Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.

Author's Note: *Sighs* All right, I know what you're going to say, but let me explain! Yes, I am still working on To Tame a Land and it's going well! A Dragon's Prey however...I'm still trying with that one! But that story's supposed to be a short one anyway! This story is meant to be a much longer one.

This is going to be a tale of adventure and friendship. It's a story I've wanted to do since I began writing for the fandom but never quite had the skill to do. But now, with experience and much studying, I feel I'm ready for it!

So I really hope you guys like it, and I guess your response will tell me whether or not it should be continued.

Edge of the World

Prologue

In the time just before their departure to the land of forest and mountains, when the tensions of preparation were at a climax, a little hatchling dragged a tiny bundle of orange fur into the heart of his nest.

The red blossoming of dawn glowed through the shrine of brown jagged, fang-rocks that had sheltered the Night Fury nest for generations, as the cool morning dew settled and collected on the undersides of the peaks.

The little jet black hatchling, no older than two, waddled joyfully across the flat earthy floor of the nest, his bright green eyes swelled with excitement as his short outstretched wings supported the bundle of orange fur.

Two Night Furies watched him approach, both jet black with glowing green eyes and regal posture.

"What do you think our son brings this time?" the mother asked her mate, watching the little dragon bound their way.

The father huffed, the tall figure with tightly woven muscles and total presence, slouching slightly at the action. "Nothing for the benefit of the tribe I wager."

"Father, I found it! I found it! See?" the little hatchling cheered as he stopped just before the two, dancing around the larger dragon.

The bulky dragon stared skeptically at the bundle. "Son, what is this?" he asked, eyeing the strange thing that appeared as a headless fox carcass yet without any visible trace of blood.

"I found it!" he cheered again; tail wagging in anticipation as those generous green eyes darted between the mother and father.

"Check it, beloved." The mother ushered him with a wing.

The male dragon leaned in to sniff it, shot up in alertness as he did and carefully pulled back a loose flap of fur with the blunt side of a talon. His eyes widened with alert as he saw the small bright face of the slumbering human beneath it, features round and soft.

The female companion to his right gasped in horror as he stared back at his son, eyes now intense. "Where did you find this?" he demanded, his serious tone riddled with fear.

The father's tone didn't register on the hatchling. He just hopped around, said: "Water! Water!"

If it weren't for the hyper youth's head frantically gesturing toward the rock crevasse that led to the ocean, he would have never understood.

He found this human on the ocean? He wondered to himself. But it's merely a hatchling! How could it be capable of swimming? Let alone surviving!

Feeling as though his attempts at trying to understand this thing were futile, he glanced back at the human, sitting up and taking the infant in his arms away from his son.

The dragon began to protest, "Mine! Mine! Father, I found it! Mine!"

"Son, please!" he said, gesturing the hatchling to silence as he observed the human more closely. His mate decided to join in this observation as well, drawing her head in near to the human-hatchling.

The human was horrifyingly thin, close to starvation they guessed. The only thing that showed life was the bright auburn hair fluffed atop his head, and those bright red cheeks that looked as warm as huddled flames.

The mates glanced at each other momentarily, a knowing look igniting between them.

The mother drew away from the glance, stared at the pouting dragon before her. "Son, do you know what this is?" she nodded toward the human in the male Fury's cradling arm.

The hatchling's eyes shot with excitement, "Buddy!" he exclaimed.

"No!" the father snapped. "This is a human. One that's still alive to be precise."

The little Fury tilted his head at his father. He had never heard of a human before, and his young mind couldn't comprehend that it was different from him.

"Buddy human!" he said, confident that he understood what his father had told him.

"Not buddy." The father said; his tone serious. He looked back at the human still slumbering. How peaceful he looked!

His heart fell into conflict. He didn't exactly know what to do with this child. He wasn't necessarily a threat, but he couldn't possibly remain here! Their way of life couldn't possibly support a human! He knew also that, as Alpha of the tribe, raising this human would reflect badly on him. Not only because it was a human, but also because the Alpha was to have only one son… But if he cast the child out in this state he would surely die, the sickly little creature!

By doing this, I'm dooming my life as well as the life of my son… he knew, cursing that vulnerable spot of compassion in his heart.

Slowly he lent the infant back to the sullen hatchling, stopped just short of the now-excited dragon's reach.

"Son, I will allow you to do with this human what you please. However," and his tone took on a grim edge, "he is your responsibility. We will only help you raise him for the first few summers in terms of food and health and teaching. It is up to you to keep him safe and provide warmth for him as well as carry his burden wherever you fly since he has no wings. It is a very demanding responsibility and you must choose now whether or not you wish to support it."

The little hatchling just wagged his tail as he saw the human, his mouth split open in a wide toothless grin as he took the human into his little wings. "Buddy human!" he said, purring into the fleshy face.

The father sighed inwardly as he felt the outraged stare of his mate boring into him. His son obviously didn't understand the responsibility he'd so quickly accepted. But the little hatchling had made his decision and that was the way of it.

He felt his mate's forceful prod, turned to face those outraged eyes.

"Are you mad?" she questioned. "A human in our nest! You're bringing chaos down upon us!"

"I know," he said. "But think of it this way: our enemies have one fewer human on their side."

This didn't seem to bring any comfort to her. She just shook her head as she cast one last sympathetic glance at her son; walked off.

The father looked back to his son, the hatchling's dark head wobbling happily against the sleeping human's as his body curled snugly around him.

As he stared at them one thought remained: Here's a bond that won't last long.

Well there you have it! Now I going to be honest, unless this story receives the same response To Tame a Land did with its first chapter, it won't take priority in my life. So the higher the demand of this story, the quicker I'll update it.