"What lovely dragons you've been raising!" Mala exclaimed as Sweet Song ran up to the queen, chirping excitedly and running in circles around her. Val heard her sister chirp and had immediately jumped off Heather's shoulder where she had been napping to run after her, nearly tripping over her feet in the process.

"They're sort of the newest addition to the family, Elin found Sweet Song on a hunter's ship and Val is Windshear's baby." Ash explained as the two young dragons began to playfully pounce on each other. "Elin is just hunting in the sea right now."

"Big dragon, best to let her feed herself." Heather added with a small laugh. "Plus it's better to let her go hunting on her own instead of having her eat all the animals on the Edge."

"But she refuses to eat sheep, wool gets stuck in her teeth and she actually prefers cuddling them." Ash laughed. "At her age my mother's dragons were burning people and charring fields to eat random goats, meanwhile she's just laying around everywhere and going off into the wild to hunt. I haven't really taken her out to fight since..."

"Since when?" Mala asked and Ash shook her head.

"Nothing, it's fine."

The queen looked to Heather, who simply shrugged.

"I should head back to the others, give Snotlout a bit of a pep talk before he does his dangerous trials to really be king." Ash said quickly, gesturing to the other riders before hurrying back to them.

"I sense something is wrong with the princess." Mala commented to Heather. "Just a few minutes ago she seemed cheerful and happy and then this happened."

"Well the last time she rode Elin was to save my brother." Heather said and the queen's eyes widened in surprise.

"Brother?" She asked.

"Yeah, several weeks back my brother died and she...I feel like she was more affected by it than me." Heather explained and rubbed the back of her neck. "He saved us, she later saved him and then he dies saving us all. She had so much faith in him when he changed, and even though she doesn't admit it, I really do think she was starting to fall in love with my brother until he died."

"Oh...I had no idea."

"It's fine, she's been doing better these past few days ever since we met you guys. And she's been focusing a lot more on her baby dragons so it gives her something to concentrate on."

Mala nods as she watches the two little dragons scamper back to the Targaryens princess, the small Razorwhip climbing up the back of her dress and clung to her back while the Deathsong walked at her side, happily wagging her tail and chirping cheerfully.

"At least she does something to distract herself from the pain, focusing on fighting the hunters." The queen said as she and Heather walked back to the riders.

"Clothes for Hiccup Haddock and Heather." Throk said as he handed the two riders separate bundles of black clothes. "Perfect cover up for the market where no one will see you."

"I still don't get why you won't let some of the others and I come with you two, we could watch your back perfectly fine in disguise." Ash said as the two accepted the clothing.

"Well we need someone to make sure Snotlout doesn't die, one of the trials involve fire." Hiccup said sheepishly. "And you-"

"Fireproof, I know. But I'm probably not because my hand hurt for weeks after I pulled Elin's egg out of the fire." Ash interrupted and held out her hand with the pale white scar in the middle of her palm. "So it's probably because I'm not a full-blooded Targaryens, but I'm not gonna test that theory if I am fireproof by jumping into a lava pit to save Snotlout. Or having the twins try and set my clothes on fire."

"That's fine, plus you need to keep an eye on the twins. I know you're not their babysitter, but you know...you have an easier time with them."

"It's fine, I'll stay to help Astrid make sure Snotlout doesn't die. I'm pretty sure the lava pit or whatever it is can't kill him, he's always getting set on fire on a daily basis."

"I heard that!" Snotlout yelled and folded his arms over his chest with a frown before it turned into a smug smile. "I can't believe I'm becoming an actual royal a lot quicker than you."

"She was born royal though." Fishlegs pointed out. "And she comes from a lineage of kings and queens, you're just doing a series of difficult tests to become one."

"She's in exile!" Snotlout protests. "Her title means zip out here!"

"Yes, but she's technically still a princess despite being in exile." Mala responds. "Now, let us start the Trials, shall we?"

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"He's going to die isn't he?" Ash asks Fishlegs as the Eruptodon blasts fire into the lava pit to create a small bridge for Snotlout to cross to the other side.

"There's no way Snotlout can eat all those rocks." Tuffnut laughed.

"He's not going to eat them, he's going to walk across them!" Fishlegs corrected him.

"Oooh, totally different death, but still entertaining nevertheless." Tuffnut said and laughed. "I bet Ash actually is fireproof and can eat and walk across them."

"I'm not completely fireproof!" Ash protests. "Look, the second he starts to scream you two and your dragons pull him out or his death is on your head."

"I'm good with that." Tuffnut said as he and his sister climbed onto their dragon. "Are you sister?"

"I'll work through it." Ruffnut laughed. "Gustav or Rickion are always a good backup!"

"For the last time, if Snotlout ever dies we're not replacing him with my brother or Gustav!" Ash yelled after them as their dragon flew off into the air to hover behind Snotlout.

The three remaining Vikings watched in worry as Snotlout gave a loud scream and began to briskly walk across the small lava bridge with the twins right behind him. Much to their surprise he managed to make it to the other side with just the toes of his boots burned off.

"Wow...he actually did it." Ash muttered and Fishlegs nodded.

"Okay I had my doubts, but I'm sure the next trial isn't going to be easy." He admits.

"It's probably gonna involve dragons, just watch."

"Ha! I actually did it!" Snotlout declares proudly as he walked back over to them. "And I'm not dead, that's a plus!"

"Congratulations, you want some milk for those burns?" Ash asked sarcastically.

"Onto the second trial then?" Throk asks gesturing to another part of the village.

"Already?" Astrid asks in surprise.

"If he wishes, we can wait." Throk responds as a loud roar sounds from the sea.

"Oh look, Elin is back!" Ash says as her dragon springs from the sea, her blue scales glittering in the sunlight, and lands several yards from them before she starts to shake the water off of her body.

"Show off." Snotlout mutters as the dragon lumbers over to the humans and lowered her head to nuzzle Ash.

"Aww hi baby, did you get enough to eat today?" Ash asked as she rubbed her dragon's snout. "Hiccup and Astrid aren't here right now, but you get to meet some new people who really wanted to meet you!"

"By the Ancients, look at her!" Mala gasped as she approached them. Elin shifted her head and studied Mala with her large golden eyes and gave a little snort.

"This is the one and only Elin, the last of the dragons who served as mounts and companions to house Targaryen and it's descendants." Ash said rubbing her dragon's neck. "The last female too, revived in the dying embers of my family's hearth with my blood. She may look like a big scary dragon, but she's a huge softie a lot of the time."

"In all my years I've never seen a dragon as magnificent as this one." Mala said as she extended her hand towards Elin, who carefully sniffed it before she nudged it gently with her about. "And so big too! I remember hearing how Targaryen dragons could only grow so big if they have plenty of food and space to grow."

"Females are apparently bigger, and she is pretty big for her age." Ash replied as Elin turned her head to Sweet Song, who was making loud squeals and cries for her older sister's attention. "She might get bigger than a Red Death too by the time we go back to Westeros."

"Hey can we continue these trials?" Snotlout called. "The sooner I get this done, the sooner I get to be king!"

The riders were soon led to a large deep put filled partially with water. From where she stood Ash could see long dark shaped wiggling through the water, but she wasn't sure of what they were. Seemed like this one could be easy, but knowing the Defenders, she was quite sure this trial wasn't going to be as easy as the first.

"This is your second of your three trials, Snotlout Jorgenson." Throk said gesturing to the pit. At that moment one of the dark shaped leapt out of the water with a loud hiss before falling back in.

"Oh look, eels." Ash commented as Sweet Song screeched in terror and backed away from the edge to hide behind Elin's leg. "Relax, you're not going in there!"

"I don't blame her, these seem pretty scary." Astrid said as another eel leapt out of the water and cringed. "Poisons too, and I'm surprised Storm likes eating these."

"If you'd like, you can take a weapon into the maze." They heard Throk say as Snotlout took a mace off a weapons rack that stood nearby.

"Awesome! Will it help my chances?" Snotlout asked and Throk laughed.

"No." He admitted.

"Hey Snotlout, if you die this time I get to keep Hookfang and give him to the triplets!" Ash called as the rider lowered himself into the water.

"Not helping Ash! Also, tell those gremlins to keep their sticky hands off my dragon!" Snotlout yelled back.

"You think Hookfang will miss him?" Ruffnut asked as Throk yanked the ladder out of the water and Ash and Tuffnut shrugged.

They watched as Snotlout ran through the maze dodging eels that leapt out of the water and snapped at his face or arms as they flew by. Fishlegs and Meatlug stood ready overhead, prepared to dive in to save their friend should he be in danger. The other riders followed to keep an eye on him until he reached the back part of the maze where there was a large ladder for him to climb up.

"You know, aside from the little eels this felt too easy." Ash commented as they watched Snotlout run for the ladder. "Like way too easy."

"Yeah it kind of does, plus the eels haven't even bit any of his exposed parts either." Tuffnut agreed. "So there's probably gonna be something big at the end right- oh I was right!"

Before Snotlout could even reach the ladder, a very large eel popped right out of the water in front of him, hissing and snapping its jaws. Fishlegs took the opportunity to steer his dragon down to get between Snotlout and the large eel.

"Quick get on!" He yelled as he tried to grab his friend's hand.

"Get out of here Fishface, I got this!" Snotlout protested.

"No you don't! Get out of there now!" Astrid yelled as the eel roared, startling Meatlug and caused her to knock Fishlegs off her back before flying off.

"Elin get them!" Ash yelled, but the big blue dragon shrank away from the maze and snarled. "Oh come on, you were never afraid of eels! Why now of all times do you have to be afraid!"

Several more eels popped out of the water surrounding the two riders, and that was now enough for Snotlout.

"Okay that's it! I'm so sick of these freaking eels and this freaking maze!" He screamed before the big eels leapt right towards him.

Ash quickly slapped a hand over Sweet Song and Val's eyes to keep them from seeing anything gruesome and squeezed her eyes shut as well until she heard something come up the ladder. Opening her eyes she found a very much alive Snotlout and a groaning Fishlegs on the floor next to him with Meatlug trying to get him up.

"What just happened?" Tuffnut asked, not even sure himself.

"The impossible." Ruffnut replied.

"Hey, you alright?" Ash asks as she approached a dazed Fishlegs.

"Just...peachy?" He responds and put a hand on his head. "Wait he passed the second trial?"

"Unfortunately yes, and now he's going to let this get to his head."

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Ash couldn't even sleep that night, the worrying feeling she had for Heather and Hiccup had been eating away at her almost all day. When was the last time she felt that worried? But another thing that wasn't letting her sleep was the guilt that still hit her ever since Dagur had died. No matter how many times everyone assured her it wasn't her fault, deep in her heart she still felt responsible for his death. She absolutely hated that she was feeling this way at all, even after all this time.

Stop beating yourself up over this, he made the choice to sacrifice himself. She told herself as she tried to block out the sound of Meatlug's loud snoring with the pillow she and the other riders were given to rest their heads on. Fuck...know what that's it.

She kicked the blankets back, taking care not to disturb any of the dragons that were asleep in her tent and quietly crept out. Elin was asleep outside her tent, snoring softly until she heard the human step outside and made a soft rumbling noise as she opened one large eye.

"Hey girl, did I wake you?" Ash asked softly as she approached the sleepy dragon. Elin let out a soft growl and nuzzled the human, bringing a smile to her face. "Mama couldn't sleep, can I sleep out here with you?"

Elin responds with a small growl, one Ashaeya knew was her way of saying yes. She hurried back into her tent and emerged later with her blanket and sat herself down to lean against Elin, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I just miss him, I thought this would go away after a while but..." she trailed off and looked up at the sky. "I just can't let go of this pain and guilt."

Elin crooned softly and lowered her head to look down at the human. She wished she could actually speak to her, give her comforting words and tell her she just needed to try harder and overcome this guilt. But all she could do now was soothe her with her presence. Ash smiled and reached up to touch the dragon's snout.

"It's okay, I'll keep trying to fix this. Sleep well girl, tomorrow we have Snotlout's final test to prevent from killing him."

Sleep seemed to have found her that night, since the young Targaryen awoke to find the Eruptodon looking down at her in curiosity and both Val, Sweet Song and Storm asleep next to her.

"Well good morning Great Protector." Ash greets with a smile as the large Stony dragon gently nudged her legs.

"You slept outside?" Ash lifts her head to see the queen and Throk approaching her as the other riders emerged from their tents yawning.

"Felt like sleeping outdoors, Elin kept me nice and warm." She responds as she removed the blanket and got to her feet. "So when is the final trial?"

"Oh we were just coming to awaken Snotlout to prepare him for the next trial." Mala responds as Elin lifts her head to sniff her. "This last trial determines whether or not he shall be king."

"Oh boy..." Ash heard Astrid mutter as she and the other riders approach them. "Well, his luck has come this far."

"Odin help us if he actually becomes king." Ash mutters.

Once they had eaten, the riders waited anxiously for the final trial to begin. Snotlout was obviously prepared for the trial, and he seemed pretty eager to get started. Heather and Hiccup had arrived as well, but as happy as the riders were to see their friend, they couldn't stop worrying Snotlout's streak of luck was going to come to an end.

"Alright Throkie, whatda ya got?" He asked the queen's second-in-command. "Killer boars, spiders, Whispering Death, Screaming Death, whatever it is I'm ready."

"Nothing so treacherous Snotlout Jorgenson." Throk responded and pointed a loaded arrow at the queen, who was seated on her throne.

"Ooooh that's not good." Ash muttered when it dawned on her of what the trial was going to be. "Uh Throk, is this really part of the trials?"

"Rest assured princess, this is part of the trials. All your friend has to do is stop this arrow from hitting the queen. Once he passes this test he will get to be king."

"Oh gods I can't look!" Ash said clamping her hands over her eyes. Moments later she heard what sounded like the Eruptodon roaring in surprise and uncovered her eyes to see Throk release the arrow. The arrow missed Snotlout, who threw himself in front of Mala, and the queen expertly caught it before winking at the dragon riders.

"Am I king? Because he's a lousy shot." Snotlout said gesturing to Throk

"We do not take into account the reason for failure, only that it occurred." Mala responds.

"What?! You mean I walk on lava,fight giant eels, and I lose because this guy can't shoot straight?!" Snotlout exclaims as Ash quickly gets between him and Throk.

"It's not worth it." She warned him before moving to Hiccup. "Hey, so how'd it go?"

"Well, we found out who the hooded stranger who saved Mala." Hiccup said as he reached into his saddlebags to pull out a folded piece of paper. "It's Dagur, and he and Shattermaster are alive."

"What?!" Ash exclaimed and grabbed him by the front of his tunic. "Are you sure? Is he alright?"

"He's fine, I swear!" Hiccup said quickly. "He actually even asked about you as well- oh great you're going to cry now."

"I'm not!"

"You're tearing up!"

Ash quickly wiped at her eyes. "It's just super dusty!" Hiccup laughed before remembering he had the letter.

"Here, he gave this to me and told me to hand it to you." He pressed the letter into her hands. "Might give you some clarity and help you sleep tonight."

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Ash climbed to the roof of her, the letter Hiccup had given her clutched in her hand as she seated herself on the sloped roof. Daylight was fading, but this felt like the perfect time to read the letter from Dagur. Once she was comfortably seated, she carefully unfolded the yellowed parchment and spread it out on her lap to read.

Ashaeya, I know this is hard to believe, but I'm still alive- not dead, and Shattermaster is alright as well. Hopefully by the time this letter reaches you we're still alright.

Every day I can't stop thinking about you and it broke my heart having to leave you and the riders like that, probably assuming the worst had happened to me and Shattermaster. I pray one of these days after giving this letter to the riders I'll be able to reunite with you and my sister, maybe rekindle something we were starting to have since that night you kissed me in the cave after saving me.

"Dear gods." Ash murmured as she stopped reading the letter to wipe at her eyes. That night he mentioned in the letter she remembered feeling something after kissing him to shut him up, and she was rather surprised he even remembered it. She looked back down to the letter and continued to read.

I hope the time we spend around together when I return, you'll give me a chance to win your heart and hopefully get your father's permission to properly court you. And I hope once the hunters are gone we can have peace and not worry about dying.

Be careful, stay safe and remember that my heart is forever yours.

With love, Dagur