First Contact
Shadowwing patiently sat on his Chieftain's stone throne while most of the tribe gathered in the Great Hall. Despite having been completed only a few weeks ago, the Hall was now constantly swarming with activity in every-cycle life.
People gathered here to gossip, commiserate after long labors, eat soup or drink tea, and just generally be a community.
The muttering and conversations continued, uninterrupted as of yet. Some people were playing card games, others were arm wrestling, many were sipping tea, and many were talking.
"Whatsgoingon yawindbag?" "Not getting' any younga!" "Some good ale like we traded for on Berk, now that's the stuff." "More blasted mushrooms and potatoes." "No idea where they've gone..." "Need my tea..."
Everyone was gathering this time because they had been summoned to an official all-tribe event.
He couldn't see any obvious signs of discontent beyond the usual grumbling about limited rations or the feeling of being trapped underground. Both of those problems were understandable, even if he, being a dragon, didn't entirely feel those to the same extent. Still, part of his heart yearned for... for the open sky. Not that he ever wanted to head back to the above again! Ragnarok could take the above, the people up there to be specific, for all he cared!
Come on, don't think about that world anymore... it doesn't matter.
To calm himself, he settled on staring at Halbjorn and Kiera since they were sitting alone at the end of a table. Neither of them had approached him since the departure. He entirely understood their concern. His own concern for Moon-Dancer, and secondarily for his nephews and nieces, was surely no different from what they felt for their son and daughter.
That brought him back to the reason for the tribal meeting.
It was only a matter of time before everyone learned the truth by not seeing their Elder, Alvor, Safiya, or most of the known Night Furies in the village. Telling the tribe the truth felt like the best approach, both to reassure them regarding ongoing efforts to ensure the future of New Haven and also to demonstrate to them that they could trust him as their Chief, both goals being related.
No one was likely to be thrilled about the prospect of needing to relocate again, but their doing so might be necessary, even if that was still very far off. It would be a lot to ask of a people to have left Berk, their other islands, the Bewilderbeast's island, Haven, and then New Haven, but he trusted in their Nord stubbornness and determination.
Gobber eventually hobbled up beside him and gently punched his shoulder in greeting. He refrained from punching Gobber back. His own punches were more forceful.
"Hey there Chief, wha's shakin'... other than yer tail?"
He snorted and let his tail freely tap on his throne in his agitation, "I am worrrried about them. My ssonn hass nneverr beenn away forr sso lonng beforre."
"Ah, so tha's what this is abou'?"
"Him annd the otherrss too."
Gobber chuckled, "Oh come on, last I checked yer brother's kids are Night Furies. They'll be fine. And yer son is, how should I say it, he's no hiccup either."
He spun on Gobber and glared witheringly, not truly angry but more amused than anything.
"Thannk you forr nnothinng, you usselessss humann."
Gobber smirked and twiddled his mustache, "Hey, I'm jus' sayin'. He's nothin' like someone else I can remember."
"You jussst wonn't ssstop, will you?"
Gobber shrugged and scratched at his own back with his good hand. They were both removed enough from the rest of the tribe that they could speak freely.
"Nah, gotta have a target of my humor. Someone I know won' take it badly."
"Sso you picked the drragonn?"
"Sure. Ya dragons are more practical than we humans sometimes. Back ta my point, Moon-Dancer is not ya... er, not like ya were... back then."
"Nnope. Morre winngsss annd tailss forr onne."
"Tha's not really wha' I'm getting' at. Ya thought ya had ta go out there on Berk all alone, even in the middle of the raids. Ya thought ya needed ta prove yerself. He doesn' need ta prove himself ta ya like that. I don' think he feels... not good enough. He's also got his cousins there ta help stay safer with and keep outa trouble."
It was a fair point and also part of the reason why the expedition was allowed at all. Flying as a pack and never breaking up was far safer than being a lone wanderer.
"Trrue, he hass nneverr beenn rrebelliouss eitherr. He knnowss to sstay closse to them."
Gobber looked at him with a curious, almost amused look while twiddling his mustache, "Tell me, do ya see anythin' 'tween him and Aurora?"
He started in surprise, wondering why Gobber had brought up that now of all times.
"Nno, I havenn't sseenn anny... innterresst like that. Have you?"
"What do ya think about them? He's her cousin, ya know."
"Nno, I didnn't knnow that," he chuckled.
Gobber snapped his fingers near his ear, "Glad ta inform ya then."
The two had not been raised as siblings and had never, as far as he and his brother could tell, behaved like siblings. There was always a space between them, mostly from her being a couple years older.
"What do I thinnk about it? I annd Lunna rraissed him well, we hope. Wass-Grrounnded annd Grreenn-Winngss did the ssame forr Aurrorra. If they love each otherr, we will nnot be oppossed to themm. Ssomme trribess would forrce marrrriagess that closse orr closserr, but nnot uss."
He refrained from thinking too much on some of the more barbaric practices held in the archipelago, at least among the more remote tribes where partners were harder to find.
Gobber shrugged, "Aye, some customs are too wrong and gods-forsaken. Other tribes... well, necessity can require some lenience in customs, owin' ta circumstances. An' some folk are jus' different."
He chuckled and gently nudged Gobber's shoulder, "Who arre you to joke about that?"
"I'm nae jokin'. We canna' choose who we love."
"Fairr."
Gobber's personal life was not his business, but it was somewhat of his duty to know what was happening in his own tribe. As his father told him in other words, nothing happened in the tribe without him, the Chief, hearing about it. With a tribe of not even one hundred and fifty humans, everyone knew almost everyone and heard whatever rumors started flying around.
Except he was so busy being a father, life-mate, and occasional Chief that he was rather out of the loop when it came to gossip.
"Iss therre annythinng I sshould knnow? Arre you sseeinng annyonne?"
Gobber rolled his eyes, "Seein' anyone? Are ya kiddin' me? Nah, and I've no interest in' tha' anymore. I dunno if this happens with dragons, but when ya start getting' ta my age... well, it gets harder ta-"
He barked and held out a paw, "Too much innforrmationn!"
"Yer tha one who start'ed talkin' about it."
He huffed, "Oh look, everryonne iss herre. We sshould sstarrt."
Gobber nodded and stepped aside, "Alrighty then. Knock 'em dead."
You really need a more encouraging phrase.
He sat upright to look as confident as he could, took a deep breath, and fired a shot into the central fireplace which immediately caught ablaze.
"TRRIBE!"
All conversation ended as everyone looked to him.
Even now after over three years of being in front of the entire tribe, he felt slightly uneasy before everyone. But he was very practiced at hiding that concern. It also helped that he could take comfort from the many familiar faces among the audience.
"You may have nnoticed ssome of uss arre away. Halbjorrnn and Kierra'ss childrrenn have left Nnew Havenn with sseverral of the Furriess annd Elderr Drragonnhearrt. They arre onn ann advennturre!"
"What?" "Gone?" "Why?" "They leave us?" "More wine!"
"They arre explorrinng togetherr forr morre placess ssome of uss could live ssafely."
Muttering and looks of surprise followed that.
"What's wrong with here?" someone shouted.
"Nnothinng iss wrronng! But we might finnd placess with morre food orr make allianncess with otherr drragonnss!"
As he expected, the mention of food left everyone nodding agreeably. One of the lessons he had learned in leadership was that how something was said was just as important as what was said. No one needed to know yet that food was going to be even more of a problem in a few years, not when their knowing that would not help and would only incite panic now.
"Sso, jusst how you onnce ssailed the sseass to finnd nnew lanndss, nnow we will help you do that inn thiss worrld!"
Erevan Haffnarson stood up, "Chief, how long will they be away?"
He wasn't surprised that the young man asked about those who departed. Erevan was naturally close to the Fury kids through his friendship with Dawn-Singer.
"A few weekss or monnthss, we cannnn't knnow! But they will come back to uss!"
He answered several more general questions, with no great signs of dissent or frustration. With his speech finished, he ended the formal meeting and then sought out several of the families, specifically those ones led by the people who had spoken to him in confidence about wanting to leave the hidden world. Gobber and Thorvald had hobbled out among the tables to help gather everyone he specially wanted to speak with. Haugenson, Sigurdsdottir, Berelachson, Blomqvistdottir and their respective spouses were waiting at a table.
"Chief," they nodded respectfully as he sat down beside them.
"Unnderrsstannd? We arre doinng ssomethinng to help everryonne."
"Yeah, but we still wish we could be safer," Sigurdsdottir muttered.
"Not just from wild dragons, but from hunger," Haugenson added.
"I unnderrsstannd. That iss parrt of why we arre ssearrchinng. Alsso, the Hall herre iss the ssafesst place forr annyonne inn thiss worrld."
"Are we going to be trapped here forever?" Berelachson asked after a pause.
He kept to himself his disquiet regarding their doubting and frustration.
Ugh, what am I going to do about them? Dad had this much easier when he could just rile everyone up against dragons, a common enemy, to make the problems go away.
He couldn't even appeal to their identity as dragonriders, not since their dragons were off living freely in other chambers and depths in the hidden world. They simply didn't see themselves as dragonriders, since their dragons were away or rarely returned.
"We drragonnss arre trrapped herre too, forr ourr ownn good. Rremmemmberr how the above fought uss? Sstayinng sstubborrnn togetherr iss the besst we cann do."
That at least brought to them several grins, nods, and other visible signs of amusement. However, even those looks were also tinted with a faint discomfort and wariness. They were still afraid of the unknown and the uncertainty, both of which there was a lot of in the hidden world.
He respectfully bowed to them and departed.
With the meeting with the full tribe finished, he trotted outside the front gates and dashed a short distance away to where Luna, Dawn-Singer, Flies-With-Sun, and the children were gathered. His brother, Green-Wings, and Wind-Dancer were somewhere else.
Luna and Flies-With-Sun were whispering and chuckling about something. His daughter was hiding behind Luna, and was silently sulking. That was not so strange of her. She was still upset with him. She had been sulking for the last couple waking-cycles, ever since the departure. Some small, or maybe very big, part of her wanted to go with them.
"Sire-father!" Night-Light shouted, nuzzling his chest.
Flower-Eater pounced at him with a happy growl and started gnawing on his foreleg.
"Sons, want to play?"
"Yes, sire-father!" Night-Light eagerly bounced on his paws.
Flower-Eater kept on chewing while Luna calmly padded over to him.
"And you Luna, my love?"
She chuckled, "If I must play with you, I suppose I shall. How did the talk go with the ground-kin?"
"It went well. They liked hearing about more food and the search for new ranges. But... some of the ground-kin still want to... go..."
She clearly understood what he meant.
"Go where?" Night-Light chirped.
"Somewhere else, my little one. But you and me, we should go... swimming!"
"Yes! Swimming!"
Night-Light wasted no time and dashed toward the nearest stream.
Luna leaned closer and whispered before he could start after their son, "You should talk to our daughter. She is very chilled."
"I will."
Luna, her sister, Dawn-Singer, and the children trotted off toward the water. Hidden-Hope remained behind, silently sulking while staring off toward the far dark part of the chamber. So he trotted over to her and sat down before her.
"Daughter."
"Sire-father," she answered without looking at him.
Her tail nervously twitched at her side. He shuffled on his paws since he wasn't sure how to begin this. He didn't want his talk with her to devolve into shouting as had happened once before.
"Do you want... to talk about anything?" he asked.
"No, sire-father."
That was certainly a lie, but there was no reason to call her out on that.
"Well, I do."
"What is there to say?" she whispered, only then glancing at him.
"Have you thought more about why we do not want you flying beyond yet?"
She snorted after looking away from him, "Because I am female and too small."
"No. You are not grown enough to fly beyond. Not yet. But when you are... you will see the world out there," he gestured with a paw.
"Yeah, sure," she huffed.
He bit back his retort to her muttering. She was in much the same situation he had been in with his own father in wanting to prove herself but feeling inadequate because of factors beyond her control: specifically her being little, well, littler compared to those who had already flown.
She was almost correct that... no, she was correct, that her being his daughter was a factor. He would not let her go even if she was actually a son of his, but her being his daughter was another reason that helped further tip the scales. Perhaps it was unreasonable, but he didn't care when it was her safety at hand. That she got frustrated with him was necessary if it kept her safe. She would understand this eventually.
Was he responsible for this somehow? Was that failing and doubting something he was doomed to perpetuate? Night-Light was very meek and timid, she felt this deep desire to prove herself out of discontent with her life, and Moon-Dancer was, while rather confident and responsible, a little unsure of his place in life since he was barely still an adolescent.
Gods, I hope I'm not messing my children up too after everything I've tried to avoid.
"Daughter, I know you are brave, but you should trust that I and you dam-mother care for you and love you. We only want what is best for you."
She looked like she wanted to say something, only she just grumbled at his words.
"Come on, we should join our kin by the water," he said.
She sighed and followed him to the streams and ponds in which the other Furies were already frolicking. Luna saw him and bounded out of the water.
"Hope, come play with us!" Flies-With-Sun bellowed.
He was very pleased that his daughter dashed ahead and joined the play, seemingly forgetting all her frustration as she abandoned herself to simple play. Flies-With-Sun was a very playful aunt who always seemed able to cheer up his daughter.
"Did she warm at all?" Luna whispered.
He joined her in staring at how their daughter was already swimming laps around her brothers and Moon-Pinner.
He deeply exhaled, "No. She is still cold to me. I see much of ground-kin me in her: wanting to prove her liver-fire and to grow bigger much faster."
"Almost like she is your little one?" she chuckled.
He rolled his eyes, "I hope so. She and Night-Light both remind me of... different parts of me. Have I fouled my flight with her?"
Luna licked his neck while purring, "You have not fouled your flight as a sire-father. Some children are more... fighting in their livers. They grow out of living like that. That is what my dam-mother told me before I flew the nest, and what Green-Wings said she has seen in life as a dam-mother."
The simple reassurance from his dear Luna was very heartwarming, but it could not entirely absolve him of the fear that he had somehow failed as a father or let down his children so far.
Hmm, maybe my wound forced me to be more careful around them. Or maybe this is just a phase from frustration. Hope so.
He and she shared another precious moment of that strange sharing of awareness by staring into the other's eyes. Peace. Relief. Trust. Some worry.
He blinked in surprise, "What are you worried about?"
She looked away and nudged the sand with a paw.
"Our son, obviously. I know with my head-thinking that he will be fine and safe with his kin, but my liver-thinking is... chilled some."
He glanced to the water where the rest of the extended family was busy at play.
"I understand. Worrying about them will change nothing, but I understand those are words only. We should join the play and think about them instead of him."
"I agree. Night-Light wants to learn more picture-talking after the play."
She hopped with a beckoning purr toward the water, so he gladly followed her. It had been a while since the previous lessons in writing. Night-Light had also gotten discouraged in the last month. The time for more lessons was at paw.
Night-Light was so happy and eager and scared all at the same time! Sire-father wanted to help teach him more of the ground-kin picture-talking by making shapes in the sand. This was good.
But this never helped him learn much in the past. There was something wrong and bad and twisted and different in his liver or head, wherever the thinking happened. He could not understand all the picture-shapes or remember them for long.
Words spoken with the mouth he could understand, but not ones spoken in picture-shapes. He was different from his nestmates and the other Fury kin in this chilling way.
Sire-father eventually stepped back from the finished picture-shapes and nodded at them.
"Done. Try to read the picture-words," sire-father hummed.
He looked down on the picture-words. The shapes were so confusing and twisted and different and flying all around in his thinking that they were hard to pin down. He had put into his memory the shapes for his own name-sign, but not much more would stay there inside.
Hu...ma...ns... are... v...ery... str...ange...
"Ground-kin are very twisted?" he warbled.
"Very good. See, you are learning," sire-father deeply purred.
"Maybe. The learning is still very... hard to remember."
Sire-father lay down beside him and covered him with a wing. That was very warming, not that he would say that to anyone, since he did not want to be teased about still being like a hatchling.
"Son, many of the ground-kin do not know any picture-words."
"No?"
"Nope. Some only learn much later in life, if they learn at all. Some do not think this learning has any lift at all."
That was surprising, but he knew that ground-kin were very different from each other. Some of the ground-kin could think more and better while others just acted and did more.
Sire-father purred and nudged him again, "Never think that having learning problems means you are less held in my liver."
That was very warming to hear from his big, great sire-father, especially when sire-father nuzzled him! But he still wanted sire-father to be warmed and proud of him for learning and being warm to the ground-kin! Being able to talk with and give words with the ground-kin was very important.
"Can you teach me more now?"
"Yes, my son. I will."
The learning continued for a long time, sire-father making more picture-words for him to look at and try to remember. But as the learning kept going, his attention started flying out to his dam-mother and all his kin playing in the water. Learning was supposed to be fun, but playing would be far more fun for certain.
Sire-father chuckled, "How about we go play in the water? That would be fun."
"Yes! We should!"
Playing with sire-father was always good to do! Sire-father had so many other duties as the Alpha for the ground-kin, and those always had him needing to be away.
"Race you to the water!" sire-father bellowed.
He started racing his sire-father for the water and for play with all his kin! Even more amazing was that he was running as fast as sire-father! That was a sign he was growing up fast!
Was-Grounded started in surprise when Shadowwing touched down beside him. He had not been expecting a visit.
"Brother, what is it?" he asked.
Shadowwing smirked and sat down before him, "I and Luna want to watch Wind-Dancer for a while, if you and Green-Wings want some time to yourselves."
That was a welcome offer. It had been a long time, many, many waking-cycles, since he and his life-mate had time to rest together away from all the children and with no sire-father or dam-mother duties at all. Most of his children were away now, leaving only little Wind-Dancer to play with, teach, and clean up after. She was still young enough that she did not understand where and when to relieve herself.
"We would like that. Green-Wings is resting with her now."
Twistedly, Shadowwing chuckled, and that was worrying.
"Do I want to know what you are thinking?" he grumbled.
Shadowwing shrugged, "Nothing I would say is twisted. I... just remember how little time we have alone with our life-mates, between being High-Alphas, being sire-fathers, and having hatchlings again."
"Very true, you and I do not play as much as we should as brothers."
"Maybe one of these cycles one of us will win and become the one Alpha!"
They both snorted in amusement.
He got to his paws and stretched, "Follow me."
They ran a short distance into the forest where they then found Green-Wings curled up by a green light-rock. Those were her favorite ones to rest near, for obvious reasons.
Wind-Dancer wiggled out from under Green-Wings's wing, and leapt at him, squealing in play and not at all tired.
Good! She will want to play with him!
"Little one, you should play with your... uncle Shadowwing."
Wind-Dancer was still too young to speak or have full understanding of words, but she was grown enough to understand 'play' and 'Shadowwing'. His brother's wide eyes, dangling tongue, and swaying tail also helped show her what he wanted.
Green-Wings hopped beside him, clearly curious what was happening, "What is this?"
"He offered to watch her so we can have some time alone."
She looked to Shadowwing and purred in approval, "Thank you, Shadowwing-brother."
"Anytime, Green-Wings-sister. We will be at the ledge outside the shared-nest if you need to find us."
Wind-Dancer trilled joyfully and bounded after Shadowwing. Together, they watched Shadowwing and Wind-Dancer depart, her chasing playfully after his tail.
Green-Wings rubbed his shoulder, "Why does he want to watch her? I trust him with her always, but it... he is twisted in many good ways."
He shrugged,"I do not know why he wanted to, but I am glad we have some time to rest alone. Maybe he wants her and Flower-Eater to play."
"Maybe."
He lay down at her side and covered her with a wing.
Long and peaceful rest followed, neither of them doing much of anything. They were out on their own with no other sky-kin anywhere nearby.
The peaceful silence between him and her had always been filled with warmth and calm. The long sun-cycles he and she had lived in the wild in her range of the above had never faded from his memory. He clearly recalled the hunts for four-legs, her hidden cave-den, the pools of water from melted snow, the nest of two-legs where he and she had gone to hunt four-leg prey, and the steep mountains.
In all that time of only him and her, they had survived as hunters and had slept away the cold-season in warmth. Moon-cycles had passed as they learned about each other, but they had enjoyed much time on their own as they hunted in silence with only their thoughts flying with them.
That he and she had become mates was not surprising at all, looking back through their life-flights. As possibly the only Night Furies left in the world, the thought-rotted one they killed not included, he and she should have become a pair to make eggs even if there was no liver-warmth between them. They were practical and untouched by the twisted-thinking of two-legs.
Why did just being at her side and sharing warmth with her now... feel so different and more and... not practical?
He purred, "Do you remember us resting on the cliffs of Haven? You told me you were carrying Rain-Eater's egg."
"Was that when we were having Shadowwing and Luna watch our first two?"
"Yes, we wanted him and her to come to want each other. We had them watch Dawn-Singer and Aurora for us."
"I remember well," she chuckled.
"Good. Life was simpler then with fewer duties and flights to fly. I only had to think about keeping sky-kin and ground-kin peace and being your life-mate and a sire-father."
She grumbled and lay down again, her head on her paws, "I think much about the food and no-eggs problems."
He understood entirely what she must think about them. Making a nest was only good if the range was one which could support the young. The lack of such prey was the reason why he and she had left her isolated range long ago to instead have Dawn-Singer in what would become the Haven-range, a place with more four-legs to hunt.
"So do I, but we should not fear much. Our children will find other ranges the ground-kin and sky-kin could make another shared-nest in. Then we could have more eggs, and if not... nothing changes."
"Nothing changes?" she hesitantly asked.
"No, why would it?" he huffed.
"I... I do not know. You are... right."
A long silence followed her saying that, and something about her silence felt twisted. She had not said everything she was thinking.
"What is nibbling your tail?" he asked.
She huffed and stared into the distance, "I... think about our little ones out there in the beyond. What if something bad happens? What if they are hunted or... or... do you not fear for them?"
Was it a dam-mother part of life to be so chilled by the thought of her children being hurt? He thought about them out there also, but not so much as to be very chilled and afraid for them. But he had not carried their eggs inside, or done nearly as much sitting with the eggs and hatchlings as she naturally did.
"We raised them well to be strong, biting, and protective of each other. They will be safe together."
"I... do you think they will leave this range?"
He blinked, startled and confused by her question, "Why would they? Yes, they will grow up and fly the nest, but that does not mean they leave our life-flights. You and I... we lived in a different world from the one they do. They would not want to leave their ground-kin's life-flights either."
She grumbled without looking at him, "Yes, I still fear, but I know my fear is twisted. I suppose I know about losing... kin."
Her fear and worry for their children was understandable, but he suspected there was more nibbling her tail.
"Do you think about your life-water kin: your sire-father, dam-mother, and nestmates?" he whispered.
"What?"
"Do you wish you knew what happened to them?"
"Yes, and no. My sire-father and dam-mother did not want to leave their range, even with two-legs coming closer to them. My nestmate brother was too young for me to know when I flew the nest. The hidden world goes very far under the ground, true?"
"It does. Luna's home-range is many sun-cycles away from the Haven-range and from here also," he explained.
"Good. Then they might have flown into the hidden world closer to where they lived. I hope they live, but I do not think of them anymore."
He thought the ease with which she seemed to not think about the past was odd of her, but she had lived a very rough life before meeting him. She had told him before that neither her sire-father nor her dam-mother had been rotted or hurting toward her in any way, but there was still something about the past she wanted to keep to herself or not growl at. He trusted her to tell him the full truth if and when she wanted to.
"I also rarely think about my lost family," he whispered.
There was no chill inside at all at the memory of how they had died. His dam-mother had died fighting in the cave-den against two-legs and hunter dogs. His hatchling sister had been in the cave-den, and his sire-father would not have left the den undefended if he had been alive. But those losses had happened so long ago, in another life entirely. It was because of his sire-father that he had thought about two-legs differently from how many kin would have.
Sire-father had told him that he wondered if two-legs were monsters when they were young, or rather if they only learned kin-hate when they grew bigger. The openness to two-legs possibly being not monsters, especially when young and more open to possibility, had in some small way helped him spare Hiccup at their first meeting.
Perhaps it was twisted that both he and she had bad pasts and had lost kin in different ways. But they had each other now and always as long as they would both live.
He lay his chin on her neck and settled down to rest with her. A long nap without needing to think about Wind-Dancer or any other duties would be very welcome.
He was right that having more time alone with her is very good. We should return the favor for them, especially since they have more children still here in this range.
Dawn-Singer yawned and stretched everything out of boredom. This was looking like it would be another waking-cycle of nothing happening.
Being watcher like this, here on the edge of the shared-range, was much better than being on the island above. True, he could see the open sky, the sun, and dawns in the above, but that duty also forced him to sleep alone, away from his life-mate and daughter. As warming as the above was, being with his kin was far better and more warming.
Motion got his attention as Erevan arrived after a long run. Not only was running and chasing both fun and a way to pass the time, but becoming faster could also help to protect him against dangers.
As did the false-scale hide his ground-kin friend was wearing. Ground-kin always had to wear false-hides whenever they went far out of the shared-nest itself.
"Hey bro, good nap?" Erevan asked, out of breath.
"Yess, you could usse one now."
"Yeah, I really could."
"Howeverr..."
He shoved Erevan with a paw and easily knocked him over with a well-timed swing of his tail.
"Hey, what was that for?" Erevan fumed, getting to his paws.
"Jusst wannted to do that for funn," he grinned.
"Thanks for nothing..."
"I lied. That wass rrevennge forr lasst time."
Erevan paused and looked confused, "Last time? What was last time?"
"Wakinng me up with a bucket of waterr!"
Erevan grinned and laughed, "Oh, yeah. That. Well, you weren't waking up no matter what I did. You gave me no choice."
"Whateverr..."
Erevan leaned against his shoulder and joined him in staring toward the spires and light-rocks. A long time passed as they rested, saying nothing.
"Miss them?" Erevan eventually whispered.
He was obviously referring to his nestmates, "Ssome, but they will be finne."
"Do you wish you were out there with them?"
"Nno."
"Why not? I kind of wish I was out there. An adventure might be fun."
"Trrue, but therre iss danngerr too. My brrotherrss annd ssissterrss will be finne without me. I have my mate annd daughterr to be with herre. I am happy with them."
Erevan flicked one of his ears, "Hey, what about me?"
"Oh, yess. You alsso. How could I forrget you?"
"Great, thanks bro..."
"Annytime. Thinnk Helga would wannt to fly?"
"Her? Nah. Flies-With-Sun wouldn't either. They're both happier here with their families. I'd like the adventure more than they would."
He was about to reply when a roar sounded from far away. The call was that of a Light Fury: someone who was not Luna or Flies-With-Sun. This must be a Light Fury from one of the other packs!
He jumped to his paws in surprise, "Sstay herre!"
"What is it? A Light Fury?" Erevan asked.
"Yess!"
He jumped and, leaving Erevan behind, flew for the approaching sky-kin. Such a meeting had not happened in a long time in this range, since the Light Fury Far-Fliers had always met sire-father or Shadowwing on the High-Alpha light-rock in another range.
It was a relief that this Light Fury in the distance was not hiding or being secretive. That this male was flying calmly, visibly, and had announced itself were signs that it had a reason for being here.
The Light Fury saw him and promptly dove for a ledge upon which it and he landed. As most of the Light Furies were, this one was smaller than him and not as strong. He had not seen many Light Furies up close, only a few brief meetings with wanderers on hunts, but they did not as a kin-kind appear as big and strong as Night Furies.
"Greetings, dark wing," the Light Fury rumbled.
"Warm flights, Far-Flier. What is your... number?"
"This one is Fourth-Far-Flier for the pack."
"I am Dawn-Singer. Why have you flown to this range, Fourth-Far-Flier?"
"My Alpha wished me to speak to your Alphas," Fourth-Far-Flier answered.
"What about?"
"You are not an Alpha. This one may only speak to them."
He grumbled but did not bother biting back at Fourth-Far-Flier. The Light Fury was only following its Alpha's orders.
"Fine. I will lead you to them. They are in the shared-nest."
Fourth-Far-Flier hissed softly and stepped back, "No. This one will not go into the shared-nest. This one will speak with your Alphas only away from the two-legs."
That suspicion of everything about the ground-kin was very chilling and thought-twisted. But there was nothing he could do about that suspicion. Even Luna's attempts to speak to her own kind had not led to any trusting. He did not care much if the Light Furies were untrusting, as long as they did not cause problems.
He snorted and turned tail on the Light Fury, "Stay here. I will bring the Alphas to speak with you."
After taking Erevan back to his kin.
"This one will wait," Fourth-Far-Flier said.
Shadowwing stared in shock at Dawn-Singer. Luna was similarly speechless at his side while Flower-Eater wove between her legs in play.
They and the other Furies had been enjoying a cycle of play with the hatchlings and teaching the fledglings more human words. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary about the present cycle.
Then this happened.
"What?" he shouted.
Dawn-Singer eagerly nodded in his excitement, "Yes, a Far-Flier is here from the Light Fury pack. He wants to talk with you and sire-father. I do not know what he wants to talk about."
Was-Grounded and Green-Wings hopped over to them after hearing his exclamation of surprise.
"Son, brother, what is this?" Was-Grounded asked.
Dawn-Singer spun on his father, "Sire-father, a Far-Flier flew here from the Light Fury pack."
Luna eagerly spoke, "I am coming with!"
Shadowwing purred in approval, pleased that she wanted to tag along on this meeting and hopefully help the meeting go well.
"Green-Wings, will you watch Flower-Eater for us?" he asked her.
"Yes, I will stay here with the children," she agreed.
"You have our thanks," he purred in gratitude.
"Dawn-Singer, you want to come with us?" Was-Grounded asked.
"I will if you want me to."
Was-Grounded grunted and stretched his wings, "You should come with us to learn more about what the pack lives like. You might be a flight-leader or Alpha one cycle."
"Sire-father, I do not want that."
Was-Grounded laughed freely, his tail thumping on the ground, "Neither did I or Shadowwing, but we became Alphas when we won the fight with the great-tusk!"
Shadowwing chuckled, "I did not want to be Alpha for the ground-kin, but they asked me to be their Alpha anyway. You never know when or how you might fly into that role."
"Great..." Dawn-Singer rolled his eyes and huffed.
With a joyful roar, Luna hopped into the sky.
"Wait for me!" Dawn-Singer cried, following after her.
Shadowwing nudged Was-Grounded's shoulder after Green-Wings wandered off with Flower-Eater.
"Shall we?"
"Yes, any ideas what it wants to talk about?"
"None. How would I know?"
"Your life-mate is a Light Fury."
"Truly? I did not know. Truly, Luna and her sister are different from most Light Furies, so they are not a good life-rule to use."
"Good point."
They took to the sky and followed Luna and Dawn-Singer toward the entrance of the cavern.
He was very eager and excited for this meeting: the first time a Light Fury had freely flown into New Haven's cavern in... a very long time. At least this was the first occasion one had flown openly here. It was entirely possible that a Light Fury had flown around invisibly.
That detail was one which didn't really bother him, though he had to consider it strategically. The ability to be completely invisible more or less at will, something Night Furies simply couldn't do, could be dangerous.
It was fortunate that there were no Light Furies who wanted to cause harm by striking from the shadows, killing livestock, or burning homes. Open attack, such as a raid like the ones Berk endured for generations, could be planned for and avoided by taking shelter inside the Great Hall with only a little advance warning. Surprise attacks could be far more destructive, not only to human life but also to the livestock which were necessary for the sustainability of New Haven.
Live and let live was a much better way for everyone.
He, Luna, Was-Grounded, and Dawn-Singer eventually touched down on the far ledge on which the Light Fury was also perched. The male was as he suspected it would be: scarred but not very large. It also appeared very suspicious of something as it glared at them.
"Warm flights, Far-Flier. What is your number?" he purred.
"This one is Fourth-Far-Flier. Are you two dark wings the Alphas?" Fourth-Far-Flier warbled at him and Was-Grounded.
"Brother, are we the Alphas?" he chuckled.
Was-Grounded yawned, "I believe we are. Must I fight you now so I can be the only Alpha?"
"Later. For now we are both Alphas."
Fourth-Far-Flier snorted, probably amused by their teasing, "This one must speak to the Alphas of the range with two-legs. The Alpha of this one's pack invites the dark wing Alphas to fly to the pack's range under pack-peace. He wants to talk with you both about the packs and peace with the two-leg things."
Shadowwing was very pleased with how this was going.
Luna stepped closer and addressed Fourth-Far-Flier, "What does the pack think about two-legs, our ground-kin?"
Oddly, Fourth-Far-Flier did not immediately answer, probably because he was considering how to answer the question.
"Whose mate is this female?" Fourth-Far-Flier asked.
Something about how he asked the question, maybe the possessive way he referred to her as belonging like property, got under his scales.
"She is my life-mate," he answered.
"Why is she here? Females are not Alphas."
Luna bristled, though she did not snap or bite. He would not have been upset if she had done either of those. This male Light Fury had an attitude he didn't particularly like: being dismissive of her because she was a female.
"No, my brother and I are Alphas for the range and all kin who bend their wings to us. But our life-mates are not less than us. She is here because she wants to help keep pack-peace. You will listen to her as if she is also an Alpha with me."
Fourth-Far-Flier grumbled and looked to him, not to Luna.
"Fine. The pack is very suspicious and fearful the two-legs will do bad in these ranges."
"Bad? What bad?" Dawn-Singer interjected.
Fourth-Far-Flier hissed, "They are different life, not kin. The pack has always lived in our ranges, but we have heard of what the two-leg monsters did above. All kin had to flee to these ranges."
Luna barked, "Yes, there are bad two-legs, but these ones are not bad like the ones above."
Fourth-Far-Flier did not immediately answer her, instead looking to him. That was unacceptable.
"Answer her, not me," he growled.
Fourth-Far-Flier reluctantly looked to her, clearly uneasy with doing so.
Luna continued before he could speak, "What is the problem? Why do you not want to speak with me?"
Fourth-Far-Flier glanced from her to him and back to her, "Your pack has customs we do not live by. This one is confused by your life-ways."
Shadowwing was not pleased by how dismissive this Light Fury was of Luna. On the other hand, this was a formal meeting with a representative of the Light Fury pack, so he had to be the better dragon and not let snide comments provoke him or start a war between their tribes.
"What does your Alpha want us to do?" he asked.
"He wants you two Alphas to fly with this one to the range where the pack lives. You would be the pack's guests in peace talks."
Was-Grounded growled, "How can we know that is safe for us? What if your pack fights us when we are away from our kin?"
Good point. Gotta be careful about that.
Fourth-Far-Flier answered, "Alpha told this one to tell you that we know how many dark wings fly in this range, and that you are all kin. You have other kin that look to you as Alphas. Us striking you first would only make your young fly against the pack in revenge. That would be bad for all."
He makes a lot of sense. Maybe we can fly there without there being much danger. Need to talk with Luna and Flies-With-Sun first though.
"We will talk about this later," he said to Was-Grounded.
Luna grumbled, "I do not like it. You would be flying into danger. I will fly with you."
"So will I," Dawn-Singer huffed.
Fourth-Far-Flier grumbled and stepped back several paces, "The invitation is only to the Alpha males. No others may fly to the pack. Will you answer our summons?"
Was-Grounded huffed, "We must talk among ourselves first. You should wait around here while we talk."
"This one will wait," Fourth-Far-Flier said and took flight.
Shadowwing, Was-Grounded, Dawn-Singer, and Luna watched the circling Light Fury while growling in various degrees. Fourth-Far-Flier eventually settled down on a large crystal where he would probably wait for them.
"Why is the Light Fury so twisted?" Dawn-Singer warbled.
"He looks down on us females like we are... just things to use or not as important as males!" Luna snarled.
Shadowwing hopped beside her and gently nuzzled her in reassurance, "That is twisted and wrong of him, but we should think about the summons. Do you believe him about it being safe for me and my brother to fly to the pack?"
"Maybe. I do not know much about Light Fury packs, to speak truth," she sighed.
Was-Grounded huffed, "It probably is safe. The pack would not want to hurt us and turn packs against each other. Our children would want to hurt the pack if the pack hurt us first. We should ask Flies-With-Sun though. She would know more about the Light Fury packs than we do."
Shadowwing nodded, "I agree."
Luna wanted to flame that Light Fury, but doing that would probably set a bad example or maybe start between-pack fighting. No, the truth was that not everyone thought well of others, and some sky-kin were thought-twisted.
What most bit her tail was how Fourth-Far-Flier thought so little of females. Maybe that was only a problem with him, but she had already heard other things from her sister. Flies-With-Sun had, many season-cycles in the past, considered joining one of the large Light Fury packs, possibly the same one this Far-Flier came from. However, she had refused to join after she learned some of the customs that pack followed. The worst customs were the not having life-mate pairs, raising children in groups without a single sire-father or dam-mother, and the females being thought of as less important than males.
All of that was so wrong-twisted and different from how her own sire-father and dam-mother had lived, from what they had taught her was good, and from what her liver said was good!
If it was the same pack then she really did not want to fly to it anyway. The idea of her dear Shadowwing flying to a range like that was chilling since he could be hurt by that pack.
She nuzzled Shadowwing's side. There was no chance that his liver would be turned to another female. She was absolutely certain of that.
But such a flight to go speak with the other pack and ensure pack-peace might be necessary for him and Was-Grounded since they were Alphas.
Her nestmate sister paced before her on the shared-ledge. Flies-With-Sun, having never flown to the above, knew the most about how the other Light Fury packs and packs of other sky-kin lived. She would know if there would be danger in this flight.
"Will they be safe? Will the pack want to kill them because they are Alphas?" she asked her sister.
Flies-With-Sun shook her head in a ground-kin signal. Helga and Kin-liver were probably to blame for her learning and using that signal.
"No, there would be too much danger for the pack to hurt them when we in the New-Haven-range are many who could go fight them. Packs do fight for territory, food, and mates, but not by killing flight-leaders who are invited to speak. No, the way such fights happen is the packs themselves fight for territory, mates, hunting grounds, and anything else... after letting all know about the fighting."
Shadowwing nodded, "That is a relief. Is there anything else we should know about that pack?"
Was-Grounded grumbled, "They have no real names. I still do not understand that."
She entirely agreed with him. That pack-custom of not having names that spoke to who they were, rather having only names for each role in the pack, had to have a reason behind it, but she could not see the reason. Maybe it was good that she did not understand that custom.
Flies-With-Sun continued, "Everything about their life is aimed at the pack-order and duties each role has. They do contests of fighting, duties, and other activities to make their pack-order. The Alpha, his mates, and the Firsts of the roles have the power-places in the pack."
Flies-With-Sun paused, probably chilled by a thought.
"Sister?" Luna softly hummed.
Flies-With-Sun sighed, leaning against Dawn-Singer, "The pack has very twisted ceremonies and customs around... mates and joining. One custom I heard about was that the Alpha would offer females to other pack Alphas as a way of keeping peace or getting favor."
Luna and Green-Wings growled while Shadowwing, Was-Grounded, and Dawn-Singer snorted in evident disdain.
"Was there another pack?" she asked.
Flies-With-Sun grumbled, "There is another range of many sky-kin, not only Light Furies but some others. I did not fly to that range since I heard there is far more fighting in it. That is where packless Light Furies fly to."
Shadowwing sighed, "I know a little about packless and cast-out two-legs. They are usually packless for good reasons. Maybe we do not need to fly there after all."
"Sire-father, Shadowwing, will any others fly with you?" Dawn-Singer asked.
Shadowwing grumbled, "They only wanted me and my brother to fly. I will have Thorvald be the ground-kin Alpha for me. You should stay here and be a flight-leader for the range."
Dawn-Singer purred, "I can do that. Dam-mother? Luna? What about you?"
Green-Wings growled, "Not me. I do not want to fly there. I will stay here with the hatchlings and children."
She stared at her paws, "I would want to fly with you there, but doing that might not be good. I will stay here with the children."
Shadowwing nodded and nuzzled her neck in return, "I understand. We will not stay there long... only long enough to make peace between our packs. I will go tell the ground-kin that we are flying."
Shadowwing considered his two older children sitting patiently, in Night-Light's case, or impatiently, in Hidden-Hope's case, before him.
"Son, daughter, I and my brother will be flying from this range to go talk with a Light Fury pack. Before you ask... no one else can fly with us. The invitation from the pack was only to me and my brother. No others are allowed."
Hidden-Hope grumbled but eventually nodded, "I understand, sire-father."
"Son?"
Night-Light just nodded, which was enough assurance for him. Truthfully, he didn't think asking Night-Light was even needed, but asking both his son and daughter made it fairer in that he wasn't specifically targeting her.
"Good. You should stay here with your kin and the ground-kin. Some of those in the shared-nest would like to do more of the games with you since many of us are away."
Night-Light perked up, "How long will our brother be away?"
He frowned, "I do not know, but we will welcome him back with much playing when he comes back. He can also tell us stories about what he saw."
Hidden-Hope huffed, "Good. I want to hear stories of the beyond."
"You will. We all will."
Gobber twiddled his mustache and eventually nodded, though he was visibly wary, "Aye, I understand ya gotta go and keep tha peace. Just watch out fer yerself out there."
"Gobberr, I cann. Thiss iss nnot like Drrago Bludvisst."
"Oh, I believe ya on that. Ye'v got a bit o' a stubborn streak in ya, jus' like yer father did. On tha other hand, yer brother's got a lot more sense when dealin' with dragons."
"Rreally? You had to ssay that?"
"Sure thin'. Someone's gotta talk some sense into ya."
"Lunna annd my brrotherr alrready did. Sstill good to hearr you carre."
"Course I do! Come 'ere you furious oaf of a Chief!"
He hugged Gobber while Gobber held his neck. Fury-human hugs were more difficult than the Fury-Fury hug, that of a chin on the head or shoulder. However, Gobber and Valka were special exceptions in which he was willing to show them a little more fondness.
"Come on, yer gonna make me cry," Gobber groaned.
He let go and stepped back, respecting Gobber's wish to remain stony-faced and rather stoic. It was not often that a Nord warrior, or any Nord for that matter, showed emotion without a very good reason. Weddings and funerals were the only acceptable times for most.
"Good poinnt. I alrready talked with Thorrvald, sso he knnowss the plann. Help him take carre of the trribe while I'm gonne."
"Always do!"
He gently patted Gobber on the shoulder with a paw, and spun away to take flight. Dozens of people were awake and going about their tasks: tending to the fields, washing clothing or spinning cloth, shaping pottery, or helping with construction of the smaller buildings planned now that the Great Hall was long since finished. Making the storehouses and supply buildings out of impregnable stone was a prudent measure in case any hungry dragons wanted to get at the jerky and salted or smoked meats.
While he glided over the crevices, waters, and misty depths and between the heights, spires of crystal, and supporting columns, his thoughts kept flying ahead to the meeting with the Light Fury pack. This would be the first time he ever met an entire pack of Light Furies, or any dragons as intelligent as his own kind.
It had always bothered him why Night Furies, Light Furies, and the very strange kind Mimir had been were the only dragons with speech. Other dragons seemed fully capable of care and affection in their own ways, but there was something different and... lesser about their potential.
He circled above the rest of his family gathered down on the ridge. Luna was there, waiting for him along with his two sons and daughter.
One passing detail of what Flies-With-Sun had shared had greatly disturbed him. Specifically, that the pack, or the pack's leaders, used females as gifts was terrible. It was possible that he and Was-Grounded might be made such an offer, not that any such temptation could work.
He touched down and bounded to his family. Words of reassurance were whispered to his children. Hidden-Hope took it well, Night-Light was a little sad, and Flower-Eater was too young to understand. Luna left Flower-Eater with her sister and walked with him away from the kids. Luna fell in at his side, holding his tail and staring expectantly at him. He so easily lost himself in her gaze, in her beautiful light-blue eyes.
Faint concern was mixed with trust and frustration in her heart.
He understood and felt it all. But he would stay as safe as possible, no one else could possibly have his heart, and he would try to learn why the pack had such strange and... vile customs.
Finally, after a long instant of peace, he nuzzled her nose, "Do not be cold, my love."
"I will try, but this will be the first you have flown far from me in... many moon-cycles," she whispered.
It was true that they almost never parted for any great length of time. The furthest away his duties took him was to occasionally sit on the throne-crystal or to have an extended session as Chief in the village. Those duties never had him truly away from her or his children.
But this duty probably would have him away for a waking-cycle at the least.
"True, and I will not enjoy this. I will ask the pack about your sire-father and dam-mother."
She purred in thanks, though there was a resignation in her eyes. After so long and so many times asking about them but hearing nothing of her parents, he understood why she was starting to give up hope of ever finding them.
It was also highly unlikely they would have joined the pack, but perhaps they had done like Flies-With-Sun: met the pack and refused to join it. Their doing that would possibly be remembered by the pack's representatives.
Maybe they weren't alive, or maybe they were alive but were so far away in the hidden world that they would never be found.
Was-Grounded approached, "Brother, it is time."
"Yes, we should fly."
He reluctantly stepped away from Luna, stroking her side with his tailfins as he did so. He perched with wings spread wide, ready to take flight. A last glance went back to Luna as she had their youngest two sons on each side under a wing while Hidden-Hope paced behind her.
With a solemn roar filled with longing, he spun away and took flight, his brother following at his side.
At least we can use this time on our own too. We don't get many chances to just be... bros. Great skies, when was the last time we went on a long flight together for fun?
He couldn't remember the last time that had happened. True, this flight was not for fun, but they never had chances to go exploring, given their responsibilities. This was an opportunity for them both, as long as nothing went wrong.
They met up with Fourth-Far-Flier where he had settled down to stay on a crystal. The Light Fury got to his paws and started stretching his wings as soon as they touched down.
"Alphas, what is your answer?" Fourth-Far-Flier asked.
"We will fly to the pack. You will lead us, yes?" Was-Grounded answered.
"Yes, this one will lead you Alphas to the pack," Fourth-Far-Flier said.
Was-Grounded stretched his wings and limbs, "How far is the flight from here?"
"The flight is long, two waking-cycles."
Shadowwing nodded, inwardly pleased that the Light Fury was confused by that gesture, "We are ready to fly."
He, his brother, and Fourth-Far-Flier took flight and turned for the mouth of the massive chamber. Pillars of rock and glowing crystals filled the path ahead, the beginning of a journey for a distant, mysterious place he knew very little about.
Shadowwing snuggled up against Was-Grounded's side after what had to be several hours of flying through caverns and massive chambers, and gliding alongside rivers and glowing forests.
He, Was-Grounded, and their Light Fury escort had settled down to rest beside a gentle stream and underneath a grove of massive, glowing blue mushrooms which were bigger than most dragons. Everyone was tired after long flight without stopping for any length of time. The caverns and passes they had flown were rather empty of other dragons, save for the occasional wanderer or lone dragon.
A short distance away stood several of the massive stone columns which connected the ground and the distant ceiling.
Part of his mind, the part that had been engrossed with making things and inventing new machines, had always wondered how the hidden world could exist at all. There was a limit to how large buildings like the Great Hall could be, since every enclosed structure needed enough support for the weight of the roof. The smaller caverns looked very believable, more like the caves in the world above. However, the larger caverns, those with ceilings hundreds of rasts high, didn't look like they should be supported by the spires and columns.
Further, no one knew where the waters flowed from or to. The water was not salt water from the sea, but beyond that he had no idea.
Maybe the spires are made of tougher rocks. The water... maybe it gets filtered, but that still doesn't explain where it flows. Who knows?
His thoughts went back to the massive underground chamber hidden inside Berk itself. That chamber held a graveyard of ancient dragons and the Nords who had tried to kill them. That large chamber existed even though there was the entire weight of Mount Thor above. Could that place have been a secret entrance to the hidden world too?
"How are you?" he whispered to his brother.
"Tired," Was-Grounded mumbled from under his tailfins.
"Excited?"
Was-Grounded snorted and flicked his tailfins off his head, "No. Meeting the pack is what we must do as Alphas. This is only a duty to our pack to keep the peace."
"Well, I already miss Luna. Yes, I know I am twisted."
Was-Grounded hummed softly and heavily knocked into his shoulder, "We are together, you and me, on an adventure of our own again."
Shadowwing rolled his eyes, though the reassurance was heartwarming, "Remember our sun-cycles of playing on Berk when we were hatchlings? Our playing and races around the islands?"
"How could I forget?"
"Life was different back then. Just you and me for so long, going on flights to explore. Then we grew up. I would offer to play-fight now, but I am tired and we want to be rested for if something bad happens."
Together, they glanced at Fourth-Far-Flier. The Light Fury was, impressively, awake and alert, standing on guard. Not that there was much apparent need; the three of them were resting under a large mushroom and completely hidden from view. But neither were they hiding from anything. As Alphas, they could always display and threaten other dragons into backing down.
"True," Was-Grounded whispered.
Neither of them feared the upcoming meeting, but they planned to be rested for it and fully alert regardless.