"Where to look...where to look..." I mumble to myself. I look down at Nightstar with a defeated sigh. "Think you could track him?"

She nods and changes her direction slightly. We fly for a while, the salty sea air blowing against my face and calming me down. This still feels right; flying with Nightstar, just the two of us against the world. I notice clusters of rock outcroppings rising from the sea, giving the vast ocean a different look. One of them sits on the edge of them all, overlooking rocky mountains and smoky cliffs. Toothless sits near the edge, curled up with his head resting on his paws. Hiccup is probably in front if him, out of my view.

Nightstar touches down on the spot of land and I climb off her back. Toothless perks up, getting up and bounding over to us with a goofy grin on his face. Hiccup looks over his shoulder briefly, looking rather surprised to see me.

"Hiccup," I greet.

"Hey!" he returns, sounding far more cheerful than me.

He stands up, turning to me with a smile. There's a hand drawn map at his feet, probably of Berk and the land surrounding it. I walk closer, eyes on the map.

"What're you doing?" I ask.

"Scouting. It's our hobby," he explains. "And...until now, we were also trying to find another Night Fury."

We both look back at our dragons, where Nightstar has curled up next to Toothless. I smile lightly before looking back at him.

"How big is this place?" I ask, sitting down next to the map.

"Bigger than we thought," he answers as he settles next to me. "We thought that this was all there is...but now..." He traces his finger across different sections. "Toothless and I have discovered all of this."

"That's amazing," I murmur earnestly.

I look over the piece of land in front of us. On the map, the words "Itchy Armpit" are written in what I'm assuming is Hiccup's handwriting. We remain silent for a moment or two while he refines his sketch a little.

"You missed the dragon races," I comment.

"Oh...yeah. How'd they go?" he asks, not wavering his gaze from the map.

"Well, Nightstar and I won by a hair..." I admit.

"Nice job!" He smiles, but then it disappears. "I'm sorry I missed it. I had a lot on my mind."

"Like what? Can I know?" I pause, realizing that I must be crossing some boundaries. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me. We haven't known each other for very long, after all."

"No, I'll tell you. You're trustworthy." He smiles lightly. "Oh, you're gonna love this. I wake up. The sun's shining. Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftop. I saunter down to breakfast, thinking all is right with the world, and I get..." He gets to his feet, pausing. "Do you mind if I do a little dramatic reenactment?"

I can't help but laugh. "Sure. I must've missed it this morning."

"Because you were sleeping," he reminds me.

"Hey, I've been sleeping in the woods for years. Having a bed needed to be enjoyed!" I insist.

He laughs, the sound quite pleasant. He puffs out his chest, getting into character. When he speaks, his voice comes out deeper, like he's imitating Stoick.

"Son, we need to talk. You're the pride of Berk, son, and I couldn't be prouder..." He thumps his chest with his closed fist. I laugh, and he breaks character. "Too much?"

I clear my throat, trying and failing to stop myself from giggling. "Nope. It's good. Continue, 'Stoick'."

He smirks, shaking his head. "This is very serious. You can't laugh." I bite my lip, nodding as I hold back a smile. He resumes his reenactment. "You're all grown up, and since no chief could ask for a better successor, I've decided-"

"To make you chief?" I interrupt. He stops, falling silent as his face seems to darken. "Oh...sorry."

"Yeah. Yeah he does..." He purses his lips.

"Oh my gods, that's amazing," I say, standing up. "What did you tell him?"

"I didn't. By the time he turned around, I was gone." He sighs, looking sad.

My gaze softens. I look down at the map, reaching out and starting to fold it as I ponder it all.

"Well, it is a lot of responsibility..." I say.

"It's not me, Thora," he says forlornly. "All those speeches and planning and running the village...that's his thing."

I hand him the map, our fingertips brushing for a moment. "But...chief. What an honour. I'm sure you'd make a great leader."

Hiccup shakes his head. "I'm not like that. I don't know who I am." He shuffles to the cliff's edge, gazing out at the new land. "I'm still looking. I know that I'm not my father...and I never met my mother...so, what does that make me?"

I feel a stab of sympathy. I may have lost my parents at a young age, but at least I knew both of them. The idea of not knowing my mother; that strong woman with the beautiful blonde hair and the kind eyes...

"Aren't you the dragon master? The one who started this all?" I ask, my throat feeling tight.

"Yeah, but I don't feel like that's my purpose," he sighs.

Nightstar and Toothless walk over to us, curling up on either side and surrounding us. He sits at the edge of the outcropping, looking burdened and restless. I settle down next to him, just watching the cliffs in silence. It doesn't feel awkward. It's like the two of us just work, maybe it's the Night Fury thing.

"What are you like, Thora?" he asks suddenly. "Do you know who you are?"

I shake my head. "I'm completely and utterly unexciting. At least you had your dad to raise you. I barely remember my parents..."

He looks at me, his face full of pity but at the same time, warmth. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." I sigh.

He smiles a little bit. "I don't think you're unexciting, just for the record. You're one of the most interesting people Berk has seen in a while."

I wrap my arms around myself as I sigh. "I didn't ask for all that...maybe I want to be unexciting." Before he can say anything else, I look up at him and speak again, "What sort of stuff do you want to know?"

He smiles a tight-lipped smile. "What's your favourite colour?"

I laugh a little at the randomness of his question. "Purple."

He nods. "I like red...and black."

"Nice colours. Why do you like them?"

His eyes crease for a moment as he thinks. "I guess because of Toothless...that's why I like black. Red, it's a powerful colour, but it can also represent love or passion."

"Very poetic."

"You?"

I shut my eyes, thinking back to my past for a moment. "My favourite time of the days are right before the sun sinks below the horizon and when it rises in the morning. The sky turns different colours of orange and red...but then it melts into beautiful blue and purple. That's why I like it."

"That's a way better reason than mine," he says. He lays back on the ground and exhales gently. "So...if you don't mind me asking, did you really spend your young life with just a dragon for company?"

"Yeah, I did. No boys, no girls...just me. I mean, I talked to other people in faraway villages, but that's it." I lay down next to him and look up at the sky. "I know you've probably had the exact opposite of that."

He nods slowly and tilts his head to look at me. "Yeah...but I was pretty lonely until I was fifteen. That's when I met Toothless and everything changed. I got friends, respect, a girlfriend-"

"Girlfriend?" I ask, unable to stop myself. I immediately shut my mouth and cover it with the tips of my fingers.

He chuckles, the sound musical and rather lovely. "Astrid and I dated for a little while." His face looks nostalgic for a second. "But, the breakup was mutual. She said I paid too much attention to the hunt for new lands and dragons. Thing is, she was right. I was ignoring her and she deserves a guy who will treat her like a queen." He shifts a little. "I guess she just wasn't as right for me as I thought."

"Oh...that's kind of tragic," I murmur.

His lips twitch a little. "Well, it happened when we were seventeen, so I've long since healed. It's alright, Thora." His green eyes meet my brown again, showing happiness. "I'm still out here with the dragons though. I guess some things don't change."

Only then do I remember why I was supposed to fly out here in the first place.

"Are you gonna come back? Stoick's planning my ceremony for tomorrow. I need to help plan apparently," I mention. I shudder at the very thought of a party in my honour.

"I'll come back later," he says, standing up. He looks at me and smiles. "You're already a great part of Berk, Thora."

I inhale sharply as I too get to my feet. "Oh...look, Hiccup," I start, noticing his face switch with confusion. "I don't know if I'm going to stay around for very long."

His mouth falls open a little bit. "What? But I thought..."

"I don't know if I can fit in with these people," I say. "It's strange and unfamiliar...I stayed in your house for three days just because I didn't want to socialize."

His expression surprises me. It's hurt, yet there's also a sort of understanding in them. He steps closer to me, his arms hanging loosely at his sides.

"Hey, I know what that's like...not fitting in," he says. "You've just got to give it time. Running away won't make things better."

I look up at him, my face more pained than happy. "You're the only person I feel comfortable around, and even then..." I let out a long sigh. "I just thought I'd tell you that, one day, you could wake up and I'll have taken my leave. That's all."

He frowns, but nods either way. "Well...I hope that doesn't happen."

I turn, scratching Nightstar and Toothless' heads. "See you around?"

He nods, his gaze travelling to the horizon again. His face remains pensive, making me feel like I should say something. Our conversation took a turn that I didn't expect, and part of me wants to add on my thoughts about the matter. I take a deep breath, moving to his side.

"What you're searching for isn't out there, Hiccup," I say. He pivots his body so that we're facing each other, his face questioning. "The gods know I've tried the same thing..." I put my hand on his chest fleetingly. He doesn't flinch away, but his eyes find mine as I look up at him. "It's in here. Maybe you just don't see it yet."

He watches me for another second before looking out again. "Maybe. But, y'know...there is something out there."

"Hiccup, what-" I start.

He puts a hand on my back and points. A distant smoke plume rises from a misty valley. My face melts from confusion to wonder, my eyes widening.

"What is that?" I whisper. "We should-"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out." He climbs on to Toothless' back, then looks to me. "Don't try to stop me."

I arch an eyebrow. "Um, I was just about to say that we should check it out."

His smile lights up his freckled face. "I could use some company."

"Good thing we've both got curious minds," I reply, hopping on Nightstar's back.