"No one has seen her all day."
"Not since her yelling match with her Dad anyway."
"I heard the Meathead's were trying to draw up a contract between her and Thuggory."
"No wonder she ran. Can you imagine Camicazi approving of that?"
"Hardly. But she and Sparky took off and no one knows where they are."
"Hiccup expected her back at least a couple of hours ago. Do you think she's been hurt?"
"Camicazi? No chance, more likely she's run away as a sign of formal protest."
"You think she'd do that?"
The villagers were all discussing Camicazi's sudden flight. They all knew Hiccup was pacing his house waiting anxiously for her return. The only reason he'd not gone after her yet himself was Astrid had told him it would likely make matters worse, that she'd be home soon. But as the hours wore on, even Astrid was looking more and more concerned.
It wasn't the first time Camicazi had disappeared off. After Stoick's death and the final battle of the alphas, Camicazi and Sparky had vanished for a couple of days. Hiccup had been beside himself, searching ever last inch of neighbouring islands before a huge lightning storm cut the search short. She'd turned up the following day, soaked but safe. She told them she and Sparky had settled in a cave on an island to wait out the worst of the storm. Hiccup had grounded her but not for long, he was just relieved to have her back safe after all that had happened. The tribes people were starting to wonder if a repeat could be expected.
"Ach, she's just like her dad was at her age." Gobber said hobbling over to join the discussion. "He ran off the day his father told him 'e wanted ta make 'im chief. He flew off and only came back because 'e and Astrid ran into trouble."
"But Hiccup took up the mantle. He knew it was his job. His responsibility."
"Hiccup learned who he was and what he wanted. He found his mother and he married Astrid and became chief just before Finn turned up. Hiccup always knew he'd be chief one day."
"And Camicazi really never expected this?"
"Course she didn't." Gobber laughed. "That girl spent thirteen years with Berserkers, that was the last thing she was going ta learn. She's a fighter and dragon trainer first. She's worse than her mother for being a domesticated woman. Camicazi will fight this as long as she can."
"I think she learns too much from Tuff." Fishlegs commented.
"What've I done?" Tuff protested.
"You never settled either! Cami clearly learns it from you!"
"Enough!" Valka said as she approached. "Camicazi is still young. She may be growing up, but these are things she hardly even expects to see from Finn who is three years older and having to consider such things. Until he has to make such decisions, she will not."
"How's Hiccup doing?" Gobber asked
"It's hard to tell if he's more upset or annoyed. He's pacing and muttering and constantly changing between ceremonial dress and his flight suit. If she's not back soon..." Valka was cut off by a sudden cry from Gustav up on the tower watch.
"Up there! She's back!"

Alexander watched the ocean unfold beneath them. He still couldn't quite believe what was even happening. Camicazi, that's what she'd told him her name was, had spoken very little on their journey. She'd told him her name and given perhaps the briefest description of herself and her home he'd ever heard. They'd flown with the dragon Furious for a short while and then he'd left for another island. Camicazi had said she'd visit him there soon. After that, she'd fallen silent for the rest of the flight. He sighed. She seemed so comfortable up here on Sparky's back. She flew with ease as if she did this every day. Maybe she did. She hadn't exactly been clear. He spotted another island on the horizon, he assumed they'd pass this one too but the dragon suddenly rumbled and she spoke for the first time in a while.
"Easy boy... I know. I feel it too."
"Feel what?"
"Oh I'm so dead. I am so dead. Do you think they've seen us yet? Oh Thor they have... Someone is walking up to the house."
"Who's walking where?" She suddenly turned around on the saddle to face him.
"Alright Zander."
"Alexander."
"Whatever, just listen up and listen good." She instructed. Her face was serious, he could see that since she'd stowed her helmet away in a saddle bag. "When we land, I'm going to push you off and Sparky is going to hide you under his wing. Do not move from there or make a sound. Understood?"
"Ok but I thought you said..."
"I have to explain things first. They won't accept you until they know the full story, so just go with it ok? We should be fairly safe landing at the village centre, keeping close to the cliffs; they shouldn't be able to smell you..."
"You guys smell people out?"
"Not the people you mutton-head! The dragons! With tracking dragons on the island, no one can hide. And with dragons like Stormfly and Skullcrusher, if you're upwind of them, you'll be found before you can say dragon."
"Oh right..."
"Let me talk to everyone before I reveal you to them ok?"
"Alright... Is there anything else I should know before we land?"
"Yeah... My alpha, he'll protect me at all costs, don't make him mad."
"Alpha? You mean your chief?"
"No I mean Alpha, dragon alpha. But yeah my chief will too so don't make him mad either. I'm surprised he hasn't come looking for me yet."
"Bit personal for a chief isn't it?"
"What..."
"Camicazi!"
"Oh Thor's underwear... They've seen me. Alright, just go with it ok?" They swooped down and before they landed Alexander tumbled to the ground and was covered over with a wing, watching as two fur lined boots leapt down onto the ground.
"Camicazi!" Several voices called. She was pretty popular by the looks of things. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, honest."
"Where have you been?"
"Yeah about that... I need to..." There was a loud screeching call and Sparky dipped his head and everyone around froze as a black dragon landed in front of them. Even Alexander flinched. The dragon had huge green eyes that were narrowed, blue glowing along it's spines and from it's flared nostrils. Camicazi froze too, then to his surprise, she sank to her knees and dipped her head too. The dragon stopped growling and it's eyes softened. Camicazi stood up again.
"Hey Toothless. Did I scare you? I'm sorry bud. Did they call you down here?" She asked scratching the dragon affectionately. Maybe that was the alpha.
"No I did." Camicazi jumped back as a tall figure slid from the dragon's back. Alexander hadn't even noticed anyone was riding it. This had to be the chief, but he was rather smaller than Alexander had expected. He'd always thought Viking chiefs were huge hulking great men with big bushy beards! This chief was slim, tall and without the beard.
"I err... Just give me a chance to explain..." She stuttered slightly. Alexander was surprised she looked nervous.
"Please," The chief said waving a hand casually, his eyes narrowed and brows furrowed with anger. "Explain."
"Explain... Right. Ok so Sparky and I took a flight..."
"Really? I had no idea you took a flight. That is totally reassuring." He said sarcastically
"If you'd let me finish!"
"Hiccup? What... Cami!" A woman said jumping swiftly from the back of a dragon just like Camicazi did. She had blonde hair that tumbled down as her fur hood fell back. "Camicazi where in the name of Odin have you been?!" She yelled
"I was about to explain!" Camicazi snapped back
"Then please do!"
"Ok, but before I do is there anyone else who needs to be present for this story?" She asked sarcastically.
"Enough with the cheek young lady!" The chief, Hiccup said.
"Well then can I explain please?" The chief waved a hand casually again. "Ok, so Sparky and I took a flight... I was stressed and annoyed so we were going to take a lap around Badmist island..."
"Camicazi, that's a two hour flight at most!" Hiccup interrupted.
"Let me finish! We were going to take a flight around Badmist... but then... Ok I need to explain something before I continue."
"Camicazi..." He said warningly.
"Just hear me out! It was right after grandpa died... When Sparky and I disappeared for a few days... We encountered a ..."
"Oh Camicazi... What did you do?! You said you just settled in a cave out of the storm!"
"We did! Honest, we did settle in a cave... But something was already in there... It was a dragon. He's different to the others though. He can talk."
"He talks?"
"Sort of, it's inside your head. He speaks through your mind. Anyway, he didn't like me being there too much, then he saw Sparky and he told me that he'd come far to find some special human to fight beside in some great war. And to cut a long story short he eventually decided it must mean me. He left after that, he comes from further north if you can believe that's possible, but he said he'd be back. Anyway, we were about to fly to Badmist, when I heard him cry. That torturous scream... That horrid noise they made when they sang the song after grandpa died... It physically hurt... I couldn't ignore that. And I know you wouldn't have been able to either!" She snapped pointing at him.
"Alright, I understand. So you wanted to help the dragon."
"He's called Furious. The noise was coming from Isle of Doom..."
"Cami, that's an uninhabited island full of wild dragons!"
"Exactly! I can handle wild dragons! I can handle them just as well as grandma, or you... I figured it was safe, but Furious isn't the kind of dragon who can easily be hurt so I decided to be cautious just in case there were people who'd shot him down. So we landed and Sparky flew ahead to check Mount Doom and I started scouting through the forests. There were people there. I spotted one of them. A Roman."
"A Roman?! Cami! Did your experience with Drago teach you nothing?!"
"It was different! I knew better ok?! I was going to leave, but then I heard Furious again and the Roman spotted me, he chased me. But I can move through the trees like a Timberjack! He couldn't keep up..."
"So why so late?"
"Because I kind of got cornered, but I beat the stuffing out of him and he agreed to help me free Furious. So he snuck me into the camp..."
"You went into the camp?!"
"Would you let me finish! He snuck me in, no one saw me as we freed Furious. But they saw him. They called him a traitor and tried to attack him... But Furious broke free buying him some time and we were able to escape..."
"Well that's a relief." The woman said.
"Hang on Astrid, what happened to the Roman?"
"Oh him... Yeah... Well the other Romans tried to kill him; he's only about Finn's age."
"Camicazi... What did you do?"
"I err... I may have rescued him..."
"You did what?!"
"They'd have killed him! I couldn't just leave him there to die! He saved me!"
"Cami..." Hiccup groaned exasperated.
"What? He could have handed me over, but he didn't, thanks to him we escaped! Those monsters were going to cut out Furious' spark!"
"What?"
"His spark, they were going to cut out what gives him his fire, he'd still live but he'd never breathe fire again."
"That's barbaric."
"Exactly. He saved Furious from that. I couldn't leave him there to die!"
"What did you do with him after you rescued him Camicazi?"
"Well I... I brought him back here."
"You did what?!"
"Well I just figured if we could accept Eret into our tribe, we could at least try and accept Alexander!"
"Alexander?"
"It's his name, I know, it's weird. But I figured we could give him a chance..."
"No... I will not risk my people, my family. A chief protects his own."
"He saved me!"
"And you saved him! The debt is settled. He cannot stay here! That is my final word!"
"Since when do you turn away someone in need of help!?"
"Since the last one tried to kill me!"
"That was me in case you forgot!" She snapped and everything went silent. Alexander peered out cautiously from under Sparky's wing, still staying hidden though. "I was the last stray who came here in need of help. I was the one who tried to kill you."
"That was different... You did not know."
"That didn't matter at first! I was still a threat, I still came here with one thing on my mind and that was it. To kill you and bring havoc to Berk. You gave me a chance anyway. You offered me a chance to be a good person. I did not take it and you had no choice but to exile me."
"As I said, it was a different matter. I will not risk a Roman being among my people."
"Why can he not have a chance?"
"That is my final word Camicazi. He gets no chance, he has no place here."
"I don't know who that is speaking, but he sounds like Dagur." She said in a hushed tone.
"Camicazi!" The blonde woman snapped glaring at her.
"I said it. That's the sort of thing Dagur would say. Then he'd beat me for bringing Alex here."
"You know I would never..." Hiccup began.
"I know you wouldn't. But that doesn't sound like you. My father never turns away someone in need. And he always gives people a chance, he gives them more than one chance." Alex froze. Father? The chief? Oh boy was he in trouble.
"And it has cost him before."
"Do you not trust my judgement?"
"I will not risk you or anyone else!"

"I trust him!"
"Camicazi this is not up for discussion! He is not staying!"
"Why not?!"
"Because..."
"Because what?!"
"Enough Camicazi! I am your father and your chief. I've made my decision. It is final!"
"Well I'm electing to ignore it! If you can allow Eret a chance you can let Alexander!"
"You know she may have a point there Hiccup, why not give the lad a chance..." a tall man with blue stripes tattooed on his chin and black hair tied behind his head piped up.
"Eret, now is not the time."
"Sorry Hiccup."
"See! Even Eret agrees! Give Alex a chance! I'm not saying you have to induct him into the tribe, just give him a chance to prove he can be trusted!"
"Camicazi!"
"A chance! Just give him a chance! Please!" Hiccup gave a frustrated snort of air through gritted teeth as he looked away slightly from his daughter. She just stared right back.
"Fine... I'll give him a chance, but I have several conditions."
"Ok, understood." She nodded eagerly.
"Where is he?" She gestured to Sparky who unfurled his wing allowing Alexander to stand up. Everyone stared at him and whispered.
"Alexander, this is the chief of Berk, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, my Father. Dad, this is Alexander of Rome." The chief stared him down. Though not a huge man, Alexander felt very small under that gaze. It was more unnerving than his own father's gaze.
"My conditions..." He said looking back to Camicazi "He spends tonight in the cells, after that Eret, he's your responsibility."
"What? Mine?"
"Yes, yours. Camicazi, you are not to go anywhere alone with him. Am I being clear?"
"Yes dad."
"And he goes nowhere unescorted. Are those things perfectly understood?" Again Camicazi nodded. "And you young lady, are grounded."
"WHAT?! Dad, no!"
"Yes... This is not the first time you've flown off like this, and you have not been present on time for anything lately because you've been flying."
"Dad! The races are this week!"
"If you stick to the rules and following the grounding then you may race on Freya's day."
"But Dad I..."
"That is final Camicazi. Eret, take the boy to the cells. Camicazi..."
"I want to see him to the cells."
"Fine," The woman, Astrid said, "but you are to come straight back to the house. Understand?"
"Yes Mum."
"Good, then you may go with Eret. Hiccup, we'll see her back at the house."

"He doesn't like me at all does he?"
"Nah, it's not that." Camicazi said practically skipping along beside him, the man Eret rolling his eyes at her. "He's just really protective..."
"With good reason!" Eret butted in "This girl is capable of getting into trouble pretty much anywhere! I swear, she rivals the twins with that capability!"

"It's not like I mean to! Trouble just sort of follows me..."
"And that's one reason he gets so protective. You're his daughter, of course he will be. And after everything that has happened, I can't say I blame him. Between Dagur and Drago... I'm amazed he even lets you walk around without an armed guard."
"I can handle Dagur!" She snapped suddenly "Just give me time and I'll be able to stop Drago too..."
"Listen kid, I'm saying this out of affection these days, don't mess with Drago. You know what he's capable of as well as I do. Toothless may be alpha now but Drago is still a madman."
"What... who is Dagur? And who is Drago?" Alexander asked
"Never mind that now." Camicazi said waving his question aside just like Hiccup. She was very like him Alexander noticed. "Eret, does he really have to stay in the cells?"
"I'm not going to argue with your dad and if you want to race on Freya's day I suggest you don't either!"
"Race?"
"Dragon racing!" Camicazi piped up suddenly much more cheerful "It's our favourite sport! We have the annual races, but we race for fun all year round and when we have visitors we often do a bit to put on a bit of a show, sometimes we'll do tournament fights too, the other tribe can get involved with that too. When it comes to racing, I'm undefeated!" She beamed smugly.

"You do have the fastest dragon..."
"Eret, I could beat them on a Gronckle with my eyes closed and one hand behind my back."
"What about in the fighting?" Alexander asked.
"In the youths, undefeated!"
"She has her mother's fighting skill, her father's ability with a blade and all the cunning of a dragon. She was trained hard but she doesn't half earn her title." Eret said as she beamed still more. "Alright, here's the cells. Camicazi, you better go back now before he comes looking for you. You're in enough trouble as it is. I'll finish settling him."
"But..."
"Go now and you can join us both for breakfast. I'm not making the lad starve, I'll fetch him early and he can have breakfast with me."
"You mean it?!" She asked beaming at him. "I can?!"
"Yes, before you go do whatever it is you're supposed to do to make up for earlier."
"If you're talking about Thuggory..." She said darkly.
"Discuss it with your dad! Now go!"
"Eurgh! Fine! I'll see you at breakfast Eret. Later Zander! Sleep well! Don't let the terrors bite!" She laughed. Alexander turned to Eret a look of panic on his face.
"Terrors and biting?"
"She's kidding around, the Terrors don't bite much. Except Pain... But he's always at Snotlout's. They don't sleep in the cells anyway. Most live with Gothi."
"These names all sound weird. Hiccup, Astrid, Eret, Camicazi, Gothi, Snotlout..."
"No weirder than yours. Alexander? What kind of name is that?"
"It's Roman!"
"And our names are native to our lands. Each to their own. Right, you're to stay here tonight, chief's orders..."
"He's not what I expected a Viking chief to look like..."
"Well Hiccup is a bit different. His father was a classic Viking. I barely knew him though."
"What happened?"
"He was killed. Last year, Drago came and war broke out. The first alpha was killed and the replacement took control, no dragon can resist the alpha." He said sadly. "It put Toothless under control at Drago's order and turned him on Hiccup."
"So wait, the dragon he rode in...?"
"That's Toothless. They've been an inseparable pair since Hiccup was fifteen. Kind of like Cami and Sparky from what I hear. But she found Sparky when she was only seven."
"But Toothless tried to kill him?"
"His dad got in the way. Toothless killed him. Hiccup eventually got Toothless out of the alpha's control and Toothless challenged the alpha and won. That's how we got to now. There's still chunks of ice and a few damaged statues, but Berk is mostly repaired."
"So, Hiccup trusts Toothless even though Toothless killed his Dad?"
"Toothless didn't mean to. It was heartbreaking. Drago damned near killed half his family. "Astrid doesn't take things lying down and she wasn't afraid of Drago. Got the lot of them into trouble. Course I sold them out but I also helped free them after Drago turned on me. So he nearly killed her. Finn stayed out of trouble, that's his son. Finn's around your age I'd say. Hiccup's mother nearly got herself killed by Drago too, then of course Camicazi had to challenge him. Every bit the stubborn boar-headed Viking her parents are, nearly got herself killed. She would have too if Hiccup hadn't intervened." He sighed heavily. "She blames herself. Poor thing. Because Drago had her at his mercy, her dad intervened to save her, then Toothless got turned and her grandfather jumped between them. She thinks it's her fault. Wouldn't have changed a thing. Would have happened no matter what. Drago is like that."

"That's awful. Is that why she's like she is?"
"Huh? Oh what the tough aggressive thing? Nah, that's just how she is. But after being raised by Berserkers it's not surprising. I've only encountered them a couple of times since I settled and I'll tell ya, she's surprisingly sane for having spent thirteen years there."
"Thirteen?"
"Yeah, she was lost to Hiccup as a babe. Rescued and raised on Hysteria by the chief's wife there. She found Sparky at the age of seven but suffered at Dagur's hand until she was thirteen when she was sent here to kill Hiccup."
"But he's her dad!"
"She didn't know that. She'd been raised on lies. She didn't know who her real family were. She came here to kill Hiccup but couldn't do it in the end. She damned near killed Dagur and his son though. And they damned near killed her. She's suffered a lot over her life. It's why she's as tough as she is. It takes a lot to break her. She never talks about life before Berk but we all know. She's got plenty of scars, most from getting between the whip and Sparky. She's a warrior and very like her parents. I certainly wouldn't pick a fight with Astrid or Hiccup these days, I know what they can do. And she is them in miniature."
"She's certainly something else. I always thought it was weak and desperate of Viking men to allow women to fight..."
"Then Cami battled her way into your life."
"Pretty much. She's dangerous. I've seen that much already."
"Yeah that she is."
"I have to ask, has she ever killed anyone?" Eret stopped and looked around before dropping his voice to barely above a whisper.
"No one talks about it, and no one knows for sure just how old she was the first time she took a life. All we do know is that when she fought on Berk for the first time at thirteen, to protect Hiccup... She injured and or killed around twenty grown men. Singlehandedly, and all at once. She could have killed Dagur and his son too, but she didn't stoop so low."
"Now I'm really scared of her." Eret laughed.
"I'd consider you a fool if you weren't. But she doesn't seem to want you harmed. Seemed rather fond of you. Never seen her defend anything except a dragon like that before."
"Should I be even more scared?"
"Nah, Camicazi isn't interested in settling or dating. She just obviously thinks you're interesting. She likes to play with fire that girl, I'd say you're her new challenge."
"Great. Just great."

So there we have it. The start of something very new for the Vikings and Eret just got himself a protégée. Tell me what you think :)