Humans were strange- Blizzard had been independent for the majority of his life and at times would be away from his parents for weeks on end (in the case of this last journey: months). Ava worried about whether or not she’d get to spend enough time with her father, now maybe it was unfair of him to judge, after all she hadn’t seen Hiccup in a very long time. Her disappointment scrapped at his scales but the physical rub he was getting from her fingertips was distracting. Bliss. Forget about thinking- he was lucky his body didn’t go limp with pleasure, she was pretty close to that special spot. “Don’t let his work load bother you, he’ll find the time for you.” The woman’s voice was reassuring though such things had never been Blizzard’s concern. He knew the words were for her granddaughter. Gradually they drifted higher, bringing the view of Berk into better perspective. The storm clouds had drawn back for the time and the sky was mostly clear. The island was built up like a towered cake: layers of land cutting off swiftly to sharp cliffs and rolling down into deep valleys. Columns of stone spiraled upward as aimless spires, grasping for the heavens and trees puckered from the earth like the prickly spines of a porcupine.

From their gathering height it appeared like a white clump of snow floating in the vast sea. Blizzard rumbled deep in his throat- noting that it was a better sight in the spring. “Ava!” The black streak of a nightfury swooped into the space directly between the two dragons already partaking in this flight, his grinning rider disheveled from the strong winds, hair sticking every which way. “What do you think?”