A few weeks following Eyarr's arrival, it was Zephyr's birthday, and there was a big party in the great hall to celebrate. Everyone insisted I attend so I could finally observe a Berkian type celebration. How could I say no?

Zephyr gave me a nicer dress of hers that was embroidered with gold thread on the hem, collar, and hems of sleeves. The base color was a deep purplish-pink, and it had intricate knotwork going down the front panel in a slightly darker blue shade. It was not something I was used to, wearing such obstructive clothing, but it was very pretty… I couldn't resist a party dress.

I arrived with the Haddocks and politely sat at the chief's table during most of the early part of it. Maybe an hour after, I spied a family entering the grand front doors. Zyrah's family.

I beamed at the sight of them; Zyrah, Konall, and their two sons, Tannr and Nyr. Tannr saw us first and made a beeline to Zephyr, and scooped her up, causing her to shriek in delight. I watched the two families greet each other and socialize.

I saw Hiccup and Astrid chatting with Zyrah and Konall, the chief gestured for me to join them, which I happily did.

"So Hiccup tells me you're hosting a rogue in your house?" Zyrah started. Konall snorted at the choice of words and I just rolled my eyes.

"If you think it's the right word to describe him, then yes, I suppose I am. By his choice though."

"And not yours?"

"Well, I had offered it to him, but I didn't think he'd accept. Hiccup practically escorted him to my house right before dinner."

"He does have a dragon." Hiccup added.

"Do we know what breed?" Astrid questioned.

"I think he mentioned it's a mixed breed." This garnered perplexed expressions.

"Mixed breed? That's rare. The only other mixed breeds are the Night Lights."

"That's what I thought, too. But allegedly, it's a Nightmare-Skrill mix." Konall choked on his mead.

"Odin's beard! What?!"

"Allegedly! I have to get a closer look and study the dragon with Fishlegs, but based on my initial observations, it bears traits of those species."

"Damn."

"That's a powerful dragon if that is true."

"So what then?"

"I mean, I can't just kick them off the island. I'm going to have to play this carefully."

As Hiccup continued his chat with Astrid and Konall, Ana came over to join us. Meanwhile Zyrah offered we go and sit for a bit. She asked me more about Eyarr, and even though I didn't have much to say initially, I did confess I was a bit stressed about having him in my house. I also admitted I was slightly intimidated by him. Zyrah just chuckled.

"I know it's going to be a challenge for you. But… something tells me you shouldn't worry too about him, just show him who's boss." If only it were that easy.

"If he bothers you, bother him back." She concluded, giving me a playful wink, and I giggled a bit.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I know. And I know you're smart, you'll be able to keep him on his toes."

"Thank you."

"Of course. I also wanted to mention, I know you have an adventurous heart, so when you get back to being on the seas again, my youngest, Hilda lives on the mainland. If you'd like, you're welcome to visit her."

"Oh, Zyrah, that's so sweet of you. I'll keep that in mind as well. Though I don't know when I'll have a chance to get back on the seas."

"You do miss it."

"Of course I do, but… I dunno, I don't feel ready to face this ocean. Not yet anyway."

"Well, Laeli, if there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that the longer you keep yourself away from what you fear, the worse the eventual confrontation will be. You have allow yourself to face it."

I sat there and allowed her words to sink in. How long could I keep myself away from the element that defined me?

When I glanced back to where Zyrah had been seated next to me, she was gone, back by her husband's side.

As time passed, the rest of the village soon trickled in, and the party officially began. Zephyr danced with her partner, whose name was Tannr. Lovely young man, and it seemed like they were a perfect match.

Later that evening, I made my way back to the house, taking in the ambiance of a Berkian evening. With the sounds of the yaks and chickens, along with the occasional snore from those who left the party early. It'd been an interesting day, and after a full dinner and Zephyr's birthday party in the great hall with her family and closest friends, I was ready to crash. Viking parties were different from parties on Motunui, different in that Vikings drink.

They drink a lot.

And once they start getting tipsy… if I thought they were loud before, they get so much louder when they're drunk. And it was too much, my senses overloaded with the sounds and smells. I bid everyone goodnight, and Zephyr happy birthday again and scurried out, not wanting any more interaction or attention.

I turned a corner to get onto the main pathway, walking between two homes when I heard heavy footsteps behind me. I steadied my breathing and cautiously pulled my dagger out from my belt where it was hidden. I then turned around, dagger out, and I was startled to see Eyarr standing behind me, with arms crossed, and a cocky grin on his face. I huffed in frustration, lowering it slightly.

"Were you following me?" I demanded. Eyarr chuckled, smirking at me.

"Of course not." Fat lie.

"Don't lie to me." He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Of course I was. You ran out of the party pretty quickly." He admitted. I couldn't read him, was he annoyed by it? Amused?

"It's not cool to follow your host around like that," I replied, holding the dagger up closer to his mouth.

"Relax, gods, you're no fun."

"It isn't very fun to be the followed."

"And it isn't very fun to have a dagger in the face." I bit my tongue, pursing my lips together tightly in aggravation.

"Gods, you're such a pain in the ass. Either go to the hall or go to the house. I don't have the energy to deal with you."

"That right?" He replied in a mocking tone. I huffed and turned on my heel, angrily stalking back to the house. I knew he was behind me and I did not care.

How was I going to deal with him? Somehow I agreed to it and now I didn't know if I was regretting my choice. Sure, he was very good-looking, and gods damn him for being so.

I opened the door and walked in first, Eyarr following and closing the door behind us. Even though I was beyond irritated and exhausted, I still had to keep my composure and remain somewhat polite.

"Did you eat?" I questioned, rubbing my face and pulling my hairpin out. He'd already taken a seat by the fireplace, but I did see a shake of the head.

"Do you want anything?" A shrug. With a groan, I pulled out the cauldron, filled it with water and broth, and lit a fire underneath. Once the cauldron began to boil, I threw in some ingredients for a simple soup. The aromatic, savory smell filled the room, and I could feel the tension ease a bit.

As I stood to fetch a bowl, he got up before I did and served himself. I heard him utter a soft 'thank you', to which I silently nodded, acknowledging him.

We sat in the living room in relative silence, and I attempted to pay attention to the flames and embers of the fireplace, but my gaze would shift back to my guest. He ate quietly, appearing to zone out, as he did not notice my glances.

I finally decided to break the silence and pursue a peaceful conversation.

"Were you out with your dragon?" Awkward silence. He broke from whatever he was thinking about, his golden eyes facing me. I made note of how tired he look, though I wasn't sure if that was a result of his day, or maybe I had just not noticed before.

"Why do you ask?" He replied, his voice softer, and he certainly sounded tired.

"Just curious."

"Mm." Okay. Not a bad start I suppose.

"I'd… I'd to know about him." I attempted again. He again glanced in direction, he considered my request for a moment, and then he cracked a small smile.

"What would you like to know?"

"You tell me." Trying to invite him to talk about himself beyond simple questions. I had figured out he wasn't one to get joy of bragging or gloating, but maybe it was a façade? I couldn't tell.

He reluctantly told me more about his beloved dragon, its name, and the dragon species.

Cliffire; a Monstrous Nightmare-Skrill mix.

I recalled the discussion Hiccup had with the others in the Great Hall earlier about their speculations, and Hiccup's hunch was correct.

The conversation didn't last much longer after that. I finally felt exhaustion creep up and it became more difficult to keep my eyes open. Eyarr noticed, and told me to go to bed and he'd clean up.

"Are you sure?" I tried to stifle a yawn, eye watering.

"I'm sure, you get some sleep." He assured, waving his hand.

With a sigh, I made my way upstairs and changed out of my party dress. As I slid into bed, I began to wonder about the stuff Eyarr and his dragon had encountered before coming here? What was their life like? And more importantly, what was Eyarr really like?

I fell asleep for a little bit but awoke randomly hearing something outside. I slowly sat up, turning around to the window above the bed. The window faced the forest, and initially, I didn't see anything. But then I heard the sound of massive footsteps stepping on the forest floor, kicking up forest litter and someone speaking. I craned my neck to see Eyarr outside… with his dragon. I could just barely make out their figures in the dim moonlight.

The curiosity in me couldn't help itself, and I slid on my boots, slowly creeping outside as to not be seen or heard. I ducked behind a bush a small distance away from them and strained my ears to listen. I couldn't exactly hear what Eyarr was saying initially, but I was able to pick up on him venting his frustrations.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but it's still fucking difficult." I heard Cliffire snort in response.

"And not to mention, this girl… I have to stay with her." I snorted quietly. While I did have to agree the arrangement wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been, it still wasn't exactly ideal. It was no fun with a distrusting houseguest.

"What am I going to do?" I heard his frustration and mild defeat in his voice. What am I going to do? I wasn't interested in babysitting or therapy… but I still had to help him in some form.

Patience was not my best virtue, but after hearing that tone in his voice… it was worth the try.