Nuffink stood in the forest clearing, his hands on his hips as he stared at StormShadow, who was lounging in the shade of a large tree, eyes half-closed. The dragon had proven to be very stubborn, resisting every attempt Nuffink made to mount him. He couldn't even get close enough to even make a leap for it.
"Alright, Shadow," Nuffink said, using the nickname he'd started calling the LycanWing. "This time, we're doing it. You and I, we're gonna fly today regardless if you like it or not."
StormShadow snorted, a small puff of smoke escaping its nostrils, but otherwise, it didn't move. Nuffink sighed, walking closer to him. He had tried everything—food, gentle coaxing, even just outright jumping from a high distance—but nothing seemed to work. Shadow always found a way to throw him off, sometimes quite literally.
"Come on, Shadow, work with me here," Nuffink muttered as he cautiously approached. He reached out slowly, trying to gauge the dragon's mood. "This is for both of us, you know. We can't stay grounded forever."
StormShadow's tail flicked irritably, but it didn't make any aggressive moves, so Nuffink took it as a good sign. He carefully grabbed the saddle on the dragon's back, tightening the straps quickly before StormShadow could decide to buck it off. The dragon shifted, growling low in its throat but not outright rejecting the gesture.
"That's it, good boy," Nuffink murmured, inching closer. He hesitated for just a moment before grabbing hold of the saddle and swinging himself up. For a second, it felt like he'd made it. Then, with a sharp twist of its body, Stormshadow threw him off, sending Nuffink sprawling into the dirt. The dragon snorted once more.
"Oof!" Nuffink hit the ground hard, and the wind knocked out of him. He lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky while Storm Shadow loomed over him, growling softly as if to say, Nice try, kid.`
"Alright, alright, you win this round," Nuffink groaned as he picked himself up, brushing dirt off his clothes. "But we're not done here, not yet."
Meanwhile, at Berk, Hiccup and Fishlegs were hunched over a large scale that glistened with an eerie, dark sheen. It was a fragment they'd recovered from the ruins of the village the Scourge had destroyed, and it had been bothering Hiccup ever since.
"This scale… it doesn't match any species we've documented," Fishlegs said, running his hand over the smooth surface with a mixture of awe and concern. "The size alone suggests it's from something massive. Seems like class five or…or six or maybe even beyond that. But the texture and the way it reflects light—it's almost like…"
"Like it's from a dragon we've never encountered before," Hiccup finished, his brow furrowed in thought. "Which means there are still dragons out there, ones we know nothing about."
Fishlegs nodded, his face pale. "If the Scourge has managed to tame—or worse, control—a dragon like this, we could be in serious trouble, Hiccup. This could be something far beyond what we've ever faced."
Hiccup's mind raced as he considered the implications. "We need to find out more. If this is truly a new species, we're going to have to rethink our entire strategy. And if it's under their control… we may have no choice but to use our dragons."
Back in the forest, Nuffink had finally mounted the dragon after what seemed like a million tries. He smiled proud of himself.
" I did it, I mean I knew I would eventually but, you know."
The dragon snorted in annoyance, then at that moment decided to take off running through the forest. Nuffink screamed loudly holding on to StormShadows back for dear life as the Lycan wing dodged trees with ease, its slender doglike body easily maneuvering between them. Nuffink knew dragons were fast but this one was like the wind. The LycanWing headed towards a cliff. They were losing ground as Nuffink screamed at the top of his lungs. It was then that the Lycan wing spread its tremendous beautiful wings and jumped. The wind whipped through his hair as Shadow soared into the sky, the ground quickly shrinking beneath them. For a moment, Nuffink was overwhelmed with a rush of exhilaration and awe. He had done it. He had finally flown a dragon of his own.
" Whooooohoooo!" he shouted over the roar of the wind as they soared over the ocean dodging rock formations and crashing waves. He held his hands up high, no longer afraid. This was what it was like to fly on his Father's and Mother's dragons all those years ago. This is what it meant to be free, to be a warrior, to be a dragon rider. Shadow looked back at him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as the wind rushed past them. He looked as if he were smiling. Nuffink couldn't resist the urge to lean forward and give him a good rub.
" This is awesome huh Shadow?"
The dragon roared loudly. A roar that sounded like both a mixture of a dragon's roar and the howling of a wolf. A beautiful blend that was so perfect and so unique. Nuffink smiled proudly. They had finally shared their bond, and it was for life.
But just as he was beginning to enjoy the flight, something caught his eye—something washed up on the shore not far from Berk. Curious, Nuffink directed StormShadow to glide closer, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw that it was a person.
They landed softly on the sand, and Nuffink rushed over to the figure. It was a girl, unconscious and bruised, with long black hair and dark skin. She looked battered but alive. Nuffink turned her over and froze at the sight of her beauty. He gently stroked her hair out of her face as she frowned just a little letting out a small whimper wincing in pain. Who was she? Why was she here all alone? Did the Scourge destroy her village too? And if so, that meant they weren't too far from Berk.
Without hesitation, Nuffink lifted her into his arms, his mind racing. He couldn't leave her out here, but bringing her back to Berk was risky. She was an outsider. She could possibly be from the scourge herself but, still, he knew he couldn't just abandon her. He mounted StormShadow carefully, ensuring she was secure in his grasp, and they took off back toward the woods. He decided to leave Shadow in the forest with some fish, while he snuck the girl back to his house in the evening shadows.
Once they arrived at his home, Nuffink carried her onto the roof on his back, and then into his room window, placing her gently on his bed. He quickly cleaned her wounds and covered her with a blanket. As he sat back, trying to figure out what to do next, Zephyr walked in, eyeing him suspiciously. Nuffink jumped up immediately at the sound of the attic door opening. He looked only to Zephyr's head peeking inside.
"Nuffink, what are you—" she started, but her eyes widened when she saw the girl. "Who's that?"
"Zephyr, I mean, she's hurt. I'm just helping her, promise not to tell anyone," Nuffink said quickly, standing up to block her view. "Please, just trust me."
Zephyr crossed her arms, smirking. "Why should I? What are you up to this time? What do I get out of this deal hm?"
Nuffink sighed, knowing she wouldn't back down. "Alright, I'll make you a deal. I'll show you what I've been doing every day if you keep this a secret. It's something big and awesome. Something you have to keep a secret. He sighs. Just… don't tell Dad, okay?"
Zephyr raised an eyebrow but eventually nodded. "Fine, deal. But this better be as good as you say, little bro, otherwise it's straight to Dad I will go." With that, she left him in silence. He was grateful he had Zephyr. She had just as much fire in her as he did, as well as curiosity. He knew she wouldn't tell, especially after she saw him.
The next morning, Nuffink woke up sitting on the floor with his head resting against the bed. He glanced back to see if she was still there. She was staring right at him, almost as if quietly studying him with her eyes. Nuffink's heart skipped a beat as he turned to her on his knees leaning on the bed with both arms.
" Uh, hi?" He stammered. He opened his mouth to say more, but nothing came out.
She smiled softly at his attempt to make conversation. " Is this your bed?" I'm sorry but where am I?"
"Berk." He finally managed. "You're on the island of Berk. A village on the ocean."
"Berk, it's almost like I heard that name before, the home of the dragon master right?" Her voice trailed off as she cautiously watched him get to his feet.
" Are you ok?" He rubbed his head nervously." I mean you were pretty banged up when I brought you in so…I mean do you know what happened?"
She looked down, her fists clenching in her lap on top of the blankets. "The Scourge…"
" Wait, you know about them too then?"
"Doesn't everyone? They are destroying entire islands and tribes who wouldn't. We were prepared…but..they had this huge monster, something they called `The Destroyer`. My mother, we were hiding her. I was supposed to protect her and then…" She turned her head in anguish.
Nuffink looked down in deep sympathy. He thought about his mother and how if anything ever happened to her, he would stop there. He couldn't even imagine such a thing. " I'm sorry."
The room remained silent for a moment as they both wondered in their thoughts.
Nuffink decided to change the subject. " You know if you're up for it I could bring you a warm breakfast and I could show you something cool."
She looked at him with an expression as if to say `How about not` then replied. " I'm fine, no thank you. I'm uh, not hungry."
He smiled softly as her stomach suddenly growled. She looked away embarrassed. Nuffink nodded. "Yeah, I thought so."
With that, he walked out of the room. After eating breakfast he invited her again, this time she didn't decline.
" What was your name? I didn't catch it."
"Luna, Luna Grimborn."
" Grimborn…" He instantly knew who she was. The daughter of his father's old nemesis Viggo. His father and mother had told them all about it in the stories they told at night before bed or sometimes in front of a toasty fire. He stared at her in horror. He knew now if his father found out, he would not take kindly to this. Could she be a threat? Was she injured and all alone? Viggo was known for his grim tactics and playing dirty. Was she just like him? Was she a spy trying to find his father's secrets and weaknesses? Was she working with the scourge? She tilted her head.
" You ok? You look like you saw a ghost."
"It's nothing." He shrugged it off. She seemed harmless enough. I mean if she intended this she could have pulled it all off as he slept. Just then the attic door opened.
" Come on little bro, I don't have all day."
Zephyr, just in time to save him as always. He smiled.
" Coming."
After introducing Luna to Zephyr who seemed unphased by her name, they set off. Nuffink led her and Zephyr into the forest to meet StormShadow. The dragon was lounging in the clearing as usual but perked up when he saw them approaching.
"That's him," Nuffink said proudly. "That's StormShadow. Or Shadow, for short."
Luna's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the massive dragon, her voice filled with awe. "He's… incredible. This is your dragon? And he listens to you?"
"Most of the time," Nuffink admitted with a grin. "He's a bit stubborn, but we're getting there."
Luna smiled brightly. " There haven't been any dragon riders in years. That's amazing."
Zephyr, however, was more curious than impressed. She stepped forward cautiously, extending a hand toward Shadow, who sniffed at her before nuzzling against her palm. Nuffink stared in disbelief.
"He likes you," he muttered. "He doesn't usually warm up to people so fast."
"Maybe he just knows who's in charge," Zephyr teased, winking at her brother. But she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice as she added, "So… Can we go for a ride?"
Luna looked between the two siblings, a small smile tugging at her lips. " Not trying to jump on the bandwagon but, I'm in if you are." Nuffink smirked proudly.
"Sure"
With some effort, Nuffink managed to get everyone settled on Shadow's back. But before they could take off Shadow flung them all off his back. They hit the ground hard. Nuffink rubbed his head.
" Just a few more kinks to work out I guess, but I flew with him I promise."
Luna laughed and Zephyr joined in. They decided to spend the day getting used to Shadow instead.
By sunset, they returned to Berk, laughter still ringing in their ears. Zephyr entered the house through the front door while Nuffink and Luna sneaked in through his window. They thought they were in the clear until they climbed in the window to his room and found Hiccup and Astrid waiting. Nuffink jumped with shock.
" Mom! Dad! W..what are you doing up here?"
Hiccup crossed his arms, trying to suppress a smile. "So, this is what you've been sneaking off for?"
Nuffink's heart sank, thinking his father had found out about Shadow, but then he realized Hiccup was looking at Luna. He quickly tried to explain. "Dad, this is Luna Grimborn. I found her washed up on the shore, and I couldn't just leave her there."
Hiccup's expression darkened as he looked at Luna, his eyes narrowing. "Grimborn, you say?" Nuffink closed his eyes tightly, realizing his idiocy.
Luna met his gaze calmly, her voice steady. "Yes, I'm …..Viggo Grimborn's daughter. But I'm not here to cause trouble. I was… I was trying to get away from the scourge. They burned down my village and killed my mother. "
Hiccup's mistrust was evident as he turned back to Nuffink. "We'll see about that. For now, you're going to stay with Gobber. He'll keep an eye on you until we get things straight."
Luna nodded, not arguing as Hiccup escorted her out of the room. Nuffink watched them go, a mix of frustration and worry gnawing at him. His father didn't trust her, and he knew convincing Hiccup otherwise wouldn't be easy.
Once Hiccup was gone, Astrid pulled Nuffink aside, her expression soft but serious. "You shouldn't keep secrets from your father, Nuffink. If you've got something to tell him, you need to do it."
Nuffink avoided her gaze, guilt tugging at his conscience. "I… I know. But it's complicated. I'll tell him everything ok?, I promise. Just… not yet."
Astrid smiled gently, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Alright, but don't wait too long. Secrets have a way of coming out, whether you're ready or not."
Nuffink nodded as he lay back in bed when she finally left. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing. So much had changed in so little time. How was he ever going to tell his father all of this? He knew he would have to eventually, his mother hated lying to his father and he knew that. She was his crown jewel in his life and he would never want her to be saddened or to see her cry. His mother was tough and strong and always took up for him even at his worst. But, if he told, what would that mean for Shadow, for Luna? He closed his eyes trying not to think anymore. Perhaps a good night's sleep would help clear his mind. With that, he closed his eyes.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
