Happy Tuesday, friends. Thanks for being so patient ;) and waiting a whole week for this update.

Reviews!

Little Did You Know

Mar'i the Nightstar

Colinou

ShiNe

canadasam101

QuiteARandomFan

Vvarden

Sag1ttar1us

The Lightning Phoenix

1319

Spartan10007

Kelroe26

Ciara11

InfernoChicken (Stoick was 50 in the second movie, but I've read a few things that point to Valka being younger. Like, ten years younger. So she's not exactly a spring chicken anymore, but she's not unreasonably old.)

ScarletRaven3

Harkonnen28

(Look at that. 16 reviews :D can we beat it?)

While the humans were talking and eating in the Great Hall, Shade led the dragons of Heimme to the grassy area just outside the hall in order to speak to them. It was almost completely dark out, the last glow of the setting sun fading from the western sky, but enormous torches lit the front of the hall, and their light was cast in all directions. Not that they were necessary, after all, dragons have excellent night vision.

When they had all settled before him, he began, noting the encouraging smiles coming from Mika, Fern, and Kova. "I know most of you would like to stay with your humans tonight, but Aeri is right. They need a chance to become accustomed to their surroundings, and you can be reunited with them in the morning. I also need to tell you several things, introduce you to a few dragons, and show you where you'll be staying.

"The first thing you need to know is that here, we have an Alpha. No doubt you saw the tusk hanging in the Great Hall. Well, that came from the Alpha Bewilderbeast that Toothless defeated in order to prevent the destruction and annihilation of everyone and everything in this village. It's a great story, I'm sure you'll hear it twenty times from various sources, but right now I imagine you're all tired and hungry, so I'll keep it as brief as I can. Long story short, Toothless has undeniably earned the allegiance and devotion of the dragons on Berk, and while I don't expect you all to fawn over him, I expect you to show him respect. If you have problems, you go to him for help. And if you can't find him, go to his second-in-command—" the beating of wings could be heard. "— Cinder."

Several soft thumps sounded in the grass behind him, and turning, Shade saw Cinder, Cloudjumper, and Hookfang flanking his father. "Oh," he looked back at the assembled dragons. "The Monstrous Nightmare behind me is Hookfang. He and his rider, Snotlout, are responsible for organizing all of the patrols that are constantly in circulation around the island. So if you see something unusual, such as, I don't know, a suspicious ship hidden in the sea stacks, tell him. I'm sure you all recognize Cloudjumper, who led the Raincutters out this morning to pull your ships in. He was second-in-command before Cinder, and while he has more or less retired from the position, he is still a fount of wisdom, and I'm sure he'd be able to help with anything you might need.

"All of this stuff is pretty straightforward. We also have a Training Academy, where we work with our humans to strengthen our bonds and improve our skill as a team. There are also dragon races. I'm sure many of your riders will be taking advantage of these opportunities, so tomorrow, I'll show you all where everything is. Now, let's go eat, then I'll take you to the stables."

He led them to the feeding station, where he waited until every dragon had eaten their fill, and almost all the fish were gone. Then, he explained to them that the entrance to the stables was on the side of the cliff, and that they were going to have to fly there.

"Mika, it shouldn't be difficult for you to climb over the edge and into the space, if you want to." She nodded, following the procession to the cliffside, where they all took off, following Shade's relaxed loop to fly straight into the opening.

Toothless had previously told all of Berk's dragons that they were to stay in their stalls when the dragons from Heimme arrived, and they did, but the very atmosphere was thick with interest as Shade led the procession into the cavernous space. A number of Vikings were present with their dragons, and they, too, watched the new arrivals with curiosity.

Once they were all gathered on the main floor, Shade turned back and got their attention. "Okay. As you can see, this place is situated in the heart of the island. Before I was born, Berk had an unfortunate infestation of Whispering Deaths, who carved out numerous tunnels, connecting the caves that lead down to a beach on the opposite side of the island. There are hundreds of dragons on Berk, and while many of them live in the village, most have a stall in here that they call home. The Vikings made sure to prepare spaces for a large number of dragons, so your arrival has caused no trouble whatsoever. If you follow the wide openings, you'll pass by the filled stalls, and once you come across an empty one, feel free to take it. It's yours, for as long as you want it."

Somewhat nervous, but considerably less so than the humans from Heimme, the new dragons did as Shade told them to, moving in large groups down the spacious corridors to find a place to sleep. Finally, only Mika, Kova, and Fern were left, standing with Shade, Toothless, Cloudjumper, and Cinder. Hookfang had returned to Snotlout's house already.

"How do I get out of here?" Mika asked.

"There's a staircase over there that leads to the main part of the village," Shade explained.

"That's helpful," she commented, and he resisted the urge to tell her that someday, she might be flying in like the rest of them. That was still only a possibility, but with Hiccup's ingenuity, Shade had faith that the young Grimler would traverse the skies once again.

"Is there anything else we can help you with?" Toothless asked them.

"Do you all live in here?" Fern asked.

"No. Cinder has his own shelter with his mate, Holly, and his sister, Ash. Shade and Cloudjumper live in Valka's house, and I have a shelter with the rest of my family," the Alpha replied.

"Aw, Shade, you never told us anything about your family!" Mika exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, it never really came up…" he muttered sheepishly, but Toothless just smiled.

"Shade's mother and I have four other hatchlings of various ages."

"Maybe there's a Night Fury my age, hmm? As much fun as this guy is to hang around, sometimes he can be pretty stiff." Mika poked Shade with her wing.

"Thanks," Shade said sarcastically. "As it happens, my sister Soturi is thirteen. She hangs out with a number of dragons your age, maybe you'll have more fun with them than with boring old me."

"That would be awesome," she responded dreamily.

"I still can't believe you're the Alpha, and Shade's father. Not that there's anything wrong with you being Alpha, of course," Kova quickly added. "Just that it must have been an epic battle, you know, that resulted in you achieving that status, and taking off that tusk hanging in the Great Hall…" he trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, it was," Cloudjumper cut in before Toothless could reply. "Like Shade said, you'll probably hear about it from at least twenty dragons, some of whom weren't even there."

"Maybe you'd like to be responsible for telling the story this time?" Toothless suggested.

"Why, I'd be honored."

"Then it's settled," Shade said. "Tomorrow, after I show you around, Cloudjumper will tell us how my father became Alpha."

"That would be great. I know that many of the other dragons are as curious as I am about this place." Kova, as the Chief's dragon, had basically become a representative for the others. "In the morning, I'll get them all ready."

"Perfect. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Get some rest tonight." Shade waited until the three dragons from Heimme started down the corridor in the direction of the others, then turned to his father, who was watching him with a strange expression on his face.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Not in the slightest. You did very well today, Shade," his father answered, and he finally was able to interpret the Alpha's expression. It was an emotion he was largely unfamiliar with causing. Pride. His dad was proud of him.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Let's head to our homes, shall we?" Cloudjumper rumbled. "It's a bit past my bedtime."

Grinning, Shade and Toothless nodded, and together the three dragons flew from the stable floor out into the night.

Maara trekked into the forest, doing her best not to think.

She hadn't slept much the night before. Not that she had been uncomfortable. Each of the one hundred and seven beds in the longhouses had a mattress and warm blanket. She was just… jittery. Even as Rádgatá— Aeri— and her father led them around the village, she had barely been able to concentrate. She supposed it was simply the cheerfulness of the Vikings, greeting them as they passed. She saw happy people, friends and families interacting, and she couldn't help but think of the people who hadn't made it. The happy friends and families they had left as corpses in the remains of what had been their homes.

Her home. Gone. The people she had known for her entire life. A third of them had survived, had made it to this strange place. And the rest…

Tears threatened. Angrily she stopped, one hand on the hilt of her sword, the other busy rubbing her eyes. No. You will not cry.

She had to be strong. But she couldn't take it any more, even though Aeri was about to take them to the Academy, the part of Berk she was most interested in. Instead, she slipped away, sticking to the outskirts of the village, until she had reached the forest. She had seen Mika briefly that morning, and the dragon seemed happy enough, but she'd gone with the other dragons after Shade and Toothless.

That little bit of information was almost too much to handle, as well. Hiccup and Toothless were still alive, still relatively young. And they were Aeri and Shade's fathers. When Aeri had revealed to her that she had run away, all that time ago on the steps of the town hall, Maara never could have fathomed that the older woman had been running from this place. Despite her grief, Maara had no problem comprehending how incredible a place Berk was. Granted, she hadn't spent a winter here, yet, but the dragons, and the Academy, and the adventures…

Aeri was going to be the Chief of this tribe. Maara understood now. She had been running from the burden of responsibility. Why, Maara still couldn't exactly pinpoint. Maybe because she had to fill the shoes of her father, the most heroic individual Maara had ever heard of. And from what Haku had mentioned briefly that morning, Hiccup had done even more than just defeat the Red Death at the age of fifteen.

In any event, Aeri did not want to be the Chief. That's why she had left. But she had come back, she had returned to her home for Maara's people. To keep them safe. A selfless act, just as so many of her actions on Heimme had been. Maara knew Aeri would make a good Chief. A great one, even. Like her brother was promising to be.

But that was another problem. Maara knew her brother loved Aeri, but now that it was revealed that she was in line for her own Chiefdom, there was almost no chance that they could be together. She doubted Haku had thought ahead that far, thought about the fact that they couldn't stay on Berk forever. And when they left, Aeri would not be coming with them.

The thought was immensely depressing. Maara thought of Aeri as a sister, even if she wouldn't marry Haku. This way of life, with the dragons so integrated into society, was what she had always wanted, even when she hadn't even known that it was possible. If only Mika could fly…

Clambering over a log, she wiped her hands on her dress. The fabric was faded, torn and stained in places, and just generally in poor condition. But she had no other clothes. Maybe Aeri could help with that…

Finding herself in a small clearing, she stopped and listened carefully. All that could be heard was the sound of birds chirping, and the breeze through the tree tops. She decided this was probably far enough from the village to avoid interruption. Smoothly, she drew her sword, the dappled sunlight catching on the shiny blade. It had been too long since she had practiced with her sword, and she couldn't think of a better way to deal with her pent-up emotions than to physically exhaust herself.

She walked over to a tree, trying to control her breathing. But thoughts of the people she had left behind were welling up uncontrollably now, their faces contorted with fear. They were dead. She would never see them again. She would never see her home again. Heimme was a memory, a desolate ruin an ocean away.

With a cry Maara raised her sword with both hands, bringing it down on an exposed branch. The savage blow severed the leafy bough, sending it crashing to the ground. She began to attack invisible foes, hacking and slashing furiously at the air. She followed the patterns she learned from Aeri, pivoting suddenly as she dodged her imaginary enemies. Closing her eyes, she imagined that she was surrounded by the pirates who had slaughtered her people, but this time, she was killing them all, mercilessly cutting them down before they could hurt anyone else she loved.

Working her way through the clearing, she spun and sliced, her shouts of frustration concealing the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Aah!" She whirled around, swinging her sword over her head, but the blade was stopped with a loud crash.

Startled, she opened her eyes, coming face to face with a man. He held up a sword of his own with one arm, blocking her two-handed strike.

"Who are you?" she half-shouted, somewhat frustrated and embarrassed at having been interrupted.

One of his eyebrows rose, and she couldn't help but give him a once over. He was young and quite tall, probably as tall as Haku, with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a blue tunic and fur vest. There was something strangely familiar about his face, but Maara couldn't place him.

"I could ask you the same question." His voice wasn't deep, but it rang with a quiet confidence, leaving her slightly curious, but not curious enough to dissipate her anger.

"I'm Maara," she said with a scowl.

Something like amusement passed through his gaze. "Enchanted, Maara. Erik, at your service."

"You shouldn't sneak up on people, Erik." She slid the blade of her sword off of his, bringing it down to her side. He lowered his arm, and for the first time she noticed that he held a book in his other hand. "What's that?" She gestured at it.

He held it up for her to inspect. "This, my dear Maara, is a book."

She found she wasn't in the mood to appreciate his sarcasm. "I'm not your dear anything, and I know what a book is." He raised his eyebrow again, and she almost growled at him. "Generally I associate books with people who possess the intellect to read them." Belatedly, Maara realized how incredibly rude she was being, but before she could apologize, he burst out laughing.

"Fair enough. I won't argue for my intelligence, but I will say that I enjoy reading. It happens to be my favorite pastime, besides stumbling upon beautiful girls in the woods who look like they want to kill me."

Maara's face immediately heated, and she became painfully aware of the sorry state of her clothes. No one had ever called her beautiful before. Alarmed at her own reaction, she spun around and stalked away.

"Wait!" he called after her, sounding apologetic. "I didn't mean to offend..." she could hear him sheathe his sword.

Maara sighed, letting her shoulders slump. "I'm not offended. Just..."

"Frustrated? Tired? Irritated?"

Her lips twitched with a smile, but she hid it with a scowl. "Only at you!"

He took a step back, putting a hand over his heart. "You wound me."

Ugh. "Okay, not at you. I was working out all those feelings when you came along, for your information."

He looked thoughtful. "Well, I'd rather you take it out on me than on these poor, innocent trees." He gestured with his free hand at all of the splintered branches littering the ground.

"I don't actually believe that you'd prefer that."

"Well you should! I don't know you well, Maara, not yet, but there's a way to rectify that." He smiled winningly at her, and she found her facade crumbling a bit. There was something about this strange man, boy, whatever he was- that made her feel like she already knew him. That she was comfortable around him.

Erik had no idea what he was doing. He'd never met this girl before in his life, and he was flirting with her. She must be one of the refugees. That made his behavior even more inexcusable. But what in the world was she doing in the middle of the forest, swinging that sword around? Clearly she knew how to use it, but wasn't she supposed to be with the rest of them, taking the grand tour? He was beginning to suspect that he had interrupted something important. Therapeutic violence. Sounded like something Alyka would do.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, her stormy grey eyes peering up at him through her dark brown bangs.

"I was just passing by when I heard the distinct sounds of battle, and I couldn't help but investigate."

"Pfft. Why don't I believe you?"

"I haven't the slightest. But I'm telling the truth, I often come into the forest on my own." Well, generally he was with Storm. But today she had made it clear that she wanted to tag along with her big brother, so he'd made his way out here by himself.

"Don't you have a dragon?" Quick, this one.

"Yes, I do," he replied. "She's off with her brother," he added vaguely. Something told him that this petite tree-savager wouldn't be so blunt with him if she knew that Storm was Shade's sister, and that he was related to Aeri. After all, her people were sort of indebted to his sister and her dragon, although she was adamant that it was she who owed them. In any event, from the gossip that had been circulating since the refugees' arrival, Maara's people were very fond of Aeri, and he figured that he wouldn't get this kind of delightfully brutal honesty from anyone who knew that he was her brother. "Don't you have a dragon?"

"Yes, but she's off with the others learning about your island, I think."

"I see." Erik paused, unsure if he was pushing it with his next question. "Shouldn't you be doing something along the same lines?"

Something akin to sadness flashed in her eyes and she quickly turned away. Erik could have slapped himself. Too far, you dolt.

"I'm sorry, I know it's none of my—"

She cut him off, her back still to him. "It was all a bit too much." Glancing back at him, Maara could tell he was about to apologize again. "Don't say you're sorry. I don't want your pity." Her voice was rough, and furiously she berated herself. Show no weakness. Especially not to this stranger.

So she stalked away, not giving him the chance to respond. Her fingers traveled to the high neckline of her dress, designed to hide the terrible scar she had received from that Grimler during the dragon attack on Heimme all those months ago. It was a nervous habit to tug at the fabric when she was agitated. Just put one foot in front of the other. She had made it about fifteen feet when he cleared his throat.

"Just so you know… the village is that way." Duh.

"Maybe I don't want to go back to the village right now," she shot back without turning around.

"Well, it's not exactly safe out here. I mean, for a person alone. Without their dragon. Or a friend."

"My remaining friends are just as busy as my dragon is. I'll be fine. I've got my sword, remember?"

"Yes, you have me convinced you know how to use it. But if you encounter a pack of bloodthirsty wild boars, or a Typhoomerang…"

Her curiosity got the best of her, and she stopped, turning slightly. "Okay, I'll bite. What's a Typhoomerang?"

"It's a rather large, rather aggressive dragon. We had some trouble with one recently trying to kill Soren, Toothless's youngest hatchling. Shade actually fought it off, but we have no reason to believe that it has left the island, however."

"Haven't you tried to train it?"

"Well, it's sort of like training a Skrill. They're very ill-tempered dragons and it's best to leave them alone. Only one Typhoomerang has ever been trained, by my— by Hiccup when he was young. But he's not known as 'The Dragon Chief' for no reason. And that Typhoomerang was a small hatchling."

"I'll take my chances." She started walking again.

"Please, Maara. Just go back to the village. I'm not kidding. We're about as far as it's wise to go in this direction. I've been training wild dragons for my entire life and dealing with wild boars and still you wouldn't catch me dead out there without my dragon to protect me."

Maara came to a stop again, extremely frustrated. Couldn't this guy understand she just needed some space? She still had way too many feelings that needed to be dealt with. And she'd already been appallingly rude to him. Haku and Vasara would be so disappointed if they ever found out how she'd spoken to one of Aeri's people simply because she was upset. But looking around, the forest stretched on and on, getting darker and darker. Was it her imagination, or were there eyes out there, watching her? Maybe Erik has a point.

"Fine," she muttered, feeling defeated. Pivoting on her heel, she strode back to the small clearing, stepping over the branches she had previously removed from the surrounding trees.

"Thank you," he sounded deeply relieved, and she looked up at him suspiciously. Had he actually been worried about me?

"Don't act like you were concerned about me." His blue eyes widened slightly and she resisted the urge to wince. Why are you being so rude to this poor boy? the voice in her head was lecturing her.

"It's not an act, Maara. I would hate for something to happen to you when we've only just met." His voice was gentle, his face kind, and she found that she wanted to scream at him. Don't be nice to me! I can't handle your kindness! Especially after treating you so poorly.

"Please… can I walk you back to the village now?" he asked softly.

"No!" she said quickly. "I mean, no thank you. I can find my way back. It was, uh, nice to meet you Erik." Without waiting for his response, she turned and hurried away, leaving him standing alone in the clearing, feeling as though he had just been caught in a sudden storm, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

I do so enjoy chance encounters in the forest...

Sorry these chapters aren't the MOST exciting, but they serve a purpose. :) see you next week.