Hunting
Sky-Dancer bounded over to Toothless and nuzzled him soon after the family awoke late in the morning. She had taken every opportunity to bring him fresh fish whenever she came back from hunting. He thought that she was trying to make up for having not been there for him before, and he was more than willing to let her be his dam now. He understood her desire to care for him as she should have done long ago.
Her doing this for him now was also practical since he could not hunt as well on his own.
"Burning-Star, your sire and I are going on a hunt with others in the pack. You and Hiccup should hunt with us!"
He flew to his paws, tail swaying wildly at the opportunity to hunt with his sire and dam. He would not turn his nose up at such a flight. This hunt would be the first time he ever hunted with his kin. It might also help distract himself from... other matters for a while.
"Yes, we will!"
He then nuzzled Hiccup, and Hiccup roused himself under his wing.
"Hiccup, did you hear that?"
"We are flying on a hunt?" Hiccup yawned and stretched as he got up.
"Yes. Where are we flying?" Toothless asked his dam.
Sky-Dancer pointed with her tail up the mountain ridge.
"We will fly beyond the line of mountains and into the very cold beyond. There is an ocean past the mountains and some toward the sun's flight."
He liked the chance to hunt in an ocean. He had not caught his own fish in a long time.
"Good. We have not flown up there yet."
There had not yet been a reason to fly beyond the mountains into the desolation, not without knowing if there was anything worth flying to up there.
Hiccup pulled his coat tighter.
"Great, more cold. Love it!"
"Do you? Want to sleep on your own then?" Toothless grinned.
"Eh, not so much."
Hiccup then put on the fur-mask that covered his face except for his eyes and nose.
"Bud, how does that look? Good enough to survive the cold?"
"You lived on Berk. You can survive this," Toothless teased him.
"I don't know. This might be colder than Berk. Gods, I never thought I'd say that..."
"I can help keep you warm on the flight."
"Hope so."
Toothless then turned to his sire and dam.
"How long will we be away from here?"
"The rest of the sun. We fly soon, and we will be back here at sunfall," Sky-Dancer answered.
Toothless saw a flash of motion outside the pack, and he thought he knew who it was. He thought about what he saw, and realized that he had to do something. There was a talk that he definitely needed to have sooner rather than later. His kin were flying on this hunt very soon, so he had little time to go find who he needed to speak with.
"I will come back here soon. Hiccup, will you wait here? I need some time to myself."
"Sure thing, bud."
Toothless wandered the woods, searching for one particular fellow Night Fury whom he had seen shortly after waking up. She had been resting by the warm waters and had then wandered off into the trees when last he saw her.
Where is she? I know I saw her here earlier.
It was not too hard to find her scent and start following the trail; he would probably always remember that scent.
He could probably call her to him by roaring for her, but that would bring too much attention from the rest of the pack.
He still found it curious why she did not want to be around the pack in bonding activities. She did not rest with the pack, probably because she had somewhere else that she rested on her own. She could try to rest with the pack for warmth, but she chose not to. That made him feel another pang of pity for her. She was forcing herself to be alone because of her own actions and beliefs.
If only she would accept and live by more of the pack's customs, she would be more accepted for sure. Was it right to expect someone to change their own ideas so that they could live more in keeping with their pack's expectations? Hiccup could have done that and been more accepted by Berk, but something felt different about her situation. Her idea and opinions held her life back from being more and better.
Finally, after much searching, he saw a dark shape behind the trees just ahead.
It was her.
He took a deep breath and trotted toward her while wondering what he was going to say.
Two full days had passed since they were together. He had not spoken to her since then, but he had plenty of time to think about what had happened, especially on those rare occasions when he saw her down in the woods or by the water.
He did not want to think that she was a bad person. She had suffered bad things in the past, even if she did not want to change or move on now. While she had definitely used him for her own satisfaction, she had also seemed pleased that he enjoyed being with her. And he had also used her to satisfy his own eagerness, so he could not blame her for that without blaming himself also.
Most importantly and the real reason why he needed to speak with her now was her offer of their being together more. He was still not sure what to think about that except that it was an opportunity. Being with her more was a chance to turn her soul-fire to him truly and to help her. That was his duty. At least it felt like he had a duty to do that, both for her and himself.
"Jumps-At-Fire!"
She hopped to her paws and turned to him. Her grey and silver eyes were very wide with surprise as she stared and approached him, the branches crunching under her paws.
What does she think of me?
She settled down before him and curled her tail around her forepaws.
"Good morning, Burning-Star. How are you?"
"Well. You?"
"I am rested."
"Good. What are you doing here near the pack?"
"I was resting by the warm water and rocks."
"That is a very warming place to rest. I saw you around the pack these last couple days."
"Yes... you know I do not like being around the others in the pack too much, but it is still warming to be around other dark wings. I am glad that I am here now."
He was glad to hear that she was not totally opposed to her own kind. Even though she did not feel welcomed within the pack, she still felt something for them. Maybe all she needed was more time being around the pack while on bonding activities.
There was an opportunity here. Hopefully she would want to join him on the hunting. Her doing that would be an opportunity for him to bond with her and for her to be around the pack more.
"I understand that and feel the same. My kin and others in the pack are flying a hunting-flight soon."
"Where to?"
"The colder ranges beyond the mountains."
She purr-growled.
"Those are good hunts. I know those ranges well since I have flown much in them."
"Do you want to fly that hunt also with us?"
"No, I like to hunt on my own so I do not need others. Maybe another time. Thank you for the offer."
There was more of that wanting to isolate herself, which was frustrating of her. But there was another offer she had made to him and which was very important for them both; that offer was the real reason he was speaking to her now.
"Jumps, you... remember what you said about... us and more being together?"
"Yes," she purred and flicked her tailfins, "have you thought more about it?"
"I have and...
He paused, realizing that he had already made the decision. She probably needed a reason, a push, to change for the better. He wanted to be that reason. If he could give her a reason to truly want him... if he could feel her soul-fire and help her do the same with him...
"... I want to be there for you... if you want me."
She stared back at him without blinking.
What was she going to say? Had she changed her mind since the last time they were together?
Apparently not, since she stepped closer and crooned at him.
"Good. I want that also. How do you want to do this?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we do not want others to see us talking and walking away together. We should meet in secret when we plan to beforepaw so that others do not know."
She did not want to give off any impression that they were a pair. That was sensible of her because the pack had certain expectations that what he and she were doing was best done in committed pairs only. It was probably a good idea to keep their secretly being together... a secret.
Even if that meant keeping it a secret from those he cared about.
"That is a good plan. When and where?" he asked.
"Where is easy. The same place where we were before. You know that place, yes?"
"How could I forget?" he sighed.
She purred before continuing.
"When is not so easy. I am not missed by any of the pack. You would be missed more by your kin and Hiccup."
He winced at how true that was. It would be harder for him to get away from Hiccup and his own family without being noticed. There had to be a way around that problem.
Hiccup has been giving more time to them and to others in the pack. He wants them to trust humans. Maybe this is not such a problem.
Still, the idea of sneaking around so that Hiccup did not know about this felt twisted of him.
"I will find a reason to be away at night. Maybe I can ask Hiccup to bond more with my sire and dam or others in the pack. We will fly back here from the hunt before sunfall. How about tonight when the moon is starting its flight?"
She grunted in agreement.
"I will be waiting."
Toothless kept looking from side to side at all the other fellow Furies in the sky with him. His sire, his dam, Flame-In-The-Night, Wind-Biter, Eyes-That-Shimmer, Moonbeam, and Growls-At-His-Shadow flew around him.
This was the first time he had ever flown with a flight of his own kind. It was not a very large flight, but it was still very soul-fire warming. His kind were definitely pack dragons and not meant to be alone.
His sire and dam flew circles around each other, gently caressing wingtips or tails as they passed. Wind-Biter and Eyes-That-Shimmer were flying close together and talking about something. Flame-In-The-Night led the flight as the Alpha while Moonbeam and Growls-At-His-Shadow kept more off to the side on their own.
This would only be better if Jumps were flying with us, with me now...
He closed his eyes and purred deeply in peace. The company of his kind, and Hiccup also, was perhaps the only warming thing about this place where they were flying.
There were no trees or green plants at all. Snow and ice covered the ground except where masses of sharp grey rocks stood out. The air itself felt colder with a very dry wind that flowed down from the North.
Hard to believe there are prey up here, but she did say that she hunts up here much.
Then he glanced back over his shoulder. Hiccup was staying very close to his back to stay out of the wind as much as possible.
"Staying warm?"
"Yeah," Hiccup nodded while shivering slightly.
It made him feel guilty that Hiccup had to be exposed to the cold like this. But there was nothing either of them could do about that. The thick coat-furs that Hiccup always wore helped much with keeping him warm.
The flight eventually arrived at a very cold ocean. The sheer cliffs fell down into a choppy water filled with jagged spikes of rock. The water itself further out to sea had giant blue icebergs bobbing in the waves.
He shivered at his last memory of a time when he had seen large icebergs in the water.
Even the water's edge far to the west before they had found the pack was more filled with life than was this place.
The land the flight had just left behind was apparently dead without anything growing in it at all, not even small mosses.
Wondering where they were truly flying, he winged closer to his sire.
"Sire, where are we flying?"
"An island with very fat ground-prey!"
"Do they have tusks, or flop on the ground?"
"Yes."
Walrus or seal, one of those is what Hiccup called them. They are very fat and tasty.
He still grumbled as he looked down on the long stretches of ice and the seeming mountains of snow that rose from the water.
Hopefully we do not need to dive in the water to catch them. This water is very cold.
The prey had no chance against a diving a pack of his kin. The seals and walrus tried to wiggle and flop down the sandy shore to hop into the water, but four of them were caught and killed down on the sandy shore.
"A good catch," Sky-Dancer huffed.
"How are you going to get these back to the pack?" Hiccup wondered.
"They are very big catches. I do not think I can carry one," Toothless agreed.
His dam chuckled and put a paw on the seal she had killed.
"We do not take all the prey back whole. We eat for ourselves, and then we carry back half of each catch."
Far-Flight loped over to their side.
"We will not need to hunt for many suns after these catches."
"What will we do then?" Hiccup asked.
"Sleep in warmth. Tell stories. Talk. Those warming things," Far-Flight answered.
Sky-Dancer tilted her head and gave curious hum.
"We would like to hear stories that you and Hiccup can tell us and the pack."
Hiccup nodded to her in ready agreement.
"I can do that. I know a few stories that the pack might want to hear."
He watched for a while as the Furies got to work eating part of the catches. Then, once it started getting bloody, he wandered away toward the sea and stood at the edge of the shore.
The waves rolled with a regular crashing against the foam-licked shore.
The horizon far off in the north looked odd, or maybe it was that he knew there was nothing but ice up there.
Even the maps Gandalf and Elrond showed me don't have anything up there. Is this truly further north than Berk would be. Probably.
The empty, deathly wind gusted so cold and biting that he turned away from the wind and put his back to the shore. His cheeks and nose felt numbed.
Gods, this is much worse than Berk...
To his surprise, Sky-Dancer bounded over to him while Toothless and Far-Flight ate. She stepped up next to him and extended a wing to block the wind, as if she knew he was cold.
"Thank you, Sky-Dancer."
She purred.
"You are kin to us. I should help keep you warm."
"You really don't feel the cold up here? None of you do?"
She opened her mouth and briefly showed her fire. Even from a few feet away, he felt the ambient heat of her flame the same as he frequently did with Toothless.
"None of the adults feel a dangerous cold. The young, the cubs and the fledglings who have no fire, do feel more of the cold. They must stay in sleeping piles or at their sire's and dam's sides at night," she explained.
"How cold does it get back where the pack is living?"
"This is warm now. We fly further down into the warmer ranges when it is much colder, but we never fly past the mountains."
So they migrate in the worst winters. Makes sense. And if they never fly past the Grey Mountains, then they would never be seen by anyone.
He glanced toward the west where the sun was already falling lower on the horizon.
He frowned, remembering a terrible thing he had learned only a few days ago. It seemed impossible that anyone could do what it seemed someone was doing back in the world he was from.
"Moonbeam told me about the human that had other dragons it was using to hunt for it. That human had... furs made from a... dark wing's hide."
She snarled and growled with all her teeth bared.
"Is all that true? Did any others in the pack hear of that... terrible human?"
"Not the human. Some other pairs said that they fled from stinging-tail dragons that were hunting in a small pack," she answered.
He frowned. Those other instances were confirmation of what he suspected.
"I don't understand why anyone would do something like that. I know that there were dragon hunters out in the world, but those humans hunted all kinds of dragons. None of those humans used other dragons to hunt for them. More of them were like... my old pack..."
She warbled sadly and looked away toward the other Furies busily eating. He joined her in staring at Far-Flight and Toothless, both of whom were sharing words between their mouthfuls of seal.
"Your life in your old pack was not good, true?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm smaller and weaker than most humans."
She gently nudged his shoulder with her nose.
"I noticed that you are smaller and different from the ones I remember... seeing. Is it true that you had few close kin in your pack?"
"My family was... that's confusing even now. My father, my sire, was the Alpha of that pack. My dam was killed by a dragon when I was only a baby, a cub. I have no human brothers or sisters."
She hummed sadly and rested her chin on his shoulder. He could feel her sympathetic purr echoing in his chest. However, she still looked hesitant or afraid of something.
"Do you know what dragon killed her?" she warily asked.
"I heard that she was taken by a dragon with four wings, what humans call a Stormcutter."
She gave a faint sigh of apparent relief.
"Good. No, it is not good... but I was afraid that I or Far-Flight might have... killed her."
It was even now still a strange feeling to know that she and Far-Flight had once aided on attacks on Berk. They had definitely killed before. There was a reason why Night Furies were said to have never missed.
Still, that she was worried about possibly have hurt him or his mother long ago was very considerate and heartwarming of her.
"Nope. It was not one of you."
She purred softly in appreciation.
"You should come join us for warmth," she said.
Given the choice between the biting wind and the minor annoyance of being around some blood and gore, it was not a difficult choice.
So he followed at her side as she strode over to Far-Flight and Toothless. Once at Toothless's side, he pulled out his loaf of cold Lembas bread to chew on.
As he watched Toothless busily feeding on the catch, making large chunks of blubber disappear, a problem started to bother him again.
There was a very obvious tension between what Toothless was and what he was named. He had given Toothless that name in a very different world in which they could not speak to each other and when he had no idea how smart the Fury truly was, even if something had changed about their situation upon their arrival in Middle-earth. He also remembered the strange, almost mocking looks that people had given Toothless after hearing his name for the first time.
Toothless never truly cared or took offense, but something still felt wrong about it. None of the Furies in the pack called him Toothless anymore; he was Burning-Star to all of them now.
I should have done this a while ago.
He then strode over to Toothless and tapped his shoulder.
"Toothless, can we talk?" Hiccup whispered.
"Yes, we can," Toothless licked his muzzle clean and nodded.
"On our own..."
Interested, Toothless got to his paws and followed Hiccup away from the rest of the pack. There was definitely something on Hiccup's mind, given how he wanted to talk alone.
They finally reached a rather secluded place behind a rock on the shore so they could speak in peace without any other packmates overhearing. The whistling wind coming from off the ocean also helped smother their voices.
"What is twisting you?"
Hiccup put his hands in his coat and gave a heavy sigh.
"So, I've been thinking about this for a while, ever since we found your parents up here. I... we need to talk about... Toothless is a stupid name," Hiccup frowned, "and your parents gave you a much better name, Burning-Star."
"What are you saying?" Toothless whispered in surprise.
"Bud, I'm saying that Toothless is... it's not respectful; it's like you're my pet or something..."
Hiccup winced and wilted slightly.
"Do you want me to use your real name from now on?"
Toothless closed his eyes and took a deep breath while wondering about Hiccup's words.
"What do you mean, your pet or something?"
"Well, a pet is an animal that someone takes care of, provides for, and protects because it makes them feel good. It can also make them more responsible."
Toothless snorted and grinned toothlessly as he nudged Hiccup on the shoulder.
"You are my pet, Hiccup."
Hiccup glared at him and also snorted, which was a sure sign that he was starting to behave more like a dragon.
"Toothless! Are you saying I am an animal?"
"Yes, you are. Humans are animals also, just like dragons."
Hiccup stepped back in surprise at having so obvious a truth pointed out to him. Somehow, he hadn't thought of it that way before.
"Whoa, I'm being taught about human nature by a dragon, great... Anyway, back to the question, do you want me to use your real name of Burning-Star from now on? I will if you want me to do that."
Toothless crooned softly in thought until he purred with satisfaction.
"Toothless is not a bad name. It is a twisted-speaking, almost like if you were named 'clawless'. But you can have claws with daggers or your bow-thing. You call me Toothless. They can call me Burning-Star. Both are good names that are me. And I do not mind having a twisted name when you have a twisted name also," he added with a deliberate nod.
Hiccup turned away and wiped his cheek on his forearm as he stared out to the cold sea. He wasn't sure if the tear was from feeling or from the cold.
"Thank you, Toothless."
"You are welcome, Hiccup. I have been thinking about something else also."
"What is it?"
"You like to sleep under my wing. That is good bonding for us, but it might be good if you do that also with Sky-Dancer and Far-Flight. They think of you almost like a cub also, and you resting with them would make it easier for me to leave for a while if I needed to..."
Hiccup thought about it and decided that he liked the plan. They were basically his family anyway, and getting to know them better wouldn't hurt. Further, Toothless needing to go off on his own for a while, such as to relieve himself or drink some water, could be more of a problem up here in the North if he himself did not have a willing Fury who could help keep him warm.
"Good idea. I suppose I'll do that."
"You might also want to spend more time getting to know the others in the pack," Toothless added.
"Yeah, that's a good idea too. It would help them trust humans a bit more through knowing me better."
"Yes, it should."
Maybe they can trust enough that they might want to come back from... up here. At least it is warmer down south...
A roar went up from the pack at their approach. Flame-In-The-Night, Far-Flight, Growls-At-His-Shadow, and Moonbeam carried four halves of the seal and walrus carcasses.
They touched down in the main clearing among the low grove of pines. The rest of the pack swiftly bounded toward them around the trees' trunks.
Pairs and cubs met up with each other again.
Breath-Of-Sky ran up and pounced on Toothless's back after Hiccup climbed off.
"Got you, brother!"
Toothless rolled him off and then crouched down low, ready to pounce as well.
"Did you?" he barked, tail swaying wildly.
"Yes, I did! Did you have a good hunt?"
"We did. There is prey for all to eat. What did you do all day?"
"I played with the cubs, and slept much!"
He huffed.
"That sounds like a very good day."
Far-Flight and Sky-Dancer hopped closer and nuzzled Breath-Of-Sky.
"Little one, are you hungry?" she asked.
"Yes, dam!"
"Come feed then. Stories will be after the food."
Breath-Of-Sky's ears lifted.
"Stories? I like stories!"
She chuffed.
"Good. Hiccup will tell us some human stories."
Toothless stepped closer to Hiccup and whispered to him after everyone else left.
"What stories will you tell the pack?"
"I was thinking of sharing the one that Vikings know best. The story of Ragnarok."
"That is a sad one."
"Kind of, but it is hopeful also."
"I suppose so."
Toothless then trotted off to one of the unattended prey carcasses. He had an idea of a good and considerate deed that he should definitely do, even if only one other person would know about it.
The stars were fully hidden behind thick cloud cover. The only light down in the clearing came from the small fire.
Hiccup rested against Toothless's chest next to the fire. The entire pack was gathered around them. Cubs and fledglings rested at their parents' sides and under sheltering wings.
Faintly glowing eyes of many different colors stared back at him as a faint purring filled the air in the clearing.
Alright, it's go time!
"Are you all ready?" he asked.
"Yes." "Story!" "Tell us!" "Please!"
"This is not a very happy story, but it is also hopeful in a way. This is the story of Ragnarok, what some call the fate of humans and the twilight of the gods. There will be a great and very cold winter. The winds will bite and the snow shall fall greater than ever before. The cold will last for three whole winters, three cycles of the seasons."
Gasps and groans followed.
"It will be so bad that there is not enough food for everyone. People will turn against each other and will forget what is right and wrong. Even families will be torn apart. Then life will get even worse."
"No!" "Bad!" "How?"
"Two very big wolves will chase the sun and the moon through the sky. Both the sun and the moon will be destroyed, and even the stars will go dark. There will be no light at all in the skies. The lands and mountains will shake, and that will set free the great wolf Fenrir. The gods raised him and tried to control him, but they betrayed him because they were afraid of how strong he would become. The world serpent or dragon, Jormungand, will also be freed from the deep ocean, and the fire-being Surtur will be freed from the underworld."
He paused in telling the story, as a strange thought struck him.
Gandalf said that Ancalagon was bigger than a mountain. Maybe that is not so crazy after all.
"The gods themselves will leave Asgard and will join the battle for the world itself. Do you know what gods are?"
"No." "What?" "Tell us."
"They are living things of soul and spirit, pure soul-fire that can make bodies of their own. The gods shaped all that is in some way. The greatest gods: Odin, Freyr, Thor, and Heimdal, will fight against the great enemies of Fenrir, Surt, Jormungard, and Loki. They will do this even though they know what the outcome will be. And then..."
He drew out the silence to build suspense.
"What!" "Tell us!" "Please!" "They win?"
"No and yes. All those great gods and enemies will kill each other. Between the cold, the fire, and the fighting, most of life will be dead, and then all the lands will sink under the waters and in the void around the world. It will be as though nothing is anymore; no sand, no sea, no waves, no earth, no sky, no grass, nothing... no life in the void. But it is not the end."
The audience was breathless.
"A new world will be created from the void, just as the first world was. But the new one will be greener and filled with more life. The surviving gods will help remake the world better than before. Humans will also survive by hiding themselves away. A new sun will fly again in the sky and a new highest god will reveal itself. And that is the end of the story. No one knows what happens next."
Silence followed as the Furies considered the story.
"It is a sad story. So much dies at the end," Snowfall said to general agreement.
Hiccup nodded.
"Yes, but there is also hope for a better world at the end. The story reminds everyone to go out and face their fate with bravery instead of giving up. Even though they know that they will die, the gods go out and fight their enemies. Killing those enemies lets the next world be better because those enemies are gone and can't corrupt anything."
Flame-In-The-Night purred.
"True. Much danger is not a reason to not fight. Even fighting to the death can be good if the world is left better for others."
Interestingly, Moonbeam spoke up.
"Where are the dragons in this story?"
"There is only the one that was hiding under the water. I don't think there are other dragons in the story."
She huffed and flicked her tail.
"I thought your human stories would have us as monsters and..." she fell silent after glancing at the nearby cubs.
He could guess why she didn't complete her thought. She didn't want to unnecessarily scare the cubs. But he was also unsure how that knowledge of the past was passed on: whether as a pack or as a warning that each pair communicated to their children in private.
Probably more in private where the parents can decide when it is time.
"There are not many stories of good dragons. Probably because you are big and scary."
"Like me?" Free-Flight barked.
"Yes," Hiccup laughed, "like you, Free-Flight!"
"More stories!" Storm-Chaser yelled.
"Another!" Tail-Hunter barked.
"You want to take this one, bud?"
Toothless nodded and considered his pack while thinking about a good story to tell. He had no similar very grand stories since the other dragons in the Monster's nest did not teach him any. He had only his own life to look over for good stories.
I know a good one!
"Let me tell you a story about a dragon that was hunting special prey."
The cubs and fledglings leaned forward and wiggled their ears with interest. He took the opportunity to rearrange his tail at his side.
"The dragon had been greatly wronged by a human, and the dragon wanted revenge for... a type of hurting that the human did in the past. The dragon had to defend its status because this dragon was a dark wing like us."
"What did the dragon do?" "How did it hunt?" "Did the human get what it deserved?"
He smugly purred.
"Yes, the dragon got a great revenge against the human. Here is what the dark wing did. He waited for an opportunity to get his special revenge. He let the human start to trust it without knowing that the dark wing was planning revenge. The human never knew what was going to happen, and it tried to taunt the dragon even more."
"Bad human!" "Get it!" "What happened?"
"The dragon struck and grabbed the human in its jaws!"
He bent down low to the ground and looked at each of the cubs and the fledglings in turn. They held themselves tense, as if ready to fight as well.
"Wait a minute..." Hiccup objected.
"Then I hopped over to the water, and I threw Hiccup into a big, cold river!"
"And I got a cold from that, thank you very much!" Hiccup shouted.
He gently slapped Hiccup's face with his tailfin.
"Why would you do that?" Hiccup groaned.
"Because you deserved it."
"I guess so..."
Peals of throaty laughter followed as the cubs and fledglings rolled and cried aloud. Even most of the adults were chuckling along with them.
"Hunted!" "Silly!" "Knew it!" "Hunting humans is fun!"
"Burning-Star, why would you throw your human in cold water? Is that not dangerous for him?" Snowfall asked.
"Why did I do it? Because he teased me with shining light long ago when I was getting to know him as a friend. Throwing him in the water would be dangerous up here, but not where we were playing in the Shire."
"What is Shire?" she wondered.
He purred again.
"It is a very good, green, and warm range that has small, peaceful human-things named Hobbits. Many of the lands down in the warmer ranges are green and have many prey, land prey and fish."
"The ranges also probably have humans in them," Growls-At-His-Shadow grumbled.
"And Elves and Dwarves," Toothless added.
"What are those?" Snowfall wondered.
Most of the pack also looked curious and also wary.
Hiccup answered.
"The Elves are like humans, but the Elves live more with the land and the trees. The Dwarves are smaller, and they are more like fighters and people who build things. There are also Hobbits, which are basically smaller humans."
"It is good that they are all away from us!" Dreamcatcher exclaimed.
Several others in the pack bobbed their heads in apparent agreement; however, there were many who looked to have no opinion on the matter, or even appeared curious. Hiccup thought that the pack looked split roughly in half on that point of whether being away from all humans was a good thing.
It might be very hard to convince her. Seems like she and Moonbeam probably agree on not liking humans at all.
"Do any others in the pack want to tell us some stories?" Hiccup asked.
Snowfall lifted her head and stepped forward to stand at the center of attention.
"I can speak a story with lift under its wings. This is a story that all the cubs learn: the story of how we dragons came to be. Do you want to hear that?"
There was much shuffling and purring at that declaration. It looked like this was a story that many of the pack remembered and were fond of.
Hiccup and Toothless shared an eager, wide-eyed glance before looking back at her. Neither of them had heard such a story before.
"Yes, please," Hiccup answered for both of them.
"We woke up for the first time under the ground in deep caves filled with light and dark. The first dragons that were had no wings..." she ruffled her wings.
Faint hisses and gasps went through many of the pack. Meanwhile, Toothless snorted softly.
"I would never want to live under the ground. That is a trap," he muttered.
"Yeah, what is a dragon without the sky?" Hiccup agreed wholeheartedly.
"But if they have no wings, which is very terrible, then they are not meant for the sky," Toothless added with a whine.
Snowfall continued after the grumbling and hissing died down.
"They had no wings, but they did have fire. They lived much in the dark with other flames that were alive: fires with soul-fire of their own like the one below. Long the first dragons lived in the shadows and under the ground, changing in shape and kinds until it was their time to fly free after they grew wings."
Gasps went through the entire audience as Snowfall flung her wings wide.
"They were summoned by a great call and command to fly, and they did. They flew up out of the darkness of the shadow world under the ground and went up into the open sky which they had not seen yet. They flew with fire and power into the new world above: a world filled with clouds, rain, the stars, and the great waters high above that none can fly to!"
"Yes!" "Flying!" "Good!"
She paused in the telling and gave a very solemn croon.
"But they met enemies in the above: other great sky-hunters met them and fought with beak and claws. The world above was one of dangers that were not in the world below. The sky was filled with great thunder, lightning, and a cloud of fire. Even one of the stars itself turned against the first dragons, and flew with the other sky-hunters. We saw the danger and were filled with fire in our soul-fires. We had to fight and protect our own kind. Many of the larger dragons fell in the fighting. And then something happened to many of the remaining dragons..."
"What!" "Tell us!" "Save them!" "Save us, silly..."
Hiccup held his breath, eagerly waiting to hear what the story said happened to the dragons.
Snowfall then lifted her head and roared to the heavens with her wings stretched wide.
"A great roar echoed through the sky, the ground, and the waters! The skies were torn apart with strikes of lightning that made a storm. Pits appeared in the sky and the clouds, and the empty places hid the dragons, many small ones and even some of the very big ones. The world changed for them, for us. We were in new skies and ranges after the old skies went twisted around us. The enemy was gone and the fighting was also not happening when we flew out of the twisted skies. That strong soul-fire that was burning inside us and making us stronger... vanished, and we forgot much of what we were or where we came from. Our kinds were different, we dark wings, the lightning wings, the light wings, the fire wings, the rock bellies, and many others, and we flew off to be with our own kin or in big nests with other dragons. Life was good for all dragons in the new world."
"Except for the humans..." Growls-At-His-Shadow interjected.
Snowfall huffed and ignored that interruption as she continued speaking.
"True, but the humans being in our lives is another story. This story is the one for where we came from."
She huffed and stomped on the ground with a paw, apparently concluding the story.
"Thank you for the story, Snowfall. I had no idea that dragons had stories of where you're from," Hiccup thanked her.
"Even if it is a story about us living under the ground once. That feels twisted to me," Toothless shrugged and grumbled.
Oddly, Far-Flight chuckled and nudged Toothless's shoulder.
"Not as much as you think, my cub..."
Hiccup just started wondering what Toothless's father meant by that when Toothless barked in shocked annoyance.
"Sire! I am not a cub now!"
Almost the entire pack laughed in good humor. Hiccup and Toothless eventually joined in the laughter.
Afterwards, everyone started yawning widely.
"Pack, we should rest closely as a pack tonight. This will be a very cold night," Flame-In-The-Night declared.
Hiccup chuckled at the thought of all the Furies in a massive heap together.
Everyone seemed to agree and started to gather into very close sleeping quarters under the trees. The pairs rested at each other's sides while the cubs hid under wings. Everyone was whispering about the stories they had heard. It would still be some time before everyone went to sleep.
"Bud, did you know that you all do that? It sounds like it would be very warm."
"I did not. I am sure it is very warm. Can you stay with Sky-Dancer tonight? She will keep you warm."
"Sure can. You okay with that, Sky-Dancer?"
She lifted a wing and let him snuggle in there at her side.
"Will you be back with us soon, Burning-Star?" she asked.
"I do not know. Maybe. I want to think some on my own."
Toothless said nothing more and then turned away to trot off into the darkness. Surprisingly, someone stepped into his path.
It was Moonbeam.
"Burning-Star."
"Moonbeam."
She huffed.
"Your story made me laugh."
She would laugh at a story about... revenge... on a human. Twisted of her.
"I am warmed that you laughed."
She said nothing else and then bounded back over to her sister and lay down with the pack.
He snorted softly, turned away, and continued on into the darkness. He stopped outside where the pack rested, picked up the large chunk of meat that he had saved, and started walking down the mountain range. The howling wind was very cold as he walked alone.
Hiccup remained awake long after the Furies seemed to have fallen asleep. The entire grove was filled with purring and warmth even after the fire faded.
Everything was peaceful.
His thoughts drifted far away.
Is everything peaceful in the south? How is the Fellowship doing? What is happening down there?
He looked over all the sleeping Furies whom he could see. While life was certainly difficult this far north, it was also peaceful for them. There were no threats to them other than the constant need to provide for themselves. They were not directly part of the war right now.
But he and Toothless were hoping to convince them to travel into the south for exactly that reason: to join the war and hopefully live in peace afterwards.
I don't know. They might need to do it, but it still feels...
He frowned, staring aimlessly into the distance.
Is it their fight? How can I ask them to do this? They probably need a while longer to get to know me and trust humans.
He froze, staring into purple eyes that did not look away for a very long time. Then they blinked and vanished.
It was very difficult for him to tell the individual Furies apart in the night when he could not see their eyes and the shapes of their bodies, but he knew who this one had to be from the color of its eyes, the lighter color in the darkness around the eyes, and from the general suspicion this Light Fury harbored toward him.
What does she think about me and our story? I hope she and the other suspicious ones can learn to trust eventually.
Toothless carried the chunk of walrus in his jaws. It felt appropriate to do this for her since she had not been there to eat with the pack and also because of what he and she were going to do.
It was a very long walk, but it might have only felt so long because of what he knew he was walking to.
Some of the same twisted thoughts kept bothering him. She had used him before, just as he had used her to satisfy a need. They had both been wrong to do that.
Was this different? He truly wanted her to change for the better, as he understood it, in addition to this being a deed that was... warming for himself. That made it different and better...
She needs good attention so that she can learn that I am not like her sire. I would not leave her or hurt her.
He finally arrived at the place that was so familiar, a clearing behind a bend in the mountains. Thankfully, she was indeed there and awake. She immediately hopped to her paws and bounded over to him.
"Burning-Star! How was your... what is that?"
He proudly strode up before her and dropped the large chunk of prey on the ground at her paws.
"I brought some of the catch for us."
"You did not need to."
He shrugged.
"No, but I wanted to. You were not with the pack for the eating-ceremony or the stories."
That news seemed to surprise her because her eyes went wide.
"They had stories? I did like the stories the pack had long ago before... What were they about?"
"They were stories about where we dragons come from, what humans think will happen at the end of the world, and a good revenge that a dragon got against a human. You should have been there to hear the stories."
She shuffled on her paws and said nothing. She was not likely ready to think about being among the pack more.
"Or I could tell you the new stories... after we do this..." he proposed.
"I would like that," she huffed.
Then he nudged the chunk of prey.
"Jumps, please eat with me. I want to eat with you... before we start."
She narrowed her eyes and tapped the ground with her tail.
"Burning-Star, is this bonding? You know I do not want that."
Yes, almost...
"No, I want us both to be strong and well-fed for this."
Her ears lifted as she thought about it.
"That is a good reason."
They ate together, but he let her eat more than he did. She had probably not had anything to eat today. That thought made him realize something else about her. She was slightly smaller than the rest of the females, probably because she almost kept herself outside the pack and was not included in the shared hunts. She was apparently good enough at hunting on her own to survive on her long flights alone, but that did not mean she caught enough always.
That was another way her own suspicion was only hurting her.
"The pack is resting together now because it will be very cold tonight," he whispered.
She swallowed the last chunk of prey, and then she growled in agreement as she stared at the sky, her grey and silver eyes reflecting the starlight and moonlight.
"Yes, it will be cold. We will not feel it."
"No, we will not. You have warming eyes."
She blinked and stepped back a couple paces with a grumble.
"You know my rule. No true bonding."
"I know that is your rule; I respect that, but I want us to do some pretend bonding."
She flicked an ear at that.
"Pretend bonding? Why? There is no need."
"No, but it should help me want you more... and do better. I might want some true bonding, but I know you do not want true bonding. We can do pretend bonding instead. We both get some of what we want."
She considered it and eventually grunted in agreement.
"Yes, I can do pretend bonding after... this..."
Then she stalked toward him, brushed his side as she had the last time, and nipped at his flanks. He spun on her, nuzzled her neck, and growled freely at her familiar scent of fire that sparked such eagerness. He could better control himself this time since he expected it and understood why he was doing this. It was not only for his own wants, hot though that fire was, because he also hoped this might be good for both of them. But it was still a hot, eager desire that burned away reluctance and almost all thought.
He lay his tail across hers, but she flinched and swung her tail away.
"Pretend," he softly growled.
"I... will."
This time she did not pull away from that small act of bonding and let him lay his tail on hers.
They lay there together for a long time in peace and quiet, neither of them saying anything as they calmed and stared elsewhere. The cold wind whipped through the pines above, but he felt none of it.
"So? How was... that?" he purred.
"Very warming."
"Good."
He let their tails sway together until she chuffed and lay her head on her paws.
"We can do our pretend bonding now. We both get some of what we want, as you said," she whispered.
"I understand."
Then he leaned over and rested his chin on her neck. A long peace followed as they rested together and purred. It was mostly peaceful, except that a voice whispered from within his soul-fire.
How different would this be if we were true mates? The mating is probably the same, but this now would be much warmer and truer.
"Jumps, you can tell me the truth; I will not judge you. Why do you fear bonding?"
"Because it is not safe. Letting a mate truly into my life will mean that he can hurt me... in many ways."
"True, but a good mate would not do that."
Her ears visibly fell.
"A good mate? I do not believe in those, not anymore," she snorted.
"I do. I see that in the pairs of the pack and in my own sire and dam. I would want that if my female also did."
She softly huffed.
"Is that what this is? Are you trying to make me want you as a... good mate?"
He shrugged and lifted his head from her neck so that she could look back at him. They stared into each other's eyes.
"This is only mating and some pretend bonding because I have not had either before you. Maybe we will change far in the future and want more."
"I doubt it," she growled.
"Even if not, I do want to understand you more now. You are alone much. Why do you not believe that good mates can be? Is it because of your sire?" he whispered.
She stared at him as something flickered in her eyes. She struggled to answer and eventually sighed as her eyes went cold again.
"Him and another who hurt me. What we are doing is safer because I have control and stay free of true feeling. None of the males in the pack will join with me now, even if I were to ask them."
He suspected that was true, but it was also twisted that she would propose that. He was the only unpaired, grown male in the pack.
"All the other grown males have mates of their own. You cannot ask them to do that with you. That is twisted."
She glared at him.
"Yes, I can. There would be no harm in it if they were to be with me. No one gets hurt, and I know how to avoid making cubs."
"Yes, there would be hurt! Doing that would hurt and break the trust between the pair of mates."
"I disagree with that. There would only be hurt if they both know what happened, and I and the male would keep the secret. No one would know."
"You and the male would know. His own soul-fire should tell him that he did bad and broke trust."
She huffed and looked off into the distance.
"I do not want to talk more about it. Not now."
He very much wanted to know what she was hiding about her past, but this was enough progress for now. He had gained a lot of trust with her so far, and he did not want to break it by asking too many questions.
"As you want. I understand."
"I hope so, Burning-Star. Can you save the stories for another time?"
"Yes, I will."
She took a deep breath and got up, stretching her legs and tail as she gazed up at the mountains.
"Good. I will go sleep now. I have a den where I always sleep. It is not a true cave, but it is almost one."
"Do you want me to come with you? It is a cold night."
She hummed, staring back at him in thought.
"Maybe another time. This pretend bonding might have some warmth in it."
She spun around and bounded off into the night. He watched her go as she flew up toward the mountains and out of sight. He wondered what her den was like and where it was hidden.
He turned back for the ponds and the pack once she was gone. He knew the routine he had to follow to keep the secret of what was happening.
With her gone, he realized another obvious obstacle to the two of them bonding truly as he wished. He could not stay an entire night with her in bonding and warmth-sharing. Doing that would mean that his family at least would wonder where he had gone for the whole night. As it was, he had been away from them just long enough that he could pretend to have been truly just thinking on his own or wandering the range for the sake of wandering.
She is changing some, maybe. She does not totally dislike bonding. This might work.