Hiccup sighed as he settled down after a good day of flying. He had just got back from his previous three days of exploration and had returned to his home. His mother was out, no doubt trading blows with dragon hunters, so he had the place mostly to himself until she got back.

Toothless flopped out on the ground beside him, no doubt tired after the day of flying. They had pushed it to the limits, Toothless going fast enough that Hiccup had been knocked off at one point. It had been years since he had fallen from his dragon accidently. He wasn't used to the sudden panic from an unplanned fall.

He would have to work on that, because even his staff had not been enough to catch him in time. Maybe if he made a glider, or something to keep him afloat…

Hiccup started walking to his workshop, thinking about his newest project. He would be staying home for some time, possibly three days, before he would head back to Berk and begin building his base there. Right now, he needed to solve this current problem.

Toothless watched him go before he bounded to the feeding troughs.

Hiccup pushed aside the papers on his desk to give himself room, setting down a blank piece of paper. He started to sketch out wing shapes attached to a figure, factoring in things in his head. He then started to dig through his scraps of leather, beginning his project.

Throughout this process Toothless stopped by, peering over his shoulder before bounding back to the other dragons to play.

It was dusk before Hiccup's mother came back, riding on Cloudjumper as she landed in the cave. Several dragons followed behind her, shyly peering at their new home.

Hiccup did not notice her as she crept beside him. Her eyes drifted over his blueprints and his prototype.

"Perhaps, not a separate mechanism, but just attaching them to your sides?" Valka said.

Hiccup, used to Valka's input when he was working, nodded. He had thought about attaching them to his back but attaching them to his sides was a really good idea.

Hiccup gave his design a once over before erasing several things, changing up the design. He then started with new fervor, grinning as he thought of all the different wing designs for different situations.

Valka chuckled and turned away, looking back out over their home. She would leave her son to his experiments, and in the meantime introduce the new dragons to their home.

I~~~~I

Hiccup stretched, finishing up for the day with his project. He held up the product, two pieces of cloth that he could link with his suit. First, though, he needed to get some of Toothless' loose scales to use for the paint.

Walking over Hiccup found his dragon curled up and sleeping. He searched around Toothless' rock and found several scales. Taking the scales, he placed them in his mortar and pestle and started to grind them down. After that he mixed them with some of the saliva he had collected from his dragon, before he started to paint it onto the leather. The cuts were a little rough, but they would work.

A warble at his shoulder alerted Hiccup to Toothless. The Nightfury had snuck up on him while he was painting, and he was looking at the wings curiously. He tilted his head as he looked at Hiccup with his toothless smile.

Hiccup chuckled and held it out in front of him, away from anything that could burn.

"Care to dry it bud?" He asked, watching as Toothless nodded and then fired a blast at the piece.

It dried almost instantly, and as a bonus it withstood the blast and didn't catch on fire.

Dragon scales were indeed useful. His own clothing was made out of the scales and painted by them for an extra layer of protection. His mother's suit was the same way. She had actually been the one to show him how to do it.

He began to attach the wings, simply tying them to his arms and around his waist with the harness he created, if only for the moment. He would attach them to his suit at a later date depending how they worked.

Hiccup then started to make his way up to the cliff Toothless loved so much, his dragon bounding after him.

"Let's test this out. If it doesn't work…you'll catch me, right bud?" Hiccup asked as they neared the spot. He glanced back to find Toothless giving him a suspiciously innocent look, as though he was saying "of course, why wouldn't I?"

Hiccup huffed and stood up on the spot, gazing down at all the dragons. He made sure his staff was on his back, secured in case Toothless needed to grab it.

Taking a deep breath Hiccup stepped back, before he ran forward. Toothless watched him as he launched over the ledge, falling down.

He sped past several dragons, before Hiccup extended his arms.

The wind caught instantly, and Hiccup gulped as he was lifted up. He wobbled a bit, but for the most part he was gliding quite well.

"It works!" He shouted, grinning.

Toothless warbled in agreement and flew down to join him, flying beside him.

Hiccup waved at his dragon, yelping when he started to wobble again. He righted himself, relaxing. Toothless grinned at him, before tilting his wings to curve to the left, around several dragons flying.

Gulping again, Hiccup carefully copied the movements. He changed directions and was surprised to find that it wasn't that different from riding. Tilting the direct of his dragon was natural, even when he was standing on him.

The two glided next to each other and around the swarms of dragons, descending slowly to the ground.

Below him, Hiccup saw his mother standing next to Cloudjumper. They were both watching him in awe as he flew by Toothless.

He lifted his hand in a small wave, only to freeze when he heard a slight snap.

Glancing over his shoulder Hiccup saw that the strap he had secured to his waist had loosened, and now he was off balance.

The wind rushed up and he twisted, falling as the wing was ripped off his arm and started to flap around.

Toothless gave a cry and shifted down, reaching out a grabbed onto his staff with his teeth.

Hiccup jerked, about 20 feet from the ground, and let out a relieved sigh. Toothless hovered for a moment, glaring down at him. He then gently lowered him until they got to about five feet, before dropping him on his back.

Hiccup groaned, giving Toothless and apologetic look as he relaxed on the ground.

A shadow hovered over him and an arm was extended to help him up. Hiccup took his mother's hand and pulled himself up.

Valka looked him over, smiling the whole time. She dusted off his back before holding up his arm, slowly walking around him as she observed his new wings. Hiccup let her, staying still like a dragon would around an inspecting mother.

He had grown used to her more beast-like habits in the way she moved, held herself, and reacted around others. She crept along the ground silently and peered at things through the eyes of a curious animal. She was anything but an animal of course, but she had lived with dragons for so long now that some habits just stuck.

The same applied to Hiccup, but his were much simpler. He also liked to investigate things slowly, circling and making sure he was well defended as he did, but he also knew how to keep his interest a secret.

The non-verbal communication was also something he and his mother had picked up on. It showed in how they did not need to verbally address the other's presence, nor did they need to vocalize all of their feelings. They knew just from a single look or a glance what the other felt, and It was nice.

Like now, Hiccup knew his mother was proud of him for his new creation and that she was thinking about all the other possibilities it could bring. She loved his creativity, but she also knew when to quench it.

Valka finally finished circling, grinning happily at her son. She was almost childish in the way she expressed her interest, though Hiccup supposed that was just another thing they had picked up in their years with dragons.

"They look lovely. You'll have to work on attaching them, but I'm sure they will work wonderfully when you fix the kinks. Amazing…" She whispered, humming as she grabbed on to him and hugged him.

Hiccup let out a laugh and hugged her back, relaxing into her arms.

Yes, he wanted to see Berk, yes, he wanted to explore, but he also loved being with his mother. Moments of peace and quiet like these were what he lived for.

I~~~~I

It was time again, to return to Berk. He was eager to start up his new base and to explore the area around Berk. He was interested in how the islands worked and if there were any other types of dragons. He was used to such a variety and he hoped that the same variety was in Berk too.

Hiccup took to gathering his supplies and preparing Toothless. He decided to bring along some of his own inventions to help him settle in and also added a few more pieces of parchment so that he could start mapping out the new land.

Eager to begin, Hiccup could hardly wait for his mother to return from her journey with the Bewilder Beast to get food for the dragons. Toothless was also gone, so it wasn't like he could leave.

He had everything packed and ready to go, he just needed to say goodbye.

As though called by his thoughts alone, which was entirely possible, the great Bewilder Beast rose up out of the ice below, coming to rest on his spot in the giant ice world.

Many dragons followed him into the dome, including Toothless. Hiccup's friend had multiple fish in his mouth, and Hiccup laughed as he reached out for Toothless with a grin.

The great beast flew down, nearly knocking him over as he tackled and dropped his fish all over Hiccup's clothes. The Dragon Rider groaned and sputtered, only to get a face-full of dragon saliva.

Hiccup shoved Toothless off with a bit of effort, groaning and rubbing at his face to get all of the saliva off.

"Gah, gross bud, why would you do that?!" Hiccup berated the overgrown lizard, earning a soft chortle in response. He sighed and smile at Toothless, allowing his face and movements to show his true emotions.

Toothless understood, he always did. They knew each other too well.

"All packed up?" Hiccup heard the holler from behind, and when he turned around he was met with his mother's beautiful eyes. He took a deep breath and nodded at her.

He saw the waver in her eyes, the moment of uncertainty. It didn't last, and her smile turned into something firm and trusting, something that showed she knew he could handle himself.

Hiccup felt warm as he ran over and hugged her tightly, before he rushed back to Toothless in order to get everything set up. If they were going to make it to Berk before Nightfall, Toothless and him would have to get going soon.

"I'll be back soon, take care everyone!" Hiccup called out as he hopped on to Toothless. His dragon chortled and they launched off without another word.

They followed the dragons through the spiral before they shot out a secret exit, freeing themselves.

Now, all he had to do was make it to Berk.

I~~~I

Astrid took a deep breath, relaxing against the sand on the beach. It had been a few days since the last dragon attack, and finally she had been given a break. She was able to enjoy the silence, bask in the beauty of Berk if only for this small amount of time.

Of course, with free time came her latent thoughts.

All she could think of was that boy, the strange one who was, dare she say it, friends with a dragon.

She had searched and searched for the boy but had come up with nothing at all as she looked. No matter what she did she couldn't track the dragon and she couldn't figure out what type it was.

Astrid had even been desperate enough to ask Fishlegs about what type of dragon it could be, and if it had any habits that would help her catch it, but he hadn't heard of one like It either.

In short, she had no luck with her current obsession. It irritated her a little to think about her lack of success, but she breathed through it and relaxed again. She knew better than to dwell on something that annoyed her for too long.

Dealing with Snotlout had at least taught her that.

A whistling sounded, like a nice breeze.

Astrid's eyes snapped open, because there was no breeze today. She sat up and started to look around when a black blur appeared in the distance. It was approaching from back of the island, and as she watched it get closer, she recognized the shape.

Astrid felt her chest well with a sort of anticipation as she recognized the dragon as the same mysterious black one.

It was drawing closer, and if she hurried…she could probably intercept the landing.

Her mind set, Astrid grabbed her hatchet from where she had left it next to her as she slept and rushed off to catch the mysterious dragon when it landed.

I~~~~I

Hiccup sighed as he landed with Toothless. He hopped off the Nightfury, keeping his mask on as he gathered his supplies and started off toward his new base of operations.

Toothless chortled and darted off to explore after Hiccup signaled to him. The dragon was like a small child as he bounded off chasing a bird.

Hiccup shook his head with a smile and started off to his new base. He wanted to set up the alcove first, the cave-like area he would use as his sleeping quarters and as his workshop. He could even cover it up with some bramble and trap kits he had crafted. He would have to protect his new home like he did his own.

He gathered some supplies as he walked, using a stick to hold two of his buckets on his shoulders as he trekked. He even caught a rabbit, though it was tricky to do so without dropping his supplies. He had dinner though, so Hiccup felt it was worth it.

Hiccup finally arrived at his new based, slipping down inside the area as he deposited his supplies. He dropped his two sacks, the buckets, the rabbit, and the sticks he had collected by the entrance to his quarters and started to organize everything.

"Alright, so after this I think I'll map it out and start planning where to explore to first." He mumbled and jotted down notes on the inside of his gauntlets, just so he could remind himself.

Hiccup made quick work of his area, setting up a desk with his supplies and a big enough area for him and Toothless to sleep in. He then started on building some traps in the area, masterfully using his terrain and equipment to his advantage.

He even made some by the pond and started on a sort of canal to allow the water to flow to the different sections of his camp so he didn't have to worry about hauling water.

He also made sure any run off from the alcoves and cliffs above his little pit would funnel into the pond and that it wouldn't flood his new base.

Sighing happily after seeing his progress, Hiccup then grabbed his book and his charcoal so he could go exploring. He grabbed the rabbit, which he had cleaned and cooked, and he filled his waterskin.

Hiccup set out toward the beach he arrived on while he sketched out his new home. He wanted to make sure he knew exactly where everything was. It meant he'd have to sneak around Berk or climb high up to find out about the town, but Hiccup was okay with that.

I~~~~I

Astrid was rather confused. She had gotten to the beach in time to watch the boy's dragon take off. The boy left and she chose to follow him.

In following him, Astrid realized this boy was far more dangerous than she had even thought. Besides befriending a dragon, this boy knew the ins and outs of survival. He was efficient in setting up a camp, one that Astrid mentally noted he had probably gone to before this.

The boy set to work on traps, some that Astrid had never even seen before. He was masterful in his craft and he was purposeful in his movements. He never did anything without a purpose. Every movement was planned and coordinated.

It was just odd. Astrid was no stranger to plans, but she was a Viking. For all of their military tact, they simply didn't have it in them to just plan their attacks. Sure, Stoic kept Berk in check and lead them well, and he even had brilliant strategies, but this was something else.

Astrid had never met anyone who had a purpose for everything that they did.

Sighing Astrid quietly stepped away as the boy started to walk out of the camp. He was going to do recon, to scout and map the area.

Astrid knew she should be worried, should be running back to report this to Stoic or someone with credence in Berk, but she just…She couldn't. It didn't feel right. She didn't think this boy was trying to cause Berk any harm.

Astrid was still wary, of course, but she also wasn't about to go attack the boy and demand answers. She would bide her time and learn for herself why this mysterious boy was here.

I~~~I

There we go, another update. I've been in a writing mood and making round son my stories. I hope this portrayed what I want to do with this story. I am not abandoning it and hopefully never will. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!