A/n: Oof this book is back dw guys. I got QUITE distracted trying to finish another one a few months back.

Where you came from, there was a myth about crossroads. Where paths diverge, where thresholds and barriers lie, spirits can slip through. You're more vulnerable to danger, but it's also a great place to talk to the gods. They can hear you better, for the barrier is weaker. Crossroads are protected by Hecate, travellers toward and from protected by Hermes, or Mercury in some areas. For Hiccup and the Vikings, crossroads had a similar mythology. Spirits and other creatures can slip in, and if you're not careful, you can slip out. Meili being their travel god, was invoked before a long journey by foot, Njord for calm seas when sailing.

It seems that you'd both be invoking the protections needed for travelling across the borders, because word had just reached Berk that Dagur the Deranged was set for shores in hunt of the hybrida. Just like Heather predicted, he was coming for you. Now you could stay and fight, but Berk had already been kind enough to let you stay as you healed. You didn't want to bring war upon them merely for being on their land. So you'd decided it was best you left, travelled until the berserkers lost your trail.

Hiccup wasn't going to let you go alone, he'd made that clear the moment you suggested leaving.

"You've done enough for me Hiccup, you don't have-"

"I'm not letting that maniac hunt you down while you're all alone. I don't doubt you can fight but after his close you came to death... I don't want you hurt again" he cut you off.

He was persistent, you'd give him that.

"I don't want you getting hurt either" you replied.

"I'm not letting that happen, neither of us will be hurt if we have each other AND Toothless. I'm sure the gang would want to come too... but it'd be better if they stayed for now. Acted like you were never here, maybe we can throw the berserk's off your trail that way..."

"If you're gone, then won't they think something is suspicious?"

Hiccup just gave you a mischievous grin, telling you he'd absolutely avoided meetings with the berserkers before.

"They know I run off to nerd out over dragons all the time. If I'm missing and no one else is, it's not a stretch to say I'm just off exploring. And if trying to throw them off that way doesn't work, then we can send for the gang's help" he explained.

He wasn't taking no for an answer was he? He was coming with you no matter what you said. And you know what? As much as you didn't want him endangering yourself... company would be nice...

"Alright... gather your things then" you caved.

"You're always welcome on Berk (y/n), as soon as we throw them off your trail we can come right back" Hiccup assured.

Thanking him for the help and starting to devise a plan of escape, in the back of your mind you wondered if this was a good idea. Letting him come... you appreciated the help but you really didn't want him hurt. He's the son of the Chief too, if something bad happened to him... you didn't even want to think about the devastation that would be bought upon Berk. The plan became to prepare today, and leave tomorrow. Giving you both time to explain the situation to others and say goodbye for now. You couldn't help but feel bad, like your mere existence had bought sudden danger to Berk when they'd been nothing but kind to you.

Why must the fates treat you this way?

"Hey... are there any travel rituals you guys do? Should we do them today or tomorrow?" You spoke up.

Hiccup stopped packing Toothless' saddle bag for a moment, realising that even after all this time living with the dragons, they'd still not adapted any of their travel rituals for them. Most were done when going out to sea by ship, but dragon back had become the main way of travel for many of the Vikings.

"Not... dragon based no. Huh... I never really thought about that" he replied.

"Ok, just making sure. I'm not going to show up in a foreign land and just ignore their customs" you replied.

"Is there anything you do?"

"Offerings to Hermes and Hecate mostly... praying for safe travels and protection on the road. Any threshold or crossroad we come across we offer to Hecate, even if it's just something small like a coin. At the beginning of a long journey we ask Hermes for protection" you explained.

It dawned on Hiccup, that even with your differing cultures and beliefs based on where you were born, the idea of protection from the gods was the same. It was merely the methods and the names invoked that differed. Being creative as he is, he immediately came up with an idea.

"What if we mix them?" He asked.

"Like..?" You replied.

"Well... we usually do protection for travelling at sea, we've not really adapted it for dragon back yet. And if we're going to be crossing the seas, passing over borders, seems best to get all the protection we can, adapted for dragon travel"

He was right, it wasn't just you that needed protection, but Toothless too. He'd be the one carrying Hiccup and you when your wings got tired.

Before your travel begins tomorrow, you'd offer to both your gods for the protection of not just you and Hiccup on the travel, but Toothless as well. For calm skies, gentle winds, stealth in the wake of making an escape. You weren't sure if it'd work, you'd never invoked a Norse god before, nor Hiccup a Hellenic one. You'd never called upon two pantheons before, nor Hiccup. But it couldn't hurt to try right? For the sake of your safety on the road... skies. For the safety of your dragon friend carrying you, for the successful evasion of certain death if you were captured.

Viking dragon rider, Hellenic Hybrida, on the run under the watch of any god who'd offer their protection.