[Deleted]

The Monstrous Nightmare varying in many red hues soared over the academy island, a spot that was newly built recently and certainly had garnered some attention. One of which wasn't of the good kind. Alyth carefully couched on the neck saddle of her Nightmare, peering down at the long dead volcano with mild curiosity but not nearly to the level of a devilish look in the young woman's eyes, a place that seemed an excellent start to getting in close to her worst enemies. " Brimstone, first platform you see." Alyth spoke finally, the Nightmare letting out a low growl of acknowledgement.

The large dragon soared for a bit longer before seeing one of the landing platforms, going into a lazy dive before coming into a landing, claws scrapping the rocky surface and Alyth jumping down before her wings had fully come down. Standing straight, the woman pulled back her head, revealing a slightly scarred face and some along other parts of her form, but nevertheless looking confident and strong. Her form was mostly hidden beneath the cloak she had re-purposed, Slithersong scales on one side and the hidden night fury scales on the other, lined with fur along the edges and creating a furred motif of a Celtic triple knot work along the rest of the surface. The clasp was held together by dragon bone clips, each with small carvings in it.

Around her shoulders, the red Titan Wing terrible terror let out a soft hiss, not liking being so close to enemies. "There, there Pyre, all will be well." Alyth murmured, turning back to the saddle to grab her twin daggers, each slightly curved with a single sided blade, the bone-white handles also made of dragon bone and wrapped in reddish brown leather, tying them to her belt and being sure she wasn't forgetting anything else.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

### words

for @alythdoileag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

He loved checking in on the Academy, and the small village that has started to take shape just along the coast of the massive inactive volcano, it was a reminder of how far they'd all come, and it was something he hoped his father would be proud to see, between that and Dragon's Edge, Berk's influence was beginning to spread wider and wider, so it was never a surprise anymore when some new face dropped in on dragon back to investigate, sometimes to trade or learn a thing or two, sometimes to teach or just to visit. It never really mattered to him, all that mattered was the principal of seeing strangers from far off on dragon back.

He spotted the unfamiliar Nightmare landing just a ways from where he was headed, and was quick to change their course when he realized the dragon had a rider. The Night Fury landed at the same time that she slipped off the saddle, and he greeted her with a wave as he did the same, "smooth flight over, I hope?" He took a moment to sweep his good eye over her, taking in her outfit and in particular the cloak draped over her shoulders, it made him a bit uneasy, but he kept his demeanor relaxed, Toothless however seemed more than a little put off.

The black dragon crept closer as he sniffed cautiously at the woman, his eyes narrowing slightly into slits as he backed up and stumbled a little back behind Hiccup, who seemed surprised as he glanced to the side at him, "hey easy, Bud..." HE looked back up at her, "what brings you this way?"

x

[Deleted]

The young woman had to hold back her first instinct to whip around and attack the man when she heard his voice. Alyth knew Hiccup's voice well enough from her experiences with the Outcasts under Alvin and from watching his glorious battle against her father, all of which made her blood boil to her very core. But, she forced herself to remain calm, turning to look at the man and was somewhat surprised to find he was sporting a single good eye from when she last saw him. "The winds were calm along the way, seems Njord was rather favorable today for an easy flight." Alyth greeted, a smile gracing her face when she met Hiccup's gaze.

When Toothless got a bit too close for comfort, Alyth had to place a hand on Brimstone to calm her, hearing a low hiss towards the Night Fury as a warning to stay back. "Easy girl, he won't harm us." She assured the Nightmare, 'Not if he values looking judgemental in front of his dear chiefly companion.' She thought to herself, once more turning her attention back to Hiccup. "I'm sorry if what I wear upsets your Night fury, these are all family heirlooms, passed down through the family on my mother's side. She use to come from a long line of hunters and trappers before Berk become the revolutionary village to change everyone's mind." Alyth said smoothly, hoping to alleviate any uneasiness that might be creeping up. She knew the Slithersong scales would no doubt put someone off, especially someone as soft as Hiccup in her eyes.

Nevertheless, the woman marched on. "But where are my manners," She stepped forward, holding out her hand towards the one eyed, one footed chief, "My name is Alyth Doileag, curious traveler and formerly of the Wing Maidens." She introduced before gesturing to her dragons. "My nightmare here is Brimstone and this little impish guy here is Pyre. I promise, their bark is worse than their bite." She said with a playful grin, giving him a wink to show she meant well.

Far as he needed to be concerned with at least.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

### words

for @tag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

Hiccup laid a gentle hand against Toothless' head, assuming it was just the nature of her clothing that had set him off, and though he could feel the nerves coming off the black dragon in waves, he could glean nothing else from him but his unease, "good, I know the storms in these waters can turn deadly fast, we've been caught in our fair share." He kept his hand pressed gently on Toothless' head, which seemed to calm him for the moment, he smelled something awful about the cloak she was wearing, something familiar, but it was too masked by other smells to discern whether he was right or not...He hoped he wasn't.

Hiccup gave a slight chuckle and shook his head, glancing sidelong at Toothless, "I understand, he'll be okay, right Bud?" Toothless turned worried eyes up to him, then chuffed softly and looked down, the only affirmation he would give just yet, "we've made friends with trappers and hunters before, Toothless, Eret's one of our closest friends, remember?" He spoke now like he was directly addressing the dragon, waiting for a response, when he didn't get one, he sighed and turned back to her, giving a nod when she introduced herself.

"Well met." He nodded and took her hand giving it a friendly shake and looking surprised when she mentioned having spent time with the Wing Maidens, "really? You said formerly? Where do you call home now?" He was curious, he hadn't pegged her as one of them, "Hiccup, ah, that's my name by the way!" He chuckled, "they're beautiful, is your Terror a titan wing? I've never seen one before..." Toothless seemed to relax a little as they spoke, coming out from behind his rider to stand next to him instead.

x

[Deleted]

When Hiccup seemed to directly address Toothless, Alyth couldn't help exchanging a look with Brimstone, the two obviously sharing the same thought. Could Hiccup speak with dragons now? He sure was a man full of surprises, ones that Alyth had every intention of learning, or most of what sort of tricks and traits he had gotten since that time of Drago's defeat. "Allow me to join that growing list." She gave the slightest bow, resting a hand on her chest as she did so and hearing a growl of annoyance from Pyre at the movement, hearing his little claws scrape on the scales for a decent hold.

"Formerly yes. I was with them since I was young, but I felt there was more to the world than just holding a lifelong oath such as that." Alyth shook her head, "You could say that sort of life wasn't for me." Alright, so she wasn't entirely going to lie. She had once been excited for the job but after learning the truths of her parentage she had wanted to see more, find out more, so she had left the island for that exact purpose. "We don't really call any place home at the moment, we just sort of travel around, follow the sights, see what catches our interests." She explained, her voice genuine and friendly. Beside her she felt Brimstone shift and lean up fully, giving the night fury a once over, before leaning her head down to sniff at him, giving a soft snort and sending two smoke rings his way from her nostrils.

Pyre on the other hand gave an almost squawk like growl, raising his head proudly when Hiccup seemed to show an interest in his Titan Wing status. "He sure is. Pyre and me have been together since I was with the maidens. He ended up stranded on the island after being separated from his flock." Alyth held out her arm, allowing Pyre to climb across her arm to rest on her palm, letting out a small purr and chirp, playing up an innocent appearance. "But don't be fooled, he's just as bad as any terrible terror. If not, worse." Alyth chuckled.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

### words

for @tag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

He seemed put more at ease, and Toothless' muscles relaxed further in turn, feeling less of a need to grab Hiccup and get him to safety than he had upon first seeing their guest, it was half from her friendly demeanor, and half from Hiccup's own emotions and feelings passing through to him, whatever the case, he was thankful to feel more at ease, even if the smell from her cloak was still calling up strange familiarity that made him uncomfortable. Hiccup nodded and ran a comforting hand over the Night Fury's head as he met her eyes, "well, I'd rather have more friends than enemies! I have plenty of those already." He laughed at this, a little more tired than before, age beyond his years showing just a sliver of its ugly head.

He nodded as she spoke, it made sense, and it was respectable, "I understand, sometimes the horizon calls you, and when it does there's no ignoring that." People around the village still liked to tell him that his eyes wandered too far along the horizon, stay grounded, they'd say, but that just wasn't what he was meant for, "so you probably have all sorts of stories then, eh? We'd love to hear them sometime." The traveling sorts were always his favorite people to talk to, because he thrived on stories, "well...This is Berk's academy, I train dragons and riders back at the village still, but we teach a lot more than that here, you should come back to Berk with us." He offered, gaining a quick, alarmed glance from Toothless, he didn't want her on Berk, he still didn't know why exactly, but she felt wrong.

The black dragon looked startled when Brimstone craned her neck to sniff at him, letting out a sneeze when she blew smoke his way, Hiccup glanced to the side at him, a little worried about his weird behavior, before he nodded, "I don't doubt that, Terrible Terrors are terrible no matter what form they take." He said this affectionately though, he'd always had a soft spot for the little trouble makers.

x

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"We might have a few stories to share, perhaps nothing particularly new to you." Alyth said with a smile, finding things were going surprisingly smoother than she truly expected. She loved to act and could play a part but of all the people to keep her calm around Hiccup was certainly the most difficult for her. The man had become one of the banes of her existence, probably among the handful of enemies he had or once had. She was just trying a very different approach than most might take. She had to earn his trust, his respect, it was the only true way she would know her enemy, personally. It would make it all the more sweeter to make him suffer, slowly and painfully.

Toothless' odd behavior was making Alyth a little unsettled however. She couldn't help narrowing her eyes towards the night fury, wondering if he was realizing something was up with her which had her wondering if this sham was going to be broken before she had even gotten started. She would have to think quickly otherwise risk her cover being blown. "I would love to join you back to Berk. I have been hearing so much about your village, to see it up close and personal would be an honor." Alyth said, sounding awed and breathless at the thought of seeing the first real dragon riders. Maybe at one point she felt it but now she was more interested in ending their miserable existence.

"Yes, he is especially a handful." She said, referring to Pyre who shrugged his shoulders before flapping his wings to hover closer by, Alyth turning away to head back to Brimstone, "First, let me put this cloak away. I don't think your friend there is handling it well." Alyth said, sounding concerned as she unclasped it and being careful to fold it in a way the furred top Slithersong scales were showing as she folded it and carefully put it in one of the bags. She was more than aware that a single flash of the opposite side may very well reveal more than her true allegiance.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

### words

for @tag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

Hiccup gave a soft chuckle and shrugged, "it's all about perspective." He looked thoughtful as he spoke, looking down over the uneasy dragon at his side, "the stories will be new because they're from your point of view, right?" He knelt down a little in front of the Night Fury, looking him over to try and discern what was making him so uncomfortable, "what's wrong? I haven't seen you this rattled in a while..." His position meant that he didn't catch the narrowed eyes that Toothless did, but perhaps he was being paranoid over nothing, so he let out a long huff and shook his head, "it's nothing, I'm fine, bad fish..." Hiccup didn't look entirely convinced, but sighed, "when we get home I'll give you some of that medicine Adelaide gave us, okay?" Toothless gave a soft croon and nodded, turning his eyes back to Alyth.

"An honor, eh? I dunno about all that, but I'd be happy to show you around." He spoke as he got back to his feet, a little more at ease himself when she packed away her cloak, though he kept that to himself so as not to be disrespectful, "yeah, I didn't think it would bother him this much..." He laughed and fiddled with his ponytail thoughtfully, "then again I suppose if I saw someone wearing a human skin I would be fairly unsettled..." It was bad enough seeing Alvin's head mounted like a dead deer, and he wouldn't entirely put it past the Outcasts to have human skin things...He didn't let his thoughts wander down that way.

When she had her cloak packed safely, he nodded and climbed back on Toothless' saddle, giving her a look that indicated that he was ready to fly when she was, "Berk isn't all that far from the Academy, we had to build it close, easier for us to get back and fourth." He ran a soothing hand over Toothless' head, reassuring him that they'd be home soon enough.

x

[Deleted]

Alyth turned her shoulder slightly to allow Pyre to climb his way onto Brimstone's wing, which was now outstretched for the little terror with them getting ready to fly off once more. She also made sure her things were secured and everything was strapped down tightly, but she didn't remove her weapons, knowing if worse came to worse she might have to use them if Hiccup proved to be a bit smarter than he was proving to be thus far. She didn't pay much attention to their exchange either, turning her gave to meet Brimstone's as the Nightmare lowered her head, nudging her with obvious concern if this was a good idea. "It will be fine." She whispered, more so to settle Brimstone's concerns that they may be going too far with things.

They had gotten this far, there was no turning back now. "I suppose you have a point." Alyth smiled, turning to look back at Hiccup, chuckling softly. "But most of our adventures are just about sightseeing and avoiding all those nasty storms that blow through the archipelago." Brimstone by then as shifting to prepare to fly, lowering her neck to allow Alyth to mount her, the Nightmare eyeing Toothless and Hiccup with a watchful eye, obviously watching for something, anything to indicate they were going to try and do something to get them to talk. Her and Alyth may have had a rough patch from the beginning but that didn't mean she was protective of her rider now. Any indication or move that their cover was blown she wouldn't hesitate to fight back tooth and claw.

"Makes sense, don't want to wear out the newbies." Alyth said, settling in the seat as Pyre settled behind her, nestled against her back so he would not fall. "Though, shouldn't you be unsettled with yourself at this point Hiccup? You are wearing skin already after all." Alyth teased, giving a playful and coy grin, a part of her that was somewhat genuine but she wouldn't put it past the Outcasts to have such customs.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

### words

for @alythdoileag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

Hiccup wasn't stupid enough to blindly trust anyone these days, but he was also unwilling to turn someone away just because they seemed unsure, he was watching her as carefully as she was watching him, and as much as he wanted to trust her completely, he couldn't ignore his dragon's unease. I'll be careful. The promise was silent, shared only between Hiccup and toothless as he rested a hand over the center of the Night Fury's head. They were quicker in the sky than almost any other dragon, so if worst came to worst, he was fairly certain they could out-maneuver these two enough to slip away, if it came to that...He hoped it wouldn't.

He laughed and gave a shrug at those words, "I dunno, anyone who's spent time travelling has more than a few anecdotes." He turned a smile her way before taking to the sky, Toothless gained height with a few powerful wingstrokes before Hiccup turned to wait for her to join them, the dragon still felt an uneasy dread over this whole situation, and while he trusted Hiccup to know what he was doing, he also knew how easily the man could be softened, how easily he got attached...How easy it was to hurt him because of that...He shook the thoughts away, turning his eyes back to his friend with an apprehensive expression.

"Yeah, most of the fliers first coming here only know the basics, and their dragons are usually young too." He chuckled softly, taking off for Berk when she was in the air with him, making sure to try and keep pace with her, "younger dragons can't quite make long flights, so the Academy is close enough that they can handle the flight there and back." He looked a little caught off guard by her quip, but snorted and shook his head, laughing softly at the morbid nature of the statement, "My skin!" He smirked and turned back to her, "I don't know if I'd wanna skin some poor sucker and wear him...I've heard of places where they do that as a ceremonial thing..." He gave a visible shudder at the thought.

x

[Deleted]

With a few powerful wing strokes of her own, Brimstone was soon gaining on Toothless, not taking long to catch up to the Nightfury which luckily didn't seem to follow his apprehension and suspicion to take off. The Nightmare gave Toothless a slight glare, obviously being weary of the black dragon since the way he was acting was making her feel uneasy and ready to attack, tension clear in her body as she flapped her wings to hover in place. Many factors could easily attribute to her own behavior, protectiveness over rider, unease around strangers, sensing Toothless' own tension...Alyth could easily gloss over the possible fact of what might be causing Toothless distress like this.

"Guess I'm fortunate that these two aren't young to begin with otherwise this would be a long flight." Alyth chuckled, gently scratching the side of Brimstone's cheek, earning a deep, rumbling purr that helped relax the Nightmare, mostly for the fact that Alyth did not wish to give anything away so quickly. Brimstone was just as bad as her sometimes, although a little more level headed really when she really got down to specifics. Right now though, Toothless acting oddly was making her own dragon uneasy, worrying Alyth that they wouldn't be able to pull this off after all. With Brimstone relaxing, she gently urged the large dragon to get going, the female Nightmare growling and beginning to follow the two towards Berk, at the moment keeping at a decent pace and holding some space for reaction time if necessary.

Alyth though gave Hiccup a sidelong glance, a ghost of a smirk forming on her lips. He wasn't expecting the return quip, but he recovered quickly. He could think back of quips of his own on the spot if necessary. Good. "I've heard of far off tribes, more primal than our own, that have similar customs, or take part in cannibalism when their enemies lose or outsiders invade their lands. I would hate to be the sucker that went where they weren't suppose to, especially with hostile forces." Alyth said, feigning sadness and disappointment at such fates. At the same time, however, it was her own little subtle way of making jabs at Hiccup's unfortunate luck to get into some nasty, almost inescapable messes.

Tags: Hiccup