"Who are you?" Astrid demanded, one hand reaching for her axe, the other moving around the Changewing princess' head in comfort and to know where the youngling was.

[None of your business, human,] the voice snarled its tone male.

Stormfly screeched. [Show respect, lizard who hides in the shadows. She is a future queen.]

The voice scoffed. [It is a human.]

[She friend queen,] the youngling declared. [You be nice to her.]

[Ah, young princess,] the voice said sounding as if honey rested in his throat and coated his tongue. [So young. So innocent. So deluded. Humans can't be alphas and queens. They have no honor.]

Stormfly snarled. [Your tongue will get you killed.]

[And the human will kill you to save its own skin!]

"Stormfly, light!'

Stormfly opened her mouth. Light flooded the cave. A yowled echoed. Astrid saw the dragon in question on a ledge before her. His long, thin neck curled his long-muzzled head away. His eyes closed against the light. Astrid shifted. Put the youngling behind her.

"Back up," she whispered. "We are leaving."

[Mama say stay.]

"It's too dangerous. Go."

The youngling shuffled back. Astrid walked back, her gaze still on the dragon. Stormfly shifted in front of her. Kept the light facing the dragon.

"Run, young one!" Astrid ordered.

The youngling did not hesitate. Astrid heard her spun on the rocks and run.

"Stormfly, spine shot."

Stormfly screeched. Astrid ducked. Stormfly's tail sailed over her. Astrid heard the other dragon hiss. Heard Stormfly's spines land.

[On my back, sister!]

Astrid jumped. Grabbed the saddle. Stormfly spun. Ran. They made to the cavern entrance. Astrid slid off. She and Stormfly spun at the ready. Silence.

[You were asked to remain where you were.]

Astrid frowned as the queen materialized beside her. She faced the dragon and found the princess standing behind her mother next to her sister. Astrid gestured to the cave.

"There was another dragon in there who did not seem happy about us being in there. I didn't want your daughter to get hurt."

[So, you ordered her out, ordered your sister to attack, and then you both left, but stopped at the entrance why?]

"In case the dragon came out."

[But you were asked to remain where you were.]

Astrid's eyes narrowed more. "Your daughter was in danger, ma'am. I did as I thought best to keep her safe."

To Astrid's surprise the queen laughed. To her greater surprise a voice from the cave also began to laugh. Astrid whirled, finding the other dragon standing at the entrance. Astrid lifted her axe. Stormfly's tail cocked. Astrid shifted in front of the queen.

[Young queen-to-be, why are you doing that? The Acid-fantail will not attack you.]

Astrid blinked as the other dragon, one she had never seen before, bowed his long-muzzled head. Twelve thin horns, six to either side, jutted out the back of the dragon' jaws. These horns collapsed against each other, laying to either side of the thin neck.

[Forgive me, future queen of the nest we are allied to,] he said and out of the cave Astrid could tell the dragon had the same speaking through water sound the Scauldrons had in his voice.

[The Acid-fantail is a part of my nest, young queen-to-be,] The Changewing queen said. [He and his kind dwell in the waters around the nest and have been members of the nest for more seasons that I know of.]

The new dragon laughed, though Astrid could tell it was strained.

"What is going on?" Astrid asked, stepping to the side so she could see the queen and the new dragon.

[You pass test, friend queen,] the youngling said running over and crashing into Astrid's side. [Mama said I had be qu.. qu… I not speak 'bout Friend fantail. He sup.. sup… He told scare us. Make us leave. I good. I did good. I not speak.]

[Daughter, why do you persist in crashing into the ruling pair of an allied nest?]

[Friends, Mama. Friend alpha purr real loud. Friend queen purr soft. I hear both when close like this. Friend queen also teach new word. Bird.]

Astrid was both amuse and intrigued by the youngling's words. The youngling still seemed thrilled by the new word. Astrid also remembered the youngling saying she could hear a purr coming from Hiccup. Hiccup had later said he believed it was whatever was in his soul that coated his words and caused his voice to become so powerful. Yet, that was something Hiccup was supposed to have alone. At least that was what Astrid and everyone else thought.

Hiccup was special. Hiccup befriended the dragons. Hiccup acted like a dragon and caused them to pause long enough to learn the Berkians were friends to dragons. No one else was supposed to have the same power as Hiccup. That was his alone because he was special. He was far more than any on Berk had ever thought. Astrid would not let anything take that away from him. If the youngling's words were true and she held a softer purr. Astrid frowned. That could not happen. She could not take that from Hiccup.

[Daughter, please act like you are supposed to,] the queen sighed.

"Ma'am," Astrid began, pulled from her thoughts. Hiccup had shown all the dragons were not like they were believed to be and now Astrid held no qualms about young dragons nuzzling her. All the young in the nest did so on a daily basis now anyways. "I know discipline is important, but I don't mind if she leans on me like this."

[She should still ask before crashing into you, future queen.]

Astrid looked down at the youngling. "Your mother is right there. We have told the young in our nest to ask permission of the humans before nuzzling them like this."

The youngling looked up. [I 'ave ask before I nuzzle you?]

Astrid scratched the back of the youngling's neck. "Dragons, even young ones, are stronger than some of the humans in the nest. Crashing into a human that's not able to withstand the force might result in both the human and the dragon falling and getting hurt."

The youngling's eyes widen and she skitted back. [I no hurt friend queen. I no hurt friend alpha. But I like nuzzling both friends. I like listening to purr.]

[Then just ask first, my daughter.]

The princess nodded then looked at Astrid. [I nuzzle you now?]

Astrid grinned. "Sure."

The youngling chittered and pressed into Astrid's side again. She cooed. Astrid caught the queen shaking her head.

[Young queen-to-be do you offer mercy to the Acid-fantail so he can sit up?]

Astrid looked over the youngling's wings. "Sure. But I still want to know what's going on."

The new dragon lifted his head. [My queen asked that I scare you out of the cave.]

Astrid looked to the queen. "Why?"

[You were asked to remain but knew the situation called for moving. The day we all met, your intended ordered you to remain with that young Spike-thrower and you did. Why?]

"Hiccup worried that if he acted out it would offend you and your mate. Hiccup trusted me to keep the Nadder in check."

[But you did not know what would happen. Had myself, my mate, or the Scaulding-spitter proved hostile what would you have done?]

"I would have been at Hiccup's side. I will protect him at all costs."

[Just as you knew this situation called for my daughter to disobey me and for you to remove yourself from the cave. You trusted your instincts. That is good. A queen will have to trust them as well as the knowledge she is taught to effectively rule a nest of dragons.] The queen glanced at her daughter, who Astrid had resumed scratching. [You have also just now proved you will be a good mother when the ancestors bless you and your mate with hatchlings of your own.]

Astrid froze.

Kirika: Hehe, yep lessons for our intrepid nest leaders. Hm, actually I took a page from New Zealand. There is a cave there that has glowworms and they make that blue glow. Being that they are worms is why the youngling said it was made by something birds eat.