Ruffrunner crooned boredly as he and his siblings landed on New Berk, already feeling a yawn working its way through his throat. Ever since that first day of flying with that little human family and meeting the fabled, 'Hiccup', visits between the humans and dragons had become more frequent. Not frequent enough that it'd be a weekly, or even monthly occurrence; but it had been a bit of a tradition for the two parties to visit each other at least once a year. Just enough to keep the legend of the dragons alive in the archipelago, but not enough to place their homes in any danger.
Today was one such visit. Ruffrunner watched as his brother and sister shared loving touches with their human friends; the children of Hiccup Haddock, Zephyr and Nuffink. Zephyr scratched an area on Dart's neck, hitting the sweet spot behind her frills and causing Dart to collapse comfortably onto the grass. Meanwhile, Pouncer had, well, pounced on Nuffink, and the two were in the middle of a friendly brawl.
'Pouncer used to do that with me when we were hatchlings,' the third sibling thought, with a twinge of jealousy. His jealousy was immediately followed by a wave of shame. How could he be mad about his siblings simply spending time with friends? Especially when those friends saw each other so little.
As he watched the four interact, he wondered if this was what his father was like around the Chief. The King was so busy with his duties in the Hidden World nowadays, and was nearing his fiftieth year of age, which would call for a celebration of sorts, making him busier than ever. His mother would never come to these meetings; She trusted Hiccup and the New Berkians, but her past experiences with the Warlords had been, in her words, "enough human interaction for one lifetime."
Pouncer let out a guttural laugh, cutting his brother's musings short. Nuffink had somehow gotten caught in a net, and was hanging upside-down from a branch in a tree. Zephyr blushed meekly, evidently having been the one to set up the trap in the first place, while Dart laughed at her human's embarrassment.
"Zeph, come on!" Nuffink crossed his arms, still dangling upside-down from the tree, "Mind gettin' me down from 'ere?"
"Oh, yeah, right!" Zephyr rushed to his side, pulling out her little dagger to cut the rope, only for that to cause the contraption to drop Nuffink on his head.
Zephyr stuck her tongue out, "That's what you get, for not looking where you step!"
Nuffink grumbled grumpily, "Ah' hate ye'."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't."
Zephyr walked away with a mischievous smirk, leaving Nuffink to get up from the ground by himself. As he stood up straight, dusting off the grass and dirt, his head towered over Pouncer's, who'd taken to licking off the dirt to help.
'The humans have been getting taller,' Ruffrunner thought with a jolt. How old were they now, 25? Humans grew so fast. He knew Zephyr and Nuffink were already adults by human standards, but by draconic standards, the Nightlights were merely teenagers. Dragons lived longer, and thus, aged slower. But not slow enough, it seemed.
Dart was already well on her way to becoming the next Alpha-Queen. The process of becoming Alpha could work two ways; Either you won it in a battle against the old Alpha, or the old Alpha simply handed it to you. For as long as their father was the King of Dragons, Dart would be his heir.
'She deserves it,' The Nightlight thought. Dart was always the one leading them on their adventures. Sneaking out of the Hidden World, uncovering conspiracies brewing right at their home, battling dragons who threatened their world's natural balance... there really couldn't have been a better heir to the throne.
Pouncer would be her knight. Ruffrunner knew that for certain. Like the Nadder, Nightmare, Gronckle, and Zippleback that were so fiercely protective and loyal to their King, Pouncer had been the most outwardly protective of his siblings. He was always the first to strike whatever enemies they faced, the first to send a plasma blast, the first to pounce without question, needing to be reigned back on several occasions just to control his temper. He'd make an excellent knight.
"Where does that leave me, then?" Ruffrunner wondered, keeping an eye open as his siblings continued playing with the humans while he lay down on the grass, pretending to sleep. He wasn't as strong and brave as Pouncer and Dart were. Sometimes, he was too tired to even keep up with their adventures. He was always so tired. So sleepy. Half the time, he didn't even know what was going on in their adventures until the situation was made obvious.
He always tagged along, not wanting to be left alone. But sometimes, he couldn't help but feel like he was being a burden. If he wasn't strong and brave and smart and strategic like his siblings were, then, what was he? Just the sleepy, passive tag-along?
And then he gets reminded of his purpose, when the sun begins to set and Dart says they have to go home before the next dawn. When Pouncer, having finally exhausted himself of his excitement, gives out a reluctant sigh as he rests under Ruffrunner's wing, preparing to stretch his own. When the winter winds of the night blow strong and cold, and the three huddle together to feel each others' inner fires for warmth. When they go on another adventure, and Dart and Pouncer argue again over planning decisions, and he's there to remind them to calm down and talk. When one of them gets injured by a crash or an arrow, and he's the only one with them to comfort, while the other sibling is occupied with fighting the enemy or getting help. When Dart becomes an Alpha and Pouncer becomes her knight, and the two become saddled with responsibilities, and when the day ends, he's there to let them be without their titles or worries.
He's not just their follower. He's their brother.
And that's all he ever needs to be.