Stoic stretched stiff muscles, leaning back in his chair. The fire in the center of the room crackling cheerfully, spreading a welcome feeling as he put his feet up off the floor, beside him was the large axe he had been sharpening to perfection.

As he enjoyed the flames he closed his eyes in content, only to have his peace broken by a large metal pot being placed on the hook over the flames with a loud clang. His eyes snapped open, glaring at the figure responsible.

"I would think you'd be asleep by now." he said darkly, "Or do monsters like you not need it?"

The figure was indeed the werewolf girl, through a lot of reasoning by his son's whole academy of dragon riders, the chieftain reluctantly allowed her to stay out of the prison cells under strict watch. He still didn't trust her by a long shot; if he could throw something off the face of the earth he would probably start with the thing that tried to kill his son not too long ago.

Even wearing a homespun shirt, tying her hair back in scarf and borrowing one of Hiccup's forge aprons, he could still see the armored hound that had been locked up in a cell and escaped just two days ago. Now she was in his house, playing nursemaid to the unconscious Night Fury upstairs.

The werewolf ignored him, picking up a bucket of water and pouring some of it into the pot until the herbs already inside were submerged. She stirred them a while until she was satisfied and sat on the nearest bench, back leaning against the wall behind her with a heavy sigh.

She wiped her brow with the back of her hand before reaching to toss a small log onto the flames.

"Shouldn't you be getting some rest, Chief Stoic?" she asked calmly.

The chieftain huffed, "I don't sleep when there are monsters around."

"Neither do I"

The chieftain grunted, shifting in his seat a bit, glancing up the stairway.

"He fell asleep a little while ago," the girl said, "Right at his friend's side and refusing to leave."

She smiled as she wrapped a length of cloth around her hand, "He's a good boy that one, heart of fire as we would say in Ryu Haven. He'll be great one day."

Stoic nodded reluctantly, "He's was always different."

"That's all the better; if everyone was the same things would never change." She began to stir the pot again, a subtle scent was filling the room as the pot began to boil, "And what good would that do if things never changed?"

"I suppose that's true, without hiccup I never would've imagined we'd be living side by side with dragons. Or that someone like you would be in my house like this."

Strider looked up from scooping some of the now green liquid out of the pot to cool, a smile on her face, "Neither did I."

They were silent as she finished transferring the pot's liquid content and moved the pot off the flames, she then took the bucket and headed upstairs, "Good night Chief Stoic, don't stay up too late."

The burly chieftain just grunted in response.

****8****

Hiccup's eyes were trying to close by themselves, stifling a large yawn he continued to scribble in the several parchments papers on his desk. Behind him he could was Toothless lying on the stone slab that served as his bed, covered with several spare blankets and with a sleeping silver haired girl beside him, Feather-storm in her human form, injured hand wrapped loosely in red stained cloth and herbs.

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him, he relaxed as Strider came up, swinging a bucket in her hands. She placed the thing down near the two dragons and placed her hands on her hips.

"I thought you were asleep. Shouldn't you get some rest?"

Hiccup sighed, turning back to his desk, "Shouldn't you be worried about if my dad sees Feather-storm?"

Her eyes leapt to see the girl sleeping soundly beside Toothless.

"When did she get here?"

Hiccup pointed to the latched window in the slanted ceiling, just big enough for a Night fury to slip through, "She came in while you went to make more of that medicine for Toothless. Been in human form the whole time."

Strider sighed, moving one of the blankets closer around the sleeping girl and inspecting the bandaging, "I guess she's had a hard day, finding out your older brother is losing his mind because of a traitor thought to be dead. I can only imagine how much pain that could be causing her. The good thing seems to be the bite her brother gave her won't last much longer."

Hiccup didn't answer, instead dipping ink and scribbling on paper. He flinched as the werewolf was suddenly over his shoulder, peering at his work.

"Those are Guise dragons right? Are you adding them to that book of yours?"

Hiccup shook his head, "these are something else. I wanted to make a new training course that will include Feather-storm."

"Which explains these map looking blotches." strider frowned, holding up one that looked a lot like the Outcast compound, "You're not planning what I think you are, are you?"

"It's her brother, held by Alvin the Traitorous and a Traitor of your home. We can't ignore that."

The werewolf said nothing, looking over the maps again, "Any idea where you what kind of training you want to work on?"

Hiccup shook his head, not looking up, "I only know so much about the Guise dragons, from what I've seen with Feather-storm, they're agile fliers like a Night Fury, fast like them too, they have amazing jaw strength like a boulder class, they can breathe more than just fire, not something I've ever seen before, and I'm hoping Alvin doesn't know about it, but they can take on human form, which also means they're incredibly intelligent."

Strider nodded, pulling a chair over and sitting in it backwards, "Considering how long she's been on this island I'm not surprised you noticed all that. Unfortunately there's more.

"True all dragons can breathe some element, Fire, water, sound in the sea shouter's case, but those are the dragons around here, there are others. It's also true that Guise dragons can breathe more than one of these elements, but that's where things get tricky for us."

Hiccup looked to her, sighing, "Every dragon has weaknesses, I figure if we can learn more about Feather-storm we might have a fighting chance if Alvin manages to ride that gold."

"Wouldn't it be easier to ask in her human form? Then again you and I are the only ones on the island she trusts with that being possible."

Hiccup rubbed at his eyes, leaving ink all over his face. Strider tried hard not to laugh as she saw one smudge that looked like a rabbit's head, "Which is why we're going to learn the old fashioned way. I'm adding her to our academy tomorrow, and you'll be her rider."

The werewolf frowned, "that's it?"

"Unless you want to let Feather-storm explain what you can't, I doubt the…."this time he couldn't stop himself from yawning, he shook his head hard trying to stay awake, "that they trusted you with everything."

Strider stood up, pulling the boy's chair away from the desk and turning it around, looking him in the eye, "No, not everything, but enough to help. And it's no good telling you when you're about to nod off, so we can start in the morning."

Hiccup shook his head, "Gotta figure out…"

"Things in the morning." Strider insisted, putting a hand on his shoulder, "If you don't I can make sure you do. If you're this far out of it a hatchling couldn't fall asleep faster than you."

Hiccup frowned, he remembered her saying she used to look after Guise dragon chicks; he wondered if that also meant she knew how to put them down for a nap. But he wasn't a dragon chick, or a small child. He just needed to finish planning for tomorrow. He turned back to his desk, "Just let me…"

Strider picked him up easily, pulling him to the bed. A soft, lulling voice escaping her lips,

*"There little bird, in the orange sky

Over the silver peaks, so high

Where do you wonder, where do you roam

And when will you come home?

Oh when will you come home?

Oh little bird, where will you fly?

Above the world as time passes by,

Can't I come with you? Can't you just stay?

Or doesn't it work that way?

Oh doesn't it work that way?

Oh little bird, your far away,

Perhaps somewhere it's night or else its day,

So I shall stay here, I shall not mourn,

And hope for the day you'll return,

And hope for the day you'll return."

Hiccup felt his whole world floating away, ears ringing with a simple lullaby, "I didn't know you could sing…."

With that all Strider had to do was tuck him in.

"I never thought I'd be singing a stubborn Viking to sleep."

****8****

The next day the academy students were checking saddle bags and tacking up their dragons, expecting an all-day training trip planned by Hiccup. They knew their top rider would never just sit still after what he had seen happening on Outcast island, especially Astrid.

As she tightened the straps to Storm-fly's saddle bags she glanced up at the sky towards the village. No sign of the dragon trainer and his night fury yet, and it was getting late. Just where was he?

"Hiccup's late," Snotlout voiced the obvious as he slouched in his dragon's back chewing on breakfast, "Where is he?"

Tuff gave a snort, "At home, probably packing for the big trip today. Hey Ruff, have you seen my…"

Clank! A spiked club with metal grip hit him on top of his head, causing him to falter, he picked it up, shaking his head, "Nope that's not it."

Ruff looked at him questioningly from her seat on Barf's head, "Are you sure? it's the one you always place in that ridiculous shrine of yours."

Tuff sighed, "Alas she must stay at home so I hid her away. this one's a regular ol' club I was talking about that good luck charm."

Ruff's eyes brightened as she reached into the satchel on her side, pulling out a pouch and tossing it down to land squarely in Tuff's eye, hard.

With a yelp he placed it in his own satchel and thanked her, rubbing at his eye, "I think I'm blind! Oh no wait, I'm ok."

"Too bad," his sister called down, "you'd look good with a an eye-patch."

Tuff looked as if he was considering this, "I would wouldn't I?"

A shadow streaked across the pen, followed by a loud shrill like a flute and a flutter of large wings. Everyone looked up to see the silver white dragoness come in for a graceful landing, followed by a very happy looking…

"Toothless!" everyone, dragon and rider alike came crowding around the Night Fury and his rider, happy to see the dragon back to his old self again.

"He was up and ready for flying like always," hiccup beamed, "that's actually why were late, we've been flying all morning."

"And now were all packed and ready to go." All heads turned to see Strider sitting just between Feather-storm's wings, holding several bundles in place expertly, "Be warned we're going to be out for a whole day, I've got something special in mind for you lot."

Hiccup whirled around to face her, holding up his hands, "Whoa, Wait a minute, who said anything about you taking us anywhere?"

"How far did you get in your plans to make you think you'll actually have a chance against a brainwashed guise and a blood thirsty rider?" Strider didn't give him the chance to say anything, "the answer is, not far enough. Problem is you couldn't think of a formation that would work if it comes to that in the first place. Because one; the only other riders you've ever faced before are the ones right here in your academy. Two; you have no clue what kind of flying Yiggs is going to pull on you, under a rider's control or not especially since you've never seen Mimi fly much faster than what, one race? And injured at the time I'll remind you.

"how does she know that?" tuff whispered, "Is that another monster thing?"

Ruff slapped the back of his head. Strider kept her eyes fixed on the one legged misfit of a Viking, "besides, you have someone here who does know a thing or two about the guise, so why not?"

Hiccup took a moment to consider this, Toothless nudging him in the arm and looked him in the eye. A familiar look the young rider recognized as saying, please.

"Hang on!" Snotlout strode up to the wolf, jabbing a finger to her shoulder, "Sure you've spent a lot of time around dragons, so you say. But knowing which end of the spear to point at your opponent is not the same as fighting with one. In fact I don't think you can do anything on a dragon that we can my friend."

"I am not your friend." The wolf growled, her voice suddenly getting a good deal deeper, "As far as I'm concerned your one of the few I still need to keep my eyes on Booger brain."

The twins gave a large guffaw at that, going silent as the wolf gave a glare their way. With a cough she continued in a normal voice, "Any way, the fact remains that you lot need new tricks if you're going to help us."

"Us?" Snotlout snorted, "Whose us exactly?"

"Me and Lady Mimibrunser." Strider swept a hand like paw towards the silver dragoness while giving a curt bow in the same direction respectfully. The silver dragoness opened her wings, holding herself up regally while making several chirrups in a pleading manner. The other dragons all seemed to consider something among themselves before opening wings and standing in wait for their riders to climb aboard.

"What are they all doing?" fish asked nervously.

"seems they've agreed to help."

Feather-storm purred, bowing her head till it almost touched the ground, nodding to Strider. With a nod the wolf climbed up to sit between the silver's wings.

With that she turned to the rest of them, "Now how about the rest of you?"

The teens looked to each other hesitantly, accept for fish and hiccup how were already mounting up.

"What are you two doing?" Astrid hissed.

Hiccup shrugged, "She has a point, she does know more about fighting while flying."

"Don't forget she can understand dragons," Fish put in, giving a small squeal, "This is going to be like learning directly from the real thing. A dragon teaching us about flying. I'm so excited!"

The twins glanced at eachother one more time, "RACE YOU! ARGH!"

Ruff smacked her brother and rushed to her dragon's head, Tuff staggered to his feet and followed suit, "Thanks, I hate it when we talk like that."

"what are you guys waiting for?" Ruff called down.

Snotlout crossed his arms, "I don't care what you guys think, there is no way Alvin can even get on a dragon. And even if he does we've been on them for so long we can fly circles around him."

The twins looked to each other again.

"should we get down?" Ruff asked, Tuff just shrugged.

Strider chuckled softly, "You really think you and Fire-wing Hookfang can outfly a brainwashed Guise."

Snotlout puffed up a little more, a Cheshire grin covering his face, "I don't think Wolfe, I know."

"Then you won't mind a little competition." Strider purred, "Of course we have to get to our destination first."

The burly boy's eyes widened a bit, "competition? Just you and me?"

The wolf nodded, "If I win you …"

"Oh no you don't!" Snotlout stormed towards his dragon with the biggest devilish smile on his face ever, "I'm coming along so you can lose hard, then I have a few things in mind for you."

With that he hoped up onto his dragon's head and gave the wolf a thumb's down, "you are going down dog!"

The Strider just smiled, turning to the blonde still on the course, "If you still don't trust me I won't force you. still, it can't hurt to learn something new can it?"

Astrid glared daggers at the wolf girl, reluctantly mounting her Nadder, "I'll come, but mark my words wolf, you do or say anything that convinces me your up to something, and I'll take care of you myself. Count on that."

Strider smiled, "So long as it gives you a reason to learn something new."

With that, six dragons took to the air, following the silver white dragoness out over the open sea.

An: so the next chapter is finally ready, sorry it took so long everyone. keep reading and reviewing ^ ^

*Also I need to put a separate disclaimer here, the song sung in this chapter is copyrighted to Squeak anon on youtube for the respective video, Goodnight goodnight.

If you would like to hear just the song and not the whole nine minute radio drama, (which I loved) then just look up the Doctor's lullaby and click on anything at the top. I recommend either one with a blue music box in it. (yes I'm a Whovian. no one ever said you had to like just one kind of story)

Possible spoiler: That challenge between Strider and Snotlout...^ ^ I'm thinking a capture the flag on dragons would be fun to write about.