(Sorry for not updating this for ages, and sorry that this chapter isn't very good. Been busy with college, art requests and been pretty tired. Will edit in future, though!)
The wind was cold. It whipped against your scales and sore wings like it wanted to rip into your soul and snatch it away. Not that you felt like you had a soul left. All the events of the past days had caught up with you in one fell swipe and left you empty of coherent thoughts. It was all too much to think about at once, and your mind had simply refused to work. You were a dragon, a Dragonblood. You had possibly just met someone from your lost family and they were a Dragonblood hunter. AND she had hurt you, enough to stop you from flying like a true Fury.
It wasn't just the events, though. Your emotions sometimes won through and they seemed to have done just that now. For so long you had thought you had no family left, and hidden the thoughts away so they did not torment you. Now all they were trying to get back at you, and the only way to stop them was to stop thinking. At least, for a little while.
A screech startled you from sinking any further into your mind and you looked up to find Gothi flying at you. She swooped around so she was gliding beside you and gave you a worried look. You smiled at her in return. Or hoped you smiled, you still weren’t sure how to do it as a dragon.
'Y/N! Hiccup called from above. He and Toothless were soon beside you too. 'What happened?'
Toothless slapped his rider with an ear. 'They're tired,' he told Hiccup. 'Come here. I'll carry you. I know what it's like trying to fly after not flying for a long time.'
You tried to protest but Toothless and Gothi cut you off. Reluctantly, yet also gladly, you Shifted to hybrid form and dropped onto the Night Fury's back behind Hiccup. You felt bad for him having to carry two people, but you didn’t think your wings could carry you anymore.
'Seriously, what happened?' Hiccup asked again. He got a warning glare from the elder and shut up.
You gave the Terror a small smile, thankful that she was there. You didn't feel like talking right now.
It was around halfway back to Berk that you began to speak. It wasn't a long story, by all means, but it somehow lasted until the Isle of Berk was in sight. They all listened with care, not interrupting at all. You thought you told it well for someone who had never read a story out loud in your life, let alone recounted events in the right order from memory. You left out the last words Jeger had said, though. Those were for you and you alone for now.
When you were back on solid, safe ground you headed straight for your little hut. As far as you knew, Hiccup went to tell Valka and Fishlegs what had occurred out there, across the sea. You didn't mind that those two knew, you trusted them.
Two days later, when you were getting used to a routine of flying practice in the early morning, you found a tattered scrap of paper halfway under your door. It was muddied and torn, but the handwriting on it was still clear enough to read. It read, simply: I've changed.