I waited for him to fall asleep first. I couldn't risk being defenceless when I'm so close to another human. I honestly doubt Hiccup would take off my mask, but I can't just assume. If you assume, you aren't always right. If I'm not right about this, it could easily be fatal to me and all my partners.

When I finally hear his snores for at least twenty minutes, I make my move. Flashwing carefully bundles him up in her tail while I go to Toothless, gently shaking the Night Fury awake. "We're taking Hiccup back. You feel like joining us?"

He stands up, already pretty alert. He noses at my mask again, but not enough to remove it. I look to Hiccup to make sure he's asleep before sighing quietly and pulling it down. He warbles quietly but happily before licking my face. I'd knock him down with my little hand trick again but I need him awake.

So instead I hold my breath and just let him lick me. I know trying to push him away won't do much so what's the point in bothering?

After a moment or two he quits and let's me breathe. I wipe the slobber from my face and clean my hands off on his scales. "Now don't you dare grumble about this, I'm sure you do it to Hiccup all the time so payback is what you get." He still makes a grunt but other than that he reluctantly obeys.

I'm about to mount Flashwing when I realise that the way back to the village would take hours for Toothless to walk. I look to the dragon. "Is it alright if I ride you?" I ask. He looks surprised for a moment, then he slaps my back with his tail, pushing me into his back. Chuckling, I mount up.

It's been years since I last tested out Toothless's fake tail. I was running late to the school so Hiccup offered me a ride there. After a while he even let me take the lead on Toothless. I hope I remember how to do this.

I place my foot on the... well, I'm not sure what the metal plate that controls Toothless's fin should be called, to be honest. I test it out a little to get everything back into my head.

"Let's take it nice and slow so we don't fly into anything, okay?" I tell Toothless. He nods to me and readies his wings for flight, Flashwing copying. "Keep Hiccup safe and don't wake him up," I tell her sternly. She gives me a quiet rawk to show she understands why I'm so nervous about her role in this.

I tap Toothless gently with my free foot and he takes off, Flashwing following. He keeps his word and flaps slowly upwards. We make a steady ascent over the tree line.

I keep the plate in the correct position but let the dragon beneath me do the rest of the work in guiding us. The village below us both is glowing faintly, torchlight illuminating each hut and statue and place of business.

I breathe in the cold, crisp night air, relaxing in the bitter wind nipping at me. I close my eyes, finally feeling free. The dragon I'm flying with roars our happily, also caught up in this wonderful sensation.

I pull my mask up before I can get close enough to the village for anyone to recognise me. I may not be completely immune to the effects of a good flight, but I'm still on my guard. I glance over my shoulder to Flashwing, who appears to be the same. I notice the unconscious rider still coiled up in her tail. Good.

Our descent begins once we're just outside the correct hut. I manoeuvre the Night Fury down onto the ground, where he lands with a quiet thump. Flashwing's landing is silent and much more graceful since she wasn't working with a busted tail controlled by an inexperienced rider.

I remove Hiccup from her tail and Toothless takes him from me, carrying him inside. I open the door for the pair and help get the sleeping rider inside. It seems like the chief is out so that's good news for me.

We set him in a chair, not up to the challenge of climbing the narrow staircase that looks like it wouldn't be able to bear Toothless's weight despite the many claw marks that suggested otherwise. Thankfully we didn't wake him. That would've been pretty bad if he'd awoken mid-flight. The entire village would've heard and that would have looked very bad on my part.

I pet his dragon one last time before leaving, mounting Flashwing and flying back into the forest, this time after a new place to settle. We eventually find another cave just as the moon is coming close to its highest point. Almost midnight.

We repeat the process of setting up a fire and then curl up. Flashwing wraps her wings around me so that I'm invisible to anyone who stumbles upon us. I don't actually ask my dragons to do this when we sleep away from home, they just do. I think it's protective instinct.

I don't mind the slight chill of her metallic body and soon enough I'm awoken by birds cheeping outside. I keep my eyes closed as I try and gain a little extra rest before our big flight home later. Flashwing seems content to do the same despite my knowing that she's awake as well.

This is the most peaceful I've been on Berk in years and I allow myself the rare luxury known as the freedom to let my guard down for a while not around a sanctuary. It's a special treat for me.

After a while my limbs start aching to be used, so I somewhat reluctantly tap Flashwing's wing to let her know I'm ready to go. She rawks and unfurls her wings for me. I crawl out, making sure my mask is up. "Morning, girl," I say to her. "How about a little fishing before the big flight home?"