The sun was high and bright, shining with a blinding light all over the island, just like every summer day. Seeing how was the weather on Berk, vikings always welcomed those sunny days. People always said there were only two seasons on Berk : winter and summer. Winter held on with both hands for the larger part of the year, while summer granted three, sometimes even four months of cold air instead of freezing to death one.

Most vikings like summer, but not Nuffink. He didn't know why, but he had always prefered winter, and the small period of autumn. Autumn was his favorite. It was this time of the year when temperatures cooled down slowly and nature gave out its warmest and brightest colors, then the rain... Well he didn't like to be wet, but he really enjoyed the sound of rain falling on the rooftop, and the smell it left behind in grass, earth and dead leafs.

He sighed in contemplation at the thought, but ended his daydream when he crossed a sunshine. The light and heat on his face instantly wipe out his smile. He opened his eyes again and looked back where he was heading into the forest. He was there for hours now, wandereing almost aimlessly.

He tightened a bit his belt but froze when he saw the carved figure in the buckle. A dragon. A night fury. He slid his fingers upon the cold metal, letting his memory wandering and going back to that night. That night when he saw – or thought he saw – a dragon.

He sighed again, trying to not think about it. But trying not to think about something makes us do it. He didn't know anymore what to think about it. Of course, he remembered this white figure in the distance, even if time blurred it in his mind, but he still didn't know if what he saw was real or just his imagination.

He then recalled something the healer told him once, that if you really really wish something, and if you are enough imagination, you can convince your mind you're seeing it. For as long as he could remember, he had always dreamed of seeing a dragon, maybe his mind just played tricks on him, trying to make his dream come true ?

He didn't know, and he didn't wanted to think about it.

He shook his head and pestered before carrying on his walk. He jumped over a trunk and kicked a small rock on his path. Since he didn't have any pockets on his green tunic, he played with the shoulder strap of his pod.

Nuffink used to be nervous and always needed to do something with his hands, but it surely was because of this 'ghost dragon' story that kept on following him, even two years after the incident.

At the village, he was still made fun of and talked behind his back. Only Zephyr's gang forgot about that. Nuffink felt so much thankful for that, these guys really helped him bearing the gossiping.

All his tought died when a rabbit suddenly crossed his path. The twelve years old viking froze, cautiously eyeing the little beast. It didn't seem to have noticed him since he was just lazily nibbling some grass, so the boy took his chance.

Very slowly, with a lot of cautions, he took his book and charcoal out and draw the rabbit. He was so silent and discreet he could make three sketches before the animal spotted him and fled.

Nuffink was a bit disappointed at his runaway model, but he just shrugged it off before resuming to his stroll. He knew he would find something elsa to draw, this was exaclty why he was out there.

So we walked within the forest, humming soflty and cheerfulness. He whistle the first song that came across his mind, a joyful tavern song which lyrics where all focused on fights and hydromel. Yes, but it was very catchy.

This song kept him company until he found another model, a couple mushrooms in front of which he kneeled down. The sketch took a bit more time, he worked on the shadowing and added a lot of details, to the point of drawing each dot on the fly-agaricus.

When he was finished with it, he nodded with proud and satisfaction, then followed the path once again.

He came across a very dried grass which crackled under his feet, the sound was kind of funny for him, until he heard something else. He froze at the suddeness of it, and opened up his ears to listen closely.

He wasn't sure of what he had just heared, the noise was not loud enough, and the crackeling grass covered it a bit. It didn't even know from where it came. If he could hear it twice, he would be able to identify what it was.

He didn't know how much time he just stayed like this, but silence remaines. It might have just been an animal, so he resumed on his tracks. When he started his walk, he didn't know where to go, but now he just found one. There was this place at the north-west of the island, it was really beautiful. Forest spread on everywhere and fell into a cove separated in different levels.

These levels kinda looked like stairs, naming it like this. Nuffink thought the name was ridiculous, but he had to admits he fitted the place. Obviously, it was so much more beautiful than just plain stairs, and a whole lot huger. If it was stairs, it would be Nerthus's stairs, the goddess of earth.

This place was quite away from the village, but the young boy was planning on stay outside the whole day, so it didn't bother him. Plus, there was a great lake there, he could fish something to eat if he was hungry.

He hopped between the tress, bushies and some rifts, climbing on rocks just for the fun of it, until he slipped on wet moss. He caught himself just before falling, making him chuckle of how this fall would have been funny. But his smile faded away when he heard a soft thud.

''Great...'' He growled before bending to pick up his now dirty notebook.

He was about to put it right back into his pod, but saw something gluey linking the cover to the moss. What was that ? It seemed white and pretty slimmy.

Puzzled, he shook his book, trying to get rid of the substance, but this thing just got directly onto his face, startling him and making him fall. All he could do was wipe his face with a disgusted grunt. What was this thing ? It was so grioss ! It smelt like a rotten fish, and on top of all it was warm !

Wait... a sticky warm thing smelling like fish ? What could that be ? He wiped his cheeks on his sleeve, then tried to do the same with his book before pocketing it. It was kinda stinking, but that was a later problem. First, he had to find out what was this strange gluey liquid.

It surely couldn't be some water, it hasn't has rained for at least four days, so this moss wasn't supposed to be wet. Hesitantly, he kneeled down and smelt it, before ventilating his face and pinching his nose. Gross, and he thought that Mirild's fish stand was reeking.

It smelt like fish, but more like rotten fish, and something else too, but Nuffink couldn't quite put a finger on it. He couldn't stand this odor, it was too much for him, but he was just too curious to just leave.

As he frowned in confusion, thinking it out, he stopped his train of toughts when hearing the muffled noise again. This time, it seemed louder, nearer. This noise was strange, it didn't look like something he knew.

Nuffink forgot everything about the rotten-fish-thing and followed the sound. He walk slowly, carefully, cautious of where he put his feet so he doesn't make any noise. This was leading him to the west. The more we moved forward, the more the sound became loud and constant.

It was almost like a breathing, a sort of snoring, slighlty whistling. It was too powerful and loud to be Gunald the Grisely's snoring, and it definitively was not human. But what kind of animal could make this kind of noises ? It was a dear, this was too high. It couldn't be a yak either, nor a sheep, and it was obviously too low and deep for a bird.

The more Nuffink got closer, the more the sound was distinct. He still didn't know what animal it was, but it seemed big... and potentially dangerous... However it was asleep, it coudln't harm him, right ? What was it ? As he kept on following the track, he started to wonder if it was a good idea. And when the idea of it being a bear crossed his mind, he froze.

Cold sweat run down his spine. If it was a bear, he was in big troubles, his little dagger would not be enough to save him. It was better for him to just turn on his heels and head back home before he was spotted... but was it really a bear ? That sound didn't seem low enough for that.

Nuffink ishged deeply. For a twelve years old boy that thin and that weak, he just made the stupidest decision, even suicidal : he choose to check it out. Sometimes, he really hated his curiosity. Most of the time, actually.

So he went on, shaking the slightest bit. His heart was poundering like crazy in his chest, his hands sweaty, his throat tightened. He slowly approach the sound, watching every step to stay perfectly quiet.

So far, he didn't seem spotted. He was litterally in the middle of the wood, a good half-hour from the Stairs, and about twenty minutes from the village. If something happened to him here, no one would be able to rescue him.

But still, he had to check out what this thing was. He was pretty stubborn, blame it on viking genes. A few more steps guided him toward a tall mount he had to climb on, but as he did, he froze again. He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

There, in the middle of the green forest, layed a tall, large, giant white form. Some tiny lights were emitted from it, reflecting the sunlight in sparkling dots thats seemed vaguely familiar to the boy. Where did he see that ?

This figure wasn't moving, which allowed him to come closer and look at it in details. The beast was very tall, taller than he first assumed. It was hard to tell since it was lying, but Nuffink seemed to be just as tall as its legs.

Four legs, two oodles that looked like wings on its sides, a very long and lean tail... horns along the back...

A dragon.

This time, Nuffink couldn't doubt that. He quickly composed himself and took back his book, scowling as it was still wet and gluey. Since the dragon wasn't moving, he could take is time to capture every living detail of its anatomy.

Slender figure, long and slim legs and neck, a tail just as long as the rest of the body, so thin it seemed fragile. The head of the dragon was long too, it kind of reminded a horse's, but the snout looked more like a beak. Alongside its jaw, the upper part of its head, and all along its back until the beginning of the tail, the beast was covered with sharping horns.

They were white with a hint of blue, translucent, sparkling at the sunlight, they seemed to be made of ice. The scales were bright white, flawless, slightly blue and mauve, reflecting the light as sun-bathing snow. This dragons looked like winter, and seemed so familiar... But where did Nuffink could have seen it before ? When ?

When the beast moved, the vikings jumped but forced himself to stay put, every inch of his body tensed up. Luckily, the dragon was still sound asleep, it just moved its head to rest it across its paws rather than on top of it. Its wing moved a bit too, revealing another pair under it, slightly smaller than the one upper.

That was the details that unlocked Nuffink(s memories. Four wings, slender and white figure with toot-long and thin tail... That was the dragon he saw two years prior.

It was exactly the same ! But how come ? Did this dragon stayed on the island the whole time without anyone noticing it ? But if everything was fine at Drakanheim, what in Thor's name was it doing here ?

The ground arround it was lightly covered in Frost patterns half-melted, even his breath was cold judging by the light mist emitting from its nostrils. Nuffink wondered if it was the ice-spitting dragon he heard of, the one they called the alpha, the bewildered-beast or so. He wasnt sure of it, though. Stories told about a giant, but even if Nuffink was quiet small compared to it, it didn't seem that gigantic.

Well, it was large enough to worry him. It was intimidating, even if it was asleep. Fighting against the idea for a good five minutes, Nuffink finally grabbed out his dagger, that didn't help him a lot, but it gave him the courage to come even closer.

He kept a security distance of three steps from the beast, circling it with cautiousness, inspecting it, until he saw something else at its side. Just below its wings were something definitively not white. No, not something... Someone ?

Even more curious, Nuffink slowly lifted the scaled wing – strangely cold to the touch – and revealed the other figure. Wrapped in a brown cloaked, it was impossible to see a face, but it was obviously a someone. The figure seemed small, and quite lean. Nuffink immediatly knew what to do : he couldn't just let this person here, at the merci of this giant, wild and dagerous beast.

So he took a hold of the brown figure and pull it out. They seemed to be just a little smaller than himself, maybe a child around his ages, and they wasn't heavy so the viking could carry them away.

Nuffink went as far as he could before his arms failed him, asking for rest. He stopped and leaned the figure against a tree. Then he could see the face. It was a boy. He seemed pretty young, a little bit more than Nuffink. Ten, maybe eleven years old. Doubtless not more. His skin was pale, his cheeks and nose dotted with delicate freckles, almost unoticeable.

His hair was quite messy, brown, but not like Igvid and Sneezelout. They were more light, like chestnut. They looked a bit more like Zephyr's color, but hers were more auburn. This gave the boy a nicely familiar impression, but his face was certainly not from around here. His face was rond, a tiny bit chubby, his nose was a bit pointy, not round like all the vikings', and his ears were a bit too big compared to the size of his face.

He didn't seem to come from a near place, and his clothes just confirmed it. Nuffink couldn't say which material they were made of. It wasn't sheep wool, nor leather, nor furs, but it was thin. He was wearing a long sleeved beige tunic that seemed a bit too big for him, a brown skinny pant ripped at the bottom, no boots, and this cloak.

All his clothes were dirty and damaged, as if he couldn't change them for a long time... but he didn't smell either, so he was taking care of his personal hygiene.

The blonde viking wondered how this boy ended up here, and who he was. He stared at him, worrying that he didn't woke up and wasn't moving at all. He wasn't dead, was he ? Slightly shaking, Nuffink got closer and put his ear on his chest, holding his breath in anticipation, waiting for a heartbeat.

This boy was just a bit younger than him, he was too young to die ! When he finally heard his heart, Nuffink caught his breath and lifted his head to look back at him.

He just stayed there, wondering what he should with him now that he saved him from the wild beast. A lot of questions filled his mind, all about this boy. Where did he came from ? How did he reached their island ? It was a island, indeed, he must have traveled in boat, but no wreck had been seen around. All long has he been here ?

This boy seemed alone, there were noone with him. Nuffink bit his lips while thinking, there was only one thing he could do : since he couldn't just leave him like this, he would take him to the village. But would he be strong enough to carry him ? He had already tried and couldn't do it for more thant a few minutes.

Hesitantly, he tried to wake him up. He shook his shoulder, not hoping to see a reaction, but he did got one. The chestnut boy stirred a bit, hardly waking up, startling Nuffink. The viking then had the odd reflex to flee and hide behind the nearest tree. He just waited there, holding his breath, and that was when he heard a voice.

The tone was acute, confirming his young age, and the voice seemed puzzled.

''Mommy ? Where... Heho ?''

Nuffink suddenly felt bad : this boy was obviously lost, and scared. So he took a deep breath and got out of hiding.

His eyes instantly locked on the boy's.

''Who... ? Who you... ?''

Yes, he did was scared. Nuffink was going to open his mouth and introduce himself, but he didn't have time to do it as the chestnut boy suddenly run away. Nuffink was perplexed : was he that scary ?

He instantly got worried : this boy was completely lost, shaken, he could hurt himself while runing like this in unknown woods. This was probably not the best idea to not scare him even more, but Nuffink didn't know to that appart from running after him.

To his surprise, this boy was pretty fast, faster than him. So he yelled at him.

''Wait ! Hold on !''

The boy didn't replied and kept and fleeing.

''I won't hurt you, but it's dangerous to run like this here !''

And just as he said that, he was proven right by entering a particularly accidented area of the forest. Just a few months ago, the blondie tripped on a hidden hole, spraining badly his ankle. So he run as fast as he could to catch up with the boy... or to trip himself. His boot got stuck in one of this holes and he fell harshly head first.

Sprawled on his stomach, he kneaded his sore chin, thanking the Gods for this moss softening his fall. He raised up his head towards the runaway boy, only to see him trip too. He quickly closed his eyes so he couldn't see him falling, but he heard the surprised cry he left out.

The viking stayed like this a bit, then opened his eyes again when silent fell. The chestnut boy was lying down, motionless. Worried, Nuffink quickly reached him, he almost fell two other times on his way. He felt really bad when he saw the boy seemed to have hit his head while falling. He was just knocked out, still breathing, but he had a small cut and his forehead, and a bruise was already forming there.

The young viking sighed in resolution : seemed like he really did have to carry this boy to the village. With a bit of labor, he lifted him on his shoulders, and started his way back. It was long, so long, and tiresome. His back, arms and legs were all begging him to stop and rest, but he couldn't. Not before reaching the village.

He hoped he could just sneak in and drop off the boy in his house before getting the healer and inform his parents, but he was spotted only a few steps away from home. Nuffink started when his mom called him out with an angry voice.

''Nuffink Humongous Haddock ! Where in the name of Thor did you go ?! I've been seraching for you for hours !''

He stopped in his tracks, still carrying the unconscious boy on his so tired back. He had every single reason in the world to worry : his mother only used his full name when she was very angry. She barely calm down when she noticed the brown mass on his shoulders.

''What is that ? Please don't tell me you brought back an animal !''

Nuffink chuckled nervously at that. No, indeed, it was not a pet, it was worst. Astrid didn't seem to have noticed yet it was a human, but since his cloak was bigger than him and his hood hung over his head...

''Well, no...'' The son hesitated. ''Can you help me carry him to the house, and then I'll explain ?''

She considered it for a second, then rolled her eyes.

''You better have a good explanation.''

She grabbed the boy as if he was a dead animal but she was surprised by his weight, more light than what she expected, then she almost screamed when she understood it was a kid.

She instantly changed her grip on him, carrying him in her arms