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Erik shut the door behind him, blocking out the cold wind that blew almost constantly from autumn until spring. He rubbed his hands together to get some feeling back into his fingers, walking to sit by the fire. A smile crept onto his face as he reflected on his day.

Maara and Mika had taken to the sky beautifully. Even after everyone else had returned to the ground, he and Storm had flown all over the island with them until it was almost too dark for their human eyes to see anything. Once they were back in the village, Maara embraced her dragon again, murmuring something to her that Erik couldn't make out. Then they'd parted ways, Storm and Mika to the feeding station for fish, and he and Maara to the Great Hall.

As soon as they walked in, a rousing cheer went up. Refugees and Vikings alike came forth to congratulate her on Mika's success. It seemed like it was a night for celebrating, between Mika's flight and the new clothes that every refugee had received. It took Erik a moment to realize that he could scarcely tell the difference between Maara's people and his own, now that they were all properly outfitted for winter. They all seemed so much more cheerful and optimistic. He mentally commended his sister for understanding the importance of appearance in a person's evaluation of self-worth. However, in his professional opinion, no one looked better than Maara, in terms of both appearance and apparent happiness.

After dinner, the two of them had slipped out of the increasingly rowdy Hall and strolled around for a bit, holding hands and laughing, until Maara admitted that she was exhausted.

"In a good way, though," she added with a smile.

"I bet Mika's feeling the same way." So he'd walked her back to her longhouse and wished her goodnight. Instead of their usual wave, though, she'd jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Erik. For everything," she'd whispered, then she released him and went inside.

As the door closed softly behind her, he'd pressed his fingers to his cheek, eyes wide with a pleasant sort of surprise, and only after standing there for a moment was he able to force himself to turn away and go home.

He heard footsteps on the stairs behind him, so he looked over his shoulder and saw Alyka yawning, wearing her long night tunic and boots.

"Hey," he greeted her quietly.

"Hey."

"Where is everyone?"

"Wren and Kai are asleep. I don't know where Dad is, but last time I saw Mom she was challenging Snotlout and Tuffnut to a drinking contest."

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"I wish," she replied, rolling her eyes, when they both heard a loud thump. The door swung open, letting in a freezing gust of night air, and in strode their father, carrying their mother's limp form in his arms.

"Hey," he said cheerfully, keeping his voice soft. "Can one of you get that?" he asked, glancing at the open door.

Alyka scurried forth to shut it as Erik peered at his apparently unconscious mother. She reeked of strong spirits, and he wrinkled his nose with distaste.

"Drinking contest?" he asked his father, who nodded. "I take it that—"

"Oh, she won," Hiccup chuckled. "As she has won just about every competition of skill they've had since we were your age. Though I hesitate to call drinking a skill."

An incomprehensible groan came out of his mother's mouth, followed by what sounded like a question. Erik had no idea what she was saying, but his dad just grinned.

"Yeah, you won alright."

"Good," she mumbled.

"I'm just glad I get to carry you and not Snotlout. Alright, time for bed," he told his wife, making his way towards their room at the back of the house.

Erik looked down at his sister, who was staring after their parents with a funny look on her face.

"What?" he asked her, but she just shook her head.

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep. Night, Erik." She left him standing there, debating on whether or not he should also go to bed. But he needed to talk to his dad, and now was as good a time as any.

"Dad?" he called out quietly as he approached his parents' room.

"Be right out, son." He heard a light thump, then another, followed by another groan from his mom.

A few moments later, his dad reappeared, smiling slightly as he closed the door behind them.

"It's always good to be considerate of the truly inebriated," he informed Erik. "For example: by removing your mother's boots and armor and tucking her into bed, I have ensured that I will not be an immediate target for her hungover grumpiness tomorrow."

"You sound like you've had a fair bit of practice with that version of Mom."

"Well, it's not like she drinks like this on a regular basis. You know that. But when we were your age, and even up until she got pregnant with Aeri, she was the reigning champ. Not just at drinking, but at the related activities of insult-slinging and fist fighting as well."

"A true Viking woman, then."

"The truest. I could tell you all kinds of stories about her growing up. From the time she took her first steps it became her mission to be the strongest, toughest, and most lethal Viking on Berk. Needless to say, she didn't have much time or patience for my general scrawniness and ineptitude." His father was smiling fondly at his memories. "Anyways, you probably don't want to hear me ramble on about my youth like the old codger I'm becoming. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually, yes. Maybe we could sit down?"

Hiccup nodded. "Let me heat some water, I could use a cup of tea."

That was something Erik really loved about his father. No matter how tired or busy he might be, he always made time for anyone who might need him. Whatever their problem or concern, he always gave them his full attention. And he always helped them figure it out, patiently and with just the right dose of good humor.

"Okay," his dad said as he settled into the seat across from him, a steaming mug in his hands. "What's on your mind?"

"A few things. I don't think I've properly thanked you yet for making Mika's prosthetic."

"No need to thank me, and besides, your sister and Gobber did just as much work as I did."

"Well, you spent a lot of time on it—"

"And every second was worth it to see the look on Maara's face this afternoon. And watching them fly together, you'd think they'd been at it for years. I was actually a bit surprised at how well Maara adjusted, since she's really only been flying with you on Storm since she got here."

"Actually… that's not entirely true."

His dad raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I, uh, persuaded some of our classmates to let her fly with their dragons. In particular, Torkild's Nightmare, for obvious reasons, but it would have been suspicious if I only made her practice on one type of dragon."

"How did you convince her to do that?"

"I told her it was important in case she ever had to fly on an unfamiliar dragon without anyone else's help."

"So not a complete lie, then."

"No! I don't lie to her about anything."

"You spend an awful lot of time with her, Erik. You're telling me she never suspected a thing?"

"Well, I kept her busy with other things." Both eyebrows went up, and Erik felt his face heat. "Not like that!" he said hastily. "I've been teaching her about dragons."

"And she's been attending your class with you. Fishlegs may have made mention of her remarkable progress to me. But I can't help but wonder what the goal for imparting that much information in such a short amount of time would be."

Erik swallowed nervously. "Well, um, I was thinking that, maybe, she could go with us to Dragon Island."

He had to hand it to his father. He didn't even bat an eye upon hearing the request. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, looking thoughtful. "I suppose you're prepared to convince me of the validity of that idea."

"Yes. She's memorized most of the Dragon Manual, for starters, and she can tell you everything you need to know about any of the types of dragons that we might encounter over there."

"You know as well as I do that theoretical knowledge is not the same thing as experience."

"Which she has." His father's expression was clearly indicating that he should elaborate, so he took a deep breath before continuing. "We, uh, might have possibly gone looking for wild dragons to practice with."

"You did what?" There was no difference in volume, but the tone of his father's voice told Erik that he'd better have a good explanation for his activities.

"It was totally safe, Storm was with us and you know that I'm perfectly capable of handling—"

"Erik. You know how I feel about anyone going after wild dragons on their own. If something had gone wrong, both of you could have been seriously hurt, or worse."

"But we weren't! Don't try and tell me that you never did anything like that, because I know for a fact that you did."

A flicker of exasperation passed through his father's gaze. "That doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous."

"How else was I supposed to prepare her? Besides, I don't think any of our classmates have even half that much experience or success with wild dragons. She's ready, Dad."

"Say that for one second I go along with this, and agree that she has the level of dragon expertise necessary to go with the most advanced class of students from the Academy on their expedition to Dragon Island. Does she have any experience with surviving in the wilderness? Dragons aren't the only thing she'd be facing. It's almost winter. You spend two nights there. Can she set up a camp? Start a fire without a large reptile assisting her? Escape from a dragon trap on her own?"

Erik frowned. "Why would she need to escape from a dragon trap? I would have thought you'd have cleared all of those out a long time ago."

His father waved a hand. "Never you mind that. Snotlout and I have to keep occupied somehow. But—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Erik interrupted him, eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me that you purposely set up dragon traps specifically so we, humans, might get caught in them? Out of boredom?!"

"That is classified information—"

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"Keep your voice down, you're going to wake up your siblings. If you must know—"

"I must know."

"— we might sometimes influence circumstances to be just a bit different than the usual environment of the island. Technically, this is your final exam, so really you need to be prepared to use all of the knowledge you've accumulated over the years. I do mean all of it. Don't give me that look. You'll all come home with all limbs intact. But it wouldn't be a proper test if we weren't testing your expertise and resourcefulness, would it?"

Erik scowled at him. His father had a point. But that didn't change the fact that none of the students who were supposed to be going on this trip had any idea that obstacles were going to be intentionally placed in their path. "I'm going to act like I'm not upset by this information."

"Good. And you're not going to tell anyone, either. Only a handful of people know about this, just so you're aware. We've trained a few generations of riders now and none of them have ever suspected a thing, and we're going to continue training new generations in the same fashion. The only reason I'm telling you any of this is because I've long held hopes that you might someday be involved in carrying out that training."

"I'm already teaching some of the younger classes, so I don't see how—"

"Erik. You're the most advanced student in your class, by far. You've had the Dragon Manual memorized since you were seven. As you just said, you're already teaching younger riders how to properly fulfill their own roles. Fishlegs and I wouldn't let you near them if we didn't have the utmost faith in your competency. Your classmates often refer to you as 'Dragon Boy', do they not?"

"Well, yeah, but what does that have to do with— wait, how do you even know that?"

"I'm the Chief. It's my job to know everything. Do you know what my nickname was? Subsequent to 'Useless', coinciding with 'Dragon Conquerer', and prior to 'Dragon Master/Chief'?"

Erik was thoroughly confused now. "No?"

His father smiled. "I was 'Dragon Boy', too. When I was in charge of the Academy and running off on harebrained adventures in search of new lands and new dragons, that's what many people referred to me as. You have the same passion for discovery and the same gift with dragons. But you also have the good fortune of not being my oldest child, or rather, the heir to the Chiefdom. Which means you technically have the freedom to pursue a completely dragon-oriented existence, should that be your choice. But as I said, I have hopes for you to remain here, at the Academy, sharing your passion and gift with anyone willing to hear you out."

"Well, of course I'll stay and teach. That's a given."

"We don't just want you to teach, Erik," his dad chuckled softly. "Someday, when you're ready, we'd really like for you to take over entirely."

Shock coursed through him. "You mean, like… Headmaster?"

"Whatever you want to call it. In charge. Running the place. Like I said, someday, when you're ready to, of course. I'd expect you to do some more exploring in the meantime, after your 'final exam', seeking out exotic dragons and learning from them firsthand. Discover the world to your heart's content, like I would have done if I wasn't supposed to be Chief. Like your sister did anyways. If that doesn't tell you how confident I am in your abilities, maybe this will." He leaned forward in his seat, eyes sparkling. "Spend a few more days with Maara. Well, I know you'd be doing that regardless. But I'm giving you three days to finish preparing her. Use your imagination, think of the unexpected. Three days. At which point you will bring her to me, and I will decide for myself if she's ready for Dragon Island. Does that sound fair to you?"

Erik could only nod, still astounded. Grinning broadly, his father got to his feet, stretching a bit. "Then you should get some rest. I'm sure you'll be getting an early start tomorrow."

Slowly, Erik stood, unable to voice all of the emotions he was feeling. Shock, but also an incredible warmth consisting of excitement, and unfiltered admiration and love for the man in front of him. My father, the greatest dragon trainer of all time, thinks me worthy enough to someday entrust me with what might be the greatest of his many accomplishments. And yet he cares enough to let me choose my own path, as if I would ever turn down such an honor.

Hiccup seemed to pick up on all this, because he just held his arms open. Erik stepped forward, embracing him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You're the best father in the whole world. I love you, Dad."

His father gave him a squeeze, then stepped back, eyes suspiciously shiny. "And I love you, too. You're the best son I could ever have hoped to raise. I'm so proud of you, Erik."

His throat suddenly tight, Erik coughed and grinned crookedly. "You should probably go check on Mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Sleep tight, son."

"You too, Dad."


Aeri sighed shakily as they walked away from the Great Hall. It was late, but there was a very determined group still going at it inside. Vikings were prone to celebrating zealously at the most random of times, but tonight had been for good reason. All of the new clothes had been distributed to the survivors, for one. She hadn't really anticipated them reacting so enthusiastically, but it was a pleasant surprise to see them all so happy over something so simple. And Mika could fly again! Everyone who knew Maara was both very fond of her and conscientious of her dragon's handicap. So the fact that they were now able to fly together was exciting, and to everyone already feeling great about the clothes, worth celebrating. The fact that Maara (and Erik) left relatively early on didn't seem to faze anyone.

It had been rather hysterical to watch her mother win that drinking contest. Thankfully, her little sisters and brother had been with their grandmother, so they hadn't been mentally scarred by the increasingly vivid imagery their mom, Snotlout, and Tuffnut were using to insult each other. After both men had passed out, Astrid had unsteadily gotten to her feet, drained the last from her mug, raised it in the air long enough for everyone to cheer raucously, then promptly collapsed. Fortunately, her father had been on hand and barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground. He hoisted her up in his arms, shouted, "Don't stop on our account!" and carried her out to roars of approval from the entire gathering.

Some of the tables were shoved aside to make room for dancing when some of Berk's resident musicians struck up a lively tune. Aeri had just enough mead in her system to motivate her to join in, so she pulled a protesting Winter to his feet and dragged him into the fray until he was laughing and spinning her around with a surprising grace. It wasn't long before they were both swept in opposite directions, but that didn't matter. She danced with probably a dozen men and nearly half a dozen women until she found herself face to face with…

"Haku?"

"May I have this dance?" he asked politely. Since they had fought in the storage shed, he'd really seemed to be trying to stay positive. There were ups and downs, but he'd stopped fighting her on the clothes issue, and had been very supportive of their project with Mika. So they had an uneasy truce, one that Aeri hoped would stabilize and last for a long time. She valued him as a close friend, and didn't want to lose him. Anything other than friendship was more than she wanted to consider at the moment.

She nodded, and they danced for a bit. It sort of reminded her of dancing with him back on Heimme, seemingly so long ago. So she found herself smiling, feeling hopeful. Maybe he's back to the way he was before. Maybe it's been enough time, maybe he's learned to control his temper… By the time the song ended, they were both grinning.

Something flickered in his eyes, and she saw a warmth there that she hadn't in a while. "Aeri," he said quietly, stepping closer to her. Her heart thudded nervously. Maybe he's changed… He began reaching for her, and she froze, unsure of how to respond. What is he doing? Is he going to—

She'd never know for certain, because at that moment she heard her name being called, and she looked up to see Winter smiling at her through the crowd, until he noticed how close Haku was standing to her. His happy expression faded somewhat, and she saw a question in his eyes.

Are you okay?

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Haku's face had tightened into a chilly mask as he stared in Winter's direction. She shivered at how quickly the warmth had evaporated, leaving nothing but icy hardness in its wake. Meeting Winter's gaze, she did her best to communicate her uncertainty.

He nodded briefly, before vanishing into the crowd. Aeri knew that he hadn't left her on her own, though. He was just giving them some space.

"Haku," she said, turning back to face him.

His stormy gaze was unyielding as he looked into her eyes, seemingly searching for something.

"What?" she asked him, battling a sudden anxiety.

"You know what." Pain stole through her heart as she realized what he wanted, but before she could even speak, he read the truth in her eyes.

His voice held a note of finality. "I see."

"Haku, it's not— you know I can't," she tried to make him understand, make him see, but his expression told her that he didn't see. That he didn't understand that things weren't the same, would never be the same as they were on Heimme. They couldn't be the same.

Without another word he turned and walked away from her, leaving her feeling like she had been struck. She couldn't breathe, everything sounded like it was far away, and her vision seemed to narrow to a point.

A strong arm wrapped around her, and she didn't put up any resistance as she was guided quickly through the crowd, towards the doors, and out into the night. As soon as she felt the cold wind on her face she let out a shuddering gasp, and her body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Aeri. Breathe. I need you to breathe." The voice sounded far away, until she felt hands on her shoulders, spinning her around, and she saw Winter's serious face, illuminated by torchlight. "Come on, take a deep breath. You can do it."

After a moment her racing thoughts seemed to slow enough for her to concentrate, and she tried to suck in a breath, but her diaphragm spasmed and her mind spiraled into panic once more.

"No, not like that. Aeri, you're hyperventilating. You have to breathe." Terrified of what was happening to her, she obeyed. "Now hold it! Don't let it out yet. Good… now do it again. Breathe in…" He inhaled with her. "Hold it… one, two, three… now let it out. Good. Again…" She didn't know how many times they repeated this process, but finally her breathing steadied and her heart rate slowed.

Winter was still gripping her upper arms, not painfully, but tightly enough to make her feel grounded. His face was inches away from hers, his dark eyes staring intensely into her own. For a moment they stood there in silence, then she felt hot tears begin to well up.

"It's okay," he murmured, gently wrapping his arms around her. "It's okay." She pressed her face into his chest, her body trembling as she silently cried.

"I don't understand," she sobbed. "Why is he different? What did I do wrong?"

"Aeri," Winter's voice was firm. "You didn't do anything wrong. I promise. It's not your fault he's different."

The ache in her chest only seemed to intensify. "It hurts, Winter. It hurts so much."

"I know," he whispered, and she felt his hand stroking her hair. "I know it hurts. It's okay to cry, it's alright."

"Please don't leave me." The words slipped out before she could stop them, and she felt him stiffen against her. Immediately she looked up at his face, but he didn't seem bothered. He looked like he was in pain. "I'm sorry," she blurted. "Don't listen to me, you don't have to—"

A finger landed lightly on her lips, and startled, she shut her mouth. He still looked pained, but there was also determination in his features. "I won't leave you, until you decide you want me to."

Confusion warred with her sadness. "Why would I ever want you to leave?"

A gentle, if rueful, smile crept onto his face. "Someday, you will. You will want me to go. And I will abide by your decision. Until then, I'm here, I'm with you, and I'm not going anywhere."

Fresh hurt rose in her chest at the mere notion of him not being in her life. "Winter… I don't understand."

He pulled her close again, comforting her with his embrace. "You will. I promise, when the time is right, you will."

The next morning, she awoke feeling groggy and uneasy. Her restless sleep had been plagued with nightmares that she couldn't remember clearly, but she knew that they had revolved around Haku and Winter.

Untangling herself from her blankets, Aeri got up and dressed herself. When she saw her appearance in the mirror, she winced. There were dark circles beneath her puffy eyes, and her hair was a disheveled mess. After a moment of trying to comb through it, she gave up and braided it to keep it out of her face.

She needed to talk to Winter. That much she knew. It had been a while since he had shared anything about himself, and it was time he gave her some answers. His words from the previous night haunted her. Why would I want him to leave? What do I need to understand that will make me want him to go?

As she saw it now, there was virtually nothing that could make her want that. So, it was obviously something that she hadn't thought of. But she would never know if she just stayed up here, worrying about it by herself. Taking a deep breath, she organized her thoughts, then opened her door and went downstairs.

Winter's back was turned to her as he sat in a chair, talking to Sahko and Shade. When both dragons looked in her direction, he turned around, but she wasn't ready to see him just yet. She kept her gaze in front of her as she walked over to Shade.

"Good morning, bud," she murmured, and he nudged her chest, whining softly. She could see the concern shining in his bright blue eyes. Stroking his neck, she told him, "It's okay. No need to worry." Clearly he didn't believe her, but that couldn't be helped.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Winter was watching her, his face betraying his own concern. He didn't seem to know what to do or say, though, which was fine with her.

"Shade and I are going to go for a flight, so I can clear my head," she informed him, still not looking at him directly as she checked the buckles on Shade's saddle. "There's still some fruit in that bowl over there, help yourself. When we get back, you and I are going to talk."

She glanced at him long enough to make sure that he was nodding in agreement, then patted her dragon's shoulder. "Come on, bud. Let's go."

The grey clouds made it slightly difficult to discern what time it was, but judging by the number of people and dragons about, Aeri guessed that she had slept in far later than she usually did. Hopping into Shade's saddle, she let him decide where they would go. His takeoff wasn't as sudden as it usually tended to be, but she didn't mind. He didn't seem to be in a particularly playful mood, and she wondered if Winter had told him anything that had happened the night before.

So she asked. "Did Winter say anything to you about me?"

An affirmative warble. This was generally how her conversations with him went. If she wanted to know something, she'd have to know what questions would lead to informative answers. Fortunately, this morning's wasn't a particularly challenging exchange.

"Did he tell you about Haku?"

This time, a growl. "I take that as a yes." Another growl. "No, don't get worked up about it. I already did that, it wasn't helpful."

They were over the forest now, and she wondered if they were heading for the cove. A few moments later, her suspicions were confirmed as he angled into a shallow dive, circling the lake below and finally landing on the shore.

To her surprise, there was another Night Fury already there.

"Hey, Ash," she called out as she slid to the ground. "Did you know she would be here, bud?" Shade shook his head, but he didn't look particularly bothered by the other dragon's presence. In fact, Aeri was getting the distinct sense that they were pleased to see each other. Which led her to wonder, for the umpteenth time, just what the Hel was going on. For a while, he'd been with the female from the colony practically all the time. Now he seemed to be with Ash more often, though not constantly. Really, only when there weren't many other dragons around. Which was odd. Were they just friends, or was something else going on? Ash would never be openly affectionate with him in the same way that the colony female would be, but Shade seemed far more relaxed in the former's company than the latter's. It was very strange.

Aeri felt that another conversation needed to happen between her and Shade, this time regarding his apparent romantic life. Normally, she'd leave him to his own devices, but this wasn't the usual mating routine that she had grown up witnessing. That was relatively straightforward. Whatever was happening here was definitely not that simple. And fair was only fair, after all. If he knew all about her life, she should know about his. At least, to the best of her ability to comprehend it.

"You and I are going to talk about this later," she muttered to him under her breath, and an almost sheepish look stole over his face. Yep. Something is definitely up.

Ash was smiling cheerfully in the way that Night Furies all seemed to be able to do. But she walked right past Shade, lightly smacking his head with her tail as she passed him. Aeri felt a surge of affection for the silvery eyed female as she came up to her, nudging her with her nose and giving her the same concerned warble that Shade had given her earlier. Night Furies all tended to be rather perceptive, but Ash, and Cinder, had been around for Aeri's entire life. They had played with her and Shade all throughout their respective childhoods. Aeri hadn't spent very much time with either of them since she and Shade had returned, but that didn't seem to bother Ash in the slightest.

"I'm alright," she said in response to Ash's questioning nudge. "I just had a rough time last night."

The female promptly sat back on her haunches, giving Aeri an expectant look. "You want to hear about it?" A nod. "Okay, then."

Shade dropped to the ground, looking between her and his side, and, getting the message, she sank down to rest her back against him. He immediately curved around her, offering her warmth and comfort. Across from her, Ash had lain down as well.

A bubble of amusement rose in her. "This is so weird. I'm used to talking to Shade, but now I have a pair of dragon advisors." Crossing her legs, she thought for a moment. "Alright. I don't know how much you know about the Chief of Heimme, Ash, so let me go back a bit and paint a picture of what life was like for me on their island…"

Aeri found herself talking about random memories she had of Haku. Moments they had spent together, snippets of him interacting with his people, flying to the Nest with him, him saving her life, how easygoing and thoughtful he had always been… "When we were on Heimme, it sometimes seemed like he and I could maybe be together. Even then, though, I wasn't convinced that it was the best idea. I really cared deeply for him, but he was the Chief, and I was a wanderer. I might have started to avoid him, in an attempt to reverse what feelings we had for each other. But when I was leaving to come back here after the battle, he kissed me. I thought that perhaps we could make it work, but… After being home for a while, and becoming the heir again, I realized that it would be nearly impossible for a relationship between us to work. Two Chiefs can't marry without one of them forfeiting their position. I haven't really spoken to him about it, but Haku would never abandon his people, and I would never leave Berk. That's one problem.

"The bigger issue between us is that he's changed. He's not the same person he was back on Heimme. He's angrier, for one thing. We've had so many arguments in which he was just unnecessarily aggressive. He's said hurtful things, and I don't know if he means them or not. But other times, he seems to be making an effort to get along with me. Like it's important to him. Last night, I really thought that he might have gotten better. We danced and it was just like when we danced together on Heimme. It was happy. But then he started acting like he was going to kiss me, and I don't know what I would have done if Winter hadn't come along when he had. But the warmth, the affection- it vanished in an instant. It was scary how quickly he reverted to his negative self. He still wanted what I guess he's always wanted from me, though. And when he saw that I couldn't give it to him, he just said 'I see' and left me there. Winter had to come and get me and lead me outside, I was so upset that I couldn't even breathe.

"I care about Haku, so much, but he's acting like everything that happens is somehow my fault. Even though I blame myself for it, it's really not my fault that the pirates attacked Heimme. That was outside of my control. It's not my fault we can't be together. That's just common sense. It's not my fault I don't even want to be with him anymore. That's his own doing. I keep trying to give him another chance, so that I don't lose his friendship, but it seems like he doesn't give a Terror's ass about my feelings. Which is hard to swallow. We were so close, for so long, that it seems stupid to give up on him, but I guess there comes a point when the bad outweighs the good so consistently that you have to make a decision. I don't want to make that decision right now, I'm in enough pain as it is. But if things don't change, I fear that everything we ever had will be ruined."

Aeri swallowed, feeling tears prick her eyes. "I don't know what I would do if Winter wasn't around. He's been very supportive, and thoughtful, and he listens to me when I'm upset. He seems to genuinely care about my feelings. Maybe it's because he understands what it's like to be hurt by someone you care about. Actually, I think he understands it even better than I do, even after all this mess with Haku. But no matter how many times I cry about it, he has never once told me to stop caring. Even though he knows I'm hurting, he also seems to grasp that I can't just let Haku go. Not yet.

"I think Winter might be the best friend I have ever had. Well, the best human friend." She patted Shade's shoulder with a watery smile, which soon faded. "But last night, after he calmed me down, and held me while I cried, he told me that some day I would want him to leave. And this was after I begged him not to leave me. He said someday I will understand. But I'm not so sure I will. I can't think of anything that might change our friendship, to the point where I'd prefer him to be gone over all else. I'm not even at that point with Haku yet, and Winter has been treating me infinitely better than he has."

A heavy sigh escaped her, and she glanced up at the overcast sky. She'd probably been gone for a while. "I'm going to try and get some answers out of him. Otherwise I probably won't sleep properly for another week." Slowly, she got to her feet, dusting off her backside and stretching. Her face still felt uncomfortably hot, so she walked over to the lake and leaned over to splash some icy water on her skin. Hopefully her eyes weren't too red.

Wiping her hands on her pants, she turned back to see Shade and Ash standing side by side, watching her.

"Thanks for listening, beautiful girl," Aeri said to Ash, hugging her neck. "Are you going to fly back with us?" The female shrugged, smiling good-naturedly, which Aeri took to mean, Why not?

Hopping on Shade's shoulders, she held on with one hand as he spread his wings and launched skyward. Ash was right on his tail, and once they were high enough, she came up alongside them and tilted herself until she was flying upside down a few feet above Aeri's head. It wasn't a crazy stunt, but Aeri appreciated it nonetheless.

They landed in front of her grandmother's house. "Why don't you two go get something to eat? You're welcome to come back here after, of course, though I don't know why you would."

Giving them each a final pat in farewell, Aeri walked up the steps and opened the door.

Winter was still in the same chair, but there was a stack of books next to him. As soon as she entered, he carefully closed the one in his hands, and when he set it on top of the others, she could make out that it was a copy of the Dragon Manual.

"Doing some research?" she raised an eyebrow, and he nodded.

"I've been trying to educate myself, though I can't say how successful I've been thus far."

There was an awkward pause as they both just looked at each other. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long, Shade and I ran into Ash and we talked for a while."

"No need to apologize, I've been thoroughly occupied." He gestured to the books. "And, talking?"

"Not so much talking with them as at them."

"Ah. I see. Is today a talking day?"

Had anyone else asked that question, she would have thought that they were making a jibe at her. But Winter was just asking out of benevolent curiosity. He had a wide sarcastic streak, but he knew when to reign it in. He liked genuine answers, and so made a point of asking genuine questions.

Sighing, she nodded, and pulled out a chair across from him.

"Did you sleep alright last night?"

"No, not really," she replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, with the same genuineness as before.

"Since I think you already know what I want to talk about, is there anything you'd like to start with?"

He leveled her with a serious look. "I only have an idea of what you might want to discuss. There are a few different directions you could go in. There's also something important I need to talk to you about. But first, I want to apologize. I know that I probably upset you last night, and that was not my intention."

"Apology accepted, but I still want some answers."

"Then you'll need to ask me questions, so I can tell you what you want to know." Was it just her, or did he sound… resigned?

"First, tell me this. If I asked you to tell me everything, right now, would you?"

"No. And I'll tell you why. Right now, it would do you no good. In fact, it would probably do more harm than anything else."

She frowned. "So, when do I get to know?"

"There are some things that need to happen before I share all. I can tell you those things, if you'd like. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay. What needs to happen?"

"Let me preface this by apologizing again. I should have told you before now, and I meant to, I really did. I just got caught up in all this," he gestured around. "Berk is incredible. There's always something going on. Which has distracted me from my original intention in coming here."

"Which would be…?"

"To warn you."

A chill ran down her spine. "What do you need to warn us about?"

"Aeri." His gaze was intense, and she got the feeling that she really was not going to like what he was about to say. "You let her go."

A terrible wave of shock coursed through her. He can't mean… "Who are you talking about?"

"Surmata. You let her live."

Her heart began to pound. "How do you know that?"

"Because her ship wasn't there. All of the rest of them were sunken or smashed, but none of the wreckage was from her ship. The big one, with the black sails. Which tells me that she got away."

"I… I don't…"

"Don't get upset. I think I understand why you let her go, but correct me if I'm wrong. You beat her, right? You escaped from her clutches, returned to Heimme, and led the retaliation, which was successful. What difference would it make if you killed her or not? After everything, she's technically a person, too, and murder isn't really your game. So you sent her off, with her tail between her legs. And that should have been sufficient, for any sane, reasonable person. But Surmata is neither of those things. Instead of conceding defeat, she transforms her humiliation into a terrifying wrath."

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying, Aeri, is that she is still out there. And I would bet my life that she has not given up. As we speak, she is probably doing everything in her power to find you, and Shade, and exact her revenge."

Horror was giving way to determination. She would not stand idly by and allow her home to suffer the same fate as Heimme. "She can't win. Berk is too powerful. Even if she had three times as many ships, she wouldn't stand a chance."

"You're right. If she attacked with an army, she'd find a more powerful one waiting. But she's not stupid. She won't try the same thing twice. She might be crazy, but it's a devious, cunning insanity. That's why I'm here. I can't stop her if I can't find her, because while I am very good at finding things, she could be anywhere, and this world is a very big place. But if I know where she will eventually be, then I can plan accordingly. I came here to warn you, and to make sure that you are prepared for her. Because it's not a matter of if. It's when. But I didn't want to shout it from the rooftops, because I have no idea of when that time will be. The survivors of Heimme are still healing. They don't need to know that the danger is still out there, not yet. A widespread panic would not serve to help anyone."

Aeri felt like she might be drowning. Vivid memories of Surmata's attack were flashing though her mind. A helpless terror threatened to overwhelm her, but meeting Winter's resolute gaze, she got ahold of herself.

"We have to tell my father," she said, and he nodded his agreement.

"That would be wise."

She was about to stand and head for the door when an afterthought struck her. "So… when you said that 'things needed to happen', you meant Surmata coming here? That's what you're waiting for?"

"That was my hope, yes. Although I know how easily plans can fall apart. For now, don't worry about that. We need to focus on talking with your dad, and preparing ourselves for whatever might be coming."

He was right. "Fine. Let's go, then."


Toothless nuzzled the sensitive spot on his mate's neck, smiling when she shivered and snuggled closer to him. She had dozed off, but he was finding it hard to clear his mind, so he stayed alert, surveying their surroundings.

This time of year, their meadow wasn't the sunny getaway that it usually was during spring and summer, but that didn't bother them terribly. They just went there to get away from the village, their responsibilities, and the other dragons. Normally, he would jump at the opportunity to escape for a few hours, but lately he'd been very reluctant to leave. The conversation he'd had with Shade and Ash a few weeks before had left him slightly on edge.

After hearing his son's recounting of Sahko's warning, he had immediately gone in search of the Skrill. Of course, Shade and Ash were right behind him. They found him outside the forge, as his human was inside with Aeri and Gobber. He seemed cautious, but willing to assist them in any way possible. Toothless had decided that it would be simplest if he wouldn't have to reiterate anything, and sent for Cinder and Cloudjumper.

Once they were all gathered, he asked Sahko to tell them what he knew about the pirate witch, what he suspected her plan might be, and how he felt they should prepare. The Skrill obliged, but even he admitted that without the humans' involvement, they wouldn't be able to get enough done. He told them that he didn't know when his human would choose to alert Aeri, but that he had faith in James's ability to prepare them for the inevitable.

For a while, they had a group discussion about what they could do without the humans in the meantime. Toothless was absolutely chilled by the notion that the pirate was after his son, though both Shade and Sahko were in agreement that any Night Fury would do. Which was even more frightening, because while it was one thing to protect a single dragon, it was another to protect an entire species. Cinder suggested that he and Holly leave immediately for the colony to warn them of the risk, which Toothless consented to.

It was unanimously agreed that all of the dragons on Berk were in some way at risk, and so it was decided that no dragon would be allowed to leave the village alone. Hatchlings, especially, would be under constant supervision. Until the humans figured out their own measures, the dragons would increase their patrols, and anything out of the ordinary would be immediately reported, no matter how seemingly insignificant. The only problem was that there were still trade ships coming and going. Merchants would brave the storms and ice for one last good run, as Berk was the best northern market for all manner of wares. It would be difficult to discern if anyone had less than savory intentions, but that, unfortunately, could not be helped.

Afterwards, Cloudjumper went off to find assistance implementing their precautions. Shade and Sahko went back to the forge, and Cinder went to find Holly. Toothless wished his second-in-command good luck and a safe flight, and told him that he should stay as long as he saw fit in order to make sure the Night Furies of the colony would be secure. They rarely saw any human ships, and virtually never interacted with them, but now it would be of the utmost importance for them to stay out of sight entirely. They would also need to have a plan in the event that pirates did show up on their island.

Cinder nodded, departing with a simple farewell, but Toothless stopped Ash as she made to follow her brother.

"Just a moment, Ash."

She looked at him quizzically, but stayed put.

"I wanted to thank you for coming with Shade to bring this to my attention."

"Of course, Toothless. He was upset, for lack of a better word, but after we talked about it we both agreed that worrying would do no good, and that we should talk to you. After all, the whole "protect and provide" thing is right up your alley," she smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you were there to help him focus. And I'm glad that you two are friends again." Her eyes widened in surprise, but he stopped her before she could say anything. "I'm the Alpha. I know everything that goes on around here," he said with a grin. "Anyways, you should go see your brother off. He won't be wasting any time."

That had been weeks ago. Toothless anticipated Cinder's return to be within the next week or two, though he wasn't too worried. His second-in-command and his mate were strong fliers, for one thing, even with the intense winds and storms that picked up this time of year. Holly also probably wanted to spend some time with her family, and the other Night Furies she had lived with for her entire life before moving to Berk. In the meantime, Cloudjumper seemed perfectly content to pick up some of the slack, and Shade had pleasantly surprised him by offering his assistance with anything he might need.

"Mmmmm."

Pulled from his thoughts, Toothless looked down at Lightning. Slowly, one of her brilliant blue eyes opened, and focused on his face.

"Good morning," he said teasingly.

"Hmph. It hasn't been that long."

"That's true."

"Did you rest at all?" she asked, opening her other eye.

"No," he admitted, and she tilted her head.

"What's on your mind?"

"All kinds of things."

"Are you still worried about the pirates?"

"How could I not be?"

"Well, you're the Alpha, so I won't try and tell you what you should or should not be worried about—"

He snorted. "Like that's ever stopped you before."

Her eyes narrowed. "— but I think that you can afford to relax a bit. Cloudjumper and Stormfly know where to find us if something happens."

"I know. But I can't help worrying about Shade."

"Has he done something?"

"No! He's been more proactive about all this than anyone else. But I know it's because he's worried. He watched them hurt Aeri, and he couldn't do anything about it. And now he feels just as helpless, determined to protect her but not knowing when or where the threat might appear. I just wish there was some way for me to help him find some peace of mind."

"Well, seeing as how you worry constantly, maybe you aren't the best dragon to help him with that. It's not like there's a lack of willing volunteers."

"Are you talking about Kiva?"

"She comes to mind, yes."

Toothless pondered this for a moment. "I'm not convinced that he's all that receptive when it comes to her efforts."

"What was your first clue?"

"No need to be sarcastic, I'm just saying. For a while they seemed inseparable, but if I had to guess, I'd say that he's been avoiding her."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"Not really," he frowned. "I don't get it. What's wrong with her? She's a nice, good-looking female. She seems to get along well with everyone here. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that she adores him."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You do realize that love has to be mutual to work, right?"

"I know, but I just don't see why he wouldn't be interested. It's quite convenient."

"Would you be happy if any of our hatchlings settled on a mate they didn't love because it was convenient? If convenience was really your priority, you failed miserably by pursuing me."

Toothless had to laugh. "Miserable failure is the last thing that comes to mind when I see you."

"So don't expect Shade to be any different, then. He's your son. If he ever falls in love, it will likely be impractical and inopportune."

"I suppose you're right. I just want him to be happy," he sighed.

"He already is, which is part of why I think he's not interested in Kiva. Convenience is boring. No, if there's a female out there for him, she won't just be a practical choice. To him, she'll be worth fighting for."


Hiccup waved farewell to the class he had just visited. Fishlegs had approached him the other day, asking for assistance with the seven- to nine-year olds.

"They don't sit still or pay attention. All they do is play a game called 'Dragons', which sometimes involves their actual dragons, and sometimes just consists of them growling at each other and flapping their arms, among other uncouth behaviors," he sniffed.

This had struck him as very amusing, but he kept a straight face. "And you're talking about all of them? Do they just show up and immediately turn feral?"

"No. They'll behave for maybe fifteen minutes, then one of them will twist whatever I've just said and use it as an excuse to start the game."

"Well, who are the ringleaders? I could talk to them, or their parents."

Fishlegs looked distinctly uncomfortable, but forged on. "Actually, there's really only one…"

"That makes it easier. Who?"

"It's Wren."

At this, Hiccup had actually laughed. "Really? Wren? Out of all of them?"

"If I might be so bold, your daughter has both your flippancy and disregard for convention. And her dragon is no help at all. Maybe you could…"

"Sure, Fishlegs. I'll talk to her."

Later that evening, he managed to catch Wren alone as soon as he got home. She was at the table, drawing in her 'secret notebook' by the light of probably a dozen candles.

"Hey, Wren."

She didn't look up, but mumbled, "Hi, Dad."

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

At this, she glanced up at him, searching his face for some kind of indication that he might be unhappy with her. He recognized it, because it was the same look he had given his father growing up.

Apparently finding no cause for alarm, she slowly shut her notebook, nodding. He sat across from her, resting his elbows on the table.

"Can you think of any reason why I might have the need to talk to you?"

"You love me and find my company scini-scintillating?"

He had to laugh at that. "Well, of course I love you, and find you delightful. However, I've heard that you might not be so charming elsewhere."

Her gaze narrowed. "Fishlegs."

It was all Hiccup could do not to laugh again. "Fishlegs."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Well, it depends. I think we can talk about this like grown-ups and come to a solution, don't you?"

She still looked suspicious, but nodded.

"Excellent. So, tell me about 'Dragons'."

"Well," she began slowly. "There really aren't any rules. You just have to act like a dragon."

"Interesting. And why can't 'Dragons' wait until class is over?"

"Because class is boring," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What would make it less boring, do you think? Besides 'Dragons'."

A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "We just listen to Fishlegs talk the whole time. We don't get to do anything fun. And besides, I already know everything he's telling us."

"Has it occurred to you that your fellow classmates might not know everything you do?"

"Well, no," she admitted.

"So, you might actually be preventing them from learning valuable knowledge. Does that seem fair to you?"

"I guess not. But there's gotta be a way to make it less boring, Dad. Alyka gets to do all kinds of interesting stuff."

"Alyka is two classes ahead of you, so of course what she's doing is going to seem better, because it's different. For example, their dragons are generally old enough to carry them, so they can practice flying. Skali's not big enough to fly the both of you yet. So that won't be an option for a while. Alyka's class also went through this part of training, too, where it's all listening. Everyone goes through it. We wouldn't teach it this way if it wasn't necessary. Does that make sense?"

She looked unhappy, but grudgingly agreed. Then a contemplative look crept onto her face. "Why don't you teach us?"

"Wren, you know that as the Chief, I don't have the time to teach the regular classes—"

"I know that. I mean just once in a while. You could do that, couldn't you?"

Hiccup thought about it. "I don't see why I couldn't. Alright, I'll talk to Fishlegs, and if he says it's okay, I'll come and teach you guys every so often. And I'll see what I can do about making it less boring. How does that sound?"

Her face lit up. "That sounds awesome, Dad! Thank you!"

And so he found himself in front of Wren's class. Every child and dragon was sitting attentively, watching his every move. If he hadn't had some experience with that behavior, he would have been too nervous to think straight. As it was, he didn't want to disappoint them.

"Who can tell me what you learned last class?"

A black-haired boy with a young blue Gronckle raised his hand eagerly. "Oh! We learned about what to feed our dragons!"

"Very good. Can you tell me what you would feed your Gronckle?"

The boy frowned for a moment. "I know he likes fish, but he also likes to eat rocks."

"Very good! Gronckles are a Boulder Class dragon, which means that rocks are a healthy part of their diet. Every Boulder Class dragon has different preferences for what kind of rock they like best. That means it's your job, as his rider, to take the time to learn about the different kinds of rocks, and find out which are his favorites. Now, who can tell me what you don't feed your dragons?"

A red-haired girl raised her hand and waved it around excitedly, bumping into her Nadder. "Eels! They hate eels!" There was a chorus of agreement from the entire class.

"Does anyone know what happens to most dragons when they eat eels?"

They all shook their heads, so he leaned closer, smiling. "I first learned about dragons' dislike for eels when I first trained Toothless, when I was fifteen years old. It wasn't until later that I found out why they don't eat them. Shall I tell you the story?"

They all nodded eagerly.

"Well, there was an epidemic of eel pox. Everyone was getting sick. Even my dad, Stoick the Vast, caught it. Who here has had eel pox?" A few hands were raised. "So you know that it's no fun. As the first Dragon Riders of Berk, it was up to me, Astrid, the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs to get the ingredients to make the cure. But we weren't immune, either. One by one, each of us started showing the symptoms of the pox. We finally had all the ingredients but one. Can you guess what the last ingredient was?" They all shook their heads. "The final ingredient to the eel pox cure… is eels! So Toothless and I had to travel to Eel Island to get one…"

They gasped appropriately when he recounted falling into the water, where the eels tried to drag him to the bottom. Toothless, of course, jumped in and saved him, but he accidentally swallowed an eel in the process. Hiccup told them about his confusion and uncontrollable red plasma blasts. "I had to chase him all over the island, but just as all hope seemed lost… Fishlegs and Meatlugs came to our rescue! Now, you might be thinking, Why did they need to be rescued? Because eels aren't the only dangerous creatures living on eel island. While almost all dragons hate and avoid eels, there is one dragon that actually eats them! Do any of you know which dragon that might be?" More head shaking. "The enormous and ill-tempered Typhoomerang! Only one Typhoomerang has ever been trained, but that's a story for another time. On Eel Island, we encountered one of the creatures, and let me tell you, it was not pleasant…"

Of course, all thanks to Fishlegs and Meatlug, they were able to fend off the Typhoomerang, get the eel out of Toothless, and return home to cure everyone's eel pox. "And that's how we learned why most dragons don't like eels. Now, I didn't just tell you this story for no reason. Starting today, we are starting a new tradition! From now on, every class, Fishlegs will share with you something interesting about a different dragon from the Dragon Manual. Today, we learned that Typhoomerangs are the only dragons that like eels. I bet if you're all really good, and listen to him while he's teaching you, Fishlegs will tell you more stories like this one. Now, before I go, I wanted to talk about your game. 'Dragons'. I heard that there really weren't any rules, so I've been thinking of a way to make it even more fun. I want to show you something. Skali, would you come here please?"

Once the young Night Fury was sitting next to him, he reached under her chin and expertly found and scratched the pressure point that had her flat on the ground, knocked out, in a matter of seconds.

Wren, of course, had seen this before, but the other kids started to freak out.

"What did you do to her?"

"Is she dead?"

Raising his hands, they immediately quieted, though all still wore expressions of deep concern.

"No, she's not dead. She's sleeping. See?" he pointed to Skali, who was very clearly breathing, with a slight smile on her face. "All dragons have a spot like that. So what I was thinking is this: We make 'Dragons' a tagging game. If you get scratched under your chin, you're out." The kids were starting to get excited, so he held up his hands again until they quieted. "But. And this is an important but." A few giggles. "You can only play 'Dragons' after class. Now, can you all promise me that you will listen to Fishlegs when he's teaching you? If you're really good listeners, he'll tell you something interesting from the Dragon Manual, and every so often, he'll tell you a cool story. So, do you promise?"

The kids eagerly promised to behave. "Good! Now, if I hear you haven't been listening to Fishlegs, I'll be back, but not to tell you stories. If you're disrespectful, I'll have to bring Alpha Toothless around to teach you manners. And you don't want Alpha Toothless teaching you manners, do you?"

They looked genuinely afraid as they hurriedly shook their heads. Hiccup beamed at them. Works every time. "Okay! If no one has any questions, I think it might be time for 'Dragons' tag. Who wants to play?"

In no time they were swarming around, trying to scratch beneath each other's chins and growling as ferociously as they could. Leaving Fishlegs to supervise, Hiccup decided it was a good time to bow out. Waving goodbye, he headed through the tunnel, thinking fondly of his children, and wondering if Toothless would be up for an afternoon flight.

There was also the matter of the pirates that Aeri and Winter had told him about yesterday. After the shock of that had settled, he had sent word out that there would be a council meeting in two days' time, which meant he had the rest of tonight to either worry about that or try and be productive with other things.

To his surprise, there was someone waiting for him outside of the Academy.

"Chief, I was wondering if I could speak with you."

"Of course, Haku. Would you walk back to the village with me?"

The solemn young man nodded, and they fell in side by side. Hiccup knew something was up, not just because Haku had bothered coming all the way over here and waiting for him, but also because of the way he was trying and failing to act casual. Had he somehow heard about the pirates? No, Aeri had told him that no one else knew, and if it was about the pirates, Haku would probably be a lot more agitated. So this was something else.

Finally, Haku spoke, his gaze trained on the ground. "I've been thinking, and I believe it would be best for me to begin my search for a new home for my people."

Hiccup couldn't say he was surprised. Haku was unfailingly polite to him, but he'd heard rumors of the younger Chief's volatile temper, and took it as a sign of discontent. "I presume you have a plan of sorts? Winter is almost upon us. It would be a challenge for you to return before spring, though of course it can be done, given enough determination."

Haku nodded. "I've spoken to most of those that I would have accompanying me, and we've agreed that it would be wisest to leave as soon as possible."

"So, what you would like to know is, how soon can ships be made ready for you."

Another short nod. "I hate to impose upon you further—"

Hiccup waved a hand. "It's not like we're going to be taking the entire fleet out for a casual jaunt around the archipelago anytime soon. We can certainly spare a few ships for you. But you have not yet told me when you plan to depart. It's a simple matter to prepare a ship, so how soon do you need them?" He wasn't worried in the slightest about getting a few ships ready for a long voyage, or even providing supplies for the journey. He was only a little concerned about the fact that Haku and his crew would likely be facing some troublesome weather. As he'd said, given enough determination, any voyage could be attempted, though its completion was a different matter. Hiccup did not doubt Haku's determination. Of course, he had been planning on his presence at the council meeting, and at subsequent meetings regarding the delicate subject of the insane pirate queen, but it wasn't a necessity. Berk could address the threat sufficiently without him. It might even be better without getting the survivors worked up over something so unpredictable.

No. What Hiccup was worried about was how his two eldest children would react to the news of Haku's— and presumably, his sisters'— sudden and unexpected departure. Would there be enough time for a proper farewell?

Stormy grey eyes met his, and Hiccup knew with a sinking heart that the answer to that was no.


Uh oh. I couldn't even begin to guess what might be coming next chapter ;) Maybe I'll give you some hints. A confrontation or three, a multitude of departures, some sadness, some adventure... I also wanted to tell you that we will be reminded over the course of the rest of the story that not all dragons are good. So keep all that in mind.

Y'all are the best. See you next time :)