Welcome back fans, small note for all of you, Silent Eaters are Whispering Deaths for the context of this story. The real author's note is at the end of the chapter because this chapter is dedicated to someone.

Family is Worth it

Hiccup and Toothless - 7 years old

It had been two days since Skuggi was injured, and the extra time Aage and Guðbrandr were taking brought them both close to exhaustion. Dragons love their sleep and any immense deviation makes them grumpy. Skuggi was slowly recovering from the ordeal, but still had lingering pains in his wing. Ásdís may have healed him with her Dragon Flame, but pain still remained in his muscles. Thankfully, the deathroot Aage had brought helped with the pain, but he was down for at least four more days. Skuggi had always known that Dragon Flame could heal a Night Wing or other dragon, but he always thought the pain would go away once healed. He groaned, waiting impatiently in his cave for either Guðbrandr or Aage to come and give him some food.

Skuggi cursed himself for his over aggressive nature that made him compelled to try and dissuade the Vikings from continuing their journey. His action had put unnecessary strain on the other members of the wing and he would have to make it up to them. Wingbeats could be heard drawing closer to the cave, and he shifted his gaze to the entrance where the setting sun hid the distinguishing features of the dragon. The shape suggested to him Aage, but then again it could have been his son as well.

Aage landed softly outside the cave, dragging in a large cod fish in for his friend. He tossed the fish towards Skuggi before moving closer to him to lie on the floor.

"How are you feeling, old friend?" Aage asked.

"Like a Speed Stinger partially froze my wing. It's hard to move, let alone flap, but it's getting there," Skuggi remarked.

"But at least you are alive."

"Yes, and I thank Nóttu and Ásdís for keeping me alive. But now we have a problem: the only Night Wings with Dragon Flame are our children. We need to teach them about how to use it soon. I'd like to start teaching your son once I'm able to move properly and aid in the defense again. Then I'd like you to teach my daughter."

"I would like to teach my own son, but I'll accept your offer. It is harder for me to teach him while we are on this schedule and your daughter would love to learn from you."

Skuggi snorted when dust flew into his nostrils before continuing their conversation. "That maybe so, but we decided on these times and we have to live with them."

"What do you think about you and I switching times? I go to the day time while you take the night, then we could teach our own child about Dragon Flame."

Skuggi nodded before lowering his head and taking a large chunk from the fish. He chewed for a moment before swallowing and savoring the taste. He turned his gaze to Aage, who already began to walk away.

"Aage, wait!" Skuggi roared.

Aage froze in place before turning around to look at his old friend. "Yes?" he asked.

"Aage… I'd like to try and be friends again. You've shown progress over these last six winters and you've actually grown to see my girl as a fellow Night Wing. You've grown past the early days and you've protected her on multiple occasions. I'd like to be back where we were before, if possible."

Aage scanned him slowly, knowing that his friend was a Night Wing of his word. He had shown that he was willing to move past Heiđrún's origins and was content with his son being with her now. "I took your daughter's words to heart on the day we migrated. I've changed and accepted her, not just for you or her, but for my family. My family is the most important thing to me and I failed them for a short time. I have to live with that and I've shown them that they are important to me yet again, especially my son. So, my friend, I want that more than anything, but let us focus on staying alive first and getting through this egg hatching. Once that is done, we'll have all the time in the world to get our friendship back together," he answered, keeping his eyes fixated on Skuggi. Soon though, Aage turned and began to leave, saying, "Rest up, old friend, you'll be expected to be back once you're fully healed."

Skuggi recognized that tone no matter the dragon that used it. It was that of a dragon undergoing sleep deprivation, or one that hadn't slept in at least a day. Aage then leapt into the sky while Skuggi couldn't help, but think the tone Aage used indicated at least two days...

Skuggi's train of thought halted at the implication of what was happening. No, Aage couldn't have stayed up for these last two days? That would mean he's taking my burden as well, he thought. The empty cave became eerily silent as his train of thought that often filled the cave with virtual sound came to a stop. He then decided that he needed to work as hard as his friend to get back in the air and allow him some rest before anything could happen.

His daughter came to visit him overnight and they enjoyed a simple conversation. During their talk, he was doing small lifts with his injured wing with Heiđrún taking notice. He finally confessed to her the dire situation he was in and apologized for hiding it, but the ever forgiving Heiđrún just nodded and licked his cheek telling him, "Oh papa, I knew something was wrong the moment Ásdís came out. But don't scare me like that again please."

Skuggi licked the top of her head, leaving a layer of saliva coating her head and earplates. She whined and scraped off some of the gooey fluid, throwing it onto the floor with her leg. "I promise, little one, that I won't hide stuff like that from you again. I thought it wasn't that bad until I came into the cave to see you," he admitted. The two enjoyed the company, but soon Skuggi grew tired from being awake for almost a full day already. They separated, and Skuggi drifted through drowsiness into the sweet embrace of sleep, determined to be in the air by the next night.

Skuggi slept very little after his daughter left, due to his determination to get back in the air. He proceeded to begin moving his wing more while pushing past the pain. His friend's courage to go days without sleep for the betterment of the group made him even more determined to give his friend a break. And not just for his friend, but his daughter's future mate because no doubt Guðbrandr was doing his fair share of work.

Throughout the morning, Skuggi started moving the wing like he was flying in the air. The pain shot through his body every time he hit a certain spot on the downward stroke, but with each movement it became less and less painful. Around mid-day he was visited by Aage who took notice of the movements of his friend. He left his friend a larger yak that he had managed to find on a nearby island. Aage was still grumpy, but any dragon would be if they had been up for nearly three days.

Once Skuggi finished the meal, he decided to nap and get some rest before trying to glide. Curling up on himself, he drifted soundly to sleep; however his rest did not last long because the island began to tremble beneath him. Opening his eyes, trying to shake off sleep, he rose to his paws and bounded towards the cave exit to see what could be happening. The sky was filled with flaming oranges and reds, but something else that he knew couldn't be good: smoke.

The sounds of wood creaking and cracking could be heard upon Skuggi's exit from his home. He peered down to see Aage and Guðbrandr fighting three visible Silent Eaters near the entrance to the cave. No time like the present to see if my wing can work, Skuggi thought, before leaping into the air and spreading his wings.

The pain was instant and excruciating, but he fought past it, gliding for a while before tucking his wings to his side and diving down at a slight angle. His wing hurt worse during the dive as his speed increased and the ground grew ever closer to him. But he resigned himself to protect his family and friends even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice to protect his daughter. He charged a shot and released it at the lead Silent Eater, twirling its jagged teeth around its mouth at the two in front of him.

The whistling shot barreled down and connected with the back of the lead Silent Eater. The group of Silent Eaters turned quickly to see who attacked them; when they saw it was another Night Wing, they dug new tunnels near them to escape. Skuggi, though, was too far into the dive to come out without any major injury to his wing. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable, but was instead jolted from his dive from a body colliding into his side.

Aage had seen his friend behind the Silent Eaters and quickly thought of a plan before they escaped. Once the Silent Eater's attention was diverted to Skuggi, Aage darted away and climbed up a nearby tree. He waited for the right moment and pushed off, flapping his wings as hard as he could to get to his friend. He connected with his friend, and the two large males careened towards the nearby heated pool. The two splashed hard into the water, but it was better than the dive Skuggi was going to take into the ground. The two adults surfaced, gasping for air before paddling over to the shore.

"Dad, Skuggi, are you two all right?" Guðbrandr asked.

"Nothing some rest won't fix son," Aage answered, shaking the water off of his hide. "How about you, my friend?" he asked, looking sidelong at Skuggi.

"I'm better now that I'm actually alive," Skuggi commented. "I owe you a lot, my friend, but before that we need to get off this island. Those three can't be the only Silent Eaters. The entire island shook and I felt it high above in our old cave."

Aage's expression changed to fear and he rushed into the cave where the two females were currently residing. Guðbrandr and Skuggi followed quickly after him, hoping that they could escape before anything serious could happen. The island began to shake again, and rocks fell around the three Night Wings as they trotted through the cavern. They bounded and dodged around the falling rocks, pressing deeper and deeper into the cave, wanting to get to their friends and family. A roar laced with fear echoed through the cavern in front of them.

"Ásdís!" "Heiđrún!" "Mom! Runie!" the three males shouted, quickening their pace to get to them.

They turned a corner, noticing a larger, even more menacing Silent Eater blocking their way while it hovered over the two females. Without a second of hesitation, all three males charged and fired a shot into the back of the Silent Eater. It whipped around, showing its dark green features and white underjaw, and spun its teeth around faster. It reeled back and charged the males with all of them firing again at the open jaw of the dragon before them. They all leapt out of the way, but one male didn't get out of the way in time; Skuggi had gotten his wing membrane caught on one of the spines of the Silent Eater.

Skuggi winced and turned, watching as the Silent Eater burrowed down into the ground. His gaze shifted to his wing and at the injury that all dragons feared: a torn wing membrane. Aage and Guðbrandr moved over to both Ásdís and Heiđrún, checking to see if they were all right. In the mess of nuzzles, licks and purrs, Heiđrún noticed her papa staying back and looking at his side. She squirmed her way out of the dragon pile and stopped in front of her papa.

"Papa? What's wrong?" Heiđrún asked, worry layered thick on her words.

Skuggi looked down at his little girl, lowering his head and nuzzling the top of her head. "You are so precious to me, my Heiđrún. I'm going to miss you," he spoke somberly, accepting his fate. Aage came over and saw the damage to his friend's wing. Heiđrún started whining and whimpering, trying to convince him that he would be fine.

"Guðbrandr, come here," Skuggi ordered.

Guðbrandr crept up to his friend's father, keeping his head low and acknowledging his presence. "Protect my daughter. That is all I ask of you. Always be there for her and make sure she is never alone," Skuggi told the younger male, his voice catching slightly as he spoke. Skuggi turned to his friend and hung his head in defeat. "Aage, take care of her for me. She's in your claws now."

Aage nodded and looked into his friend's eyes. "She'll be safe and treated well. I wish…" Skuggi stopped Aage with a friendly headbutt that they would typically share during tough moments. Aage couldn't contain it anymore and began to whimper as well for the impending loss of his friend.

"I'll hold off any other Silent Eaters with my last breath. Just get my daughter to safety and make sure she is loved," Skuggi said, turning his back to the group slowly. His daughter sunk her teeth into his tail to try to keep him from going, but she was only dragged by her papa. Guðbrandr and Aage managed to get her away and brought her struggling form with them down one of the other tunnels. Ásdís took one last look at Skuggi before he charged down the tunnel once the mountain began to shake again. His ear piercing roar echoed through the tunnels and the shaking followed him away from the survivors.

Ásdís turned and followed after her family and her new, reluctant, family member. She listened as shot after shot could be heard echoing through the tunnels as they escaped. She silently thought, may Nóttu raise you high into the stars to join your mate. May you shine down upon your daughter for generations to come. May you guide her from the night sky and show her the path she needs to take in times of desperation. By Nóttu's grace, may you slay as many foes tonight to let the lives of your friends and family remain in this world. And by my grace Skuggi, your daughter will be cared for like my own daughter.

Skuggi thought to himself while charging out of the cavern, I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you Heiđrún. You'll be loved by your friend just as much as I do. You'll understand in time that family is worth it when you have a child of your own.

His thoughts were interrupted when the small group of Silent Eaters burrowed up in front of him and the larger one came up behind them. He began to charge his shot, causing his spinal fins and head to glow a bright purple. He released his shot and thought, Nóttu, give my daughter the strength to carry on without me.

The four Night Wings exited near the north side of the mountain into a small forest. Aage held back the distraught Heiđrún and fired three blasts into the side of the mountain, collapsing it to cover the tunnel. Heiđrún roared out in pain, but soon was in the air at the behest of her friend and her new family. The four left the island that they had briefly called home, but they left something more important there that they all would cherish until they met Nóttu: a friend, an ally, but most importantly, a father.

Author's Note: I normally don't do author's notes at the end, but this chapter is dedicated to a good friend of mine. Skuggi, for me, represents my friend's father that I never met. He was strong and a fighter to the end and he was taken from her too soon. So to my friend Micaela, this chapter is dedicated to you and I know you still struggle with his loss, but he is up there shining down on you.

Also to my fans, sorry for this event, but it had to happen especially with where I'm going with the story, but there could be some hope left if you caught onto it. Except a couple more emotional rollercoasters in the next two or three chapters.

MMM - No these Vikings are not Hiccup's former family, they are another group, but we won't be seeing them again. You'll just have to wait and see about the egg, again get ready for that roller coaster.