Author's Note –This is set in Children Of Dawn chapter 5 – Hireath
Eret, son of Eret, knew he was one of the hardest workers in all of New Haven. Some of that dedication came from his remaining worry that he had to prove himself to the tribe, given his past less-than-optimal occupational choices. He was also just a hard worker by nature. That dedication and willingness to wake up before everyone else was learned from his father, Eret, also son of an Eret, who was a very well-known dragon trapper. Further, not many people in this strange tribe wanted to do the work that he was willing to do.
It had quickly become apparent, once everyone settled down in this massive, underground, alien, and amazing cavern, that resources were limited and had to be carefully used. He understood that perfectly, having been the captain of his own trapper ship. Resources such as grog, hardtack, mead, and freshwater had to be used sparingly on the long dragon-wrangling missions. But now, down here, even manure was a resource as fertilizer for the plants and fields.
One of his jobs was to cover the manure pits with soil so that the fresh manure could eventually become fertilizer. Once enough time had passed, he dug up the fertilizer and helped spread it through the fields.
It was not pleasant, but he didn't mind. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it.
Gods, he had survived years in the above on a dragon-trapping ship, while wrangling with the most unpleasant, foul-smelling, and bad-tempered creatures in the world. On top of all that, he also had to deal with the dragons in addition to the sailors.
Everything had worked out though.
He had finished digging up the dirt covering of one of the patches of... fertilizer... when he heard the rush of approaching wings. He glanced up in worry when he heard that sound. He had no problems with any of the dragons now... except for one. The thought of those white wings swooping down on him was horrifying.
Luna probably wouldn't actually kill him now, and she could easily kill him from her invisibility if she truly wanted him dead. He had almost stolen her and Shadowwing's first egg, their son, Moon-Dancer, on that fateful night he and his doomed crew sailed to Haven in search of fame and fortune. He had gotten infamy and poverty as a result, but he was glad that everything turned out that way, at least for himself. His crew had not had such a good outcome. In the years that had passed, he had never spoken to her or to Shadowwing about that night. Every time she saw him, she would stop whatever she was doing and would glare at him, not baring her teeth or snarling but definitely narrowing her eyes and trying to make him feel uncomfortable.
She always succeeded at that; she was a very intimidating Light Fury when she wanted to be, which was whenever she was around him. He didn't blame her for that in the least, but the ever-present worry that she might want to turn him into roasted human did make him slightly apprehensive.
But he gave a sigh of relief when he heard the caw and screech of a very familiar and dear dragon. His dragon, well... his friend, Stormfly, was circling overhead. That dear and not-so-deadly Nadder followed him almost everywhere, as if she was trying to be over-protective of him.
Which she probably was, considering what happened in the past. He knew few of the details except that her former rider, friend, and the Chief of Berk, Astrid the Dragon Whisperer, had fallen in single combat against Drago Bludvist, though she also slew him in that contest. That was a great achievement, given Drago's reputation for cruelty and brutal effectiveness. Terrible, the warlord was, but he always paid for the dragons, which had made him a good client for the many trappers, such as himself, diligently working against the dragon menace.
Well, in a past life anyway.
Stormfly dove, daintily touched down, and dashed toward him with all the grace of an overgrown hen.
"Hey girl, how are you?"
She trilled happily and nuzzled him, fixing him with a warm look from her visible eye.
"Yeah, I thought so. What's going on?"
She huffed and opened her jaws. Just inside her jaws was cloth wrapped around something. He reached in and retrieved the loaf of cooked potatoes and mushrooms. She brought lunch for him from the village.
"How thoughtful of you, as usual. You amazing girl."
She preened and apparently noticed something. She lifted her head and squawked, calling down another couple sets of Nadder wings. They were Blueback and one green Nadder fledgling, whom he had unimaginatively named Stormback. The two new arrivals touched down and bounded toward him. Stormback, about one fathom tall, pranced around him while brushing him with his wings.
Stormfly and Blueback had apparently been mates once and had a clutch of eggs on Berk. Those offspring were grown adults, flying on their own somewhere else and responsible for their own lives. The loss of her human had led to Stormfly being very depressed, so much so that she didn't even try to make eggs in future years. He hadn't know that animals... that dragons could feel that sad. They were much more subtle about showing their feelings than people... than humans were. It took experience with them, learning their body-language and getting to know them to truly understand what they were thinking or feeling.
But she had started being happier after she got to know him, which in turn had resulted in her going to Blueback again. The pair had flown off together after everyone settled down in the hidden world, and the Nadder pair returned with one hatchling months later.
He felt very protective of the fledgling, almost as though he was family, extended family.
"Hey there. What are you two doing here?"
Blueback snorted and sniffed at the pile just dug up. Then the male Nadder stepped back with an annoyed trill. Stormback kept waddling impatiently.
"Ah, I get it. Not here. Over there!"
He pointed across the field to where the new pits had been dug. Blueback then nudged the fledgling and glided across the fields. Stormback followed his father to go do what was needed.
"Want to go with them? You can if you want to."
Stormfly trilled softly, nuzzled him, and then flew off after her family.
It was still amazing to him even now how much she and many of the other dragons, not even counting the Furies, understood. The non-Furies had no spoken words, but they didn't need any for such interactions. Intentions and basic instructions were understood with just pointing, repetition, and listening to spoken words.
The friendly distraction over with, he turned his attention back to the... ripe fertilizer. The plan was to tend to the potato fields today.
Alright, time to get dirty... and then have a nice bath afterwards.
If there was one thing about his choice of work that he was not upset about, it was that he had a very good excuse for taking frequent showers in the waterfalls. While the true Nords generally had low expectations for cleanliness, even they appreciated not smelling like manure. Sweat and grime was fine and a display of manliness, but not this. Even dragonriders had standards.
"Jus' wher' did ya' get tha' bone?" Gobber asked in bewilderment.
Jingles the Boneknapper rumbled with far too much pleasure and then dropped the bone on the ground before him. The bone looked like a big femur of... something.
"Do I even wan' ta' know? Nah, probably not. Wha's up with ye', and nah, I'm not polishin' yer bones again!"
Jingles huffed and rattled his bone-armor. Then he started licking it to make it shine brighter.
"Tha's right, yes! Ya' do tha' yerself. I've got work ta' do. These pots aren't going ta' make themselves!"
Jingles glared at him and snorted a burst of flame.
"Sure, alright then, ye' can help with tha' firin' later."
Apparently satisfied, Jingles lay down and went to sleep after laying a paw on the bone.
"Walkin' boneyard..."
He strode back to the potter's wheel and sat down, getting back to work. Some in the tribe had questioned whether he was the best suited to be shaping clay into pots and plates, what with his missing an arm and a leg. But he volunteered for the job and dared anyone who questioned him to meet him outside the village for a friendly duel. No one volunteered to duel him.
There was a forge, but its fire was ashen cold. There simply wasn't much that needed making, and there was also a lack of metal to work with.
He liked pottery because it let him work with his hands... hand. He could do this on his own power without any of the dragons needing to help him. Having one of them volunteer to help with firing the shaped pots was welcome because it saved time, and also because it was usually one of the Furies or his own dear Jingles who was willing to help out. But the point was that he could fire the pots and finish them on his own if he needed. Having enough pots would help with preserving foods, storing water, and who knew what else.
It was practical work that could pass the time.
Now what am I going to do with that bone? No, that's a problem for later.
Then he turned his attention back to shaping the pottery as the wheel steadily spun. His thoughts slowly turned to the next meal he would help prepare. It was probably more of the same: potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms, and fish... so much fish.
"Dump them in the pot... Cook them in a stew... Slop for the whole lot... Gonna get us through..."
"Alvor, Safiya, did you finish all your chores?" their mother asked.
They had worked together on their chores to get them finished early. The hope was that their dragon friends would return soon so they could spend the rest of the waking-cycle doing... friend stuff. It had been a few cycles since they had done that because the dragons had duties that had them away for a while.
"Yes, mom!" "We did!" they answered.
Their mother left the small pantry and frowned at them. That was not a good sign.
"What is wrong, mom?" Safiya asked.
"Nothing, what are you two up to now?"
"We'd like to be released if you don't have anything else for us to do," Alvor answered.
"Are you going exploring again?" their mother asked.
"Only if Aurora shows up again. Rain-Eater is busy right now," he answered.
Their mother frowned again and put her hands on her hips in a gesture that Safiya had already adopted unintentionally.
"Well, alright, if you've finished your chores. Just be back in time for dinner."
"Will do!" "No problem!"
They left the family hut and ran off together across a rope bridge to a higher ledge without feeling any concern at all. Heights were nothing to dragon riders. They lay down in the long grass beside one of the glowing crystals. This was one of their favorite places in the tribe's cave.
This ledge was the place where they had first thrown themselves from the heights and tested their wingsuits with Aurora and Rain-Eater at their side in case anything went wrong.
They stared straight up for a long time without saying anything.
"I'm bored," Alvor said.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"What else is new?" Safiya muttered.
"Nothing."
"Yep."
"Same here."
"I know."
They lay on their backs while staring up at the distant ceiling of rock. It looked exactly the same as ever before. Nothing ever changed.
"Any plans now?" she asked.
"Nope."
"Want to head into town?"
"Sure, why not. Doing something is better than nothing..."
They hopped to their feet and turned for the tribe's town center, not that it was much of that. The buildings were not as grand as they had been back on Berk or Haven, not that those were grand in their own rights.
Alvor frowned while glancing up at the sky, hoping that someone dear would arrive. It was unlikely that anything bad had happened to her, but still...
They finally arrived at one of the larger tents that had been standing for... since the tribe arrived. It was one of the busier places since everyone gathered to gossip, get food, or just enjoy company.
There was a bowl of very thin soup that was always prepared and ready for people to enjoy. Mushrooms, potatoes, leeks, various greens, some herbs, fish... it was all the same every day... every cycle.
They both grabbed a mug of water and a bowl of their... savory... soup.
"You miss her?" Safiya asked.
"Thanks, sis. I needed that reminder."
"Can't be away from your girlfriend for a while?"
He rolled his eyes, "She is as much my girlfriend as Rain-Eater is your boyfriend."
"Whatever. You really want to wander and see the world out there?" she asked.
"Yeah, of course. Don't you?"
"Maybe a little."
They had already talked about the desire to go exploring, not that it was likely to ever happen. No, this large cave, which was apparently large enough for everyone to sustain themselves inside, was the only place anyone was allowed to go.
Dragonheart didn't count. She could go more places beyond since she had more experience with dragons.
Three other teenagers entered with grumbles and sighs and indistinct muttering.
"It's them," Safiya whispered.
"Great," Alvor grumbled, seeing who she mentioned.
The other three grabbed their own bowls of soup and only then noticed them sitting there as they took another table.
"Well, look who it is," Borlasson said after crossing his arms.
"The Night riders," Daeronson huffed.
"Think you're so much better than us," Gudmundsdottir sneered.
"No, we don't," Safiya answered.
"Yeah, you do since you've got such special dragons of your own," Borlasson huffed.
"They're not our dragons. They're our friends," Alvor huffed back.
"Sure they are. You've got them well-trained, huh?" Daeronson teased.
"Not at all." "Nope."
Borlasson made a rude gesture at them.
"Whatever. I still say that Gronkles are the best. They keep working longer than other dragons, make more heat, and you know what's best about them?" he rhetorically asked.
"They don't talk back!" Gudmundsdottir answered.
"You got it!" Borlasson and Gudmundsdottir high-fived.
"Those Furies are too good for us anyway. They can go flying all around while we stay stuck here!" Daeronson fumed.
"I know, right? Hey, you hungry?" Borlasson agreed.
"When are we not?" Daeronson said.
Their grumbling slowed down as they started eating their soup.
Alvor and Safiya silently glanced at each other and shook their heads as they returned to eating their soup.
They both understood that they had a special place in the tribe. Excluding Dragonheart, they and Erevan Haffnarson were the only humans whom the Furies allowed to fly with them or called friends and family.
It was natural that others in the tribe would be jealous of that bond they and their Fury friends shared.
Rain-Eater watched as Alvor and Safiya eagerly ran into their family-den to grab their false-wings. He hummed to himself while Aurora paced, lashing her tail with her impatience.
"Where are they?" she hissed.
Both of the ground-kin emerged while carrying their false-wings. They looked so eager for the flying that they did not even start wearing the correct furs yet.
"Letss go!" Aurora crouched down and let Alvor climb on her back before taking flight.
He and Safiya similarly followed after them out of the mixed-nest. Over the glowing forest below and between the tallest mushroom-trees. Out over the waters in which sky-kin dove to catch fish and to swim.
They pitched up and ascended along a waterfall to another, high ledge on which they landed. This was the most liver-warming place in the shared-range to all four of them, aside from the shared-ledge where the two Fury family-packs rested.
He pranced up to the edge of the ledge, let Safiya down, and waited while Safiya changed her furs and put on her false-wings. They were dark hides made from the four-leg prey that lived down in this range. Her hides also had shed scales from him and his nestmates. She also had large fin-wings that went from her arms to her legs. Lastly, she had false fins that rolled down her back to help with keeping flight as stable as possible without a tail or any true tailfins.
She was a true sky-kin in her liver, though he had come to suspect that sky-kin and ground-kin livers were very similar.
It had been twisted seeing her change her furs the first time. That ground-kin wore clothing-furs was one of the mysterious parts of their lives that, while he understood the practical need with his head-thinking, his liver-thinking only thought that ground-kin made life too twisted.
Finished with putting on her flying-furs, she came over to him on the edge of the ledge. Together, they looked down toward the world below while feeling the gentle wind that always blew through the cave. The water falling down from the nearby stream sparkled in many different colors from the light of the nearest crystals. The distant mushroom-trees and glowing plants gave off light most noticeable in the darkest corners of the cavern.
It was time.
"You ready for this?" Safiya asked.
He laughed heartily and had to hold still his tail, "You arre worried about me?"
"Well, yeah. Wouldn't want you to do something crazy if I lose control."
"If? You meann whenn."
"Thanks, really feeling the confidence, bro," she teased.
"I think I agree with the dragon on this one," Alvor interjected as he came over while wearing his own dark flight-furs.
"What are brothers for?" Safiya sighed.
"What arre we forr? Beinng betterrr thann ourrr ssissterrrsss!" he answered.
"Yep, you know how it is, Rain!" Alvor nodded.
"Yeah, right..." "Nnoo..." Safiya and Aurora groaned and hissed.
Safiya took a running start, flung her arms out, and jumped into the open air. He roared softly in worry for her and jumped after her, eventually settling into a glide at her side as her wings were stretched wide. She tilted to the side and recovered her gliding flight.
With a soft growl at himself, he darted forward and under her, spun around onto his back, and grinned up at her. Then he started spinning around her with flight-joy.
Why was I worried? She knows how to fly... in a ground-kin way!
Alvor watched as his sister and Rain-Eater glided off. Then he put a hand on Aurora's neck and gently scratched.
"Ready?"
"Arre you?" she barked.
He got up and started pacing along the very edge of the cliff while rubbing his neck, "I don't know. It's been so long that I might have forgotten how to... aaagghh..."
He deliberately fell off and stretched his wings once he was out of her view. If he was right about this... and yes, there she was diving after him just in case.
Gotcha!
She must have realized that he had tricked her because she shot a fireball in front of him, which disturbed his glide.
"Hey!"
She stuck out her tongue at him.
Good to have you back...
It was on their third flight as a group of four that they were joined by more familiar wings in the sky. Moon-Dancer, Hidden-Hope, and Mist-Wings flew in with joyful roars.
Aurora and Rain-Eater caught him and his sister, and they eagerly spun around Mist-Wings and the Dawn Furies. All five Furies then dove down past a sparkling waterfall and landed on the rocky shore by the flowing water. He and Safiya hopped down and waited while the Night Fury siblings greeted each other. Mist-Wings greeted Aurora first with a dragon hug of the chin on the shoulder. Then the three siblings started speaking in the dragon language that humans could not hear.
Meanwhile, Moon-Dancer and Hidden-Hope bounded over to him and his sister.
"Alvorr, Ssafiya," Moon-Dancer purred.
He and Safiya greeted Moon-Dancer with their own hums and slight bows. Even among the Furies, Moon-Dancer was special since he was the oldest Dawn Fury.
"What about me?" Hidden-Hope hissed.
"Wait, Hidden-Hope is here? Where?" he snickered.
"Not sure, she must be hidden somewhere," Safiya laughed.
"Nnot funnnny!" Hidden-Hope barked and slapped the ground with her white tail.
"Verrry funnnny!" Moon-Dancer purred.
Hidden-Hope snapped at his nose, grumbled, started licking her shoulder, and completely ignored anything else they said.
"So, we have the whole group back together, any plans?" Alvor asked.
Everyone looked around, waiting for suggestions.
"I have an idea," Safiya began.
Dawn-Singer was very pleased by this opportunity. Not only was his dear Moon-Pinner going to be learning more of the ground-kin words, but he and Flies-With-Sun were going to have more time to bond as life-mates.
His plan was to show her some small-wanting signs that might spark interest or wanting in her liver. He settled down on his ledge while gazing toward her as she slept with Moon-Pinner on her forepaws. His life-mate's wings sparkled with spots and streaks of yellow while her long tail twitched in her sleep-vision.
He lay there and watched her as she slept, waiting for her sleep-vision to end. Hopefully it was a good one! Any excuse to look at her more was also welcome.
Her twitching eyes and tail eventually stilled. Satisfied that the sleep-vision was over, there was no reason to wait longer. There was learning and bonding to do.
He sighed, padded over to his life-mate, and nudged her awake, also licking her neck to help wake her up.
"My life-mate, they are waiting for us."
"What? Oh, the learning for our daughter?"
"Yes, that."
She got to her paws with a yawn and woke Moon-Pinner, though their daughter woke up with a hiss of displeasure.
"Dam-mother!"
"Where are we flying?" Flies-With-Sun grumbled while stretching everything.
"The sand by the stream," he purred, watching her stretching.
"Dam-mother! More sleep," Moon-Pinner hissed.
"Little one, we are going to fly the words-flights with the ground-kin," she hummed.
"Do I have to, sire-father?" Moon-Pinner barked.
"Yes," he answered.
"Why?"
"Because you should learn."
"Why?"
Because I am your sire-father and I say so... does that have lift? Hmm, maybe if she fights again.
"Because we both want you to learn that flight, and the ground-kin are our kin. I and your dam-mother also want you to learn this. You can make us prouder of you!"
Moon-Pinner huffed and wrinkled her nose.
"Night-Light will also be there. He is still learning the words," he added.
That made her ears lift very quickly. She was competitive with Night-Light.
"Okay, sire-father, dam-mother. I will do this."
She pranced over to the edge of their ledge and started stretching her wings.
Flies-With-Sun nudged his shoulder, "To the shared-ledge first?"
"Yes, they are waiting for us."
He, she, and Moon-Pinner took to the hidden sky and glided down around light-rocks, ledges, waterfalls, glowing plants, and all that was so familiar. Moon-Pinner easily kept up with him as he was not flying fast at all.
They dove toward the very liver-warming ledge where Shadowwing was resting with a wing over Luna's back while Night-Light stood attentively by them. His own dam-mother, Green-Wings, was resting further up the ledge while his nestmates Rock-Climber and Mist-Wings stood by her and were talking about something.
It was still a twisted thought that his own dam-mother had another egg and that he was going to have a new little nestmate-brother or nestmate-sister even now that he was a grown adult with a fledgling of his own. But he was also in a very good position to help sit with his coming new nestmate, since he had experience doing that with his own fledgling.
"Shadowwing."
Shadowwing lifted his head and purred at him, "Are you ready to take Night-Light?"
"I want to go fly this flight!" Night-Light started bouncing on his paws.
Moon-Pinner hopped before him and preened, "I will fly it faster than you!"
Night-Light stuck out his tongue at her. She snapped at the tongue and missed.
Shadowwing chuffed in amusement, "Will you stop your little one from biting him or his tongue? He needs it to be able to talk."
He rolled his eyes at the thought. Moon-Pinner was very twisted and definitely needed to learn more responsibility, though her desire to play with her kin was very good and warming.
"I will."
Shadowwing got up, nuzzled his neck, and nudged Night-Light, "Go, son. Dawn-Singer and his kin will fly with you on the flight."
Night-Light turned to Shadowwing, his eyes going wide, "Sire-father, can you fly this with me?"
Shadowwing blinked and softly hummed while nuzzling Night-Light's nose, "I have Alpha-duties this waking-cycle. I must go be with the ground-kin and be their Alpha."
"Okay, sire-father."
Night-Light's ears fell slightly. That liver-chill was a cold that he, Flies-With-Sun, and Moon-Pinner could help with, so he stepped over to him, to his...
What do the ground-kin call them? Nephews? Cousins? Whatever... he is my kin.
He licked Night-Light's neck while purring to him, "We can play with you while your sire-father is doing... twisted-Alpha things."
Night-Light purred, and Shadowwing snorted.
Flies-With-Sun roared softly in call to Moon-Pinner and Night-Light, both of whom took flight after her.
Shadowwing bumped his shoulder and purred while whispering, "Thank you, Dawn-Singer."
He purred back to Shadowwing and followed after his kin. Night-Light and Moon-Pinner flew between him and Flies-With-Sun. There was no danger in this good, shared-range, but he and she still flew protectively of the two fledglings just because they should.
It was a long but very warm flight together as they continued deeper into the shared-range. All became brighter as the light-rocks became more along with more and bigger trees and plants. They passed over a very bright tree with leaves that burned with white light.
He saw the place where they were flying to. The clean sand by the clear waters that were so good to swim in was a very good place to practice picture-words. More than the place though, he saw the dear ground-kin they were going to meet. His own life-bond ground-kin, Erevan, Erevan's nestmate sister, Helga, and Kin-liver were all gathered down on the sands.
He roared with joy to them as he led the flight down onto the sands. Erevan dashed away from the other two to greet him, which was perfect.
You flew into the trap!
He roughly landed in the sand and angled his paws to dig up the sand. The sand flew up with a splash into Erevan's face and knocked him over onto his back, sand fouling his head-fur. Helga and Kin-liver burst out in laughter and liver-warmth.
"Was that really necessary?" Erevan shouted as he got to his paws and shook his head-fur.
"Verry!"
"Good to see you too, useless dragon."
He laughed as the rest of his kin touched down and pranced up to them, their paws also kicking up the sand.
"Errrvannn!" Moon-Pinner cried and jumped at him, tackling the ground-kin onto his back. Again.
"Moon-Pinner! Stop licking me!"
They are twisted!
He grabbed her tail and pulled her off his ground-kin to let him get up.
Kin-liver warily came closer while staring toward Moon-Pinner. She escaped from his grasp and dashed at her, jumping to catch Kin-liver. But Kin-liver, so like a sky-kin in her moving, ducked under the strike and knocked Moon-Pinner over mid-jump. His fledgling tumbled onto the sand, rolled onto her back, and sneezed the sand out of her nose.
Meanwhile, Night-Light calmly hopped over to Erevan and Helga, purring to them with liver-warmth. Night-Light had no knowledge of how to make ground-kin words yet, and he was the fledgling here to do most of the learning even though Moon-Pinner still needed much practice flying this flight.
Kin-liver grasped Moon-Pinner's paw and helped her up.
"Silly fledgling! This is not the time for playing," Kin-liver said.
"Playinnng!" Moon-Pinner barked.
He strode to his fledgling and grumbled at her, "Daughter, you will learn now. Kin-liver, Erevan, and Helga will teach you."
"But I do not want to!"
Flies-With-Sun grumbled and glared down at her. Moon-Pinner shrank slightly.
"You will learn, or I will carry you back to our cave-den... by your scruff!" she hummed.
"No! I will learn!"
Moon-Pinner hopped over to Kin-liver and sat down on her rear, tail stilled. She looked ready to learn.
My life-mate, you have a way with words.
Night-Light hopped over to Kin-liver and sat down, his ears lifted high. Night-Light was a calmer fledgling who never flew into much trouble.
What did Shadowwing and Luna do to get such a calm fledgling? Maybe he is not at the life-fighting time yet.
Flies-With-Sun stepped up next to him, so he lay a wing over her back and let their tails start idly fighting each other.
Meanwhile, they watched the two fledglings who were learning. Both of the children held small sticks in their jaws and were using the sticks to make the word-shapes in the sand. The nestmate ground-kin would say words and make the picture-shapes in the sand to show what was being said.
This was how he learned his words, more or less. Shadowwing had taught him how to make the shapes in sand by using his paws and claws. Special sticks like the ones Kin-liver brought were better and faster than using claws and paws for some of the drawing.
He subtly glanced at his life-mate standing at his side and licking her shoulder to groom herself. She had not learned how to make any ground-kin words, but she did understand most of what was said aloud now. If Kin-liver or one of the life-bond ground-kin said the words, anyway. Learning the words of other ground-kin was more difficult to her. Further, learning happened slower for sky-kin who were grown than it did for the young.
He had a very liver-warming idea!
"Come with me!" he hummed and spun away from her.
"What is it?" Flies-With-Sun barked.
"Follow me!"
She did, bounding along after him as they ran down the sandy shore together. He was looking for something specific as he ran.
Where would one be? Where... There!
He found one of the not-mushroom trees and broke off one of the thin branches. Careful biting and clawing carved away the smaller branches and turned the stick into a writing-thing! He proudly grabbed the stick in his jaws and then bounded back to her side on the sand.
"What are you doing?" she warbled, looking curiously at him.
He started making the picture: a long line in the sand, a rock, a big hole that went down into the rock, and shapes of sky-kin in the hole. The very big picture in the sand took a long time to make, but he did not care about that. He was doing this for his life-mate, so he would use all the time that was needed. He added the great sky-rock, the sun, above the line, but he also gave the sun its own wings. Finally, he shaped a sky-kin along the sun.
He tossed the stick away and held his head and shoulders very proudly.
"Done! Can you guess what it is?" he smugly purred.
She walked around the picture for a while until she bent down and stared at the sky-kin next to the sun. She held a paw above it without touching the picture.
"This is a picture of me!" she barked.
"Yes! The sky-kin is flying in the sky, with the great sky-rock, the sun!"
She hummed while staring at the picture. Then her ears lifted, probably since she had an idea. She bounded away from him and grabbed the same stick in her jaws.
She started making a shape in the sand, but she was not as practiced at this as he was. She stepped on her own picture and growled at herself for doing that, but she kept making the picture.
Wings... tail... I do not know more... maybe a circle-rock... and a mouth...
She finished and tossed the stick away. Then she sat down and crooned at him, clearly waiting for him to guess what her picture was. He looked over the curls, lines, and strange shapes without having any clear answer jump out at him.
He was doomed.
Great sky-breath... help me!
This was not going to help him at all. She correctly guessed the picture he made for her. Wait...
"Me?" he warily warbled.
"Yes! New-cycle-singing!" she bellowed.
That was just a guess, but thank the sky-breath that he guessed correctly! This would help him with her!
"It is good. You have not even seen a dawn yet," he said.
She hopped away from the two pictures, and he followed her over to the edge of the water. They glanced down the shore to where the three dear ground-kin and the two fledglings were still learning. His and Flies-With-Sun's picture-making had taken a long time. Hopefully the fledglings' picture-making and learnng would take a lot longer. That would leave him more time with her.
"No, I have not seen the above-world. Doing so feels chilling," she said.
"Why?"
"The stories of bad two-legs and big flights of tree-dens, the boats, on the water."
"Those are bad, but the above is not only those."
She stepped in front of him and extended her neck, so he started grooming her where she could not reach.
"The more I hear about that above: the long waters that never end, the sky-mist-clouds that we can hide in and fly in, and the great, warming sky-rock, the more I want to fly up there, even if only once to see it," she said.
He paused in the grooming, "Do you want to fly to the above with me the next time I am the watcher?"
"Maybe, but what about Moon-Pinner? Would we take her up there with us?"
"No. Not for being watchers. She might do something twisted, and there could be danger up there. I would not want her to fly into danger."
She grumbled, "True, she is in a very life-fighting age now. She might try to fly far or not listen. We could leave her here in the shared-range with your sire-father and dam-mother or with Shadowwing and my nestmate sister."
That might have lift. But...
He finished grooming her and lay his head on her shoulder, "What can we do to help her learn more responsibility? Do you have any ideas?"
"No. She has a fighting life-fire and will want to fight us also in her own way."
"She is like Hidden-Hope. Maybe she needs to help out more in the shared-range. She could do things like help find berries for the ground-kin."
He heavily sighed as he secretly flew the next part of his plan.
"I remember when I was a fledgling and wanted to play all the time. My sire-father and dam-mother had me help teach Aurora and Rain-Eater their ground-kin picture-words."
"Did they learn?" she chuckled.
"Yes, I did not like doing it, but helping my smaller nestmates helped me grow much and think more about them."
She hummed, "My sire-father and dam-mother did the same with me. I had to help with my two younger nestmates in the range where I grew up... before we had to flee the den and range."
This flight was going well so far. She already had the ideas that needed to grow and then hatch in her thinking.
Now to help them grow!
"We should play while Moon-Pinner is busy learning."
"What do you want to play?"
He knew the game to play and what to do in it, "Tail catching!"
With that, he walked past her while brushing her side with his tailfins. That could have happened by accident, so it was not totally revealing of his plan. Then he turned around and stuck his tongue out at her.
She did not use many ground-kin signals, but she understood that play-signal. She leapt at him with a soft roar. The chase was on.
Running through the plants, hopping over the glowing mushrooms, ducking under leaves bigger than sky-kin, dashing along the streams, past smaller light-rocks, disturbing the orange-tiny-wings, and on and on until he saw what he was looking for.
Now for the next part of the plan!
He deliberately fouled his run so that she would catch him right now. She did, her toothless jaws closing around his tail. She thought that she had won.
I caught you!
"You win!" he collapsed on his belly.
She growled, shaking his tail before she let go, "Yes, the night was caught by the sun!"
"Yes, light caught night... and I want sleep," he chuffed and lay his head on the ground by some flowers.
She padded up next to him and nudged his shoulder. Then she briefly nibbled on his ears after he did not get up. The nibbling would be very annoying if it were done by anyone other than her.
"We should not sleep here. We should rest by Moon-Pinner if we rest anywhere."
He rolled his head slightly, knocking into the glowing flowers by his head. They were strong-life-hatchling flowers.
He, his sire-father, and Shadowwing had no idea what these flowers did for females that was so good for eggs and hatchlings, but both Luna and Flies-With-Sun had assured them that eating these flowers helped make stronger hatchlings. They were not going to question it. She had eaten these flowers much when he and she were trying to make Moon-Pinner's egg, and their fledgling was certainly healthy and filled with a strong life-fire.
"True, we should not rest here," he sighed.
He got to his paws and then stepped alongside her. She looked both confused and liver-warmed as they started walking together. It would be a long walk back, not that he was chilled by that. This was more time with his life-mate.
"Will you tell me more about the far range where you hatched and fledged? I know that you had to flee that den, but the range sounded very good," he asked.
She hummed softly, "Yes, it is a good range. The den is by a light-rock and has many trees and ponds. Best is that it was so far away from packs of kin that we were on our own. The range also had..."
He never stopped purring at her as they walked and spoke about anything that flew into their thoughts. If his tail swayed to the side and struck hers, well, that happens when walking. Just being around his dear life-mate was so liver-warming and good. Maybe he could just ask her to be with him for liver-warmth, no egg-making needed. Or maybe it would be best to wait more. She was not even in a season or life-time to want to jump at him. Life-making cycles and seasons had gotten confused since leaving the above, so he had no idea when she might feel that wanting.
But... just being around her without any other duties was a very good way to use his time. This plan was going very well, even if they had not done anything yet out of wanting. He could wait. She was worth it.
Valka frowned. Moon-Pinner was looking frustrated, and both Eregan and Helga looked tired of this. It felt like a good time to stop.
"Want a break?" Valka asked.
"About time," Helga sighed.
"Sure," Erevan said.
"Yesssss," Moon-Pinner hissed, her tail showing her frustration.
Night-Light eagerly nodded.
"Dawn-Singer! Flies-With-Sun!" she shouted.
The two adult Furies, who had been resting just up the beach, hopped to their paws and strode forth.
"They want to go swimming."
Both Furies' ears lifted immediately.
"Sswimminng! Yess!" Dawn-Singer purred.
Erevan flew to his feet and threw off his shirt, "Last one to the water is a rotten egg!"
Helga ran after him and shouted, "You would know!"
The Night Furies followed, and they were off, running toward the water as fast as they could. Almost all of them.
Night-Light remained at her side, softly humming to her. Her grandson, strange as it still was to think, was the most timid of Shadowwing's three children. He was also the youngest, not even reaching to her head if he stood upright.
She held his head while cooing to him. That always calmed him, especially since she had been there to do that for him after he hatched.
"Night-Light, want to swim with us?"
He looked uncertain for a moment and then nodded as he followed her to the clear water in which Moon-Pinner, Dawn-Singer, Flies-With-Sun, Erevan, and Helga were already splashing and swimming. These waters were safe with no hidden passes large enough for anything dangerous to swim through. One of the first important activities undertaken years ago shortly after settling down here was to carefully inspect every nook and cranny, even underwater, to make sure what was safe.
Other waters were not so safe. Some of the waterfalls fell into a pool that, while it was safe, flowed over a ledge that fell down a great distance through a narrow pass and left the entire cavern. No one knew what was at the bottom of that fall. It was useful as one method of waste disposal, but there was the danger of someone, such as an unsupervised child, going over the edge. That had not happened yet, but she worried about such possibilities as an Elder.
She waded out into the crisp water while Night-Light splashed into the shallows at her side.
"Night-Light, come on! This is fun. You shou-" Erevan shouted.
Dawn-Singer splashed up from under Erevan and sent him flying through the air toward the deeper water.
"Useless rept-"
Splash.
Moon-Pinner was swimming circles around Helga while Flies-With-Sun looked on in amusement before ducking under the water. Night-Light's apparent reluctance melted as he watched the playing, and he swam forward with a soft roar.
She sighed as she stood there, her staff left behind on the shore. The tips of her fingers brushed the surface of the water.
This is what should always have been. It was only more appropriate that both of the Dawn Furies who looked the part, with spots of different colors, were here right now.
A stray thought, one which she had entertained many years ago, came back to her again. What if she had been able to bring Hiccup with her as a baby? What if she had never been taken at all? How different would everything have been? What kind of mother would she have been?
All the dragons of the sanctuary had been like children to her. They had needed protecting, and she had been in a position to give that protection.
But part of being a mother was to need to let go of them once they were grown. Now, with Shadowwing's children and Was-Grounded's children, and by extension Dawn-Singer's daughter, she could be something of a mother after all. She didn't understand humans that well, but dragons she knew very well.
Well, maybe mother is not truly what she was to them. Aunt? That line of thought brought up so many questions she had no real answer to.
Now, with no trappers to protect the dragons from, her life was more aimless. The Elder should understand the human needs of the tribe. For other activity, sure, she could go on long flights with Cloudjumper when he was here... to pretend that she was still living in the good old days and also to do good work mapping the hidden world. She was not sure what to do with her life now. So much of life had revolved around protecting dragons, but they didn't need protecting anymore... not in the same way they had been before.
She still grinned when she saw Night-Light splash down on Flies-With-Sun's tail.
While I'm here I might as well join them.
She followed them out into the water. She was a rather good swimmer on her own, not that she had many chances at the ice nest. That water was too cold to swim in for long. This water was just right.