Meg was watching Hiccup working on this new project the entire night as it was finally taking shape.
It was a tail. A total new and very realistic tail for Toothless.
She watched him do from her sit, leg crossed in front of her and heard someone coming closer. She turned her head just to see her brother's girlfriend walking by.
-"Oh! Didn't you already make one of these?", Ana appeared from behind a tree and saw her boyfriend working on his invention.
-"Yup! But this time it's fireproof.", Hiccup winked at Ana.
-"Wait, you already made an automatic tail for Toothless but never actually let him wore it?!", Meg gasped with concern.
-"Well... not really.", Hiccup scratched the back of his head.
-"Toothless didn't want it.", Ana completed.
-"Really? Why?", Meg raised an eyebrow, climbing down from her sit.
-"He somehow, didn't want to fly without me.", Hiccup shrugged, patting Toothless's face, who by the way, couldn't help moving his tail in excitement.
-"Aww!", Meg smiled fondly.
Hiccup chuckled and painted the last uncovered part of the prosthetic tail with the fireproof paint. Once he was done, he gave a quick peck on Ana's temple and hurried to his dragon who was running everywhere.
-"Alright! I know, I knooow!", Hiccup laughed.
-"Wow, someone's excited.", Eret came by carrying a log on his shoulder, Hazel next to him.
-"Well, he's just came from his first date. And he and Luna might need some privacy now and for that, he will need to fly without me. So its time to give this new baby a shot.", Hiccup said, finishing attaching the prosthetic around Toothless's tail.
Toothless inspected his tail and looked like it was indeed working in sync with the other half. He got really happy and jumped on Hiccup, licking his face as a thank you.
-"Come on, save it for Luna, go on, get out of here!", Hiccup laughed.
Toothless growled and ran away. But stopped in his steps and looked behind at his human best friend.
-"It's okay.", Hiccup nodded.
Toothless stick his tongue out and opened his wing and finally flew up. He was flying on his own, totally free. He roared, calling for Luna, who was still by Meg's side but still really excited to fly off with her mate. She growled and nudged Meg with her nose.
-"I'll be fine sweetie. Don't worry about me. You go and enjoy your time. But promise me to be careful.", Meg patted her head and whispered a last few words to the white dragon.
Luna cooed in response and ran away before taking off at her turn. A white shape quickly caught up with a black shape in the sky. The Haddock Twins watched them as they were becoming more and more distant until they couldn't be seen.
They suddenly felt stare on them and turned both at the same time, only to see the worry glare that their friends had on them. Hiccup and Meg blinked. Meg cleared her throat and walked away and Hiccup blow his lips and went his way too.
Ana couldn't help feeling worried about her dear boyfriend. It was the first time he was leaving Toothless alone and let's be honest, it wasn't the best time to do it. But the furies were probably fine on their own. Right now, she needed to be by Hiccup's side as he will probably feel lonely.
She was about to catch up with him when a hand caught her wrist.
-"Hazel?", Ana raises an eyebrow.
-"Are you sure the haddock Twins will be fine?", Hazel asked worried.
-"Uuuh... I don't know. I hope they will. You know how much they love their dragons. But I'm sure they will be fine. Luna and Toothless will come back. They just need time alone.", Ana sighed.
-"Yeah. You're right.", Hazel sighed at her turn.
-"I'm still going to check on Hiccup. Someone should go check on Meg as well.", Ana pointed out.
-"I-", Hazel was cut.
-"I will."
-"Jon?!", Hazel exclaimed.
Jon walked toward the girls, hands in his pocket, chill.
-"Huh, bro, I don't really think you are the right person for that. Astrid or me would be more appropriate for this situation.", Hazel snorted.
-"Maybe. But as unexpected as it sounds, I'm kinda good at motivational speech.", Jon grinned with proud.
-"It is hard to imagine.", Ana scoffed.
-"Pardon me?", Jon frowned.
-"Well, you don't like you are that compassionate with people. You also worked for Grimmel, so except for motivating your troops, and I don't believe you were the nicest boss with them.", Ana planted her eyes on him, big grin on her lips at the sight of Jon's reaction.
Touché.
Jon's eyebrow twitched. She read right through him. How did she do that? It was his thing. He wasn't the one to be destabilize. It was suppose to be the other way around. But since he arrived among the Berkians, he noticed that Ana wasn't like the others. She was different. Not good different but also not bad different. It was like he was facing his own self sometimes. And it was definitely troubling him.
He took a step and faced her, pointing his finger at her chest.
-"I don't like you.", he stated.
Ana blinked but only scoffed back. She shrugged and walked away. Jon gasped offended. He turned to Hazel.
-"Did you see that?! How dare she sass me like that! I'm the sassy one! I'm the big intimidating guy here!", he exclaimed, his proud touched deep.
-"Urgh!", Hazel facepalmed, "I'm just going to check on Meg.", she sighed.
Jon frowned disappeared and blinked before catching up with his sister.
-"Wait! Lemme do it, seriously.", Jon asked.
-"Jon, I'm not sure-"
-"Please. You're the one that asked me to talk to her.", Jon begged.
-"Hm.. alright. But do you know at least what to say to her?", Hazel put her hands on her hips.
-"Yes. Actually, I've got just the thing.", he smiled and walked in the direction where Meg went, under Hazel confused look.
••••••••••
Jon walked through the forest and searched for Meg. It had been minutes maybe hours but he couldn't find her anywhere. Did she just vanished?
He groaned, tired and was about to head back to the camp. When he heard a sound. A beautiful one. And one that he actually knew. It was strangely familiar.
So he followed it. The closer he got, the cleared it was becoming. That's when he recognized the sound of a violin. Curious, he marched faster, pushing the branches and the leaves away to fall on Meg.
[ Play YouTube « Celtic Woman - Maìread - Granuaile's dance » till 2:02]
Standing at the edge of cliff. Playing the violin.
It was her. And the melody she was playing was just gorgeous.
The notes were low and had its high too. It was all perfectly played. The music was also so touching and moving. And Meg also looked very transported into her own play.
Jon approached carefully, trying to be as quiet as possible and just watched her making the bow dance on the cords. She was in her own world, it was obvious. But the sound became sadder and deeper and that's when he noticed a tear shining in the sunlight on her face. She was probably playing for someone. Probably remembering someone. And the violin was her way to express her pain. That's what made Jon realize why he came to find her in the first place.
Meg stopped slowly and Jon waited a moment. She was standing still, her back to him but he figured she was wiping her tears away when he saw her lifting her arm to her face. Then she sat on the cliff, letting her legs hanging at the edge. It was the right moment for Jon to make his appearance.
He walked slowly toward her and stand next to her. She didn't even lift her head and kept staring at the ocean in front of her. She was so focused that she didn't hear him.
-"Nice song.", Jon finally spoke.
-"Wh-", Meg jumped on her butt and looked up, only to see Jon smiling at her, she immediately frowned angrily, "What the hell are you doing here?!", she shifted on her sit.
-"I needed to talk to you and I heard a sound so I followed it.", he shrugged then sat next to her.
-"Urgh!", Meg groaned, rolling her eyes.
A silence settled.
-"Can I play?"
-"What?", Meg turned her head.
-"Can I play something?", Jon asked, pointing to the violin with his chin.
-"You know how to play violin? You?", Meg scoffed.
-"Yeah actually.", Jon smiled, "I learned on my own after I..", he stopped in his words, realizing what he was about to mention, so he cleared his throat and continued, "I found a violin and found it intriguing. I kept it and learned to play it. With time, I got used to play it and started to love the sound of it. It's so beautiful and it made me kinda like I was..."
-"...free.", Meg finished his sentence.
Jon only nodded with a small smile. Meg sighed and looked at her violin. She touched it with her fingertips, remembering how she got it and how much it meant to her.
-"I'm not going to break it. You can trust me on that.", Jon insisted.
Meg stared at him for a few second and sighed.
-"...okay."
Jon smiled wider and he took the violin delicately. He put the instrument on his shoulder, the bow ready to rub the cords. He took a deep breath and moved his hand.
[ Play YouTube « Celtic Woman - Hills of Ireland » till 1:45]
Meg's eyes widened. It was amazingly beautiful. Jon was really good at it. And just like Meg's previous music, it was just as deep and touching. She could feel the pain through it. His face was serious, his eyes shut, he was living through his play. And music never lies. They can reveal the true personality of someone and Meg could definitely see the real Jon inside his notes. Her heart was dancing and her eyes following the bow every motions.
His hands slowed until they were still. He finally breathed and turned his eyes to see Meg's face, totally agape.
-"By the look on your face, I guess you liked it?", Jon chuckled.
Meg blinked, realizing he was done and shook her head then swallowed. She avoided his eyes and crossed her arms on her chest.
-"It was... good.", Meg mumbled.
-"Good?"
-"Alright it was amazing!", Meg throw her arms in the air, blush on her cheeks, embarrassed to admit it.
-"Haha, thank you.", Jon grinned.
He handed the violin back to Meg and she put it next to her.
-"You really went through that much?", she asked lowly.
-"..Yeah. But thinking of Hazel helped me hang on.", Jon smiled, staring at the ocean.
Meg brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. The wind blew her hair and hide most of her face.
-"...I'm sorry.", Meg confessed.
-"For what?", Jon raised an eyebrow.
-"For throwing my sword at you and to assume that you didn't care about your sister.", Meg sighed.
-"It's fine. I would have done the same to be honest. And you were only trying to protect your brother. Which I can totally relate to.", Jon scoffed.
-"You will still be the guy that killed Ace tho.", Meg turned her face to throw him a glare.
Jon blinked and scratched his head.
-"Yeaaaah. About that...", Jon laughed nervously.
-"What is it?", Meg frowned.
Jon sighed and looked directly into her eyes, very seriously.
-"I didn't kill Ace"