𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞

Chapter III.

Hide

The four landed back on the island gracefully, Zephyr jolting awake as the landing of Kyndra disrupted her 'sleep'.

"How was it?" Hiccup asked, sitting on the family's balcony, Zephyr's old Dragon killer hung above the house. Nuffin ran to his dad, immediately hugging him tightly. Hiccup looked to the boy. "What's wrong?"

Zephyr untied herself from the legs, then unhinged herself and the breastplate. "We ran into a bunch of Dragon Hunters. They had all Mystery Class dragons, too." she said, dragging the plate and saddle into the long grass. Kyndra purred, before taking flight into the forest beside them.

"Who?" Hiccup asked, his eyebrows furrowed before looking to Nuffink. "Did they hurt you?"

"No. Kyndra blocked off the entrance... It was at the Hidden World." Zephyr said, approaching the balcony with her dragon's tack in hand. Hiccup watched her.

"I thought we said not to go there, literally last night." Hiccup asked sternly. Before Zephyr could respond, he continued. "You put your brother in danger."

"I know, dad." she sighed, pushing back her orange hair. "We won't do it again. I will stick to perfecting my cliff dive-"

"You will be doing nothing for a month." Hiccup gently pushed Nuffink from his grasp. "You're grounded." Zephyr's eyes raised, almost dropping the things in hand. "If you want to go anyway, take the village horses-"

"I have to pay to use them!" Zephyr complained, her eyebrows furrowed. Hiccup watched his daughter, before looking to Nuffink.

"Go inside, Nuffin." Hiccup spoke softly. The young boy nodded, before heading inside. "And put the tack down." Hiccup then spoke to his daughter. Zephyr put the wearables down, before stepping toward her. "Come with me." he asked. Zephyr sighed, before following after her father.

The chief and his daughter rode along the cliffsides, strong and able-bodied horses rode carefully as the two rode side by side.

"Do you understand why I am mad at what you did?" Hiccup asked, the waves crashed below them. Zephyr watched her father, who was more concentrated on the curvy path ahead.

"Yes- Because it's dangerous. But you and mom have been there before-"

"And we were adults." Hiccup interrupted, looking to Zephyr, who now stayed quiet as she too watched the path. "You have responsibilities, now."

"I'm not chief. I technically can't be chief." Zephyr's eyebrows furrowed, continuing up. "It's not in the viking code. By law, you should be talking to Nuffink about this."

"Nuffin isn't my first born." Hiccup still watched her, as the two neared the top of the ridge; the full forest. "And I'm chief, what I say goes. I see you, Zephyr. You're very strong, and you act like a leader. I'm sure history can change; we can have a female chief." Zephyr shook her head, before looking to her dad.

"My husband would take control, anyway." she spoke carefully.

"Who said you needed to be married?" Hiccup asked, before looking to the path, which now entered the forest. The black horses blend easily with the shade the trees give. "And if you do, all decisions will still need to go through you. Every spouse knows that." Zephyr pondered this decision. But she knew her father wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "So, what were these men like?"