Cured

"Toothless, stop it!"

Hiccup's laugh, lost to the winds the moment it left his mouth, took much edge out of his command. After all, how could he ever feel annoyed with the soul who helped him touch the skies?

They had done it—they were doing it. The sun warmed them, the winds chilled them, and the sparkles atop the water passed by so quickly they appeared as nothing more than streaks of white-gold flashes.

Hiccup breathed deeply, filling his body with the purest air in the world, seasoned by the salted seas. He could taste the ocean, and the sun, and the clouds; he could feel the swathing high winds embrace him, welcoming him back into their care. His hair whipped around his face, covering his eyes in the wildest moment of a spin or flip, aiding the bliss, the euphoria, that enraptured his senses.

They had been at it since before the daylight broke the night and, going by the sun, Hiccup reckoned they now approached mid-morning. Neither male carried the inclination to settle. Months of pent up frustration and confinement had to be soothed, and they would take as long as they needed to feel whole again.

Toothless had dragged Hiccup out of bed with nothing more than blue light in the pre-dawn to help him dress. Doris still slept beneath the wrinkled linen, the form of her body rising and falling with each breath, and Hiccup was careful to preserve her modesty as he attempted to untangle himself from the sheets without waking her.

Very few people were up and about so early; Hiccup and Toothless took advantage of this fact by taking off right outside the palace. They couldn't wait to find a more secluded spot, not with the tailfin attached and the saddle on, and a compulsion to fly so strong it was a miracle they didn't burst through the window.

People screamed, of course. The handful fortunate enough to witness their leave reacted with fright and awe, but the sounds fell on deaf ears. Hiccup and Toothless immediately headed south, away from the city, and the eyes, and the pointed fingers, and over the Sea of Marmara where not even bola-nets could catch them.

Like nature intended it, Hiccup's foot moved the pedal as if he were nothing more than a conscious thought of Toothless'. The instincts were still there, Toothless flew as if he only knew how to fly with a human on his back, and they took to the skies like a bird released from its cage, no discord in their movements.

Again, Toothless curled his head and tail beneath his body, balling in a way that had them quickly losing altitude. Only the sheer height at which they soared stayed the possibility of danger.

The sudden drop and loss of control left Hiccup's stomach behind in the strongest tickling sensation, and his cry of shock quickly morphed into a delighted howl.

"Toothless!"

::I'm sorry! I can't help it!::

It was worth the wait, the dragon decided, if it meant perfecting the tailfin in such a manner. Perhaps it was easier to think such a thing now that they were in the air and all was right in the world again, but he couldn't get over how much it looked like his tail was whole again. At a glance he could pretend this was his real tail, if he missed the different texture and slight variations in shape. Hiccup moved it in perfect sync with his real fin, and, coupled with the phantom sensations that still, to this day, plagued him, he could watch both fins work and feel whole.

His human had done it again; he had taken creativity and ingenuity to a whole new level.

The dragon squashed down the urge to try and look at his tailfin, yet again, when Hiccup nudged them into a dive that he wholeheartedly accepted. They corkscrewed in their descent, spinning so tightly that any passenger would be traumatized. But Hiccup was no passenger. He was every bit a part of the ride.

They pulled out of the maneuver just before hitting the water, leveling out faster than any eye could follow, the tips of Toothless' claws skimming the waves.

"Again!" Hiccup cried. His foot tugged into third position, and they began another steep ascent.

Gods, how had he survived these past months touching only the earth? How had he survived before flying? Was there a life before flying? Hiccup tried to imagine ever existing without knowing this feeling and found such memories unattainable.

Life before Toothless had been a daze. Numb. Cold. Completely forgettable. Never did he think he could feel as he did now; weightless, breathless, senseless. A cleansing awareness so powerful, it drove him into nirvana. Refreshing and rejuvenating. Beautiful. Heartwarming and bone chilling in every rise and every fall. Indescribable.

His mind felt clearer than it had in weeks. The world was bright once again, now nothing more than an ocean of endless possibilities.

::I never want to go down!:: Toothless roared as they peaked in a backward loop. Hiccup laughed, free and easy, as he hung upside-down in the suspended moment, his arms spread wide, as if to catch every positive feeling waiting for them in the sky, before turning the movement into another dive.

Nowhere else in the world could he feel like this. Not in Midgard. Not in Asgard. They soared someplace in between, where the vortex of screaming winds could drown out his own. This was their world.

"Trust me, I know the feeling," he yelled into the bluster burning his face. It was impossible to fall this fast, you had to mean to do it. "But we'll have to eventually!"

::We could leave! We could leave right now!:: Toothless suggested, and Hiccup knew the dragon was quite serious.

"All my stuff is back there!"

::I dearly hope that "all my stuff" does not include the Woman::

"What? No!"

Hiccup slapped one of Toothless ear fins for the comment...which came right back up to slap him. Anticipating this, Hiccup deflected it with his hand by slapping it down again. Toothless began shaking his head side to side, and for a moment their airborne exploits curbed as ear-plates versus hands took place.

::Stop it!:: Toothless finally growled when his plates began to sting. ::You're going to make me fall!::

"You stop it!"

::You hit me first!::

"You implied something stupid!"

::...I did?::

"I'm not taking Doris!"

::Well, I had to be sure...::

"Honestly!"

Toothless let loose a firebolt directly into their course. Hiccup yelped, switched to second and upended them just in time. The reddening flame passed over Toothless' belly.

::He can be taught!::

"Jerk!" Hiccup was laughing again. He couldn't seem to stop laughing. Toothless could fly them through all the fireballs he wanted, the smile would not leave Hiccup's face.

::Let's never get captured again:: Toothless sighed. He missed this. He missed their stunts and their unity and their games.

Hiccup scratched a dry patch of scales just behind the dragon's jaw frills by way of an apology for hurting his plates.

"Agreed."

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Returning from their flight turned out to be a bit trickier than their take-off. For one thing, cloudless skies and bright daylight put them in clear visibility. The streets were packed, so the likelihood of landing without causing a commotion was nonexistent. And, having not told anyone they would be surfing the skies that morning, there also lay the slight possibility of being shot down again.

But Toothless' wings needed to rest and Hiccup needed to eat. Their solution: land fast before anyone realized who, or what, they were.

All of Toothless' speed and all of Hiccup's agility went into swooping just beyond the walls. They didn't want to land too close to the palace on the chance that someone would attack. Hiccup felt the first tendrils of fear curl within his stomach as they rocketed towards the ground; he tried to focus on their landing point—a rather bare-looking street—but his eyes continually darted from side-to-side, his body tense with the anticipation of having to suddenly veer off course.

Nothing came besides screams and cheers. They landed, a little more roughly than usual, and that could have been from either a lack of practice or the distraction of an anticipated assault.

The bystanders were considerate enough to award them a wide berth. Even those that didn't see them land knew what happened upon seeing Toothless suited up in his flying gear, and Hiccup flush-faced and breathless. Those witnessing their departure probably couldn't keep their mouths shut, and, like any good city gossip, it spread faster than the driest fire. Whispers and stares followed them all the way to the palace steps, much like their first walk to that point. But this time Hiccup wasn't miserable and in pain. This time he had an uncontrollable smile adorning his face.

"You went flyin'?" Halvdan's voice broke through the hum of murmurs. Civilians were bodily thrown from his path as he made his way towards the pair until he could walk on Hiccup's other side. "Why didn't you tell me you were going flyin'?"

"Trust me, you were still asleep," Hiccup said, impassively, "And its not like you could have flown with me."

"But I wanted to see it!" Halvdan's whine would have seemed out of placing coming from such a large body had Hiccup not spent the last couple months getting to know him.

"You did see it," the boy reminded him. "And then you shot me down."

"Ah, that don't count! You were just an ickle speck..." Halvdan pinched his fingers together. "Like that! Nothing to be seen."

Hiccup shared a humorless look with Toothless as they climbed the stairs. He would have responded to Halvdan if the sudden pain in his inner thighs and hips didn't seize much of his attention. He bit his lip to hold off the wince, not wanting to alert anyone to his discomfort. It had been a while since he'd flown, this should not have been unexpected, and Hiccup knew tomorrow it would only hurt worse. Joy.

With an audible sigh of relief, Hiccup and his companions finished their journey up the stairs and made it into the palace halls, now shaded from the sun by the high-arched ceiling and protected from the enlivened crowd.

Hiccup's relief was short lived as, waiting for him, with two Væringjar escorts, was Empress Zoe. She stood tall, flawless in complexion and clothing, and bore a welcoming smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

She gave Hiccup a delicate nod before moving her sight to Toothless', her smile turning more genuine. The dragon gave a small purr by way of greeting.

"Empress," Hiccup addressed respectfully.

"Rider," she responded in like and Hiccup had to bite his cheek to keep from frowning. "You are flying again, yes?" She asked this cordially, perfectly composed and showing nothing but honest curiosity.

"Yes," Hiccup responded, just as kindly. "We're flying."

"You must be quite-eh happy." Zoe appeared to direct this question at Toothless, giving the dragon a fond smile. Toothless responded with a toothless beam and a wiggling tail that had even her attendants smiling.

"Does this mean you will be leaving-eh soon?"

Hiccup put on his best 'shocked' face.

"Oh, no! I'm in no hurry! Unless..." he hesitated, appearing bashful, "you want me to leave? I can go if that's the case..."

Zoe shook her head, somehow appearing both rushed and poised in the action. "Certainly not! I wish for you staying for as long as you are-eh comfortable."

Relief washed over Hiccup's features. "Oh thank you!"

From beyond the figure of royalty, Hiccup saw Halvdan's eyes narrow. Perhaps, in his persistence to befriend Hiccup, he found the boy's willingness to stay insincere.

Toothless crooned and nudged the small of Hiccup's back in a show of impatience. Hiccup sent the dragon a mental thanks for the excuse to leave.

"Well, he's tired and I need to wash up, so..."

"Of course," Zoe relented. "I simply wanted you to-eh know you are most wanted here."

Hiccup kept his smile up as he nodded considerately to the empress.

"Thank you, very much."

With a hand resting on Toothless' head, he and the dragon began a leisurely stroll to their quarters, leaving Halvdan, his comrades, and the empress behind to start up an exchange in rapid Greek.

It was only as he turned his back to the party that Hiccup allowed his features to darken.

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Hiccup found himself in quite the dilemma. On one hand, he wanted to spend all of his time in the air, as no amount of flying could reasonably sate his renewed need for it. On the other hand, he wanted to explore every possibility available with his newfound dragon-scale material.

He also wanted to leave. But leaving meant a distinct lack of forge.

Thankfully, with a dragon in much better spirits and, therefore, more likely to humor him, Hiccup had worked out a temporary schedule that allowed him to have both. The pattern the boys fell into worked to both their advantage and, had they managed it in the very beginning of their stay, Hiccup would have found the entire Miklagard experience far more enjoyable.

They spent their mornings and nights flying, able to bask in the most magnificent moments of every sunrise and sunset. A crowd gathered whenever they took off or landed, which was why they tried to keep to the darker hours—but the attention was hardly worth caring for after a good fix of aeroplay.

Hiccup's nights often ended in a visit from Doris, who stayed until the morning, disappearing by the time Hiccup got back from his daytime flight. After the first two nights of this, Hiccup hunted down Halvdan and told him to stop paying Doris to sleep with him; the Viking reacted with bewilderment that Hiccup knew to be sincere, as a roguish grin and much elbow-nudging soon followed it. The young man still hadn't quite grasped the reason for the courtesan's attentions, especially if money was taken out of the equation. He didn't know if he was convenient or simply entertaining, and, after some introspection, he found reasons no longer mattered to him. She added a component to his life he never knew was absent—human touch—and he wouldn't challenge it.

The forge occupied Hiccup's afternoons; his insane desire to master this new material keeping him in the smithy for an obscene portion of the day. He had already filled half of his notebook with blurbs of potential uses and sketched possibilities.

He found the main problem with scales and brown fire lie in its intensity. The scales became too jellied and, while easier to mold, he had to wait until they cooled before he could quench them and that took away far too much control on the smith's part. It took days, but through thorough experimentation Hiccup learned to heat his fire to an orange hue, and then wait several moments after Toothless' fire was added. The brown fire would start to gradate back into an orange tone, starting at the very tips of its fire, and that was when the scales would soften just enough to be hammered into shape.

Toothless spent his afternoons sleeping, usually after Hiccup no longer needed his fire, as his nights were occupied by cats and exploration. Demyan had Banished-With-No-Exceptions Toothless from the smithy. This meant the dragon lurked within the neighboring rug tent, popping his head up and shooting fire into the hearth whenever Hiccup gave the signal.

Which, in a soft snap of those human fingers, was right now.

Toothless peeked his wide face over the small barrier and shot a compact bolt at flame within the hearth, once he confirmed that Demyan faced away.

The fire blazed for a moment before settling into its deep, brown color.

Demyan, still mad about Hiccup's "hostile takeover" days ago, grunted at the change in lighting, and whirled around to face the teen. It took Hiccup flaunting the ruby in his face, and eventually buying him some liquor called medovukha to get Demyan to let him back in the forge. Regrettably, the man now watched him like a hawk.

"Vhat vas zat?" the Russian asked with heavy suspicion in his eyes. They darted between the strangely colored flame and the annoying wretch.

"Nothing," Hiccup droned. He stuck his workpiece into the flames as soon as he saw the first hints of orange appear, withdrawing it after a beat and returning it to the anvil.

"You filthy vsadnik...you filthy lee-ar."

Hiccup ignored the insult, giving the shape of molten scales a rapid series of light taps with a small hammer. He really just needed to smooth out the kinks on this one and it would be finished. He was positive he got the measurements perfect.

"You gaytting fee-er everyvhere!"

"No I'm not!" Hiccup hissed. He quickly smudged out some fallen embers with his foot, determined to appear innocent.

"Da! Бесполезнаячастьдерьма..."

::We need to leave soon:: Toothless threw in from his hiding place.

"Do we ever," Hiccup murmured to the rugs. Stifling work environment aside, Hiccup had received more visits from Zoe than he cared for. She always maintained the same level of politeness when addressing him, but her enrapture with Toothless had only grown every time the dragon took to the skies.

The Væringjar kept a keen eye on him as well, tracking his schedule and most likely reporting everything they learned to the Empress. He was continually asked to go out drinking with them, always asked for a spar, which he declined more and more often in favor of the forge or flying. These could have been attempts to integrate him deeper into the community or to keep a better watch on him. Whatever the reason, Zoe obviously wanted Hiccup in the city, and that made him want to leave all the more.

"Who you talk to?" Demyan's gruff voice sounded loudly in Hiccup's ears, even from across the tent.

"Myself," Hiccup intoned. He spun a finger around his ear. "I'm crazy, remember?"

Demyan sniffed and rubbed his nose with a dirty thumb, leaving a smudge of black on the florid skin. "You crazy, da. You nayed pootting down, leek vild dog."

The comment fluttered past Hiccup's ears. He grasped his project with a pair of forceps and submerged it into the slack tub. Steam rose from the brine with a snake's hiss.

As his workpiece cooled he thought of Doris, and how the Empress must have known about them given her interest in his activities. There were times when he wondered if Doris was in on this subtle plot to get him to stay as well. It would explain her increased interest in him after they regained their ability to fly. Perhaps money was involved...

Then there were times when Doris curled into his side during the night, wanting to be held, or when she met his eyes in the throes of their intimacy, baring nothing but tenderness. Those were the times when he felt her timing was just a coincidence. His desire to believe she was interested in him for him could be blinding him to the truth, but he wanted to remain ignorant. Just for a while longer.

He didn't completely lose his senses to think he could trust her not to report on him. Hiccup remained discreet in his packing. He made sure to have clothes and the odd weapon lying around to screen that the majority of his bags were cleared away.

He went to the library in whatever free time he could scrounge up, browsing through books as inconspicuously as possible, stashing the odd map into his belt when he thought no one was looking. He had Toothless begin to gather various supplies during the night; the Night Fury, nearly untraceable in the dark, made for the perfect collector. They would leave this city richer than they arrived.

"You hogging tub."

Hiccup sighed and pulled the arm-brace from the slack tub. The blue-black cuff gleamed in the firelight, slick with salted water and sleek in its make. It would protect his arms when—and if—he used Framherja. Hopefully it would protect him from dragon fire as well. It was perfect.

"Ugly."

And most definitely not ugly.

The boy rolled his eyes before sending Demyan a glower.

"You're ugly."

"Vhat vas zat?"

"I said you look snuggly. Want to cuddle?"

Demyan lowered his head and leveled such a dark look at Hiccup that he took a step back.

"Someday I take neck and нарежьтеэтооткрытыйкакфрукты..."

Hiccup knew he should be thankful he couldn't understand the rest of that threat. That didn't stop him from returning the scowl.

Soon. Soon, he would leave a ruby for Demyan to find, and he'd be halfway across the empire before anyone realized he was missing.

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A warm hand rested against his stomach. A cold muzzle nudged at his face.

Hiccup wrinkled his nose, unconsciously pressing back into the body behind him to escape the fish-laden breath.

"You got into the haddock again, didn't you?" He mumbled half into the pillow. His eyelids didn't want to open and he had no intention of forcing them to. He was warm and comfortable, the air hadn't become too hot just yet and the bed felt much too welcoming to leave. Maybe just a few more moments...

::Up. Fly time::

Hiccup groaned. How could he pit the desire to stay in bed against the need to fly?

He couldn't.

"Fine..." he whispered hoarsely. Waking up at such an hour always turned into a task, but Hiccup knew from experience that the morning grumpiness would flee almost as soon as he situated himself in the saddle.

He pushed himself into a seated position, the sheets pooling around his waist, and he took a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Did you get the bag?" he managed to get out before a yawn overtook his mouth. Toothless gestured to the wall with his head, where a large, durable bag lay crumpled on the floor. Hiccup had picked it out the day before, subtly pointing it out to Toothless, knowing he desperately needed an upgrade to host all of his belongings.

"Thanks," he muttered. Hopefully the dragon had left the coins he set aside for it as well.

He steeled himself to face the chill of the morning, gripping the sheets to pull them back.

"Μείνε," a soft voice breathed in his ear.

Hiccup jerked at the feel of small hands pressing down on his shoulders, keeping him from leaving the bed. He turned over his shoulder as much as he could while seated to see Doris awake and upright, as bare as himself. Hiccup was not ashamed to admit that he took a moment to admire her figure, admire the confidence and lack of modesty that, little by little, she brought out in him.

Then he frowned. Normally she didn't wake before he left, and he would always return from his fly to see his bed made and her presence completely erased. The last time they were both awake in the morning she insisted on going again.

He cast a nervous glance at the dragon, wondering how he would mediate between his desires.

As if to answer his unvoiced question Toothless flatly stated, ::No. We are going now::

No female would get in the way of their flying time.

Hiccup nodded, in complete agreement. He turned his head slightly back, only enough to show her his profile.

"Doris, Toothless and I—"

"Μείνε," she repeated, gripping his shoulders in a clear statement that she wanted him to stay put. For a moment, Hiccup did exactly that, looking helplessly at the dragon who, unsurprisingly, provided no help at all. Toothless claimed to have seen several human female breasts in his lifetime, but the dragon still seemed to stare at Doris' every time they were exposed in his wake-up calls.

"Hey," Hiccup said, wanting to direct his friend's attention back to a more appropriate subject.

Then he felt something running along his scalp, and he realized Doris had begun combing her fingers through his hair.

::Social grooming:: Toothless remarked, observing the pair with partial objectivity. ::How thoughtful. I didn't know humans did that::

Hiccup could do nothing but purse his lips and wince at every snarl Doris encountered. He listened to her tut under her breath as she ran slender finger through his mane over and over again, the tugs becoming less and less frequent.

Hiccup knew his hair took quite the beating, with flying shouldering the bulk of the blame. He combed it, sure, but he wasn't all that concerned with his appearance when he knew he was just going to get dirty in the forge or windswept in the air.

He didn't know why Doris felt the need to be up at this ungodly hour simply to comb his hair for him. But it felt rather nice, especially after the knots loosened. He rather liked this—waking up next to someone and having her groom him.

Maybe, in another life, this would be the treatment he'd receive from a wife. But, in just a few moments, he would be reminded of why that would only ever be 'another life'. The call of the sky was too powerful for such fanciful pondering.

::We need to leave::

Hiccup had to wonder how Toothless always seemed to know where his line of thoughts lay, and, even more, how he always seemed to know what the dragon meant with his short statements.

"I know," Hiccup murmured. Toothless spoke not of their morning flight, but of their stay in Miklagard. Nothing held them back now but a nearly finished project in the forge. One that would be completed today.

They had to be careful about it, too. He didn't want the empire to take action against them, so Hiccup felt he had to blindside them with his leave—even if that meant leaving in the middle of the night without a single goodbye.

Hiccup could feel his hair pulling back from his temples as Doris gathered it at the back of his head. Small tugs and a light pull didn't help him understand what was happening. Toothless' wide, gummy grin did.

::Oh, I like this!:: Toothless declared, eliciting a yipping noise to express his approval to Doris. The woman giggled, leaning back with her work clearly finished. Hiccup gingerly patted his head, feeling a soft, smooth surface of hair pulled flat against his head, and eventually patting his way to his newly acquired ponytail.

He turned, giving Doris a crooked grin. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before.

"Eycharisto," he told her with all the sincerity he felt. She grinned and inclined forward, sliding a hand around his neck to pull his mouth to hers in a slow, lingering kiss. He no longer felt embarrassed about Toothless witnessing such acts, not when the dragon had a whole different set of ideals constituting intimacy.

"Go," she ushered in a breath against his lips, and she flopped back down on the bed with all the carelessness of a child.

Needing no other permission, Hiccup slid out of the bed and began to pull together an outfit. He could feel her eyes on him as he dressed, making him conscious of his actions yet pleased at the smile he found on her face every time he snuck a glance at her, one that could be only described as gratified.

She would be back in the gynaeceum by the time he returned. There was always the chance that she wouldn't visited his chambers for however longer he remained, and Hiccup had to wonder if this could be the last time he saw her: content and carefree, wild-hair curling around the pillow and soft skin glowing in the lightening, sunless sky.

If there were anything to miss of Miklagard, Hiccup realized, it would be this.

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Two weeks after he first returned to the sky, Hiccup finally finished his new braces. He placed a ruby underneath Demyan's latest work order just after he finished his project, knowing it wouldn't be found until the next morning. Demyan drove him crazy, and he was sure the feelings were mutual, but he was eternally grateful for the use of a forge.

His business conducted, Hiccup was prepared to leave before the sun rose the next morning, and it was just as well.

"Get out o' here."

Hiccup, who had been throwing his dagger at the badly beaten burlap sack, spun towards the open door of his room, the frame of which Harald leaned against.

"What?"

Harald pushed himself off of the doorframe, stepping into the room. From the bed, Toothless followed his every movement, the cats curled around his paws and belly doing the same.

"You need to get out of here," the Viking repeated, unaffected by the many eyes pinned on him. He seemed more concerned with eyes and ears outside of the room, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting someone to pop in from the hall.

Toothless whuffed for the man's attention, and then shook his head. No one waited outside.

Harald licked his lips, and nodded.

"I'm leaving," the Viking explained. "And you should too."

Hiccup wrinkled his brow. "Trouble?"

Harald snorted. "You could say that. Council just declared the girls take joint custody of the empire this morning."

Hiccup winced, understanding well enough what that could mean.

"And Zoe's...?"

"Pissed. Theodora'll probably be the best thing for this empire, but the entire make up is too unstable, and asking those two to get along is like asking Vikings and dra—er, Saxons to make nice. Zoe can get out of it if she finds herself someone to play emperor, but..."

"You?"

"Ha," Harald barked cynically. "I'm grabbing Maria first chance I get and getting outta here. I recommend you do the same. Ignoring the Maria part. It won't be safe for you, soon. When political figures get desperate, no one's safe."

Hiccup lowered his eyes. He thought of Doris, and her counsel member ex-husband.

"Yeah," he agreed, softly. "I was planning on leaving at any time. Probably in a couple days..."

Hiccup didn't want to give Harald an exact date, even if the man willingly provided him with good information. He wouldn't trust anyone within these walls.

"Wish I could do the same. Got too much tying me down here to just up in leave at a moment's notice. Must be nice, having that sort of freedom." The last bit was said reluctantly, as though, until now, Harald refused to admit such a thing to himself.

Hiccup smiled his first, true smile in front of the man.

"You have no idea."

Harald nodded, his eyes unfocused as he gazed around the room, and Hiccup could only guess at what went through the man's head. He waited for the Viking to make the next more, expecting some sort of addendum to the bad news. None came.

After a moment of oppressive silence, Harald turned back to the door.

"Well, I just wanted to give you a heads-up."

"I appreciate it," Hiccup returned, and he was honestly grateful.

Harald said nothing more. No nod or wave or parting words. He strode out of the room with the signature strength and pride Hiccup never saw him without.

Something told Hiccup he would never see that particular Viking again, and so his last memories of Haraldr Harðráði existed in the final flutters of that cape.

::We're waiting a couple days?::

Hiccup chanced a look at the empty doorway and shook his head, not trusting his words to remain private.

::We're leaving tonight?::

He nodded.

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The smallest of his bags were tied to the saddle, his main one slung over his shoulder. Framherja was strapped across his back, his sword at his hip, his new braces fixed to his forearms.

His dark red tunic and leather vest blended well into the night, and atop Toothless' ebony shoulders the shadows would cloak them in invisibility.

All Hiccup had to do was hop onto the saddle, and they would trot out the door and ride into the night.

But he didn't. Not for a moment, any way. He stood, staring at the bed, biting his lip and looking over the softly breathing form of Doris.

::You could wake her up and say goodbye:: Toothless suggested, eager to leave. ::She can scream her head off—no one's going to stop us::

Hiccup reached a tentative hand towards her. He felt like he should at least leave a note, touch her shoulder, kiss her cheek—grant her some kind of gratitude for showing him affection in its most intimate form.

"No," he mumbled, stepping back.

::You sure?::

"Yeah..."

Of course he wasn't sure. He didn't know how to say goodbye to someone like her, not when he didn't even understand the dynamic of their relationship.

He shook his head, turning away from the bed with a determination he didn't think he'd need for such a simple action.

"I'll be nothing more than a memory, soon enough," Hiccup mumbled, and he leapt onto the saddle.

Nothing stopped them from racing down the palace halls; nothing stopped them as they rose higher and higher into the air. The great and fabled walls of Miklagard grew smaller and smaller until Hiccup could hardly differentiate them from the coast, and still nothing impeded them. Perfect winds, clear skies, and the first sparks of daylight highlighting his left cheek.

::We're out:: Toothless stated. His tone sounded disbelieving, as if the situation hadn't fully hit him yet.

"Yeah," Hiccup breathed, sharing the exact sentiments. They were out. Miklagard was behind them. Just like that—not only were they flying, but it was just them again.

Wasn't there a time when he thought he would never have this again? A time of hate and regret and such hopelessness he often thought death were the more merciful fate.

And yet, here they were. They were doing it—moving on. It was really happening.

A smile worked its way onto Hiccup's face, growing as he thought over and over again: they were out.

And, just as he worked himself into a joy, Doris flashed to the forefront of his mind—that moment where she lay on his bed, bare and smiling and happy. For the first time among all his theories pertaining to Doris' interest in him, Hiccup realized that maybe—maybe—he was an escape. A choice of hers rather than a client. Maybe he really did make her happy.

His stomach plummeted at the thought, but it was too late to turn back, too late to give her a proper farewell. It was another choice of his, and he would live with it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the wind, and he prayed to the gods who so loved to torment him that she would hear it.

::We're heading back now, aren't we?:: Toothless asked, somehow knowing not to comment on Hiccup's apology. ::Back north?::

Hiccup narrowed his eyes against the cutting air, where he could just make out the small mounds of distant Hungarian mountains.

"Back to the demon, yes."

Back to Berk.

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A/N: And they're off! I ended it more somber that I think I prepared you all for. Sorry about that.

When Hiccup said, "You got into the haddock..." I wanted Toothless to say something like: ::No...she got into the Haddock::

Hurrhurr

And I just uploaded a picture of the (happier) Hiccup/Doris moment. Check it out if you're allowed to view mature content.

This is somewhat important: Alright guys, I'm always open to communication – PM, review, email, whatever. If, for some reason, you can't PM me, then that means ffnet has shut off my alerts/PMs AGAIN. If this happens can you please alert me of this? I know I need to check this often, but it does slip my mind, and then I feel like a jackass for not responding to people. Just go to my Deviantart account and post a message on my wall or shout box. Thanks!

Thanks to Sir Nick for betaing! Sir Nick—I'm flattered, but I don't think Dreamworks would tolerate implied sex ;)

And thank you all so much for the feedback! It's great to see people are as excited about them returning to Berk as I am :)

Please let me know how you felt about this chapter! Anyone going to miss Demyan? Was Hiccup's departure insensitive or justified? And did anyone else notice how weird it is that I put a rug merchant next to a forge? XD