Chapter 5
Toothless had woken a few times, each time blurrier than the last, but enough for him to figure out that he was being flown somewhere in the claws of another scale-wing, and there was only water for leagues around them, and he could not smell Small-Claw or see him what little he could tilt his head. He knew he was being carried by a Spike-Tail by the size and feel of the claws holding him, but also because he saw it looking down at him now and then when he flitted back to consciousness. He felt exhausted; and he realised he'd felt the same back in the cove, but must have not dwelled upon the hunger he was feeling after he'd given his last meal to the smaller one.
He couldn't tell where they'd been heading and he didn't care, he needed to make sure that Small-Claw was safe and with him, but he couldn't turn to see. He heard another set of wings flapping behind him, and the cadence of the flapping and the sound of it let him know it was the Four-Flyer from earlier.
Each time the blackness of exhaustion put him under he fought it until he couldn't anymore and he succumbed to it, his sleep restless and terrifying, that nearby warmth he'd grown accustomed to was gone and it was an impossibility to rest like this.
The next time he woke up, he called out, and he pleaded, sick of the terror that was holding him like a predator in it's icy jaws.
"Where my Small-Claw! Where?!" He screeched and kicked as much as he could, which wasn't a lot for obvious reasons but he knew he had to try for his hurriedly as he tried to get answers, only for those heavy claws to dig into his side and the spike-tail gave a trill and a squawk for a warning, huffing at him like he was a stroppy hatchling. He didn't stop screeching and calling, shouting and moving until it got harder to breathe in air and his cries were stopped by wheezing in lungfuls of air, and the small spots in his vision, sighing and stopping.
Time passed; it was dark the next time he woke up, and his head was aching slightly less than it had been. They'd been flying for nearly a full day now and he still didn't know where they were, but he was jolted by the start of a descent and the cool touch of fog on his scales as he blinked his eyes open. Through the mist he could make out the light on an island, a small flickering thing far from him, much like he felt of Small-Claw at the second.
The descent felt torturously slow in spite of the fact that it felt like they were flying down so fast it was dizzying him, a Night One. The ground seemed so close as it rushed up to meet them, the greenery getting more detailed until he was taken to a clearing; a Twin-Head and a Sea-Spitter were lying peacefully around a large fire, next to which he was dropped with a thud, the hard ground not a good resting place for the ache in his body, but he was glad to be out of the clutches of a stranger again.
Toothless sat up as quickly as his body could, moving and looking around as he heard a second thud and a silent whine, and he got up quickly, not having to see who it was they'd dropped off in the clearing. He ambled exhaustedly toward Small-Claw who was still unconscious, moving himself to cover him like he would in the cove, pulling himself as close as he could to his friend, watching his chest rise and fall unevenly with small whines coming through occasionally, and he could feel the distress radiating off of him almost, only prompting him to wind his tail around the smaller scaled-ones and hide him in his wings.
The other dragons were staring at them, he noted as he looked up once he'd gotten them both comfortable, and he didn't even bother to growl, only draw himself closer and huff tiredly.
"Your mate?" The Twin-head asked, with barely hidden humor in it's voices; he did not grace him with a reply. The orange-green scales did not yet have the vibrance of an adult of his species, so knowing he was younger helped stop his desire to give him a burn he'd not soon forget, and he stayed still. Toothless rested his head on top of Small-Claws gently, watching the small group carefully, his distrust strong for the group of scale-wings who would work with a two-legged like this.
The female had a small nest-thing of furs that she rested on, moving her paws through something he could not see, while speaking to herself - it still had not taken it's mask off even to rest. He did not know what she was saying still but at her words, the four-flyer left with a bundle in its claws.
Toothless did not like knowing where they were, or where they were headed. He did not know if he could trust any of these scale-wings or this two-legged who seemed determined to behave like one of them; how they could let her sleep near them and how the four-flyer must have befriended her. He knew that not a single one of them could be trusted after what he'd seen them capable of. He previously held that some two-legs were... simply not like the others, even before he'd met Small-Claw. He'd found a nest of them far to the South on a hunt for the Queen once, who simply regaled at seeing scale-wings, even when they stole food.
The thought reminded him, and he slowly looked down at Small-Claws body, pushing his wing back gently and seeing all the red-pink scars on him, littering his body. Nothing was too deep it looked like, though he could only inspect the one flank and side. He frowned a little at the idea - there was no possible way he'd been a scale-wing for one day at that point, and created such carnage to stain the stones red like that it didn't make any sense to him.
For now he'd keep his friend swathed in his wings and legs until he woke up. Toothless kept a hold on him gently and leaned closer, a wary eye on the others while he rested himself, rumbling quietly, content to relax as much as he could while keeping guard.
The other scale-wings seemed absolutely alright with sleeping with their backs to the female while she occupied herself with something in her paws - it could be a weapon, he couldn't tell or know from where he was and they barely moved. The only way he knew they were even alive was how their bodies were slowly rising and falling, soundly resting like there wasn't something devoid of mercy just nearby.
He didn't know how much longer it had been since he'd left, but the Four-Flyer's distinctive wingbeats came back, and it flew right before the two Night-Ones, dropping a fish-scented piece of fur and rumbled.
"Eat," He said, chirping and going back over to the female where he similarly curled around her small collection of furs, and ignoring the concerned look he was sending him, laying down gently beside her and crooning in much the same way Toothless might to Small-Claw.
Toothless would not eat until his charge was conscious and he made sure he wasn't sick.
Toothless waited until the movements of the two-legged and it's… partner had stopped moving, and they were all asleep, or at least looked like they were, before he thought about resting properly. Giving a small grumble to his friend gently, hoping to comfort him in his slightly disturbed sleep. He could hear gentle whines and crows and the smaller male and he could see the slight shivers in his body and kicks of his forelegs; he must be dreaming of something scary.
One final check of the area around him and then himself, he gave a warm rumble before laying down beside him and murmuring quietly, shutting his eyes and letting sleep take him, his body secured around his Small-Claw.
Sleep came quickly.
Hiccup kicked and squirmed as he woke up, eyes stuck shut with how tired he still felt. The last thing he remembered had been the woman waving a hand in front of his eyes and it had been lights out; something about the motion making him unable to stay awake, it commanded that he sleep. Yet, it wasn't peaceful, anything but. Everything that had happened to him recently seemed to fight for attention in his head again, every nightmare forcing him to face that which he'd seen in his first days as a dragon. Some of them would be events from his childhood but as a dragon. He didn't want to see any of it but he couldn't wake up either, the heavy weight of sleep keeping him under like a blanket of iron.
Now that he'd finally woken up, his head felt heavier than anything, but he couldn't be sure if it was because Toothless was resting on top of his neck gently or not, and he didn't have any energy to move out from him. He gave a small warble and nudged with his body as much as he could, and got a warble in return, and a lick on the top of his head.
Toothless sounded almost as tired as he did, but moved his wing from his body as he yawned loudly. Gently moving himself up and brushing against his snout he looked around, and nearly recoiled back into his friends body for safety; spotting all of the other dragons moving around in front of them and bracing.
"Tooth-less, who them?" He whined a little, eyes wide and looking around anxiously - the woman only had the one dragon with her that he could smell, not these three.
"Four-flyer nestmates, maybe." He rumbled, and Hiccup looked back at him, seeing his head raised and warily looking over them, before something nudging him in the chest. He looked down and saw it was a small basket with fish inside of it, then back to Toothless.
"Food. From four-flyer." Toothless rumbled again, and he looked down at the full basket with a huff.
"You not eat?" Hiccup growled, exasperatedly sounding as he could manage, as he pulled the basket near his head and used a paw to bat the lid off, spilling its contents between them.
"Not eat till you eat. You no eat, I no eat." The bigger dragon rumbled at him like it was obvious, looking at him with those wide green eyes that had such untold depth every time Hiccup looked into them he feared he'd drown in the sea of emotion within. Heaving a grumble and rolling his eyes, he slowly moved his head down to a fish, and stared at it.
Hiccup didn't quite grasp how to eat a raw fish, and yet the thought of it didn't make him feel queasy any, just hungrier - his stomach giving a growl of protest - and he sighed, slowly nudging his head down to the fish and taking the fins between his teeth. All of a sudden, his head rocked itself back and he opened wide, snapping down on the fish into his maw and swallowed it down his gullet with a loud gulp, his body seemingly having a mind of it's own.
He frowned and then looked at Toothless; who, true to his word, was snapping and swallowing down a fish of his own, and then stared at him expectantly. Hiccup got the idea quickly and didn't say no - he was extremely hungry. His new body could run on fumes but it would seem a hefty diet would be in order to keep himself from falling sick.
They spent the next few moments eating; Hiccup would slowly take a fish and try to eat it without his body taking control, and Toothless would grin at his friend, taking the next fish until they were all gone and they weren't as hungry anymore. Hiccup could definitely eat quite a bit more, but it didn't seem he would find anymore at the bottom of the basket, so he used a paw to close the lid and after much scratching and clawing, he closed the latch too and rolled it toward the woman's bedroll and furs.
While they'd ate, he hadn't noticed that the woman had been staring at the two, tilting her head side to side with interest, but as he rolled the basket back he got that impression. She gracefully moved toward them both on her hands and feet and knees like a dragon might. She must be some kind of brainwashed feral human, he reasoned to himself. The way she held herself and moved, even the fact that the mask she had on had slits on each side as if she herself had a blind spot like a Nadder would said differently however, and the fact that she seemed to be respecting the two's space told him that Toothless' display of… possessiveness? Had worked.
She came over, and stopped at the basket he'd rolled toward the smouldering remains of the fire and crouched in front of them, knees bent and hands resting between them, knuckles on the ground, head tilted.
Hiccup stared into the small slits of her helmet and tilted his head the opposite way to hers, ignoring Toothless' tugging him into his side tighter.
He'd never heard of a human who consorted with dragons; there were the childrens stories and tall tales Johann spun of Vikings who had displeased Odin and had been turned into a mindless dragon. Or of curses of witches against the Chieftains of a tribe that had wronged them, cursing their offspring to be the beasts they hated. But never anyone willingly siding with them. Looking at the woman he noted the colours on her armour. She even made herself look like a dragon with the patterns, he thought.
She was speaking to herself a little, but he still couldn't understand her words, only their intent. She looked up at him and then past him to Toothless, her tone soft and quiet. He hoped she didn't wave her hands and put him to sleep again. Hiccup watched carefully as she spoke to them and he picked up on the question in her words, and he nearled leaped backward as she took a hand to his wing gently. He assumed that she wanted him to fly.
Toothless growled at him and then louder at her when he let him in on it.
"You no fly yet. We not go with them. Not safe."
"How we know? They take us!" Hiccup whined gently, nudging him. He didn't like that he was, in body, the same age as Toothless, and couldn't fly at all.
"Not safe for Small-Claw! Their nest maybe have Queen, too." Toothless rumbled back louder.
Hiccup frowned at this and turned his head so he could look him in the eye completely.
"What Queen, Tooth-less?" He asked, staring at him with beady eyes and he lifted his paw to rest it on Toothless', who just growled at him.
"Not tell you. Small-Claw trust Tooth-less." Toothless said quietly and stared back, and all Hiccup could see in his round eyes was truth and fear.
"Ask… other scale-wing if they have Queen?" He said softly and he could see the small grin on his friends lips for a moment before it went away, huffing.
"Small-Claw never give up?" Toothless asked with a slightly amused warble and Hiccup shook his head with a wide grin.
"Ever! What if they - nest safe? We safe there?" Hiccup rumbled and gave his friend a reassuring if awkward lick on the chin. He wanted somewhere away from Berk. From his father. From Vikings, and the sorrowful look Toothless gave him showed he knew it. This seemed to stop the growl that was going to come and the other sighed at him softly.
"Fine. We go. But not stay, only see." Toothless warbled to him softly and butted their cheeks together.
Hiccup turned to look at the woman after a second, breaking his gaze with Toothless and eyeing her before shaking his head, but then nodding, hoping she'd get it.
If she did, she showed no sign of it as she stood up and grabbed her staff again, and rattled the end of it, calling something out to which the other dragons started moving, startling both Toothless and himself. The former growled and tugged him under his wing again, baring his teeth at all of them.
A Nadder approached and tilted it's head, pointing a beady eye at him without caring for what his friend did.
"Come. Fly-in-claw." It- no, she - demanded, poking it's beak-like snout downward and angling it at him before stepping backward and waiting, her scales running downward. Hiccup looked for a moment to enjoy the colouration of them. Oranges and yellows and pinks in swirling patterns up and down her body. He looked at Toothless and nudged him softly with tender smile, and waited until he let him go before trying to stand up.
"I be safe. Promise." Hiccup murmured to his worried friend with a little smile, stepping away and slowly going toward the female Nadder and watching Toothless stand up and stretch from tip to tail like a cat might before he slowly walked toward the dragon with four wings that he'd never seen before; carefully approaching him. The four-winged dragon seemed a little amused, but didn't make a move to hurt him or fling the woman away as she climbed onto it's back. What a ridiculous sight - someone riding a dragon.
Hiccup squirmed a little as the Nadder flapped upward and gripped him just in front of the wings gently, taking off with him in her powerful claws. He didn't like the sensation of it but he had to begrudge it if he wanted to get somewhere safer than the middle of nowhere or Berk. He looked over his shoulder at Toothless, laughing at him as the four-winged one was a lot less graceful, taking off and yanking him forward by the scruff, and he watched him flail as he headed off, the Nadder falling in line behind him and he heard the other two coming behind them.
They headed off toward the sea again, and he quickly grew accustomed to the weightlessness of being flown somewhere while conscious. It was sort of like the few moments he'd managed a glide in the cove, but with a Nadder's claws on his back. Hiccup kept an eye on Toothless, quite enjoying his squirming and huffing; clearly too proud to go quietly as it were, but the guilt of taking his tailfin came back again and the smile left his muzzle. He couldn't believe he'd managed to befriend the dragon after literally crippling him for life - in his shoes, or, paws, he thought he could've abandoned him it went to the other way. But he knew he couldn't, if it came to it. Toothless, in such a short time had shown such unerring compassion and care for him it was impossible not to care just as much back. They were fast friends.
Hiccup sighed, staring off into the sea, islands like dots below them as they flew in silence, the only sounds were that of wings and scales slicing through air. He was anxious to see where they would end up, and he desperately hoped he had been right and that it was safe and there was no 'Queen', like Toothless had warned him.
As they flew, the temperature got colder and Hiccup resisted the urge to draw his body into itself so he wouldn't fall out of the grip of the dragon carrying him. Verdant green forests on the islands started to merge into ice caps, massive formations of white and silver sparkling up to them in the midday sun. There were no Viking's this far north that he knew of, and he couldn't see a single sign of life for miles around them, aside from the massive, shadowy outlines of sea dragons beneath them, that he'd noted had followed them as soon as they got into the frozen area.
The immense boredom was tided over as Hiccup imagined what kind of dragons they must be. He couldn't make out much from so high up, unless they got close to the surface or leapt from the water. He saw spines and fins on some, and wings on others. Some were long and fat, some were short and thin, but they all moved together through the water like it was the air. Slicing through it and spinning around each other like a beautifully chaotic dance. He felt a little jealous at the sight of them and lifted his gaze to see Toothless, limp in the claws of the dragon in front of him, and the woman standing on its back, her staff in her hand and a wooden shield in the other, looking ahead.
She suddenly raised her stick and swirled it in the air, that gentle rattling coming and he looked around, frowning before letting out a panicked screech as the dragons all started a pitch dive down; heading straight for the base of a massive iceberg that nearly reached up to the height they'd been soaring at seconds ago. His screech didn't die down as he managed to see the long gash in the perfectly thin ice they must have been diving for, watching as the largest of them, the four winged dragon jetted through it like it was nothing, and then he was next.
The rush of freezing air that went around him tickled his scales and he stopped screeching, letting out a low whine instead as they were brought through a length of ice, the massive cut of ice looking like a blade from the Gods had sliced through it from beneath. Hiccup saw the rapidly approaching light and could hear the water splashing against the iceberg, and squinted at a large jade-green structure in the distance, blinking and frowning. Some kind of fortress in the ice?
Seconds later, Hiccup had his answer. It wasn't a fortress in the ice: it was a fortress of ice, but not like any ice he'd ever seen. It was a pearly jade green that seemed to glow from within, and it was by far the biggest iceberg he'd ever seen in his life, spikes reaching to the clouds and surrounded by water. There still weren't dragons to be seen, but he could hear them from nearby.
The troupe of dragons carried them up and closer to it and Hiccup didn't screech this time as they flew through a tiny gap in the ice and through basalt pillars, swooping and swinging through them, the Nadder graciously not letting him crash and bump into any rocks. He heaved a quiet sigh of relief as they passed through the dark area and then gasped in wonderment.
There was an enormous cavern inside with greenery growing in random splotches across parts of it, spires of ice and rock with ledges on them and the dragons.
Dragons of every single shape, size and colour flew through the air, spinning and circling, calling and squawking to each other and screeching. There were hatchlings playing and adults sleeping. Massive dragons who's wingspans dwarf the largest drakkar he'd seen. Tiny dragons with spikes and spines that were so agile they could weave through and around the wings and tails of the bigger dragons. Children pecking and playing with their siblings.
Hiccup was in awe, he'd never known dragons could come in such crazy colourations and sizes and shapes. And their calls. It was a chorus of chirps and squawks. It was like music, like a ballad. They weren't words, but the meaning it carried hit Hiccup hard - it was the sound of happiness, safety, delight. Of love for living, for family and friends. It made him want to cry, the sound was so pure.
That wasn't all, however.
In a massive lake in the centre of it all, was a dragon that dwarfed his entire village. White with blood red tips to all the spikes and fins on his body, the tips so red they went black. Two tusks that could skewer Jörmungandr itself either side of a mouth that could swallow a dozen ships. He could not see the rest below the water, but he was very closely acquainted with the enormous dragon as Toothless was dropped off with a thud onto his paws in front of it, and then he was dropped off just in front of it, with a very graceful tumble and landing face first in the dirt with a chuff, scrambling to his paws only to have himself covered by Toothless again; who had decided to growl at the enormous dragon in the water before him.
"Now?! You do this now?!" Hiccup called up to him with a loud rumble, squirming beneath the overly protective dragon, nipping up at his underbelly, but he got nothing back.
"This not Queen. This King." Toothless growled down at him, batting his jaw with a paw and crouching lower to him.
If this was a King, he was glad he'd never seen a Queen. This creature was massive, and though the dragons around him seemed to not be threatening or angry, he couldn't be sure of the intent the beast had toward them. Toothless had sounded so afraid and worried about a Queen, and his behaviour toward the King did not bode well for him - was this worse, or better?
"Night Furies. There is no need to fear me. You are guests to my nest, please." A warm voice rolled over him, but he didn't hear it, so much as feel it behind his eyes, a presence on his mind that ached but soothed at the same time - Hiccup jumped at the voice, squirming underneath him and he butted at Toothless again. The other actually moved this time, stepping off him a little so that he could poke his head forward a little through his front legs this time, staring up at the dragon that looked at him with warm eyes, nobly.
Toothless kept him close still, but it was enough to be able to see what was going on. He and Toothless were on an outstretched rock below the King, with the woman and her dragon to the side of them. They both bowed a little in respect to his surprise.
"Hello..?" Hiccup warbled back, but the dragon above him stayed quiet. He got nothing in response for a moment, until that voice in his head returned, quieter, softer.
"Hello, fledgling. You have many questions, but you must let me talk to the other, first." It said, but it didn't even move its eyes downward as it communicated and he sighed. Of course it would talk to Toothless first, the actual dragon of them.
"You are a scale-wing, are you not?" It asked suddenly, and Hiccup frowned. It must have heard him somehow, but that's not possible. He shook his head to the question, but did not get another in response. Toothless moved from atop him after a second and nudged him from the side.
"He… wants to talk to you." He warbled quietly, looking between him and the massive dragon anxiously. Hiccup sat up, moving himself and standing on all fours and looking up at the King and waited.
"You were a two-leg, and now you are a Night-One?" He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"A few days back. I… used a rope and metal net. Down Tooth-less. Find him and let him go. Sleep. Wake up as Night-One." Hiccup tried to put the truth into every soft sound he gave; it sounded a tall-tale.
He heard a rumble come from the enormous dragon and it just barely tilted its head.
"You would not harm this nest?" It asked, all of a sudden, it's tone serious and it ached in his head harder. Hiccup quickly shook his head side to side.
"Never!" He crowed empathetically, arching his back up with a loud call and trying to look him in the eyes, and it dipped the turquoise eyes down to his smaller verdure green ones. His impression of this place couldn't be wrong. A dragon paradise, a sanctuary of scale-wings of all kinds, safe from Vikings who hated them.
It did not speak to him again, and his only knowledge that it was talking to Toothless came as the other turned his head to him and nodded, the beast moving itself and sinking down into the water around it.
"We stay… but… he not trusting you yet. He trust two-leg female because she help nest a lot. Come with four-flyer, save other scale-wings. But you… he not know. We rest in his sight always."
Hiccup nodded his head a little sadly, but he understood the reasoning of it. He wouldn't trust him either. He looked away from the beast and back to Toothless. "Well… what we do?" He purred quietly, tilting his head to one side and looked around. "Where we sleep?"
Toothless didn't respond, and instead moved himself, pouncing up the rock face behind him swiftly and waited patiently, giving him a little smile. Hiccup followed, clumsily jumping up the slippery wet rocks and scrambling his tail and hind legs as he landed. Toothless lead him up a little to a small cave in the side of the rock face, some roots and vines hanging off of the top roof of it. The cave was deep enough they could both fit comfortably, and it was strangely warm. Hiccup believed the entire cave was above some kind of active volcanic spring, and it made for a very relaxing mood to it all, enough for him to drop his tense shoulders as he moved to the back of it. Toothless lead him to the back of it and laid down on his stomach, but not to rest, as he'd expected. Instead he gave an inquiring croon and tilted his head, waiting for Hiccup to sit.
He curled up in front of him after moving in a circle to tread the ground a little, waiting for the obvious question Toothless had on his mind to come from his gummy lips.
"Why did you not kill me?" He chuffed out, his eyes hesitant and afraid. It was a big question so maybe he was right to be, Hiccup mused for a moment, thinking back to the moment in the forest outside of Berk, when he was in a terrible place. He remembered all the anger and sorrow he'd had in his chest and on his mind, all the thoughts that had swirled and kept threatening to return even now. He thought on how to word it in the slightly limiting dragon-tongue.
"Your eyes like mine." He crooned softly, looking down at the cave floor and scratching swirls into it with a claw, not able to meet his friend's piercing gaze.
"I was lonely. Afraid and sad. If. If I had not found you, I think I would have-" He cut himself off and frowned. This was a deeply personal thing to say, even to Toothless, who he'd found he could be more himself with than anyone else - he didn't even think he would've until he said the words and knew them to be true.
"I would have… stopped living." He trailed off, not hearing anything, even the singing outside muted to him in the moment, continuing.
"But I found you. And I thought… if I could help a scale-wing, bigger, stronger, faster than me. Then maybe I could do something for me. Go on alive and do better. You let me live, so. I must be." Hiccup finished, feeling like he was whispering as he scratched patterns and shapes into the warm stone beneath him with a claw tip. He'd unknowingly drawn Toothless into the stone, albeit a little angular.
Looking up, Hiccup wasn't sure what to expect to see on Toothless' face. But it definitely wasn't fear - the dragon looked as if he'd disappear if he blinked. The other dragon whined a little and shuffled toward him, leaning closer.
"Small-Claw… wanted death?" He heard the warble but he more felt the question through that powerful gaze and the emotion in them. Hiccup only nodded to the question but didn't look away at all. The way Toothless had asked him was like the concept was terrible alone, less alone the fact that Hiccup would've done it willingly.
"My nest and… sire. Not good to me. Hurt me and make sad. Hate me for what I am. For what I am not." Hiccup didn't want to get into exactly what they'd done and hoped it was enough for his friend to understand.
"You have new nest now. Have me." Toothless said with a little grin, sticking his forked tongue out of his maw and leaning in a little more, Hiccup now able to feel the warm rolling off of his companion in the space of their new home, and he nodded slowly. A smile working onto him as well, the dragon in front of him radiating his happiness, he couldn't help himself.
"Want rest, again. Still tired." Hiccup said gently, leaning down and resting his head on his forepaws, looking at Toothless, who rolled his eyes and lifted his wing and moved his legs out. Hiccup eagerly sat up and crawled inside of the warm spot. It was probably odd; two teenagers - fledglings - cuddling like this to sleep most nights. But he couldn't find it in him to care.
Snaking his head up he brushed his snout softly against his friends, and let sleep take him, his body relaxing under wing of his only care in the world.
Hiccup, for the first time in a long time, felt safe, and happy.