Heather and Einfari landed on the beach on the tapered end of the island, far from the mountain. Heather dismounted and headed over to the pile of gathered firewood, setting up a fire.

'No ships within sight, but we need to be quick,' Einfari remarked, taking to the sky. 'Why is this different from my fire?'

'Maour has herbs, and we have fish,' Heather replied calmly, setting the fire up. 'I can't cook with your fire, and I want to see what can be made with all of this.' She still didn't know how Maour handled actually cooking, but this would work. It was night so smoke columns wouldn't be a problem, and Einfari was keeping an eye out for ships close enough to see the fire itself. Besides, Einfari had suggested it. That was the only reason she wasn't worried a paranoid dragon would see it as trying to draw attention. It wasn't her idea.

"Ready," Heather remarked, stepped back. A tiny blue blast of fire hit her pile, scattering it a little in the process of writing it. "Maybe hit it from a little closer next time."

'Sorry,' Einfari apologized, swooping down to grab something from the water, her voice still sounding close. 'Next time.' She quickly flew back to the beach with something in her mouth.

'We need a saddle,' Einfari remarked as she flicked a fish at Heather. 'Maour has my measurements, but I think he needs yours.'

Heather had to ask the obvious question. "Why does he already have yours?"

'He took some measurements years ago, when all of this was still new and he was experimenting with saddle designs, and I haven't grown much since then. Something about making sure the same proportions applied to all of us. I really don't understand most of what he and Toothless do to make things.'

"So we go to them?" Hadn't Maour said he would find them? Then again, what did it matter?

'No, you go to them,' Einfari corrected calmly. 'I need to stretch my wings, and I'd just be standing around anyway. I'll drop you off at his workshop, go flying, and come pick you up when you're done.'

"Okay." It would be nice to talk to someone she could hear who wasn't Einfari. "Where is his workshop?" They would go once she was done eating.

Heather watched as Einfari disappeared into the clouds high above the ground. "Maybe there was another reason she didn't want to stick around," she mused

Einfari had dropped her off in front of… well, to be honest it looked like a junk heap, one situated against a steep cliffside set into the mountain. There were piles of weapons, metal bits, and things she didn't recognize scattered across tables and wooden slabs set against the cliffside. At the back there was what she recognized as a rudimentary forge. It was almost unnerving, just how foreign all of the contraptions she didn't recognize were.

There were drawings next to some of them, left out in the open. What if it rained?

Or maybe they were out in the open because Maour was working here right now, and he just wasn't around at this exact moment. That would explain why Einfari had left her here without finding Maour first.

So she just had to wait. Fine by her. She wandered around the small clearing, looking through the piles of apparent junk.

Some of it was junk… but some of it was not, according to the schematics by a few of the piles. One pile, composed mostly of leather and iron rods, was clearly a half-built saddle, but one the schematic said would be dyed black, streamlined, and covered in scales.

Wait, scales? The things Einfari said took forever to get in bulk? Heather looked closer, wondering how he planned on getting enough for that. Actually, there was one on the table… she picked it up, wondering why it didn't look quite… real.

"That's not a real scale," Maour's voice explained from somewhere behind her. She had been expecting something like that, so it didn't really surprise her.

"Why make fakes?"

He walked around to the other side of the table, pulling a few other fakes of varying design out from under the leather. "Decoration, protection, and possibly fireproofing if I can figure that out. Real scales would be better, but there's no way I'll ever get enough for that."

As she had thought. "I'm here for our saddle?"

"You're here to order a saddle," he corrected. "I've got the basic design, but I need to know what extras you and EInfari want."

"Einfari said you'll need measurements from me too," Heather supplied, wondering how he intended to get those.

Maour shook his head. "No, actually, I don't. She probably thinks that because I had to get some from Fishlegs. He was a special case." He pulled out a charcoal pencil and absently flipped over one of the other designs, moving the parchment to the table between them. "So, any ideas for what you want on your saddle?"

That was a difficult question. "Honestly, I didn't think you would add anything. Just a normal saddle."

Maour cast her a wry smile. "Well, I've got a bit of time to kill. Toothless is talking to the Eldurs about something, and only one of us needs to be present for that. I'd rather not be done here until that's over."

Something about that struck Heather as odd. She decided to be honest. "I'd gotten the impression you two did everything together."

"A common misconception," Maour agreed. "But really, that wouldn't be so fun for either of us. In the end, we are two different people, no matter how similar or how in-tune we are with each other."

She nodded. "I do understand. But even so… How close are the other riders and their dragons?"

Maour shrugged. "I don't really know the specifics. Partners in crime for the twins and Myrkurs, and fellow scholars for Fishlegs and Berg? Friends. Why not ask them yourself?"

"I haven't even really met them yet," she admitted. "It's been a crazy few… nights." At that, it wasn't that dark out, despite being well after dusk. Maybe her vision was already improving.

"Well, I guess you do have your hands full at the moment. How are things in the Nótt caves?"

She opened her mouth to tell him about all of the conflict, the tension and danger… and then closed it again. Something was stopping her, a little nagging feeling that told her she didn't want to say any of that.

It wasn't like Maour couldn't guess how things were going, if he knew all the dragons involved. She wouldn't be spilling any secrets.

Einfari had wanted a friend inside her family… because there were some things one just didn't make public. Whatever internal disputes were going on, the Nótt family presented a unified front to the rest of the world. That was what a family of manipulators and cynics would do.

"We're figuring it out." She didn't have the words to explain this.

Maour stared at her, his eyes narrowing. "You don't want to say." It wasn't a question. "Whatever the problem is, you'll handle it yourself."

"There's no problem, not really," she clarified. "Aside from what one would expect. I just don't feel like talking about it to-"

He cut her off with a chuckle. "To an outsider. Just like Einfari, even with Von. Someone has been very quick to start acting like a Nótt."

She didn't know what to think of that. It wasn't an insult, but it wasn't exactly complimentary either. "Maybe I already thought like one of them."

"No, I'm not trying to make it sound like a bad thing," he backtracked. "It's just… despite all the hostility I know is there, you're already loyal to them. Despite how all of this started, and how you got put with them in the first place."

Loyal. Was she? She just wanted a place to hide for the foreseeable future, and that meant getting on the good side of these dragons. Could that really be called loyalty, if she only did it because there were no better options?

Her mind went to playing with Nótthljóður, before they had been interrupted. No better options… but the only other option would probably involve selling this one out. Selling the knowledge of this place, of the existence of Nótthljóður and everyone else she had met, to a hostile world. Dooming them to persecution, to being hunted… much like what she would be escaping.

She couldn't do that. Wouldn't do that. That innocent and playful little dragon would not be doomed by her actions. Heather knew she would never be able to live with herself otherwise. So, was she loyal? Yes, in a way, though she had never intended to be unless it was in her own best interests.

"Heather?" Maour sounded worried. "You zoned out."

She nodded slowly. "I guess I did." She could ponder this later. "So, the saddle."

Maour sighed, clearly getting the message that she was done talking about it. "The saddle. What extras do you want?"

"What options are there?" She had no experience in saddles. How was she supposed to know what she would want?

"Well, the twins got weapon holsters, Fishlegs had me add a small satchel built into the front so he could store things…"

"Both of those, if possible." She saw no issues with that. "Other than that, I don't think we need anything else."

"Okay, got it." He made a few notes on the blank side of the parchment. "Any specific weapon for the holster to be designed for, or just some general tie-downs?"

She didn't actually have a weapon. "Just a general one." Best to be ready for anything.

"All right." He looked up, taking in their surroundings. "Did Einfari leave you here?"

"Yes, she should be back soon." Actually… Heather accessed Einfari's sight, looking in on her. It was getting easier and easier to do that whenever she wanted, though she still forgot it was an option most of the time. She was met with a view of the ocean, spinning dizzyingly. If this was Einfari 'stretching her wings' Heather was glad she hadn't been brought around.

'Heather? Done already?' Einfari asked, her voice unplacably near and yet not present.

"Yeah, we're done here." She felt a little awkward speaking to the air as if there was someone there, but of course Maour knew what she was doing.

'I'll be there in a few minutes.'

Heather returned to her own senses, feeling vaguely nauseous. "How do you stand flipping around in midair on a dragon?"

Maour shrugged, not at all bothered by the oddly sudden question. "You get used to it. I don't think it's ever bothered me, really. Fishlegs might have better advice, given he has a weaker stomach."

Heather stared at him. "You insult your own friends pretty casually," she noted.

"It's not an insult, it's the truth. We're not around Vikings," Maour countered, sounding slightly annoyed. "He knows it, I know it, and everyone who ever saw him and Berg fly the first few months knows it. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Heather took a step back, slightly surprised by how vehement he turned. "You called him weak. How is that not an insult?"
"Because we are all weak in one way or another." His voice was cold. "The obsession with appearing strong and all-powerful that Vikings encourage is damaging and stupid to the extreme."

"You really don't like that, do you," she mused. "Personal reasons, I assume."

"Yes." He turned away from her, setting the parchment down on another table. "I know first-hand how destructive and discouraging it is for nobody to admit weakness. The way it works here is better. Almost nobody puts on a disguise and pretends to be perfect."

"Almost," Heather repeated. "Who's the exception?"

"I'm not going to say," Maour replied seriously, still not looking at her. "If you continue on your current path with the Nótts, you'll figure it out."

Well, that narrowed it down.

'Figure what out?' Einfari asked curiously, dropping to the ground by Heather. 'How to make a saddle?'

"I know all too well how to do that, Einfari," Maour laughed. "You can come pick it up tomorrow night. It'll be done by then."

'Thanks, Maour. It'll be nice not to have to worry about throwing Heather with more than basic turns,' Einfari rumbled eagerly.

"So I take it you want safety lines too," Maour noted. "I'll be sure to add those. Almost forgot about them."

'Not everyone wants to fall out of the saddle for fun, you know.' Einfari cast Heather a considering glance. 'Not until they're used to flying, anyway.'

Heather groaned quietly. She didn't think she would find free-falling fun.

The next night was spent flying with the new saddle. The night after, Heather woke up to a strange sound.

'Play with me?' A childish, high-pitched voice implored from nearby, one she never heard before.

A dark silhouette in an even darker cave sleepily stretched like a cat, yawning as she woke up. It was Nótthljóður. Heather figured she just realized who was asking to play, which bore the wonderful news that she could also hear dragons.

"Maybe, if your mom says it's okay." Now that conversation could happen.

Actually... it was early, and Einfari wasn't yet up. Heather didn't see any reason to wake her friend for this. It was supposed to be private, and she didn't feel that threatened by Nóttskarpur. This was safe enough… and she wanted to show Einfari that she could trust the others a little.

Nótthljóður followed her out into the central cavern. 'Dad!' she greeted happily, rushing to her father. Nóttskarpur was also there, though thankfully Nóttreiði was not.

Nóttleiðtogi looked up, purring as he saw his younger daughter. Then his gaze went to Heather, and he flinched.

Nóttskarpur sighed. 'One day at a time.' Her voice was kind and smooth.

'Yes,' Nóttleiðtogi agreed solemnly, sounding tired despite having probably just woken up. 'But even that is hard. Tomorrow night, maybe. Joy, come with me. We can go fishing.' With that, he and the fledgling left.

Nóttskarpur stared at Heather suspiciously. 'I take it you can hear us now?'

Heather jumped guiltily. "How did you know?"

'You looked confused at my mate's words,' Nóttskarpur answered helpfully. 'And you paid attention, though we made no sounds or gave any indication that something was going on. It was not a hard guess.'

"I wasn't trying to spy," Heather hastily added. "I just started hearing everyone a few minutes ago, when I woke up."

'Good.' Nóttskarpur walked closer. 'So now I can tell you this directly. My daughter likes to soften our words when translating, and much she does not convey at all.' That was said neutrally.

Heather nodded. She had suspected as much. "I figured."

Now it was Nóttskarpur's turn to look surprised. 'What made that clear?'

Well, she might as well be honest. "Nóttreiði feels like the kind of person to swear a lot, and I haven't heard any death threats yet."

'You will not hear any now either. Nóttreiði has learned that lesson once already.' A frustrated huff. 'Hopefully. Almost getting banished for trying to kill Maour has tempered him slightly, and Einfari and I have been working on keeping the more… aggressive… comments down. But that is not what I wanted to speak of.'

Heather waited, feeling nervous.

'I will protect my children with my life,' Nóttskarpur asserted. 'And I don't fully trust you yet.'

"We were just playing," Heather objected. "I was careful not to hurt her."

'I am working on the assumption you mean well.' A softer tone now. 'But wrestling with my youngest daughter is a dangerous activity for you too. She might get frustrated and hurt you. It is not safe for either of you.'

"Okay." That was fair enough.

'That being said, my son was out of line.' Now Nóttskarpur did not sound stern towards Heather at all. Her voice held long-suffering frustration. 'Know that he has no authority here. His word is worth no more than Einfari's, and either of them is overruled by myself or my mate. Nóttreiði will not strike at you.'

"That is a relief." Heather shrugged. "But his word does kind of hold power over me because we both know he could just kill me in an instant." She had no leverage against that, though Einfari would try to stop him.

This seemed to amuse Nóttskarpur. 'It is good that you see that much. But in reality, you need no leverage to prevent that. He is restrained already. It is the standing order of both myself and my mate that no matter what you do, you are to be captured, not killed on the spot.'

Well, that was... somewhat comforting? "There are a lot of ways to hurt me without killing me."

'But he is not sadistic,' Nóttskarpur countered. 'So he will not even do that.'

"Unless he gets mad enough to want me dead." Really, this didn't make her feel better at all. "What if he gets mad enough to forget?"

Nóttskarpur froze. 'How much has Einfari told you?'

"Almost nothing, at least about him." What had she said?

'It is a possibility,' Nóttskarpur admitted sadly. 'He has lost control before.'

"So in that case, I..?"

'Run. Hide. Stay away from him.' Nóttskarpur shook her head. 'It will not happen, but if it does, find me or Togi. We can calm him.'

"Okay." So really, she needed to step carefully around Nóttreiði. "Any other potential death traps I should know about?"

'Yes,' was the answer. 'Do not touch Togi without permission. Do not startle him if at all possible. He will speak to you himself soon, but know that he is not entirely in control of his own reactions.'

That was downright worrying. It seemed she needed to be careful around almost half of the family that had taken her in. That was a little discouraging.

It must have shown on her face, because Nóttskarpur warbled sadly, moving a little closer. 'We are not the best family to host a human. But most of us are trying to be better.'

"Well, you're still better than what I had before, which is nothing," Heather muttered. Then she looked up. "I'm not ungrateful, but it's really hard to be optimistic when half of your family can't stand me."

'That is not it.' Nóttskarpur hesitated, before looking Heather in the eye. 'My daughters are on your side entirely. I myself am only holding off on trust to be safe. My mate has been working for years to lessen his own issues and is more stressed about possibly wronging you than you betraying us, for he trusts the rest of us to catch you. And my son...'

"Is a jerk?" Heather supplied, instantly regretting the words as they left her mouth.

'Yes.' Nóttskarpur nodded. 'He latched on to an enemy to point his anger at, and has not yet taken to heart that his enemy is not absolute.' She whined. 'I fear that he will never grow past that almost as much as I fear the pain he will feel if he does. If he does something so terrible that it opens his eyes to all of the hurts he has caused in the past, that would be a terrible feeling.'

"Well, that's unavoidable if he's going to change at all." Heather felt far less discouraged now. "And thank you for telling me the truth. But what if I was playing some long game? You just told me how to win it in that case."

Nóttskarpur purred. 'My mate said recently that I am just the right amount of cynical. That is the voice of paranoia.' A growl. 'We have seen what it does before, with Maour. Nótts do not make the same mistake twice. I feel I can trust you and have done my part in ascertaining that you are not deceiving us, so there is no harm in telling you that it is a matter of time, not of effort, at least on my part.'

"Why do you think I can be trusted?" It was a good question, one that bothered Heather.

'Many reasons. You have not lied yet. More importantly, I know what a good human looks like. I spent a lot of time watching the other humans before they were accepted. There are similarities, patterns I can see, having seen several examples of good and bad. I just know.'

"But for Togi-"

A soft, warning growl. 'Has no one told you of how names work?'

Heather winced. "Uh, no?" Maour might have, but she couldn't remember.

'Then you are excused, but that was improper.' Nóttskarpur sat on her back legs, staring at Heather as she spoke. 'You may call my daughter Einfari, a short name because she said you could, or did not stop you when you first began to do so. Unless you are given permission, do not use any name but the full one. Nóttleiðtogi, in his case.'

"Okay, I get it now." Heather paused. "But can you tell me everyone here's short name, so I know who people are talking about?"

'A reasonable request,' Nóttskarpur agreed. 'I am Skarpur, to friends and family. Einfari you know. My mate is Togi, as you guessed. Nótthljóður is Joy.'

"What about Nóttreiði?"

A soft whine. 'He never liked any short name we could come up with, so he has none. We just call him Nóttreiði.'

That felt wrong to Heather. If short names were for people close to you, what kind of message was Nóttreiði sending by not having one at all?

But Nóttreiði was close to his little sister if no one else. So maybe he really just didn't like any short name and didn't mean anything by it.

"Well, I'm Heather," she finished with a small smile. "My real name is short enough as it is."

'And... I suppose you may call me Skarpur,' Nóttskarpur finished with a purr. 'As long as you are loyal to this pack, and this family, you are one of us. It will just take us time to accept that.'

Heather was honored, especially as Skarpur had just explained exactly how important that was, though it seemed a small gesture. "Thank you, Skarpur."

'I try not to give only bad news in any one conversation,' Skarpur joked. 'I never want anyone to dread talking to me.'

'A good strategy,' a new voice added. Einfari came out from the side-cavern, yawning toothily. 'So what's the verdict?'

'No more playing rough,' Skarpur said sternly. 'At least, not for Heather. She and Joy can find something else to do.'

'No, about Nóttreiði. Is he in trouble for being a total-'

'Yes, and you know that.' Skarpur growled. 'You also know we do not gloat when we are right.'

'Sorry,' Einfari mumbled. 'Just making sure Heather hears it from you.'

'In that case, I will repeat what I told you.' Skarpur shrugged her wings. 'He will be having a long talk with Togi tonight, and Togi was no happier than I was to hear he tried to order both you and Joy around. As I said that two nights ago, that has already happened.'

'My mother doesn't want us to try and take charge of each other,' Einfari whispered conspiratorily. 'As soon as Joy is twelve, she won't have to do a single thing Nóttreiði or I say.'

'That is how it should be. Practice your persuasion if you want to be in charge.' Skarpur glanced over at Heather. 'Or if you want to be liked, just keep trying. Togi will give you ample opportunity, but you will have to make time with Nóttreiði.'

'Heather should do him last,' Einfari added. 'That way he knows everyone else is fine with her. He likes to think I'm just blind.'

'Well, it is not just you who is blind, if that is the case.' Skarpur nodded to Heather. 'Right?'

"Right, Skarpur." Heather blinked. "Wait, does that mean something?" It might just be a name, but she felt like it was more than that.

'Skarpur means sharp,' Skarpur said neutrally. 'like a claw.'

'But in this case it means sharp in mind,' Einfari finished. 'We all know that for a fact.'

'You said it, not me.' Skarpur nodded. 'Me, Einfari, and Joy, though she is not quite old enough to be suspicious of a new person yet.'

'Hey, look at that.' Einfari nudged Heather conspiratorily. 'More than half the family already.'

"Don't make it sound like I'm trying to trick them!" Heather objected.

Einfari laughed at that. 'Fine, whatever you say. But with Nóttreiði, it might need to be a trick. He certainly won't change willingly.' With that, she darted out of the cavern. Her voice, on the other hand, did not get any further away in Heather's head. 'Come on, let's get into the air and get the night started.'

Heather nodded. 'Gotta go, Skarpur.'

'I wish you luck. My daughter is a reckless flier when she is distracted.' Skarpur grinned. 'Keep that one in reserve for the next time she messes with you.'

Heather was really beginning to like Skarpur. "I will."

The next few hours were spent in the air, practicing ever more difficult maneuvers with Einfari. They were improving slowly but surely. Or, more accurate to say Einfari was getting better at adjusting her flight so as to not almost throw Heather off with every turn. There really wasn't much for Heather to do but hold on.

Einfari laughed when she remarked upon that. 'Well, unless you want to risk my wrath by cutting off a tailfin while I sleep, you won't get to be much more involved.'

Heather flinched at that. "I might end up dead if you make that joke in public."

'That is why I made it now instead of later,' Einfari remarked casually. 'But it was funny.'

"Maybe to you. I don't even want to think about that." She didn't like the idea of…

Of hurting Einfari at all. Of her being hurt by anyone. It made her angry.

'Heather?' Einfari warbled cautiously. 'You trailed off.'

"Do you remember what you said, Einfari, about faking it until it wasn't fake?" She hadn't entirely believed that would happen, but she had done it anyway.

'Yes.' She warbled smugly. 'Was I right?'

"I think so." There was nothing more that needed to be said. They both understood.

'Fine by me,' Einfari concluded. 'And it is working for me too, just so you know.'

'What is?' a new voice asked from below and behind them. Heather twisted in the saddle to see another Night Fury flying up behind them, a female with green eyes and no scars. That narrowed it down to-

'Von!' Einfari barked mock-angrily, swinging around in a wide turn that almost had Heather dangling off the saddle. 'Since when do Svarturs sneak up on people?'

Von laughed at that, falling in beside them. 'Since a Nótt is so distracted in the air that I can sneak up on them.'

'I was not distracted,' Einfari retorted with a purr. 'Have you met Heather?'

'Not personally, no.' Von nodded politely to Heather. 'I am Svarturvon.'

"Heather," she replied. "You are Toothless's..?" She would assume sister, but maybe aunt? It was hard to tell ages.

'Sister,' Von confirmed. 'Nice to meet you.' She flew a bit faster, until she was level with Einfari. 'Want to race?'

Thankfully, Einfari was quick to answer. 'Not with Heather. We're still getting used to flying together, and I'd rather not risk dropping her, even with a saddle.'

'Some other time. The saddle is good? If you need it adjusted, I can take it to Maour and Toothless for you,' Von offered.

'It seems fine to me. Heather?'

"No problems here." If anything, the only problem was user inexperience.

'Well, I'll catch up with you later, Einfari.' Von sighed. 'I should be home, anyway. Mom hasn't been feeling great for the last few days.'

'Really?' Einfari was definitely concerned. 'Is it a sickness of some kind?'

'Not one that spreads, if it is.' There was a reserved tone to Von's voice now. She wasn't saying everything. 'Eldurhjarta says to just let her rest.'

'I hope she's okay,' Einfari said solemnly. 'Come to us if she gets worse. We can help tend her, if nothing else.'

'It's not that big a deal right now, but I'll keep that in mind.' Von dropped down, turning in a tight circle and heading back.

"Are you two friends?" Heather had gotten that feeling from the easy way they talked to each other.

'Yes. I hope Svarturkló is okay.' Einfari shook her head. 'We do not fall ill often at all.'

"Do you guys have healers?" Vikings did, though whether or not said healers were helpful was another matter.

'We do. If Eldurhjarta did not tell them to do anything specific to treat it, then it is very likely nothing.' Einfari shrugged, her wing shoulders shifting the saddle a bit. 'The Svarturs know to ask for help if they need it.'

"Sometimes we get sick for no reason," Heather supplied. "It can just go away." Or it could get worse. It seemed illness was one thing dragons and Vikings dealt with very similarly.

'She will be fine.' Einfari said it decisively. 'Now, where were we?'

That night ended peacefully. Then next evening began just as quietly. Einfari and Heather went to get their breakfast, which was a mildly harrowing affair even with a saddle, and decided to eat in the forest. They set down randomly, through a small opening in the trees that made landing easy.

'This place feels like it is visited on a regular basis,' Einfari noted once they were done eating. 'It was really easy to land here; like someone has come here often enough to trim the branches.

Heather took a look around. "It's just a random bit of forest. Why would anyone want to keep coming back?" The ground wasn't disturbed, so it wasn't like someone had buried something here to hide it.

Then someone dropped down in front of them. Toothless and Maour stared in confusion, and Einfari and Heather stared back.

'So is he not coming?' Toothless asked after a moment.

'Who?' Einfari seemed just as confused. 'We just thought this was a good place to set down for a few minutes to eat.'

Maour winced. "Okay, well, this is where I usually meet your father, Einfari. So maybe-"

Einfari barked urgently. 'Yes, we're going now.' She nudged at Heather. 'Come on. This is supposed to be a private place.'

'Supposed to be. That is true.' Nóttleiðtogi walked out of the trees. 'But today it seems it is not.'

'Hey, I was leaving,' Toothless remarked quickly. 'Good luck to the rest of you!' He fled the scene.

"Thanks for that," Maour muttered. "I was just telling them that."

'No, this is good.' Nóttleiðtogi cast Maour an uneasy glance. 'I have been meaning to explain a bit to Heather.'

'You haven't already?" Now Maour sounded surprised. "Weren't you telling me you would as soon as you left here last time?'

Nóttleiðtogi nodded, ashamed. 'I did say that. But it has slipped away from me.'

"So now is a good time." Maour crossed his arms. "Go ahead." His voice was soft.

Nóttleiðtogi turned to Heather. 'I say all of this under the assumption that you are what you claim.'

"Understood. And I am, so that's fine." She wondered what it was going to be.

'I have had... bad past experiences with your kind,' Nóttleiðtogi admitted. 'Those experiences have left scars on my mind. That is the best way to describe it. I cannot look at you without feeling fear.'

That was... really not what she was expecting. "It's not anything I do?"

'No, just me.' He nodded to Maour. 'He is helping me with it, but it has taken us years to get to a point where I am not afraid of him, and that tolerance does not extend to other humans. I tell you this so that you understand. It is not my intention to be hostile, but my mind is not as it should be.'

Maour sighed. "Believe me, he's doing way better than when I showed up. He is trying."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" This was not something she had expected. It was more genuine than Nóttreiði's dislike, an underlying issue. Or so they claimed.

"Possibly..." Maour looked to Nóttleiðtogi. "Do you want to try?"

Nóttleiðtogi shook his head. 'Soon, but not today.'

"You said that about telling her this much," Maour observed dryly. "This might be one of those times where your judgment isn't the best."

Nóttleiðtogi was beginning to look distinctly uncomfortable. 'Maour, I will remind you that I would rather not discuss this in public.'

"Oh, right, sorry." Maour gestured to Einfari. "If you wouldn't mind? This is really supposed to be private."

'Why?' Einfari cast Maour a glare. 'I'm his daughter.'

'That is why,' Nóttleiðtogi growled. 'I would rather not have my weaknesses on display for you to see. Some things are easier to do alone, or as alone as possible.'

'Keeping Heather safe is my responsibility, and I'm not leaving her alone,' Einfari argued back. 'So this one you can't do alone.'

A calculating stare was thrown towards Einfari and then turned on Heather. No one spoke.

'...I see your point. Fine.' Nóttleiðtogi shook his head in resignation.

"Nothing that happens here is to be talked about," Maour warned both Heather and Einfari. "That's just how this works. Got it?"

Heather and Einfari both nodded eagerly. Now Heather was curious. Maour hadn't struck her as the healer type. But he worked with things like fear and bad memories?

Well, she would not have thought speaking to dragons possible at all. Who was she to decide if something was doable?

"Okay, this is pretty simple, really." Maour approached Nóttleiðtogi. "This," and at that, he put a hand out, "is not easy for Togi."

Nóttleiðtogi leaned in, voluntarily making contact. 'Simple enough now.'

"So... just touch him?" Was that really it? There was something else too, but she couldn't quite place it. But so far, it looked pretty easy.

'Given my reflex to that would be to jump away and blast you, no.' Nóttleiðtogi broke contact, lowering his head. 'It takes time.'

"So I should..?"

"This isn't really something you do," Maour explained. "It's just that Togi needs to not be scared of you. It will be easier for him to work through if you're, you know, here."

'Maybe I don't need to watch,' Einfari muttered. She settled down nearby, closing her eyes partially. 'I'll be here if anyone needs me.'

Heather was watching, and she could tell Einfari wasn't as uninterested as she appeared. But Nóttleiðtogi relaxed slightly. That must have been Einfari's intention.

It hit Heather, at that moment, that she had been taken in by a family of schemers, manipulators, cynics. People who figured out why others did what they did, and used it to get what they wanted. She had been told as much, but this was a stark reminder. Even when they wanted to help each other, they did it through manipulation.

Not that she minded that. It was an interesting way of looking at the world, and one she herself had begun to develop in her time on the run. Living with these dragons would just sharpen that set of skills.

She thought about that, still standing there, as Nóttleiðtogi and Maour talked. They seemed to forget about her, and she really wasn't paying attention. They just needed her to be present.

She was, at the moment, wondering what could hurt someone so bad that he feared any human, no matter how weak or harmless. Surely any fear one felt would be specific to the one who had hurt them before? it didn't make much sense. She had lost her parents, but she did not instinctively fear Berserkers. Avoid, yes, but not fear. Then again, losing her parents and village had not left much of a mark on her, from what she could tell.

"Heather?" Maour asked. "Still with us?"

Heather blinked. "Sorry, yes." She looked at Maour, and then Nóttleiðtogi, both of whom were staring at her. "Am I supposed to do something?"

'My father wants you to approach him. Just walk towards him,' Einfari supplied helpfully.

Well, she could do that. She took a step towards Nóttleiðtogi. He flinched. Really? That was a bit ridiculous. She hadn't done anything, and he was expecting it.

Another step. Another flinch. She sighed.

"What?" Maour shot her a warning glance. "This isn't easy for him."

Okay, that did it. "I lost my entire island to Berserkers, but you don't see me having a heart attack at the sight of their tribal crest." Nóttleiðtogi had to be overreacting.

A pause. Einfari growled lightly. Heather became aware she might have crossed a line. So much for understanding how people worked.

Nóttleiðtogi stared at her. 'And how did your family die?' A neutral, even tone that almost crackled with danger. 'Did you suffer alongside them, and watch as they fell, one by one, over the space of months?' Now his voice was cracking, something Heather hadn't even considered possible, given it was mental. 'Your tormentor is a faceless idea. Of course you are not scared of that. Mine is a whole species, represented in my mind by the worst it can create, a being I have personally,' and now he was roaring in anger, 'been tortured by! Do not compare our pasts!'

The silence returned, now both awkward and horrified. Heather really didn't know if 'I'm sorry' would cover her mistake. She didn't feel even slightly offended by Nóttleiðtogi's first question, given what came after. It was fair, more than fair, for him to be really, really mad.

But Nóttleiðtogi was far from done. 'Maour does not know the story. Joy does not know the story yet, for she is too young. I do not tell it to anyone who does not need to know, or anyone I do not trust.' A pause. 'But it seems you need to know.'

"No, I really don't," Heather objected, mortified. "I was being rude and insensitive."

'Daughter,' Nóttleiðtogi asked wearily, 'she is one of us? Loyal, a good friend to you?'

Einfari nodded. 'Even when I'm not particularly pleased by what she does, yes.' That was shot at Heather, but it was nothing but the truth. 'I cannot say how I know, I just do.'

'Then listen,' Nóttleiðtogi growled. 'Maour, who deserves to know as I trust him and have kept the knowledge from him for far too long, and Heather, who needs to know, if she is one of us.' He glared at Heather. 'Who needs to know just how much of an accomplishment it is that she is still alive to insult me, after what she said. My self-control is good... except when this subject is involved. Maour's work is the only reason she lives to hear this.'

Author's Note: Well, everyone who's been wondering what Togi's past looks like and why he is as he is, just one more week to wait!