Snotlout pushed his way into the circle with an arm full of drinks and began passing them around. I stared at the odd liquid that was thrust into my hands. The others began downing theirs and then cheered, which only blended with the other loud noises in the hall. I never tried the mead at the first party when I first arrived, but maybe today would be that day. I mean, how bad could it be? I looked up to find the others all looking at me expectantly. The pressure rose and I quickly raised the rim to my lips and took a swig. The foul syrup burned down my throat and I nearly choked.

They seemed to like my ambition though, because they all cheered again and drank some more. It had tasted so foul; I really had no desire to drink more. I joined in the cheering but never took another sip. The taste still lingered on my tongue.

On the island, we had firewater; or that's what the adults called it; very few actually drank it though. Many thought it was the drink of bad spirits, and made Dragon Wing's do crazy things. My father's brother used to drink it all the time, and it was hard to visit with him when he smelled of the stuff.

My thoughts trailed off from the discerning memories and I scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face that I had not seen yet. Where was he?

I watched in amusement as many Vikings began to dance around the centre. The steps looked relatively simple but I had no idea how to dance. The crowd chanted a song, probably a traditional Viking folk song; one that I clearly didn't recognize. But the tune was catchy, and I found myself chanting it anyways, while clapping alongside Astrid. She smiled and sang too, enjoying the festivities. I tried to remind myself that all these people were gathered to celebrate me. Me of all things; and I felt like an emotional wreck. Sure, I was a warrior, but that didn't mean I wasn't sensitive. I remembered feeling so torn when Hiccup was sick. I knew he'd be okay… but there was always that doubt.

Suddenly, Hiccup popped through the crowd; well, more like fell out. He stumbled over, and straightened up quickly to compose himself. His gaze sweept from Astrid, to me, and back again.

"Congratulations Ms. Habborth," he smiled at me, one that would make my heart melt over again if it hadn't already been. Hearing my new name roll off his tongue made it hard to focus. He turned to Astrid and offered her out an arm, "shall we mi'lady?"

Astrid laughed like a giddy Nadder and skipped off with him. I couldn't help but look on with an aching feeling. Over the tops of heads I could make out the pair sashaying and swinging across the empty space. My view was blocked quickly by another face who stared back. He looked a bit younger than the average Viking around here, but way older than I was. He held out his hand and I took it tentatively, knowing exactly what he meant, but too stunned to do anything else.

In a second, he was pulling me off into the circle. The crowd cheered louder after seeing me, the new Viking, joining the dance. I smiled and looked at him.

"I don't know how."

He just beamed at me and grabbed my hands, spinning me around and imitating the other dancers around us as the chanting got louder. The beat of the drums in the back thrummed in my head and the music echoed throughout the room. Before long, I had joined the group and danced alongside like I knew all the steps. It felt surreal- was I actually doing this?

Amidst the ruckus, I managed to spot Hiccup with Astrid, who danced with such ease, who looked they had been practicing for years. With every spin of my own, I snuck a glance at them- so perfect in rhythm and steps… they looked amazing. I wasn't jealous, I couldn't be- but I did feel disheartened. I could not explain why I felt like that, but deep down, I knew exactly why.

The song finally ended, and the drum beats halted. The room erupted in more cheers, and the Viking who had asked me to dance took my hand once more and held it for a moment.

"Thanks for the dance," was all I could muster before excusing myself and leaving the circle. I felt some others watching me but none seemed too upset since they all returned to chanting a new song. A ceremony was an excuse to party, it made sense.

Before long the music picked up again and I moved to the side of the hall. I skirted the crowd, inching behind Vikings and edging my way slowly to the door. This is fun, but I needed to leave. Mixtures of emotions were overwhelming me: love from my new family, excitement from the party, and loneliness. Never in my life had I felt so welcome and so lonely at the same time.

I slipped out of the dimly lit room and out into the cool darkness. The world expanded before me, with the town closest, stretching out to the ocean and the dark horizon beyond. Out there was home… somewhere anyways.

My feet carried me down the stairs and past my room, beyond the houses and out into the forest. Trees stretched on either side, and the peace there calmed me. But my feet kept going, taking me to some unknown place that I didn't know. Finally I reached the river. The water burbled along the rocky shore, and I sat down on the grass just uphill of it. The air was cool, but more like an ocean breeze than a mountain one.

I had been here with Hiccup when he gave me a tour of the island, but now it felt like a secret place. I realized that a while ago, I could have flown here; and the thought hit me like a rock in the face. The horrible memories crept in and I let a few tears slip and fall on my lap. Before long I was sobbing. I'm a Dragon Wing… and I can't even fly. I knew Hiccup was smart, and he would try to help me, but Toothless' tail was a completely different construction than an entire wing. I should accept the fact that I will probably never fly again by myself.

And my home! It was there… but it would never be the same. I could never go back to the village after knowing what massacre had gone on there. Instead I built a shelter elsewhere, and lived alone. The day I arrived, was the first day I noticed that I couldn't hear the dragons on the island. There was some kind of block there, and eventually the dragons lost touch with us- since there was no Dragon Wing's left, and they couldn't talk to me. After meeting Toothless, I was shocked that I could hear him, and he could understand me.

I wiped the tears on my shirt, which still felt unfamiliar on my skin. So did these boots. I didn't fit in here, but they were so welcoming that I couldn't help but feel wanted.

A low rumble sounded in the distance. Thunder possibly? No, the skies were clear, with bright stars expanding the length of visible sky. I looked around. Boulder? More likely, but before I could conclude what it was, a louder growl emanated. That was no boulder- it was a dragon. I stood up and shuffled back behind the tree-line. Terrific, I had forgotten to include a weapon on my outfit.

The view upstream was limited by the vegetation, but that didn't matter, because the dragon was walking downstream, directly in front of me. And not just down along the side of the river, I mean over the river, with four legs stalking, left ones on one bank and right on the other, striding as wide as the river. One of its feet pounded a mere meters in front of me and I held my breath. Its wings were tucked in, but that didn't matter, because its massive stature was enough to kill a man just by spotting it. Its body was lithe and thin, similar to a Monstrous Nightmare's, and the talons were thicker. They're probably almost as big as I am. Even in the dark I could distinguish its large features, and I knew that it was blue. A striking thought hit me and I nearly fell over as another foot pressed down and made the earth shake, I would have fallen too if I had not been clinging to a tree.

There was no mistaking it.

It was Hiccup's blue dragon.