After meeting Toothless—no, Shadowstrike—for the second time, the air between us felt different, charged in a way I couldn't quite explain. The first time, he had been this wild, untamable creature, eyes glowing with suspicion, but now... now there was a strange sense of understanding between us. As if the pieces of some unspoken puzzle were falling into place.

He spoke again, his deep, rumbling voice a surprising softness against the quiet forest.

"My name is Shadowstrike," he said, his green eyes fixed on me, his head tilted slightly, as if waiting for something.

I blinked, surprised. I hadn't expected him to reveal it, especially not so casually. "Shadowstrike," I repeated, testing the name on my tongue. It fit him—fierce, mysterious, a shadow that struck without warning. It held weight, history. It held power.

"Mine's a bit longer," I said with a soft laugh, breaking the silence. I stepped closer to him, my voice steady. "Celestara Nyx Eternis."

He seemed to consider it for a moment, the words turning over in his mind, before a low growl of acknowledgment escaped his throat. His gaze sharpened. "I've heard your name before," he said, almost in disbelief. "In stories... in whispers."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Stories? What kind of stories?"

Shadowstrike's tail flicked, stirring the leaves at his feet. "Of someone like you—someone who understands dragons, who walks among them with ease. They say you are a bridge, a connection... someone who could change everything."

The weight of his words hung in the air, and for a moment, I felt something stir inside me, a mix of pride and responsibility. I had never thought of myself as anything more than a wanderer, a traveler, someone caught between two worlds—one of humans, one of dragons. But to hear it spoken aloud, to hear that my presence was more than an accident, that it might be part of something greater... it made me pause.

"Those stories," I said quietly, meeting his gaze. "They might be true. But there's still so much I don't understand. I'm not here to change things overnight, Shadowstrike. I just want to make sure the dragons—you—are understood. That you're not seen as monsters anymore."

He studied me for a long moment, as if weighing my words. Then, he nodded, just a small movement of his head, but it felt like an agreement—a silent promise.

"Then let us walk this path together, Celestara Nyx Eternis," Shadowstrike said softly, the name lingering on his tongue like an ancient vow.

And in that moment, standing before him, I knew I had a place in this world. Not as a savior, not as a leader—but as a bridge, a guide for both humans and dragons. And somehow, with Shadowstrike by my side, I knew I could make it work.

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The night had come and gone, and I finally left the cave, my heart heavy yet hopeful. Shadowstrike had stayed by my side, a silent guardian as I said my goodbyes, but we both knew that I needed to return to the village. The work wasn't done, and there was still so much I had to do. Our paths would cross again, but for now, I was walking back into the world of humans—into a world that was still learning to understand dragons.

As I approached my hut, I saw Hiccup standing outside, his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he was waiting for me. When his eyes met mine, the first thing he did was ask, his voice edged with concern.

"Where were you?" he asked, his brow furrowed, worry clouding his features. "I was worried."

I let out a soft laugh, trying to shake off the seriousness of the moment. I stepped closer to him, reaching out and ruffling his wild, brown hair—something I knew would annoy him just enough to break the tension.

"You don't need to worry about me, Hiccup," I said with a grin. "I'm fine, I swear. Trust me, I can take care of myself."

He straightened up a little, eyes still filled with concern but now softened by my words. "I know you can handle yourself," he muttered, but I could tell he didn't quite believe it entirely. "But it's different now. I can't help but worry."

I smiled, the warmth of our friendship settling in around me. "You don't need to worry," I repeated, this time more seriously. "I'll be okay. I know what I'm doing."

Hiccup looked at me for a long moment, as if deciding whether to press further. But instead, he let out a small sigh and relaxed, leaning against the hut. "Alright, but next time, don't disappear without telling anyone, okay?"

I chuckled. "Deal. But only if you promise not to turn into a worrywart every time I go for a walk."

He shot me a look of mock offense, but the tension had melted away. "No promises," he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips.

And in that moment, standing there with Hiccup, the weight of the world felt a little lighter. There was still so much to do, but as long as I had these people around me—Hiccup, the villagers, Shadowstrike—I knew we could find a way forward. Together.

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It had been a week since I'd arrived in Berk, and already, I could feel the tension between dragons and humans growing stronger. There was a shift in the air, a quiet undercurrent that hummed through the village, like a storm about to break. But it wasn't all bad. Hiccup and Shadowstrike—Toothless, as Hiccup had now taken to calling him—were starting to soften toward each other, their bond growing deeper with every passing day.

It was fun to watch, really. The two of them had gone from wariness to something much more—mutual understanding, maybe even trust. Toothless, with his wild, unpredictable nature, was still fiercely independent, but there were moments when he allowed Hiccup to come close, moments when the dragon didn't back away or growl in warning. And Hiccup—well, Hiccup was, as always, trying to fix things, trying to find solutions where there seemed to be none. Right now, he was deeply focused on one of his newest projects: trying to create a new saddle for Toothless and—of course—another tail fin.

Toothless, ever the impatient one, stood beside him, his wings twitching with every failed attempt. Hiccup was so determined, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tinkered with a set of tools, muttering to himself.

"Maybe if I just... adjust the angle here, and add some more support—"

"Maybe if you stop thinking so hard, you'll actually get it right," I teased from the doorway, leaning against the frame of the hut with a smirk on my face.

Hiccup shot me an exaggerated look of frustration, and Toothless gave me a soft growl, as if agreeing with him. I laughed, crossing my arms.

"Oh, you two are such goofballs," I said, shaking my head. "How do you manage to get anything done when you're so... you?"

Hiccup paused, turning to face me with a sheepish grin. "It's a work in progress," he said, wiping his hands on his pants before giving Toothless a look of exasperation. "You'd think you'd be a little more patient with me by now."

Toothless huffed, shaking his head as if to say, Yeah, right.

"Don't listen to him, Toothless," I said, stepping into the room. "You know I think you're perfect just the way you are."

The dragon turned his head toward me, his amber eyes glowing for a moment as if considering my words. Then he snorted a puff of smoke in my direction, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're both stubborn," I said, giving Hiccup a playful look. "But it's nice to see you two getting along. A few more tries, and you'll have that saddle just right. I'm sure of it."

Hiccup grinned, clearly appreciating the encouragement. "Thanks, Nyx. You always know how to keep us grounded."

I smiled back, watching as Toothless gingerly nudged the incomplete tail fin, his gaze fixed on Hiccup, awaiting his next move. It was these little moments—these signs of progress—that reminded me why I was here. There was hope for both humans and dragons if they were willing to put in the work. And I was going to make sure they did.

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I sat at the long wooden table in the great hall, my eyes scanning through the dragon book Hiccup had given me. The pages were filled with illustrations and notes about the different dragons that roamed Berk. It felt like the more I read, the more I realized how little I truly knew. It wasn't just about dragons being dangerous or tame—it was about understanding them, about seeing the world through their eyes. And that was what I was trying to do.

The soft clinking of armor echoed through the hall before Gobber and Stoick walked in. Gobber's booming voice broke the silence almost immediately. "What are you doing here, miss?" He asked, a grin spreading across his face as he spotted me with the book.

I looked up, meeting his curious gaze. "Just reading up on the dragons you have around here. I want to be prepared," I replied, giving him a small smile. It wasn't a complete lie. It was true that I was trying to understand the dragons more, but the book wasn't the only thing I was focused on. I was also trying to figure out what exactly Hiccup's father and the rest of the village thought of me—and what they thought about the bond Hiccup and I were forming with Toothless. It wasn't exactly something I could announce casually, especially considering that Hiccup's father had no idea his son was training a real dragon in secret.

Gobber chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. He slapped a mug of mead down in front of me, the contents sloshing with the force. "Prepared, eh? Aye, well, that's one way to go about it," he said, giving me an approving nod. "But you don't need to worry too much about those dragons. The ones we have around here are mostly tamed. They're not like the wild ones you might've seen. And Toothless—" He paused for a moment, glancing at Stoick, who had silently approached and was now watching me with that unreadable expression of his. "Toothless is... well, he's a bit of an exception."

I bit my lip, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Yes, I know. I've seen him. He's... special," I said carefully, the weight of those words lingering in the air.

Gobber's smile grew wider, but it didn't quite reach Stoick's face. Stoick, as usual, was all business, his heavy boots echoing across the hall as he stepped forward, his eyes fixed on me with a slight frown. "Hiccup's been spending a lot of time with Toothless. I trust he's keeping things under control?" His voice had a tone of quiet authority.

I hesitated. I wasn't sure how much Stoick knew—or suspected—about what Hiccup and I had been doing with Toothless. There was a lot I still didn't know about Stoick's perspective on the dragons, and a part of me was careful not to make any wrong moves. "He's been doing well," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Toothless is... learning. We're all learning, really."

Stoick studied me for a moment, his gaze sharp but not unkind. Then he gave a small nod. "Good. Dragons aren't something to be taken lightly. We've fought our fair share of them in the past."

Gobber raised his mug in a mock toast, "Aye, that's an understatement. But with Hiccup's inventions and you helping out, maybe we'll turn the tide on dragons here. Who knows?"

I smiled, feeling a spark of something in my chest. Maybe there was hope after all. "Maybe," I said softly. "But there's still a lot to be done. We need more than just technology. We need understanding. Between humans and dragons."

Gobber chuckled, clapping me on the shoulder with a surprising amount of force. "Aye, and that's where you come in, eh? You've got the right idea, lass."

Stoick looked at me for a long moment before speaking again, his voice much quieter this time. "Just be careful. It's easy to forget that not all dragons are like Toothless. They can turn on you in an instant."

I nodded, the weight of his words settling in. "I know. And I won't forget it."

There was a long pause before Stoick finally nodded, his face softening just slightly. "Good."

As they turned to leave, I returned to the dragon book, my mind racing with the unspoken layers of what had just passed between us. It seemed that Hiccup's secret with Toothless wasn't as secret as I'd hoped. But for now, I couldn't let that distract me. There was still so much I had to learn, and so much I had to teach. And the more I stayed focused on the dragons—on both the ones in the book and the ones outside—it seemed the clearer my purpose here became.

For now, all I could do was be prepared.