, you're great at the forge...you call that useless?"

"Thank you, Raven, you just proved my point," said Hiccup. "You see, what I've been noticing is you've been looking at all the negative things you can't do instead of looking at the positive things you can do."

"I can make bread," said Raven. "Not too good, but I can do it."

"Yeah, see?" said Hiccup. "Astrid can burn water." He laughed. "Now how on EARTH do you BURN WATER?" he asked. "Who can DO that? Seriously! It's an alarmingly mysterious feat, I'll give her that."

Raven laughed as well.

"You should sleep though," said Raven. "How long to aftershock fevers usually last?"

"Normally two to three hours," said Hiccup. "Nothing major. I don't know though. I had one for nearly two days once just a few weeks after I was cured from the poison, so I really don't know how long to expect them to last."

"Yeah," said Raven. "I should leave you to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Raven," said Hiccup. Raven left the loft, a smile on her face. Eyelicker eyed her happily as Raven made her way back to her bedroom.

"He's really nice, Eyelicker," said Raven. "Best friend I've ever had. And he...he accepts me for who I am. Since when does anyone do that?"

Eyelicker looked at her master, an undetermined expression written across the dragon's face. Raven smiled.

"Well, goodnight, Eyelicker," said Raven.