Beneath the Mark

Is That...?

Hiccup and Astrid had been following Toothless for a while in the darkening forest of Berk. They assumed that the dragon had caught a distress call since it took off without warning. When they finally caught up, they were both amazed—and cautious. They moved with haste to hide between two trees to observe.

Toothless was interacting with a dragon that they had never seen before. This species wasn't listed in the Book of Dragons, nor had it been even mentioned in the Dragon Eye three years ago. Their muted grey and warm beige scales almost shimmered in the moonlight. Their movements were graceful, yet alert and calculated. The way Toothless behaved was tender and smitten. This led them to the conclusion that the dragon is a female. What had the Vikings on their guard was the hooded figure leaning against the trees. Watching the dragons, but not daring to interfere.

Then, Hiccup shifted his weight and stepped on a leaf, earning a look from Astrid. The noise was subtle, but loud enough in the quiet atmosphere. The stranger perked up at the rustling sound, and their hand immediately went to the hilt of their dagger. The dragon's attention snapped away from the Night Fury. She snarled as her pupils contracted into silts and leaped up. Without any warning, she fired. Demolishing the tree in the middle behind two trees, where Hiccup and Astrid had been hiding. Bark exploding into splinters. Toothless looked up in alarm. The grey dragon stayed tense, her back arched and low growling as she circled back and forth. Carefully, Hiccup and Astrid stepped out from behind the trees, and the young chief froze. Awe flooded his expression as he saw the dragon.

"Oh...my Gods," he breathed. This dragon was... unique. The prints on her scaled body are almost like a leopard's. The scars on the right side of her bottom lip and another one near the top of her head were a sign that she had a history. The reptile felt a sense of unease as her agitation grew. She opened her jaw, and a high-pitched hum started— a signal that she was preparing another blast.

"Woah, we're friends! No need to kill us!" Hiccup attempted to tell her with his hands raised. Toothless chirped at the humans. The hooded figure finally moved from their spot and placed a hand on the dragon's scales—small, incoherent whispers of reassurance to assist in calming her down. The act alone impressed Hiccup, leaving him with mutual respect for this person. Astrid frowned. A strange sense of déjà vu crept in. She remembered at a young age watching someone do something similar that wasn't Hiccup. The more the dragon riders observed this person, the more the familiarity dawned on them.

"Is that—?" Astrid began, her voice low. Her gaze drifted over to Hiccup, then returned to the hidden figure.

"Heather?" The young chief finished, looking straight at them with a slight flicker of hope in his voice. They hadn't seen her since the final battle at Berserker Island. Any other thoughts trailed off when the person turned around to face the dragon riders.

Not Heather.

Male. His frame was firmer. His eyes were sharper and a pecan-brown, not the green shade she had. "Who are you?" Hiccup asked, now curious.

The man didn't respond to the question. Any form of emotion was guarded from his expression. Even in the depths of his eyes, everything was all shut behind a wall. Before anyone could say anything else, the dragon ducked beneath the stranger. She swept him up onto her back in one smooth motion. His landing was awkward, and without having time to regain himself, she took off into the air. The way he held onto her was tight—zero confidence, but instead with fear that he would fall any second. Toothless let out a distressed yowl and went after them by climbing up to the top of a tree. The grey dragon was quick, firing a blast into the sky, then dove right through it. She and the man had disappeared into the night.

"Wow," Hiccup whispered before chuckling.

"Another Night Fury," Astrid said. She looked over to Hiccup, and that's when she questioned, "But... who was that guy?"

"No idea. But we're going to find out," he answered. The chief glanced back towards the sky, thinking about what she had said. "No... not quite a Night Fury. She's more like a... Bright Fury?"

"A Light Fury," she suggested.

Hiccup nodded, hands on his hips. "Yeah. Yours is better. Probably." The dark dragon didn't pay attention to the Vikings behind him. He gave a low croon, his green eyes not leaving the dark sky.