Chapter 106: Rally

*Wild dragon hatchlings would typically spend their first two to five years being heavily dependent on their parents and extended family for food and care, despite being able to fly on their own after a period of only a few months. This childhood stage would typically involve the education of the young dragon in language and culture, with a strong focus on practical hunter-gatherer skills. This education would continue into pre-adolescence, during which time the young dragon would venture further and further from their home nest, gaining more and more independence from their parents. Upon reaching adolescence, most dragons would leave their home nest, searching for potential mates. Some would stay together as a small flock for mutual support while others would travel alone. Both strategies had their advantages and disadvantages: going as a group would lessen their chances of acceptance at a nesting site, but would increase their chances of finding sufficient food, and as such it was common among young dragons with close or extended relatives; traveling singularly lessened their dependence on others and increased their chances of finding a place, but also increased their risk of starvation.*

*Finding a nest willing to accept new members was usually a matter of luck; such nests would broadcast a call in ultra-low-frequency infra-sound that triggers an instinctual homing response in dragons, useful for helping both newcomers and established residents find their way home even under adverse conditions. These nest calls would also have the unfortunate side effect of possibly causing feelings of fear in humans in its radius, and are thus rarely used anymore.*

*—An Introduction To Dragon Biology, 17th Edition, Oxford University Press, 1793*

## Major Events

* Astrid rallies the remaining retinue and Stormfly captures Eret, who tells Astrid and the rest of HIccup's retinue everything he knows about Mildew's operation, and where to find Buffalords.
* The Pechenegs attack the Dragon Pavilion of Bianjing during the Han New Year Celebrations, but a young woman rallies the fireworks crew into aiming their fireworks at their attackers, forcing the Pechenegs to flee.
* Hiccup and Toothless are freed from Mildew and they and his retinue join the female Night Fury and her friends.
* Toothless explains to Hiccup and the others that the other Night Fury is his sister while he explains to his sister that his nest made peace with the humans.
* Toiréasa and Dagur sleep together. Dagur explains to Toiréasa the circumstances of Oswald's death, that his memory blanked out during the event and now not even he is sure if it was murder or an accidental death.
* Sigvatr gives hope to Mildew's prisoners by telling them Hiccup the Hero is there.

## Characters

### Humans

* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Asta Rhonda Hiccupsdóttir
* Ruffnut Thicknutsdóttir
* Magnus the Good
* Tuffnut Thicknutsson
* Valka Zephyr Hiccupsdóttir
* Eret Eretsson
* Drago Bludvist
* Emperor Zhào Zhēn (first appearance)
* Unnamed imperial advisor (first appearance)
* Unnamed young woman (first appearance)
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Mildew
* Toiréasa
* Dagur mac Oswald
* Sigvatr Þórðarson
* Jyette Markussdóttir

### Dragons

* Stormfly
* Mistletoe
* Brand
* Barf & Belch
* Fearless
* Toothless

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph discusses grown dragon hatchlings leaving their parents' nest to find another in search of mates. The chapter shows Toothless and his sister catching up on what they each did after they left their birth nest.