Sight and sound came intermittently, creating fractured pieces that Tora's hazy mind struggled to put together. She felt the hard ground beneath her. She heard the familiar growling of Kaida above her. She felt her helmet being lifted off her frozen face by a calloused hand, causing her distinctive red locks to tumble around her shoulders and revealing an angry red scar across her face. She saw a familiar face surrounded by dark strands of hair.

The face gasped. "I know her."

She used strength she didn't know she possessed and snatched the person's wrist, uttering two words before slumping back on the ground. "Dragon…Master…"

The feeling of weightlessness followed, and bits of conversations floated to her ears, fuzzy and disconnected.

"– to Gothi–"

"–how do you know–"

"–a fucking Night F–"

The next time Tora managed to crack open her eyes, she was looking up at an old, withered face – with no Night Fury in sight. She could hear raised voices nearby and tried to push herself up from under the mountain of furs she was buried under, only to be pushed back down with force that seemed impossible from such a tiny body.

"Where's Kaida?" Tora asked breathlessly, struggling weakly under the Elder's hold.

Gothi tapped the girl's shoulder rapidly, nodding her head towards a dark corner where a black mass was rising out of the shadows towards her. A relieved breath escaped Tora as she rubbed the Night Fury under her chin briefly before her arm dropped back to her side. The Elder raised her gnarled hand to the younger's face, brushing over her eyes in a gesture to rest and before Tora could think better, she fell back into a dreamless slumber.

The island was on fire. Smoke invaded her lungs as she stumbled through the cave network, coughing roughly. Light filtered through the smoke and Tora crawled frantically towards the opening, clutching her throat as her airways closed. The smoke dissipated slightly as she crossed the threshold onto an outside landing, wiping her eyes of the tears that had spilled from the smoke.

What greeted her made the remaining air in her lungs abandon her. There, standing over the still form of an unmistakable Night Fury, was Grimmel the Grisly. He was holding a threatening sword above his head, and he grinned as he saw Tora's horrified expression.

"Looks like you've been holding out on me," he taunted, swinging the sword down.

"No!" Tora cried, sitting straight up from her position on the floor, sticky sweat covering her body in a thin sheen and panting as though smoke was still gripping at her airways.

I nudge from Kaida brought Tora back to reality and hugged the dragon close for comfort before inspecting the room she had been holed up in. The room was on the smaller side and had a fire pit that was heavily stoked, its warmth reaching her from a few feet away. She'd been covered in what had to be at least 4 thick furs and was dressed only in her tunic and trousers.

She quickly pushed the furs off her body, letting her overheated skin find relief in the chilly air. Her staff was leaning against the nearest wall – along with the rest of her clothes, her helmet, and various forms of defence, including her dagger and small broad sword. When she tried to push herself up from the floor, her legs gave out on her so she allowed Kaida to support her as she pulled herself up and stumbled towards her belongings.

The staff was long and hooked at the end, carved from an oak that had been at the other end of a Skrill's lightening blast. It was sturdy and, with Kaida's help, Tora managed to push herself towards the door that led out to the village she had collapsed into on a – supposedly extinct – Night Fury.

How am I going to explain that one? She groaned, rubbing her forehead stressfully. Taking a not-so-calming breath, she pushed open the door quickly and nearly knocked over the person on the other side.

He was short and stocky, with a large horned helmet covering his dark hair, and around her own age by the looks of his wispy mustache. He had stumbled back when the door swung open and now looked at Tora in what it appeared to be horror. She could only imagine how wild she looked after flying for 3 days on top of lying in her own pool of sweat for indefinite amount of time.

"Uh," the boy-man stuttered, shuffling his feet uncertainly. Tora raised an eyebrow, blowing a wayward red strand out of her face. "Are…you…hun-gry?"

Tora's brow dropped and she stared, unimpressed. He obviously thought she was inane based on his over articulation.

"You'd think so, after flying through a blizzard and passing out for who knows how long," she snapped, running a hand through her tangled nest of flaming hair

The boy seemed taken aback for a second at her quick response so Tora took that as her opportunity to move towards the descending steps, pausing minutely when she saw a Monstrous Nightmare sat at the bottom, rubbing its head against the ground incessantly. Shaking herself free of the new image, she started to descend the steps slowly. She had other business to attend to, like finding the Dragon Master, and she would bet her entire island it wasn't this guy.

"Two days," the gruff voice of the boy stated.

"What?" she inquired, turning back to him.

"It's been two days. Everyone'll be surprised to see you up, they expected you to only wake up tomorrow – not me of course…"

Tora noticed that the boy's eyes kept flickering between her and Kaida, inspecting the dragon's sleek scales. She wasn't too fond of his inquisitive gaze and continued down the short steps, leaning heavily on both her staff and her dragon.

As she passed the Monstrous Nightmare, it looked up at her cautiously. She passed a hand over its snout, slightly brushing it against her palm so that the reptile relaxed, allowing her to pass her hand under its jaw and behind its ear, giving it a solid scratch. The dragon purred at the relief and flopped onto the ground heavily.

She heard a 'she's like a scarier version of Hiccup' come from behind her before he bounded down the steps, quickly catching up to her staggering pace.

Before he could open his big trap, Tora asked a question of her own. "I'm looking for the Dragon Master, can you take me to him?"

He looked at her as though no one had ever dared cut across him before. "I don't know why you'd want him when you could have everything and more right here," he proclaimed, puffing out his chest while gesturing to himself.

Tora raised an unimpressed brow and the boy deflated, muttering his agreement to be her escort.

They had walked about five steps, with Tora inspecting the seemingly dragon-proof buildings around them before the blessed silence was interrupted. "I'm Snotlout, by the way, and that's Hookfang," he introduced, gesturing to the Monstrous Nightmare now following them.

That caused Tora to stop in her unsteady step and look towards the boy fully. "Snot…lout?"

Snotlout seemed proud of himself for grabbing her attention and puffed out his chest again. "Yeah," he drawled, "very manly, don't you think?"

Tora's mind was conjuring up long-forgotten images of an arrogant, club-wielding child and couldn't help but snicker. "Sure."

Snotlout didn't seem to pick up on the sarcasm and started leading the way with a new pep in his step, babbling on with the self-confidence that came with someone who believed everyone was hanging onto his every word. Contrarily, Tora was just trying to stay on her feet whilst dodging both people and dragons in the street. Kaida also seemed overwhelmed, inspecting the multi-coloured buildings and the dragons that swarmed around them.

The place was so crowded and busy, Tora didn't know where to look. There were people shouting instructions to each other, dragons of all shapes and sizes moving about and creating havoc. The reptiles easily outnumbered the humans and Tora had a hard time associating this Berk with the Berk she grew up in.

Despite the obvious threat of collision, both dragons and humans moved out of the way as they passed. While the dragons seemed merely curious, the people looked on with suspicion while they talked amongst themselves, looking at the Night Fury and the wild girl staggering up the street.

While the scrutiny put Tora on edge, Snotlout soaked in the attention by raising his voice and gesturing wildly, taking up as much space as his short stature would allow.

"That's right," he called, apparently talking to Tora but making sure everyone could hear him. "I'm a part of the Berk Defence Team, in fact, I lead the team."

Tora highly doubted this but kept quiet, looking around at the crowded village. Among the insurmountable number of dragons, she spotted a few livestock traipsing around dressed in a hide that apparently was supposed to make them pass as dragons. This amused her greatly and she snickered as a herd of sheep trotted past them confidently.

Snotlout continued to babble as they approached what had to be the village square, where a mayhem seemed to have taken place. A dispute had broken out amongst a pair of dragons by the look of the damage, and Tora was completely unsurprised considering the sheer lack of space the island had for the number of dragons it occupied. Steam rose from patches where fires had recently been put out and bits of debris lay haphazardly around from the surrounding buildings that had be caught in the crossfire.

The dispute seemed to still be going on as a juvenile Deadly Nadder and a seemingly pissed off Monstrous Nightmare faced each other in the square. They circled one another around the space, the Nightmare snapping at its opponent while the juvenile growled back, scratching at its belly intermittently.

This scene was common in her colony and didn't bother her one bit, but the sight that both surprised and amused her was that of a tall lanky boy was stuck in the middle, apparently trying to reason with the two.

"Now, Sweeny, you know how the youngsters get and you can't pick a fight with every dragon that bumps into you," the boy chastised, trying to reason with the older Nightmare, who only growled dismissively in reply. The juvenile was visibly uncomfortable, and Tora narrowed her eyes as the Nadder shifted from claw to claw.

Snotlout had finally shut up and was apparently taking great joy in seeing the other boy struggle. "Call if you need help from a real dragon trainer, Hiccup," he hollered at the boy, who only shook his head in annoyance.

The spectacle had drawn a moderate crowd and – being Vikings – they seemed to enjoy the prospect of a conflict, watching closely as the Monstrous Night shot a line of kerosene gas at the Deadly Nadder, who narrowly jumped out of the way.

"Hey! What did we talk about firing at the other dragons?" Hiccup chided before shouting over his shoulder at anyone who was listening, which was everyone. "Where is Toothless?!"

The name creativity in this place will never stop astounding me.

A large man with a long blond beard replied with thick brogue. "He's sorting out a disagreement with some of the mothers at the nest."

Tora sighed at the spectacle and leaned her head against the hand holding the staff before turning to Kaida. "Looks like we're gonna have to break up a brawl again, huh, Kaida?"

The dragon gurgled in a way that was almost a laugh as the pair quickly recalled all the fights they'd broken up back on their own island.

Snotlout had been focused on the dispute but looked alarmed when Tora started making her way to the elder of the two dragons. He shouted after her, causing the spectators to turn their attention to the red-haired stranger, whispering apprehensively.

The Monstrous Nightmare hadn't taken its eyes off the younger dragon but stopped growling as a soothing hum came from its right. Tora approached the agitated dragon, still supporting herself on her staff with Kaida by her side and continued the tune as she adorned a calming expression while keeping her hands in the Nightmare's line of sight.

The dragon in question seemed perplexed and shuffled uneasily at she approached. As Tora took another step, the old dragon seemed to remember its dominance and shot a spray of gas at her, which Kaida promptly blocked with her wing.

The square had gone absolutely silent as Tora persevered with her haunting song, not missing a beat as she continued her approach. The spectators were shocked, enraptured by the girl's familiar tune. It was a lullaby. A lullaby that all Berkians grew up listening to as their mothers put them to bed and it shocked them that this apparent stranger knew it so well.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup hissed, feeling as astonished as the other witnesses.

Tora didn't reply as she spread her arms wide in a non-threatening gesture, her legs nearly giving out on her at the lack of support. Taking an unsteady step forward, she was now almost close enough to touch the Monstrous Nightmare, who seemed hypnotised as he crouched down to her level. As he closed his eyes, she reached to stroke his muzzle, watching as he purred at the soft touch and settled into a dreamy state.

Tora allowed her lullaby to fade, watching as the elderly dragon slumped onto the ground. Tora slowly drew her hand back, turning to Kaida for support as she faced the crowd. Many stared open-mouthed while others whispered to their neighbour, studying the strange girl.

Tora didn't mind them, instead turning to Hiccup who seemed both impressed and suspicious as she stumbled her way toward him. Who was he to be suspicious anyway? Now that she was closer, Tora noticed that he had a prosthetic leg, surprised that it didn't take away from his stature. He was tall and lean and carried himself in a way that somehow conveyed both awkwardness and strength.

The two humans appraised each other. Tora noticed that the man didn't look surprised at the sight of Kaida but rather curious, glancing furtively at the sleek dragon. While Tora was cautious, she didn't feel threatened and looked at her companion as well.

"This is Kaida," she introduced, surprising Hiccup as well as herself.

Hiccup sputtered as she moved past him toward the Deadly Nadder, who crouched shakily at the far side of the square. The spectators backed away as Tora drew near, watching as she approached the frighted dragon.

"May I?" she questioned softly, holding her hands out to the juvenile.

She didn't give it much of a choice, placing a calming hand on its snout, feeling the warm puffs of breath. Waving her hand, she guided the dragon's head to the side before reaching for its underbelly, picking at bits of scale where the pelt overlapped. When she was finished, she turned back to Hiccup, presenting the handful of scales.

"Stuck shed," was all she said for an explanation.

Hiccup glared at the large man with the blond beard, who scratched her head sheepishly with a hook instead of a hand. The gesture was familiar, and Tora's lips tilted up at the sight. So Gobber was still around then.

With the spectacle seemingly over, the audience that had gathered started to disperse, albeit with much whispering and gossip. Tora took that as her cure and approached Hiccup, ready to get down to business and stopping a few feet in front of him.

"I'm looking for the Dragon Master," she stated, inspecting the other's guarded expression.

"So, I've heard," he replied, watching her closely.

Tora persevered; she had an island of dragons to save. "Perhaps you could take me to the chief? Stoick could hopefully introduce me."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge what this girl knew – which was apparently very little. "Stoick's passed, but seeing as you're looking at both the people you require, I'd be happy to help."

It took Tora a moment to realize Hiccup's meaning and when she did, she narrowed her eyes as well. "Hiccup…Stoick's boy, aren't you?"

Hiccup grinned at her realization. "It's good to see you again…Tora."

Tora's shock at being remembered was interrupted by a loud roar behind her, potentially making her topple over if Kaida hadn't been there to support her.

Tora watched in amazement as a large black dragon came bounding over the buildings, landing in front of Hiccup in a low crouch, growling threateningly at the red head, who was frozen in shock.

"It's okay, bud," Hiccup reassured the reptile, patting his sleek black head as the dragon sat back on his haunches, looking at Kaida inquisitively.

"No way…"

Hiccup smiled sheepishly. "This is Toothless."

There was another fucking Night Fury.

So, if I'm being completely honest, I wrote and posted that first chapter on complete impulse with no idea where I was going with the story and no reasoning behind the concept besides wanting to write something I couldn't find anywhere else.

I've never posted any of my writing anywhere online before so the aftermath of uploading the first chapter was a bit of a mess – I can't even express how anxious I was. I'm already so grateful for the interaction with this fic so far. Thank you so so much.

I suppose the formalities are a little overdue: I don't own any of the characters belonging to HTTYD. Those rights belong to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell. The original characters do belong to me, however.

A slightly longer chapter here, let me know what you prefer: longer or shorter?

Again, this process all happened on a bit of a whim so thanks so much for taking a chance on that rocky excuse for a first chapter.

~rhc