I groaned through gritted teeth as I crossed off another place on my map. I had been searching since morning for the stupid beast and had yet to see even a scale.

Slamming the map closed and stuffing in into my vest I ran my hands over my face in frustration.

"Gods... I've never misplaced my bow, never lost a knife, how have I managed to lose an entire dragon!" I smacked a branch in my path, ducking underneath when it came back, when I noticed something.

A huge trench had been dug into the ground. Looking up I saw that the tree above me ended a few feet from my head, the rest had toppled next to the trench.

I slid down the trench, noting a few dark scales and some blood here and there, proving that I'd finally found it.

I slowed as I got closer, there was something large breathing heavily on the other side. I carefully pulled my bow off my back and readied an arrow before slowly rising.

My breath caught as I finally laid eyes on the elusive Night Fury. It looked nothing like what we imagined, nothing like the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself. It was actually on the smaller side, slim with no huge spikes, large wings and four fins at the base and end of it's tail, which was what made it so fast in the air. It's scales were a dark brown, and though it's claws looked sharp, they were small and it's feet were somewhat stubby, unlike the massive talons other dragons sported.

It lay on it's side, head hidden behind one huge wing. Just under where the wing met it's shoulder, I could just barely see the broken shaft of the arrow I'd brought it down with, blood trickled lazily from where it was buried.

The dragon hadn't moved as I observed it, save for it's labored breathing, the paralytic on my arrow, coupled with it's injuries must have weakened it severly. Still, I kept my arrow aimed at it's vitals as I drew closer.

"I actually did it." I laughed. "I actually brought down a Night Fury. Tch, some Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death. You cause so much trouble for us, and you're brought down by a single arrow." I lower my bow slightly, leaning in to try and get a peek of it's head, when it suddenly lurches, the wing flaring up and it's claws ready to tear, only to stop as it slumps with a pained roar, blood running freely from the wound on it's shoulder.

It's silent save for the dragon's pained crooning. My arrow was once again aimed at it's neck, and I stood frozen from where I'd jumped back. It didn't move again so I crept closer once more.

It's wing now out of the way, I could finally see it's face, no spikes, no huge jutting teeth, just a single eye, forest green with a hazy, slit pupil, glaring accusingly into my own eyes.

I draw myself to full height, glaring into it's eye. "I'm going to kill you, dragon." I tell it. "I'm going to shoot you in the throat, then cut out your heart and take it to my father." I draw my bow tighter and the dragon groans, almost... pleading. I take a breath, tearing my eyes from where they'd drifted back to meet the dragon's, only to slowly make eye contact again. We stared at each other for a long moment, and the more I looked into it's eyes, the more I knew it was pleading to me, afraid of death, afraid of... me.

I grit my teeth and break eye contact, bringing me bow back up from where it'd lowered, and the dragon made a sorrowful sound as it closed it's eye and let it's head drop.

I felt as if I'd nicked myself with my own arrows, paralyzed as a war was waged in my mind. I had to do this! I had to prove to Skullcrusher that I was more than a teenager that's good with a bow! But... the dragon looked so scared. It didn't want to die, and it was scared of me. A dragon was afraid of a viking!

I sighed and lowered my bow, all my fight draining out of me as I gazed, not at a Monster, but a living thing, that was wounded and afraid and just wanted to live.

I shook my head and turned, already putting my bow and arrow away, only to stop, glancing back at the dragon.

The Viking was taking it's sweet time, it must be one of the crueler ones, drawing out my death for it's own amusement. Maybe it was rethinking a quick death and was planning on shooting me in the back to paralyze me before cutting my wings off to take them to it's 'father', whatever that was.

My flock-mates were right, I really was Useless. My first Gathering and I was downed by a little fly-claw that had been shot by a small juvenile! I was almost glad I was stuck here, just so I didn't have to hear their mocking as I was brought to Her as Tribute. However, I was also so alone. I could no longer feel Her presence, the comforting hum in the back of my mind that told me She was watching over me was gone. I was stuck here, in pain, about to die, without my flock-mates or my Queen, only a single Viking.

I was always Useless, and I'll die without ever having another Name.

There was a heavy breath from the Viking and the shuffle of feet. Was it.. turning around? Did it decide to leave me to die painfully slow? Or was it bringing it's flockmates back as an audience to my death? It really was one of the crue- PAIN!

I shriek was torn from my throat as small hands grasped the fly-claw and pulled. My claws dug furrows into the dirt and I thrashed as I felt hot blood gush from the wound as it was slowly torn back out.

It was pulled free with a sickening squelch and I finally got my paws under me, blindly launching myself at the source of all my pain and fear.

I could feel it's tiny heart thudding under my paw, it's chest heaving as I glared down at it. My wounds, hunger, and thirst made my vision blur, but through the haze I could still see the fear on it's face. The same fear it had caused me.

Drawing myself up and painfully spreading my wings to appear bigger, I opened my mouth, feeling a vindictive triumph as it flinched and shut it's eyes. Feeling that I let the anticipation build long enough, I let out the loudest, ear shattering roar, right into it's face before bounding off of it and pushing myself into the air, a half pained, half relieved roar escaping as I clumsily flew as far away from the Viking as I could.