This is my second update today, so for who missed chapter 7, go read that first. Time goes fast in this chapter, I skipped a few weeks. Let me know what you think and thanks for all support. Enjoy!
Chapter 8 Making progress
Hiccup woke up staring at the ceiling. As every morning he didn't get out of bed just yet. He lay there and just like every morning, he tried to remember how long he had been here. Three weeks. Today it had been three weeks. He yawned and got up. While putting on his clothes he smiled. Yesterday Wrenlou had unwrapped Toothless' wing and told the dragon to stretch it. Toothless had done so, but hadn't stretched the wing completely. Wrenlou had made him. Not by pulling on it, or forcing anything, but he had stroked his had over Toothless' neck and then down the wing, pushing the bone. It had resulted in shriek from Toothless, Wrenlou nearly losing his head and a perfectly stretched wing. Toothless had not been happy, but Wrenlou had been satisfied. The wing membrane had healed, it was just the bone that needed to heal completely. Luckily dragons healed a lot faster than humans. Hiccup pulled the door shut behind him and skillfully navigated through the dragons on the plaza. He was greeted with growls and the occasional good morning. When the building came into sight, he stopped, surprised. Toothless was outside. Wrenlou was a few steps away from him, a large salmon in the hand he had stretched out to the dragon. Toothless tried to reach from where he stood, but was a few inches short. He needed to take that step. When he did, it was wobbly, unstable. Snowflake cooed encouragement and Toothless looked up at her, the fishtail hanging from his mouth.
'Toothless!'
Wrenlou and the dragon looked up. Toothless swallowed the fish and looked at Hiccup in delight, before trying to jump on him, and failing miserably. He fell flat on his face, resulting in laughter from both Hiccup and Wrenlou.
'Take it easy there bud. Your balance is off, isn't it.'
Toothless turned away from him, clearly sulking.
'Oh come on bud, it's okay. I'm sure we will be able to go home soon.'
'Did you finish his new tail?' Wrenlou asked while bringing Toothless another fish.
'Yes I finished it yesterday. So, when will he be able to fly?'
'Fly? Hiccup he can hardly walk. It's going to take some time. But he is making progress. Give it another week. For now, I suggest you walk him around, get him to feel his legs again. Regain his balance. And then we'll she when he'll be able to fly.'
Hiccup nodded, happy they were finally getting somewhere. He took Toothless all over the city, including the abandoned areas. As they walked Toothless was getting more and more stable on his feet and by the end of the day, it was as if his wing wasn't broken at all. He was running, jumping, even playing with some of the other Night Fury's. Hiccup left him in the care of Snowflake while he went to get Toothless' new tail.
'How is it going now?'
'Great,' Hiccup said without looking up. He recognized Wrenlou's voice by now. 'I was just getting his tail, to see if I needed to make adjustments. He's doing great I should say.'
'Where is he now?'
'I left him with Snowflake and some others.'
'Let him sleep in your room tonight. I think that's beter.'
Hiccup nodded then hurried of with the artificial tailfin in his arms. It wasn't red, like the old one, but brown, more like the first one he ever made. Toothless was delighted to be whole again and they went for another walk, only this time Hiccup was riding the dragon. It was dark when they returned to the city. They saw Snowflake up on her ledge and Hiccup wondered why she didn't sleep in Wrenlou's room, until he noticed how she had curled up. Head under a wing, tail over the edge, and he realized Wrenlou was sleeping in her room. Toothless curled up in a corner and it took Hiccup a long time to fall asleep, staring at the black form of the dragon.
He was awoken by Toothless, just like the dragon always woke him on Berk. The dragon jumped on the bed, licking him all over.
'Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out! Alright bud, settle down, I'm coming.'
Hiccup rubbed his eyes. Toothless was chasing his tail, knocking over almost every piece of furniture in the room. Then he sat down, eyes big, and looked ad Hiccup.
'Why are you so excited? Oh.. I remember. We're going to fly today.'
Toothless jumped up at the word "fly" and bolted out the door. Hiccup followed a little slower. He saw Toothless greet Wrenlou and Snowflake, running around the pair in circles.
'He sure is excited.' Hiccup said laughing.
'He's been grounded for four weeks, what did you expect. Okay, let's eat something first, then we'll get to flying.'
Toothless ran past them, smacking Hiccup with his tail, and came back with a mouth full of fish. He swallowed them all at once and looked at Hiccup, tongue hanging out of his mouth.
'Alright, saddle up Hiccup. You know how that contraption works.'
Hiccup smiled. He had perfected it the last week. It was different from the one they had, but it would work. He saw now that Snowflake was also wearing a harness. But Toothless wouldn't sit still. He kept wriggling, turning, but finally Hiccup was done. Both riders mounted their dragons.
'Okay,' Wrenlou said, 'Toothless, I know your wings are itching, but I want you to take it easy okay? Just follow Snowflake. We'll make quick spin around the island and see how your wing is after that.'
Toothless made a sound and stretched his wings, Snowflake did the same. Both dragons leapt towards the sky, their wings beating. Their were quickly gaining altitude and Hiccup saw the island get smaller. He looked at Wrenlou and realized that this was the first time he had seen him on his dragons back. Wrenlou looked back and smiled. Snowflake dove towards the sea, and Toothless followed. When they were soaring above the water and Hiccup felt the wind and the fine spray of mist in his face, the dragons muscles underneath the skin, the sensation of being free, reality hit him. They were flying. After four weeks, they were flying. They had just made a major step towards going home.
