So I had initially planned to post the new chapters on Mondays and Fridays if I could swing it. Or at least once a week if not. You are getting this one a day early since my terrible schedule has me at work for 14 hours each day. The life of a shift worker, but I doubt that I will want to do much of anything after that.

I can't believe how many people have already followed or liked this story. Thank you all so much! It means a lot. I will try to keep you entertained :)

ooOOoo

Hiccup awoke to the sound of birds singing and a large black membrane stretched over him. He could hear the deep, even breaths of the large and warm body beside him which meant that he was the first up. Damn! Guess it was his turn to catch breakfast. Groaning, he nudged Toothless in the belly. Causing him to roll to the side and retract his protective wing from around Hiccup. The sky was a soft shade of pinkish-orange so it must still be close to dawn. With one last glance at his slumbering friend, he grabbed the make-shift fishing pole off the ground and headed down to the creek.

Biding his time on the shoreline, Hiccup began to reminisce about the events that had brought him to this place. First was shooting down Toothless. He still felt extreme remorse over hurting his friend and taking away his ability to fly. Despite having done his best to return it, Toothless still needed him. No matter how good of friends they seemed to be he would always wonder if, deep down, the dragon only put up with him to avoid death. After all, a downed dragon is a dead dragon. Shortly after that, they had left the only home he'd ever known. In the dead of the night after Astrid had kissed him goodbye! He still could hardly wrap his head around that.

It had been just over a moon since they had left Berk together and they had spent most of that time hop-scotching their way across the various small islands of the archipelago. Days had been spent finding a secluded spot away from a village to set up their poor excuse of a camp where no one would find them accidentally. Nights had been spent sneaking into the village proper under cover of darkness to steal whatever supplies they had been unable to do without.

Hiccup did feel bad about this theft at times, but most of the currency of the North was traded goods or services. Neither of which he could provide at this time. He could hardly waltz into a Viking village with a night fury and ply his trade to the nearest blacksmith in exchange for provisions. Especially not with the constant worry that his father may have parties out searching for him at that very moment. He just couldn't risk anyone seeing and recognizing him. No, he was sure it was better to just return one day with something of value to leave in each village he had stolen from.

Recently their situation had improved slightly though. After many long hours spent over open water (Hiccup had not enjoyed this part at all) the pair had finally arrived at the mainland. It was a place he had only ever heard about in epic poems sung on drunken nights in the Great Hall. Eddas of exploration and discovery shared alongside the classic sagas. They were not very numerous, but always exciting. Told in often embellished detail by the seasoned old sailors that visited from other tribes. All of them tales of apparently legendary men that no one had ever heard of. Most believed they were just fantasy stories.

Few Berkian natives had left their small island in almost 300 years except to visit neighbouring tribes for trade or to renew treaties. Near constant dragon raids had led to food, timber, and weapons shortages. In such times as these, no one would dare waste the village's winter larder on a fool's journey to some place that likely didn't even exist. He could confidently say now that it was real. Hiccup had joined the ranks of those mythical heroes and no one would ever hear about it. No epic poems would be written about him. An outcast on the run.

He only knew that it was a new land, not of the archipelago, because of the homes and inhabitants that he had observed since they arrived here three days ago. They spoke in a strange language, and wore clothing that was mostly simple and functional. Though most also had strange curling symbols on at least one article or object on their person. Symbols that seemed to curve around themselves in a beautifully unending pattern, almost like a knotted rope.

Some of the villagers also sported intricate tattoos on their arms or face in a strange blue dye. The complex designs called to the artist in Hiccup, but they also seemed to speak to him in some strange way. They felt as if they were in a language he had once known, but had since forgotten. It was a language of magic. Another thing he had only ever heard about in the eddas.

Lost in his thoughts, Hiccup almost didn't notice that his flimsy fishing pole was bending, tip towards the stream. He snatched it up promptly and gave it a tug to seat the small metal hook. Then he drug the line in bit-by-bit with his hands. He should really try and build something to make this easier. Once the fish was on the shore he picked up his fishing pole again. Then he gathered up the rest of the morning's catch as well and began to wander back to camp.

Of course Toothless could catch many more fish much faster than him. Still he liked to do his part where he was able. In his own defence, he was getting better at it too. Toothless already carried him and their supplies, hunted large game for them when opportunity allowed, and protected Hiccup from animals and humans alike during their land times. Speaking of doing his part, he really needed to sneak into a village tonight and find a new fishing pole. This one was nearly done in.

Although perhaps here he was far enough away from his Viking brethren. He might be able to go into the town during the daylight hours and barter with his trade instead of outright stealing. Surely no one would know him here. It would make it much simpler to find what he wanted and needed rather than getting by with the little that was left out at night. Perhaps he could even make himself a bow and some arrows so that he could help Toothless hunt the large deer that roamed the forest near their camp. A short sword might prove useful as well if he needed to defend himself from hostiles while on the mainland.

He did not know these people or their cultures enough to guess how they would react to Toothless and he wasn't willing to risk that. He would need to learn how to use both weapons properly before Toothless would let him wander too far on his own though. That dragon was seriously a mother hen! Hiccup wasn't entirely convinced that he was indeed a boy dragon.

His thought-voice was undoubtedly masculine though, yet still seemed to be too young to suit him when Hiccup had heard it in his head. That first moment was still firmly planted in his mind. Toothless had been trying to teach Hiccup how to bring down a wild boar with only his dagger when something went wrong. Hiccup found himself suddenly being chased by a whole herd of the evil pigs. Toothless' panicked roar had been deafeningly loud when Hiccup jumped off the cliff into the waiting ocean.

At first he thought he had imagined someone screaming his name. When he realized that this was indeed his friend calling out for him, he nearly drowned out of shock. He had been pulled from the water and none-to-gently deposited back on dry land. Then Toothless had launched into a tirade of guilt trips and shaming words that reminded Hiccup strongly of his father. He blushed and looked at the ground morosely.

"Wait! Can you hear me?" That strange, almost teenage voice had said. There was a breathless, but also guarded quality to the voice that made Hiccup think that whoever it was didn't want to get their hopes up too much.

"Toothless? Is that you?" He'd said it out loud. He had no idea how it worked in reverse. Could the dragon just hear every one of his thoughts now. Or did he have to do something special to direct his thoughts to the dragon. Maybe he was actually just coming down with a fever after all the stress and the long, cold nights with no proper shelter. That was probably it.

Toothless however, had gazed at Hiccup in wonder. His black pupils blown wide. Only the barest hint of green around the edges as he curled his lips into his dragon version of a gummy smile. "I have been trying to talk to you for ages now! I wonder what changed? No matter, the connection is working well. Yes, I can feel the spark of your mind through our bond," Toothless muttered distractedly.

Ever since that moment they had been able to communicate with each other. Together they had spent their free days exploring the islands they came across and learning to use their new gift. Hiccup actually found that projecting his thought-voice to his friend was much easier than he initially believed it would be. Turns out it mostly took focus, imagination, and intelligence; three things he had in spades. More than once this connection had saved their lives.

The first time was when they had accidentally ventured too close to Helheim's Gate shortly after leaving Berk. Toothless had been caught by the overpowering mind control of the nest queen. She was a gigantic monster that was bigger and more terrifying than anything Hiccup had ever imagined. It was only thanks to him retaining his own will, that he was able to free Toothless's mind before they were eaten. Now that he had seen the queen, he was glad that his father had never managed to reach the nest. Surely the whole tribe would be destroyed if they were to bring about her wrath.

The next near-death incident had occurred when they had landed on a beautiful forested island with a strangely glittering beach. It almost appeared as if the sand was on fire. The effect was quite mesmerizing and it seemed to be the perfect spot to spend the night. Hiccup had hopped off as soon as they landed and wandered to the beach to inspect it. The whole thing seemed to be littered with strange orange stones that were see-through and very smooth, as if polished.

When Hiccup turned back to show Toothless the stones, he noticed his friend was very distressed. He probed their mind connection and found that a strange sound in the air was drawing the dragon in like a siren song. Sensing that this could only mean trouble, Hiccup lent his mind to help Toothless fight the call. Before leaving to try a different island, Hiccup stuffed as many of the strange stones into the saddle bags as he could for later study. If anything, he may be able to trade them somewhere along the way. Traders often paid a good price for beautiful items.

*

Hiccup was drawn out of his memories by an eager black dragon waiting impatiently for his fish at the edge of the camp. He picked out one good sized one for himself and threw the rest to Toothless. Along with the innards and head from his own after cleaning it.

"I'll never understand why you humans refuse to eat the tastiest parts of the animals, and then insist on warming the rest before ingesting it" Toothless grumbled at him as he roasted his fish over a small fire. Hiccup just chuckled and ate his breakfast in silence. He had long since given up trying to explain human complexities to Toothless. Dragons may be intelligent creatures, night furies even more so, but they were still animals driven by instinct at their core.

After they had eaten, Hiccup left to try his luck in the village. He managed to find the blacksmith's stall without too much issue. The older man standing at the bellow's cast a wary eye at the young man before him. Hiccup, not sure if the man would be able to understand Norse, tried to figure out how best to communicate what he wanted. He suddenly wished that Toothless could be here with him.

Dragons had a natural ability to understand most languages and sense the intentions of others before they could act on them. Clearing his throat with a nervous cough, he decided to just try conversing with the man first. The man was very tall with ropey muscle chording his neck and arms. He reminded Hiccup of his father, except that this man had black hair. Perhaps this man would just get angry and run him out of town.

His fear was unfounded. The blacksmith was well versed in Norse and agreed to allow Hiccup to use the forge to build his weapons. He only requested payment for the supplies needed. Hiccup got to work right away, bringing out the plans he had been drawing up for a new style of bow that curved one way and then back on itself. This, he deduced, would make the shot more accurate and powerful while using less force to draw it. The blacksmith was very impressed with his idea and they began to work side by side in the forge while making small talk.

The man said that his name was Eret and that he had sailed around the islands in the west in his younger years. This is where he learned to speak the language. He sometimes still went out on the ships when times were lean, but his son had mostly taken up his position now that he had become a man. When Hiccup inquired as to what they were doing for work out there, Eret simply said that he was a trapper for hire. Not wanting to press his luck, Hiccup let the topic drop. Sensing that Eret did not wish to tell him any more.

They continued working until the sky began to darken, when Eret suddenly stated that it was time he went home for a good meal. His family would be waiting. As Hiccup cleaned up his work station, Eret suddenly asked him if he had somewhere to eat and sleep tonight. Even offering to take him in if required. Hiccup was a little surprised, but extremely grateful. He politely declined and bid Eret good night, returning to the camp and Toothless for dinner and rest.

So went the routine for many days. Hiccup would return to the forge shortly after an early flight and breakfast with Toothless, then stay until after dark. He was making decent progress with his bow and he had completed the short sword some time ago. He found that he quite liked Eret. The man was calm, intelligent, and skilled in his trade. He was also quick to lend a helping hand or a clever insight, whichever Hiccup might require.

Hiccup had also been using his time in the village proper to observe these strange people. The villagers seemed to find him equally interesting. He had noticed one woman in particular that seemed to watch him more than the others. She never approached or spoke to him though. This woman was always dressed in a white hooded robe with many of the intricate knotted patterns adorning it, and accompanied by others in different coloured cloaks. He could only assume that they were some sort of spiritual order.

One morning, as Hiccup was making his way to the village, he heard a strange sound. It was the distress call of a frightened animal. Never being one to allow the needless suffering of a living creature, he decided to find the poor beast. Hiccup tracked the cries to a small glade, where he found a bright green terrible terror caught in a trap. Speaking soothing words to calm it, he began to free the struggling dragon.

Once it was loose he quickly ran his hands over it to check it for injuries. Finding it mostly unharmed, he tried to shoo it away. The thankful terror simply scampered up his arm and wrapped its warm body over his shoulders. Its large yellow eyes staring at him gratefully as it began to purr against his neck. Just then, a voice rang out from the forest behind him in the language of the locals.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Hiccup turned abruptly and saw an angry young man striding across the clearing towards him. He hadn't understood the words the man had spoken, but he could tell it wasn't a friendly greeting. The man was tall and burly, with dark hair tied back and some of the strange blue tattoos on his chin. He was also glaring daggers at the empty trap and freed dragon. Hiccup cowered back slightly as the terror on his shoulder faced down the intruder and growled menacingly.

The young man froze at the sight of the small boy with the terror protecting him, but he was too angry to pause for long. Normally he would not be so bothered with losing a terrible terror. He had however, been trying to capture this particular terror for years. It had become quite skilled at stealing from the fishing boats during transport from the dock to the village. Now this silly boy had set it free and he would have to catch it all over again. Even worse, it would now be wise to this particular trap and he would have to figure out another method.

Seeing trouble brewing, Hiccup quickly reached out with his mind to contact the terror. "Fly away. You must leave, for I cannot protect us both. I will be fine, but you are not safe here." After a brief glance in his direction the terror nodded and took off into the trees. The furious young man strode forward and grabbed Hiccup by the arm. He began to roughly drag him towards the village without a word. Hiccup frantically tried to think up a way out of this. As they came into sight of the first homes, people began to gather in a curious group. Eret came out of the forge and pushed his way past the others.

"What is the meaning of this my son?" The older man asked in Norse. Hiccup could only assume that this gesture was for his sake and he was grateful to the blacksmith for it. He realized a second later that the blacksmith had called this young man his son. Admittedly he could see the resemblances between them now that he was looking.

The pair came to a stop in front of the gathered villagers and the young man began to address the people. "I just caught this boy releasing a dragon from one of our traps in the forest. He sides with the beasts and cannot be trusted. He is not even one of us! We need to cast him from our village quickly, for only one of the Femoiri would befriend a dragon!"

Hiccup was busy studying the faces of those around them. They all looked suspicious and some even looked angry or afraid. So I was right to keep Toothless away from here, he thought dejectedly. Did everyone hate dragons as much as his people? This didn't look good for him. He could feel Toothless' worry flooding through his mind, but he urged his friend to stay away. He couldn't allow him to take on a whole village alone and they would never escape in time.

Just as Hiccup was wondering if he would be able to reach the forest at a run before they noticed he was gone, the mysterious robed woman stepped forward through the villagers. The people moving back to allow her to pass as a hush fell upon the whole setting. Then the woman finally spoke. Her voice soft, but commanding, and using fluent Norse. "Unhand him." When the young man did not relinquish his hold, the woman reached up with delicate tattooed hands and pushed back her hood.

Hiccup was startled at how young she appeared. Her wise and ancient green eyes in stark contrast to her pale, unlined face and bright red hair. "I said unhand him. I have received a vision. Hiccup is not to be harmed. I fear that if anything were to happen to him now, it would bring great destruction to our land. I was planning to bring it forward at the village gathering tomorrow, but given the circumstances..."

Here she trailed off as she raised her shoulders in a delicate shrug. "Details aside, he has done nothing more than protect the life of an innocent creature. It is for the Order to decide whether or not he is to be punished. You forget your place, young Eret. You should not allow your anger to rule you so. Falsely proclaiming a young boy to be a demon will get you nowhere."

Eret the Younger immediately dropped his hand and took a step away from Hiccup, bowing his head. Looking properly cowed he mumbled, "Yes, my lady. You are correct of course. My apologies."

Eret the Elder stepped in at that moment to draw the focus away from his son. With a swift, confused glance towards Hiccup he asked, "Divine interpreter, may we ask of what your vision held?"

"That is between me and this young man here. I assure you that when it comes to pass, you will be immensely grateful that you chose to spare his life this day. You would all do well to earn his friendship and respect instead."

Hiccup was unsure if his situation had just changed for the better, but the woman did not seem angry. To the contrary, she was looking at him intently and when he met her gaze she offered him a soft smile. Her expression gave him the courage to voice his own questions.

"Who are you? How do you know me? Why would you have a vision about me?" He faltered for a moment before adding, "I am no one of any importance." Hiccup frowned to himself at these last words. They were more true than anyone here could comprehend.

"So many questions," she chuckled. "I am the Druidess Bríghid, and you are far more important than you give yourself credit for."

Secretly Hiccup thought that she must be mistaking him with someone else. "Might I be so bold as to inquire what a druidess is, and to thank you for sparing my life?" He was mostly wondering how she held such authority over the entire village. This seemed the most polite way to ask that question. He was reminded strongly of Gothi, the ancient healer and shaman on Berk to whom the chiefs had always looked to for guidance.

"I am a high priestess of the order of druids and I am many things. I help to interpret the laws of the land and the will of the Divine Beings that guide our world. I am also a healer, a mage, and a seer. Gifted with visions of what will be and what may be if the correct path is followed. I have been patiently waiting for the moment you would prove yourself worthy. Now I can finally offer you my knowledge, Little Shadow Rider, for you have a very important destiny."

ooOOoo

So our runty, ugly duckling has discovered a new land and met some new people. He has also just learned that he is the at the centre of an important prophecy. What might this prophecy be? What knowledge is Bríghid offering him? Do you think the villagers will accept Hiccup?

We have now met some new friends as well as some familiar ones. Did you spot them?

Points of Note:

-The Romans described the Celts as being covered in tattoos made with a blue dye, though it is unclear whether these were just painted on or if they were embedded in the skin. Only one bog body has been discovered so far that has shown any sign of permanent body modification in this way. As sacrifice victims, they may not have represented the majority of the population though. The Nordic people however, did often tattoo themselves. Such body markings would not seem strange to Hiccup, only the designs included in them.

-Femoiri were gods or demons from ancient Irish mythology. They were often the personification of chaos, darkness, death, and so on. Usually portrayed as monstrous beings that dwelled in the sea or underground. Not very nice.

-The name Bríghid means 'exalted one'. It was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry, and wisdom.