Chapter 9

Winter had passed faster than Small-Claw thought possible. As a two-leg, the season dragged on and was a time of immense boredom. His much smaller stature had meant that he was very fortunate to survive as many as he had; the unforgiving chill and freezing weather carried sickness and a risk of death every time it came upon his village. A foggy memory of his father berating him for going out into the cold afternoon and passing out from the cold in the snow, and being woken up next to the hearth of the great hall, chided for trying to alleviate his boredom with a small sojourn outdoors.

But now, Small-Claw was not a weak, skinny two-leg anymore. Even if the thought of it resurged, he couldn't reject this body anymore. Toothless had mentioned something about his life-fire, and each time he thought of finding a way free of this form, he felt that heat dim in his stomach. So he resolved to make the best of his time in this body, and to push the sad thoughts and bad thoughts from his mind whenever he could. He was a Night-Flyer now, and nothing would change that. He was stronger now, faster - he could fly. If the two-legs who'd been rude to him and hurt him could see him now, he was certain they would cower at his power; and as wrong as it was, that thought excited him.

The nest was abuzz, he noted as he cleared his head and shook the thinking free, something he'd been doing a lot this last cold-season. His two-leg mind and this body clashed a lot, but he made sure to keep them at bay, he thought as he nudged Toothless awake. His steward grumbled at him, cracking an eye open and shuffling, tugging him back into his warmth and grumbling again, sleep.

Small-Claw wanted to stay in their den more, but knew he had to stretch his wings, Toothless would have to as well. They'd been asleep for a few light-cycles, he knew, and was becoming a small bundle of energy in his blackish brownish scales, his life-fire riling up slowly but surely. His twin seemed to understand his intention, but made no move to get up or defend himself as Small-Claw leapt and used his gums to gnaw at his friends ear-fins and swatted at him with his paws. Toothless let out a playful roar and rolled with him in their den, and they went over and under one another as their paws met and smacked at each other. He heeded his friends' warning and made sure even in play he didn't let the other at his neck or his belly where he could. Playing like this seemed to be how other hatchlings learned this lesson, and, more importantly, it was fun. He was always a little worried he'd get hurt, but Toothless was perfectly gentle and rough at the same time with him, even in the more desperate of their 'battles'. A swipe of a paw across his sensitive nose made him scrunch it up and he stopped thinking so much, relishing his time with his newest friend.

He rolled himself so he was on top of Toothless, and nipped at his nose in return, growling playful to him. Toothless quickly reversed their position in a blur of dark scales and more soft yowls and snarls, grabbing one of his ear fins in a gummy warm maw that made Small-Claws spine arch and writhe at the uncomforting feeling of the saliva coating them.

Small-Claw let out a squeak of a growl at his friend, who replied to him with a throaty chuckle in kind before rolling off of him, letting the smaller rub a paw over his ear fin and sending Toothless a dirty look with slightly slit eyes, he hoped. It only elicited another laugh from his friend.
Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, he whuffed out a breath of warm air to the bigger of the two before nudging his head toward the mouth of their den and giving a warble of curious.

"First flight after cold-season for nest. Be happy and fly with nest-mates and thank alpha for help live cold-season. Most hatchlings have first flight here, too." Toothless said impassively, purring at his friend and standing up to poke his snout and head out of their den mouth. Small-Claw sat next to him and rested his head against the others.

"Queen-nest not have first-cold-flights. Only food-flight." The larger crooned, sadness, regret and Small-Claw lifted a wing over his compatriot and nuzzled with him for a moment, before returning his gaze to the sight before them.

The quiet and emptiness of the nest that he'd been accustomed to over the cold-season was gone now, instead, a cacophony of joyous screeches and roars filled the air. Scale-wings of every colour, size and shape. It was hypnotic, a dance of wings and tails as nearly the entire nest was aloft, spinning and circling their nest as they gave thanks to the sky around them. The Alpha was standing on all fours in his pool for the first time since Small-Claw had come there, honking and calling to his flock in reciprocation of their thanks. Love and thanks roared loudest above all of the other calls, and it brought a smile to his gummy maw.

Since realising that certain calls and sounds could mean an emotion, Small-Claw had been enamoured. The softest, quietest noise could mean a dozen things and it was beautiful in a strange way. He especially enjoyed when he heard them escape his friend, who usually seemed aloof unless they were playing; hearing the soft happy, care, protect that left his throat in caring keens and mewls made his heart soar. For two so fresh to each other, he was happy that they'd fallen into this routine of caring, even with their unfortunate introduction to one another which was happily forgotten by the wayside.

Toothless gave a questioning croon to him and he looked outside, before licking his friends cheek, effectively 'tagging' him and then darting outside with a playful yip, using his powerful front legs to kick off of the ground and up into the air with a defiant call. He heard wingbeats behind him and smiled widely, and the chase began, darting between their nest-mates as he raced away from his friend who growled and huffed at him. Small-Claw, in their few flights together in the winter-season, had learned that being faster than his twin also meant he could pull off very risky breakneck turns that took Toothless more time to do as he was just a little bit slower; which he relished in reminding him, much to his chagrin. He raced through a cloud of rock-eat-scales and dove hard, that signature screech coming from him as he lifted his wings and splayed his spinal flaps to have the wind whistle through him, diving at the ground at this fast speed gave him very little time for reacting. Toothless was close behind him again, and his wings pumped, and then folded into himself as he used his tail to turn back up, flying skyward quickly with his life-fire burning through his being; hearing his larger twin say a very colourful series of descriptors for him before his wings flapped and he knew he was coming back for him again.

The screeches and calls around him were loud and filled his mind with delight in flying with his new nest-mates as they played, Toothless eventually managing to control his slight temper at their playing and stealthily 'tagging' him back on the tail. The more experienced flier was tagged and tagged back twice before Small-Claw was too tired to continue, and alighted himself atop an outcropping of the strange ice their nest was made from, the cool surface helping relieve the comforting ache and tug in his muscles, rolling a little to rest his wings on them as much as he could without making them vulnerable.

Toothless flew and landed beside him, smug preening beginning as he sat stoically, head held high, but that small gummy smirk on the corner of his mouth made Small-Claw use a paw to flick a stone at his head with a little rumble. His friend flinched and rubbed the spot above his eye where the small rock had impacted and rumbled back caution, playful before laying out across from him, and Small-Claw found no reason to not begin a conversation that he'd held in his head since they had first met.

"Back… before. In two-leg nest. Why you save, help? I stranger, not nest-kin." Small-Claw spoke, hesitant but hopeful to Toothless, who drooped a little and crooned back at him with a sort of strained huff following it. He must have foreseen this curiosity, as by now it was most likely his hallmark. The squawks of their nest-mates echoed around the nest, the long dance going longer, but he did not turn to watch it, giving his friend all of his attention.

"Lonely, alone in other bad-nest. Two-leg you save me, but I hear…" Toothless chuffed and clicked pain, sadness, scream, to him and continued- "Find other night-one, first since my sire and dam, and choose to save. Usually… leave. Not remember, go back to nest."

Small-Claw's chest tightened and his throat let loose a choked warble of regret, remembering how he'd mangled and disabled his friend for something as fleeting as the recognition of two-legs who were happy to move on without him.

"Think that, if small, weak, scared two-leg save Night-One, maybe I save other Night-One, even if I scared." Toothless looked afraid, almost meek before him now, as if being somehow both scolded and sharing a deep secret he was afraid of rebuttal for. Small-Claw shuffled in closer and purred, nudging their snouts together again with care, safe.

"Glad. Happy you do. I think I make good Night-One than two-leg." The smaller Night Fury purred out, and he paused for a moment, thinking and then meeting Toothless' worried gaze.

"I think you save me and I save you?" Small-Claw churrs out, nodding his head as he brought the idea to life by announcing it with a little smile growing on his face as Toothless grimaced a little, puffing up a bit.

"You not save me, hatchling." But the way his tail hugged him and the soft whine of us left him as he said it, made that small gummy grin cross his entire snout.

"We… closer now. Kin, in scale and in heart-fire and head." Toothless surmised with a whuff of air and a nod, sternly gazing into Small-Claws eyes, who nodded back despite wanting to tackle and hug his friend tightly. Nothing else need be said, and he gave the repeated call of us, us, we from deep in his chest, the sound coming out as a high-pitched purr that rolled from him, before they both stood without speaking and rejoined the flock soaring around a towering ice formation near their alpha.

They flew until the sky-fire was at its highest point, before the Alpha sunk back into his pool and the chaotic dance of wings burst free of the nest into the refreshing, cool air of the outside world.

Small-Claw flew wingtip to wingtip with his brother and barked a joyous call as they took to the sky again, together. While they'd flown together over winter, this would be the first time they left the nest together and flew; following the Alpha's spiky crest and powerful tail in the water, they waited until he disappeared deep below and span around each other in quick barrel rolls. Barking and roaring at each other and those around them, he sunk into the moment as with a crash of waves, the Alpha surfaced, and more fish than Small-Claw had ever seen in life rushed into the air to meet them.

They separated momentarily, catching fish in the mad craze, calls of thanks and hungry! Echoing through the air around them as they quickly made to eat their fill, catching fish from the air before they could sink back into the depths or be eaten by another nest-mate.

Begrudgingly, Small-Claw allowed some hatchlings to take fish out of the air in front of him even, while Toothless was ever prideful and had no shame, taking a huge mouthful of fish before flying past him, fish fins and flippers twitching in his maw before he gulped them down right before him.

The moment came to an end shortly after, and the flock flew back to their nests, the celebration clearly over as the alpha lead his kin home and the raucous calls quieted as a sense of tranquility came over them all. Small-Claw and Toothless flew back, wingtip to wingtip again as they flew to their home, purring all the way with full bellies and restful minds; but it was his own nature that made him start thinking about what was to come. The Queen, the- vikings- the word came back to him after a moment of focusing, and what they were to do about it. Previously, this line of thought had hunted him in his sleep as winter took the world around him, and filled him with fear. But he felt in his life-fire that he and Toothless would be fine, no matter what came their way now.

He thought back to his life as… the viking called Hiccup. After the winter it felt so distant from him already; and that thought scared him a little, but he brushed past it. He couldn't afford to dwell on it, to let that pit that had claimed him that fateful day suck him back down into its depths to douse his life-fire. Small-Claw was what he was, for now at least, and he had to accept that, or he wouldn't make the pawful of sky-fire-cycles it would take for them to island hop to the Queen's nest or anything after that. He flexed his body and stretched in the air from nose to tail tip and smiled, looking over at Toothless who was fixated on him with a slight raised brow and he stuck his tongue out at him, before diving down as their nest neared.

His excellent eyesight and knowledge of their nest from many games of hide and seek let him know there was a small crevice in the rocks below the ice that led inside, and he looked behind himself to make sure Toothless was still following. Rolling his shoulders, Small-Claw sped towards it, wings wide as they caught the air and angled himself into it, and he sharply shut his wings and tugged his limbs in, the woosh of stone either side of him stopping quickly as he span around a corner, and raced upward. The light of the nest met him and he let out a delighted roar into the air, before coming to land in a light stumble, waiting for Toothless to come through the way he'd come too.

A prickle on the back of his neck let him know his kin had not made the tiny gap, and being pinned underneath his friend made him screech, before laughing as the other Night-One swatted and butted his head into him from above as he rolled to the sides slightly.

"You are- the most reckless scale-wing who ever hatched!" Toothless growled into his face, but Small-Claw was too busy laughing at his friend's grieving over his stunt to pay any real attention. His paws raised and he made sure to cover his ear fins in case of any drool related bullying, but quickly regretted it as his larger kin started to aggressively groom his belly; which tickled and only served to have the smaller Night Fury squealing and squawking between deep breaths of air. The soft tongue tickled his scales and he arched his back, panting and kicking Toothless off after a few more moments, the larger only huffing worry, care, at him before laying down.

Small-Claw rolled onto his belly once again and nestled against his friend for a few moments, Toothless instantly beginning to drag half-sheathed teeth over the itchier spots between his wings and under his neck. Everytime they did anything like this to one another, that last vestige of two-leg screamed at him that it was weird, and unnatural, even if he was a scale-wing now, but he shut it off quickly each time. It felt amazing, and the fact that Toothless always knew exactly where to scratch or lick only served that feeling, and the pride and satisfaction he got from doing it back to him was too strong of a high to be left alone.

They alternated grooming one another for a while, the sky-fire outside the nest starting to darken before the four-flyer alighted before them and huffed at the two fledglings cleaning each other like fresh hatchlings. Toothless grumbled annoyance at him, but the large scale-wing brushed it off before looking at them both.

"We fly after this light, when sky-fire gone. Not wait for you two hatchlings." The russet gilded scale-wing chuffed at them, staying a moment too long for Toothless' liking. The larger night-one growled at him and tugged Small-Claw in close, before receiving a smack from an ear-fin from his kin and huffing. The four-flyer left, disappearing into the nest as the two cradled one another, enjoying the peace of their presence. Small-Claw broke the quiet first.

"You teach me fight, now?" He grunted, apprehension and fear, but also drive sounding in his thick throat.

Toothless nodded slowly, nudging the others back and licking his cheek before humming in thought, and looking down at him. The appraising stare quickly made his scales itch, and he stood up, rolling out from under his friend and standing before him, shaking his body out.

"First. Learn feel fight, smell." Toothless said, before raising his hackles a little and getting into a lower stance, rumbling aggression and fight to the smaller Night-One, who stared at him curiously.

"Feel-smell fight?" Small-Claw warbled curiously, staring at the other scale-wing with a soft huff. He could smell a lot better, but he didn't think he could smell intent, let alone feel it.

Toothless only nodded his head and grunted at him, staying in the low striking stance in front of him and Small-Claw's gut tightened, but he ignored it, trying to focus. He shut his eyes and clamped his ear-fins to the side of his head as he took in a deep breath, starting to scent Toothless. He smelt the warm, distinctly calming smell of his kin, and the underlying whiff of slight leather and metal. He inhaled again, and frowned some, but didn't complain, focusing again and trying to unpack the scent with his powerful nose. He inspected each 'layer' of scent in his head, until he reached a sharp tone and he wrinkled his nose, like inhaling mint or very cold air.

Cracking an eye open, he looked at Toothless and nodded his head.

"Like, sharp scent. Cold-wind scent, but... quieter." His twin only nodded again, smiling a little before standing a little less poised, and he grunted at him.

"How feel fight? Touch you scales?" Small-Claw warbled, curious and he blinked at Toothless, before he was suddenly pinned beneath him, the scale-wing eye to eye with him as he held him to the ground. He was a little out of breath at the shock of it, which didn't feel right, and he shook his head - that was a two-leg instinct that kept pushing up, as well. His new body could hold enough air to not have to breath underwater for a very long time, and being out of breath from this was silly.

Toothless moved from him, and stood before him normally again. Small-Claw stared at his kin, eyes going over his whole body. There was a tenseness in his legs, and his tail was moving side to side - he knew he was going to pounce again, but he could not feel that from just looking. He shook his head and sighed, growling a little at himself; Toothless purring calm, patient at him and he sighed before looking him over again, and then meeting those piercing, matching green orbs.

A spark snapped between them, and this time he saw the scale-wing moving before he registered what had happened; deftly dodging to one side and turning about to face Toothless again, his body assuming a ready, pouncing position and baring his teeth a little before he could stop it. The other scale-wing preened and nodded his head wildly, bouncing a little as he padded over and nuzzled his snout with his own.

"You feel, you see! Scale-wing want fight, but not show want fight, or think want fight, so no scent. Small-Claw feel fight!" Toothless exclaimed, and rubbed his neck alongside Small-Claws, who started to purr a little at his achievement.

"Sometime, other scale-wing not think want fight, until do. This keep you safe, until bigger, can fight with claws." Toothless elaborated a little and gave a gentle, playful nudge with his nose against Small-Claws side to gesture to his stature.

"Wrr. This work with two-legs?" Small-Claw enquired and Toothless shook his head with a soft growl.

"Two-legs strange. Some see fight, see kill, and not kill. Two-legs not know what two-legs want." The little jab at him made him smile, and licked his lips to butt heads with his kin who warbled pride. They sat back down again and Toothless continued, Small-Claw unpinning his ears to listen diligently.

"Some scale-wings roar fight, show fight. Some sneaky, hide fight. Always check for feel of fight, or scent before trust." The larger night-one warbled to him, and he nodded. He'd never noticed a feeling before in another scale-wings eyes, only Toothless'. Looking back, even as a two-leg he'd felt something in those eyes of his.

Small-Claw and Toothless sat on the rock ledge in the nest, resting and reserving their energy for the night, when they would leave the nest to begin their journey to see the Queen. They didn't talk, idly grooming and purring at one another carefully. Small-Claw didn't have any further thoughts to threaten the line between what he was now and who he had been, only a sense of excitement and apprehension for the night to come.

He'd never actually seen the two-leg female on their first flight, having been mostly unconscious or dragged beneath a scale-wing in the air, and was curious. How did she fly atop the four-flyer? On a leather-thing, or did she use that staff of hers to hook onto his claws and drag along beneath through the air? He'd seen her standing atop it, astride the four-winged friend like she were walking. How she kept her balance was a mystery.

Night came to the nest quickly, and without a sound other than their wings lifting them from the rock, Toothless led them to the two-legs nest, where she held a small two-leg-fire-holder and a small leather-pouch around her fore-legs - arms - and the four-wing stood, facing away from the three of them, low to the ground and grumbling hurry. The two-leg female gave the two Night-Ones a small smile, before her face disappeared beneath the wooden mask she wore, and she got onto the four-wings back, resting just above his neck with light footsteps.

Small-Claw stared. She was surely going to fall off as soon as the four-wing moved, and Toothless barked a warning before the four-flyer suddenly sped off, up into the height of the nest. He expected to see the female falling down toward them, but instead his eyes picked her up in the light of her fire-holder, standing atop the four-flyer as if she was born there. Her 'steed' took a quick turn, and she barely moved as he flew toward them, barking go, up.

The two night-ones shared a look before flapping up after him, his larger twin taking the lead as they all sped through a basalt tunnel out into the chill of the night air. Small-Claw made sure he was close enough to both his friend and the four-wing in case she did indeed fall as they headed toward the rising moon in the dusklight. A deep seated instinct tugged at his life-fire and he held in a happy screech - the night was their element. He'd not had any opportunity yet to freely fly in this blanket of dark, but he knew that they were invisible beside the large four-flyer who carried the two-leg. If it weren't for their wingbeats, they could both definitely disappear from the older scale-wings side and never be found in this low light.

"We fly till sky-fire up, then find rest." The four-flyer growled back at them, and he didn't respond, letting Toothless give him an affirmative chirp, before the whistling wind and silence overtook them. Small-Claws gaze drifted to the two-leg atop the scale-wing in front of them. She was poised, gracefully, leaning into the oncoming wind as if she were merely standing on some steps in a breeze. This, flying, was her element, he knew from seeing it this first time. It was incredible, and lifted his life-fire to see a two-leg doing this, something he'd never imagined in his wildest dreams when he was still one.

The flight took them out of the sheltered iceberg area, the large flat spaces of freezing not-rock parting for ocean and a simmering fog that rolled out, farther than he thought. Did all nests have this fog? Sailors had said that the area around the Queen's nest held a wall of fog so high it could block out the sun. Maybe it was something the Alpha could do, or perhaps it was just luck. Either way, the rolling tide of fog and mist was so vast, that they only cleared it from above once the moon had risen nearly entirely from the horizon, lifting slowly into the sky as if to join them in their journey.

Toothless seemed content to fly normally, but the budding want to play with him in the air was growing. The burning love of flying he'd found seemed to fade into the background after long enough, his life-fire's roar becoming a content purr in his body. Small-Claw loosed a small grumble and looked down at the water, then to his allies in the sky with him. He hoped this was the long stretch of their path.

They flew for what felt like an age, the white disc in the sky all the way above them and almost setting once again as they found land once more. At first, a small island, surrounded by sea stacks, before a larger island, then a much larger one past that. The nearest island looked to be uninhabited, but the trio made a surveying circle in the last of the night's cover. The furthest, largest island was definitely inhabited judging by the flicker of light in the distance, like night-sky-fires dotting the land.

The four-flyer grunted a signal to them, and they began their descent to the furthest point of the smaller island from the larger, finding a small shallow inlet that allowed them cover and a safe landing area.

Small-Claw landed with his signature awkward gait and stumble, falling into the dirt with a tired, annoyed grumble as Toothless and the four-flyer landed a lot more gracefully. Toothless padded over to his friend and licked his snout, before looking around them. The two-leg dismounted her scale-wing and set about making sure the place was safe, disappearing into the trees wordlessly. He trusted her, and it was much better for her to go than one of them - even in the darkness, she was much smaller and most likely quieter even with her worse vision and speed.

With nothing to do but wait, Small-Claw moved closer to the four-flyer and Toothless followed, and they sat on their hindquarters, resting barely as they waited for the two-leg, and listening anxiously for the sound of angry screams and sounds of steel. Small-Claw took the time to scent the area around them, and focused on that instead of listening. A deep breath told him quite a bit about the island. It had small-fast-white-tails and some horn-four-legs-runners, and was, from what he could tell, without two-legs, though the lingering scent of wood and fire told him at least a few had been there light-cycles ago.

He didn't alert the others that he thought it was safe, all the same. Small-Claw still wasn't adept at scenting, or even listening for the most part, and waited, prepared to leap off into the night again until the two-leg came back and clicked to the four-flyer something he didn't understand, but the relaxed pose they both had told him safe.

Small-Claw instantly dropped into the loamy dirt and sighed, falling onto his side a little and huffing. The spot they'd landed in was a tiny inlet surrounded with trees, the edge of the islet just before them and a thick forest behind them. There were a few thick, smooth rocks around and a fallen tree, which he quickly paced towards and claimed for himself and Toothless, who had followed him since they landed. He was still on edge, but his larger kin was more so, and he shuffled on the spot, before warbling at the fallen tree and huffing.

Toothless sat and rested his back against it, getting in a few satisfying sounding scratches to his back before lifting a wing and Small-Claw more than happily stuffed himself in, but made sure they didn't entangle their limbs like they typically did in case they had to flee from something quickly. He let out a warble of comfort and got a gentle croon of rest back from Toothless, who seemed more than happy to let him sleep a little. He looked over one last time at the two-leg and her four-flyer, and could scent the hint of sad and fear. She must miss the nest, Small-Claw reasoned before shutting his eyes, and letting the gentle embrace of sleep take him again.

Small-Claw did not have nightmares that night, instead strange flashes. Images of his childhood crushed atop him, struggling to climb out; his father slamming the great hall doors behind himself, of falling. They did not scare him, but they made him worried. Was this what was to come?

The night-one did not get to think on these thoughts long, before he was roused from sleep by the gentle touch of something other than his friend nestled against him. He sniffed once before opening his eyes, knowing the two-leg was to be there, and he gave a curious warble toward her as she pet his snout gently, sat beside the two of them. She still smelt sad. He pushed a soft, gummy smile onto his snout and blinked at her once or twice, head tilted and nudging her midriff, to which she cooed at him and scritched the spots he couldn't reach under his chin.

She spoke to him, and he strained to listen, trying to grasp the understanding he once had of his native tongue, but finding nothing more than emotion and intent in her sounds. Wistful, sad, afraid, angry. The two-leg was thinking too much, he reasoned, and sat up a little, pushing his snout and head onto her lap with a gentle croon to her. She fell back on a paw before sitting back up and continuing to pet him with humor and thanks in her voice as she spoke down at him. Toothless was taking this time to rest his eyes, feeling his twin resting his head on his back gently and tugging him into his self a little.

Small-Claw appraised the two-leg again, her mask on still. Her scent was more scale-wing than two-leg, but the underlying tone of it still gripped him and let him know. He focused a little further and unraveled the scent some more, and found a light edge of determination and pride, that tickled his life fire with how strong they must be inside of her. He did not know what she was afraid of, but she was ready for whatever it must be, and that was enough for him, as he comforted her what little he could. Their journey was going to be long, and he knew it wouldn't be all smooth-soaring, but he still felt safe and determined to face it with his kin and this two-leg who was one of his nest-mates.

The four-flyer nosed into them at some point, growling possessiveness at the small Night-One, who rolled his eyes and leaned back, curling back against his other half and looking between them. He didn't know where the two-leg was from, and the mystery tugged at him slightly, but he left it. He couldn't ask her, and he was content to have her at his side as a friend to scale-wings. Perhaps, in the crazy life that he'd found, they would meet another two-leg that might be like her, but he doubted.

They lazily rested in their small, secluded inlet away from the world before his stomach tugged at him, and Toothless' gave a small nudge as if knowing without Small-Claw sounding a complaint, and they shook themselves out and stood.

"We hunt. Come?" Toothless queried the Four-flyer, who shook his head, staying closely hugged around his two-leg, to which Small-Claw smiled before they padded out and into the forest.

"You teach me how hunt? Like, fight hunt?" Small-Claw purred quietly and looked to the other, who nodded slowly.

"I still catch, but you learn." Toothless growled lightly, and he slowly adopted a lower, more lethal stance, which Small-Claw set about copying as well as he could, adjusting himself behind his brother and following his lead. He heard the light scrunch of his nostrils and copied, again, scenting the area and honing in on the four-leg-fast-runners he'd scented previously, and let his nose do the work. They crept through the greenery slowly, together, two Night-One's prowling for their meal, which soon was found. A tiny water source in a thicket of bushes was being supped upon by two of their prey; a senior and a younger, smaller one. He was all but about to pounce out of the bush they were spectating from, before Toothless shook his head and gestured for him to stay with his head - despite his instincts screaming at him to chase, to hunt. But he knew better, and quietly seated himself as his companion slinked off into the forest again. He waited intently, unable to hear much of Toothless' moving but he knew where he was without much thought, spotting him lined up to the behind of the two creatures who mindlessly drank from the water, ears and noses twitching as they drank, alerted.

It was over in an instant. The tiny distance between Toothless and the horn-fast-runner was closed in a flash, and with a keening honk the young one bounded into the undergrowth in a skitter of limbs as Small-Claw pushed out of the bush and towards the kill.

He would've felt bad as a two-leg, for killing the parent of the younger one, but the need to hunt and the need to eat was too strong for him to think on it further as Toothless laid the kill out for him, and they both hastily nosed their snouts into the underbelly of the prey. The fatty, warm meat he found was delicious, and the quick meal ensured he had a full belly and no qualms with eating it all that he could.

Toothless licked the blood off his snout before speaking to him, purring content.

"What you see?" The hunter crooned to him.

Small-Claw replayed the flash of motion and thought for a few paces, before replying with a questioning warble.

"You fast, and you from behind them, they not see you while drink." The smaller surmised, looking down at the fluffy prey and then back where Toothless had sprung from, sniffing the air.

"And you make sure they not scent you!" Small-Claw added quickly, and the huff of pride from the other made his chest puff up.

"Yes, all of it together make hunt work. Most important, never, ever hesitate in hunt, like in fight. Act, then think." Toothless gave him a knowing gaze and bowed his head a little with a growl, and he bashfully ducked his head to the side. He knew he'd most likely be hearing of that kind of chiding for a while, but he didn't mind, it served to remind him how to be better, instead of just bashing him for his failings.

"We try play-fight-learn, back with two-leg?" Small-Claw asked, gently, tilting his head back up to meet his eyes, which conveyed delight as Toothless nodded, quickly setting off back for their little inlet in the island. He hurried after him, nipping at his tail to speed him up and the larger night-one swatted his nose whenever he got too impatient. Quickly, they arrived back in the inlet, and as soon as they spotted the two-leg, Toothless turned on him with a low growl and a soft gaze.

Small-Claw thought quickly about what to do. Toothless, though most likely holding back was still bigger and most likely stronger, and more experienced; while he was a little faster on the ground when he wasn't being overtly clumsy. He looked at his friend and dropped into the fighting stance he felt natural enough, going as far as to bare his teeth a little and growl. They circled each other slowly, before he decided to make the first move - he was faster, but not as graceful, and had to make the first move before Toothless thought up a better one.

Small-Claw feigned the start of a dash, before bounding a tail length to one side and trying to bash into Toothless to knock him over so he could pin him. The false-start worked, but his opponent quickly readjusted and angled his body so Small-Claw simply shoved past him with a slightly irritated huff. His twin showboated a little, puffing his chest out and standing straighter before he tried again, putting a burst of speed on that kicked up dirt behind him as he leapt towards Toothless, who this time ducked underneath him and flattened himself to the ground; but this gave him time, and before his friend could turn again, he crashed into his side with a thud, feeling their scales grinding a little together as he swatted his claws at him. He was behind Toothless and almost atop him, before he bucked harshly upward and kicked Small-Claw off, landing in a small puff of dirt.

Now it was the others turn to attack, and he barely managed to get on his paws again before Toothless was there, gnashing at him and jabbing his snout at, trying to bite at his own maw. He rose up suddenly, the smaller joining him as they got onto their hind-legs at their full height and crashed against one another. The jarring impacts jolted his bones a little but his life-fire roared at the mock fight. He made sure not to growl or snarl despite very much feeling like it, not wanting to attract undue attention with their scuffle.

Small-Claw was quickly on the offensive again, swatting and batting his paws at Toothless wildly while his hindlegs carried him side to side, jumping short distances and butting at his friend, before a pang in his head stopped him, and he faltered; which let his twin quickly pin him, though he looked worried at his sudden stop. He stared at his friend, then at down at himself with a small frown. It would seem he hadn't entirely conquered his old self, which had disliked this more violent play fight so intently it had given him a small headache.

Toothless whined at him and licked his cheek, which he very barely registered, as he stared off into space. Small-Claw hated fighting as a two-leg, he hated it; even when he'd been intent on killing a scale-wing for the prestige and recognition, he never wanted to battle one, simply disable it somehow and prove he was of worth. The feeling in his head didn't cease until Toothless was off of him and baying at him from the side, grumbling worry to his closest friend. Small-Claw snapped out of it, not wanting to frighten him and sat up, nuzzling his cheek.

"I sorry… bad two-leg thoughts. Made stop." He got out with a slightly restrained grunt, and Toothless sent him a sad look with a nod, and a questioning warble and he breathed for a moment, before filling him in, eyeing the four-flyer cautiously.

"Not like fighting. Ever. No matter who what I fight, hate. Feel sick in gut. Rotten." Small-Claw spat the words out as if they were poison and growled a little, smacking the ground beneath him.

He felt the eyes of the others on him, but didn't have it in him to fluster, instead sighing loudly and he met Toothless' gaze again, who only held sympathy against his own raging green orbs. Small-Claw tore the dirt up in an unfamiliar pattern and huffed his irritation, before gazing skyward.

"Not want Tooth-less hurt if I not fight. Want help. Not hatchling." Small-Claw growled out again, tinged with pain, and Toothless butted him to try and knock the bad thoughts from his head, which gave him a light smile as he calmed down slightly. The two-leg was mumbling something to the four-wing. But that insufferable pit in his heart was open and he was loath to fight it's tug, even with his best friend at his side trying to tug him out of it. Small-Claw would fail to save his friend, he would get hurt and it would be his fault. That doubt in his mind tugged itself to the forefront and he retreated back into himself, laying on the ground and covering his head with his paws and tail-fins, shutting the world out around him.

That gnawing depression was overwhelming him again, that same feeling that took his mind from him in the forest and ended up with this new body and the ruining of his past life, but he had two things he didn't have before now - he had his life-fire, which roared in his ears as he felt his brother at his back. He opened his eyes, and shook his head with his spite for his self, gritting his teeth and tugging himself closer to Toothless. Small-Claw didn't want to be weak anymore, and shoved himself so he was pinning Toothless, pushing down the sick feeling in his gut and trying to bite a little at his neck with some conviction.

His twin quickly caught on to what he was doing, as he snapped and growled at him, albeit shakily. His head hurt and all he could think of was bowing his head and apologising to his friend, but he couldn't stop now. They wrestled a little, as Small-Claw desperately tried to keep his friend pinned under his squirming and snapping, resting a paw down on his chest as he tried to shove his gums around his neck as a 'kill-move'. Toothless used his forelegs to shove at his chest and neck, wildly gumming at his paws as he gave up on rolling away and instead tried to brute force the win.

Toothless was stronger, and the duress of his past pushing down on Small-Claw soon led him to buckle and whimper as his friend wrapped his gums around his thick neck and applied a little pressure, but it quickly retreated in place of rumbles of worry, pride. His life-fire was still making it hard to hear, but Small-Claw simply fell flat and went limp, shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"My Small-Claw strong! Nearly win! Close!" Toothless barked his gratification at him, nuzzling their snouts as he looked him over for scratches and scrapes. He was truly out of breath this time, and just huffed at the other with a small smile. Whether or not he'd won the actual play-fight was not of importance, but that he'd managed to beat that sadness and doubt gave him a small twinge of pride that heated his life-fire.

"I do good, beat you next time." Small-Claw purred wryly, unable to sink into that pit again with his own happiness at the forefront again as Toothless laid across him, their closeness warming him up in the chilly night.

"Yes! You not two-leg now, you Night-one, like me. You strong!" Toothless barked at him, a lingering look of worry on those pine green eyes of his before they closed and butted snouts again. The affectionate gesture served to relax him again, and he quickly stood on his paws, grinning and swaying his tail side to side.

"We hunt, fight, I get better, beat you!" Small-Claw crowed, allowing the small bud of pride in his life-fire to swell a little for once and he licked his lips, before spying from the corner of his eye the four-flyer turning in a circle, jetting the small patch of dirt and stone beneath himself with a torrent of fire that left warm embers which he promptly laid atop, and Small-Claw almost smacked himself at the sight, reminding him of something. He set to pounce Toothless, who yelped in surprise as he was taken off guard, the two rolling and grunting for a while before he voiced his thought.

"Why you not teach fire?!" Small-Claw grunted, nipping at Toothless' snout as the other scale-wing rolled his eyes.

"Because you silly hatchling. Not learn fire before fly-hunt-fight, small-head." The larger night-one chuffed with amusement. Small-Claw shook his head and huffed at him with offense.

"Not hatchling! Fierce, fighter Night-Stalker!" He gave a mock growl, which his friend returned before rolling off of him and righting himself, watching Toothless out the corner of his eye as he licked and scraped a patch of mud off his forearm.

"Hatchling not learn fire before learn fight. Fly too fast and you fall." Toothless grumbled at him, but at least had the decency to be a little bashful, Small-Claw realising he'd actually been hiding it from his friend, even if that was how he was initially rescued.

Small-Claw took pause and felt around in his body a little, playing with his neck muscles and throat muscles, but only causing himself to near bring up his last meal, which he hastily swallowed back down with a little cringing gag. Toothless laughed and shook his head, butting their cheeks and he pouted a little, making his eyes wide like the hatchlings in their nest and warbling want. All he got was a smack on his wide head, behind his eyes from the scale-wings tail.

The four-flyer and two-leg were watching curiously, as they spoke to one another. The four-flyer looked more cautious than curious however, and Small-Claw realised the larger scale-wing might have misgivings about his past life, but he shook it off. As long as Toothless and the two-leg were around, he was most likely not going to bring it up. Small-Claw laid on the ground and Toothless followed suit, the two Night-Ones laid on the ground together, as he thought for a moment and crowed to the Four-Flyer.

"We go after light, look-see two-leg nest on other land?" Small-Claw yapped lightly with ask warbling after his question. The four-flyer shook his head as if he hadn't been truly paying attention and looked between them, shaking his head again this time as a negative to his desire.

"You fledglings not safe above two-leg nest… my two-leg can see and know what tricks of two-legs they hide in nest." It finished with a grunt of order, and he huffed a little. He knew he'd quickly grow bored without something to do on their small land, even with Toothless beside him, who shook his head at the four-flyer and warbled back at him.

"We faster, quieter. Two-legs might see you, then we have to go new land. Us we better." Toothless said confidently, sitting up straighter and puffing his chest out. Small-Claw didn't quite feel up to the task; he'd not even seen a viking in an entire season, and, if he was honest with himself, scared how he could react. But he trusted his friend and made to sit up a little straighter, despite that he'd been shaking and whining like a runt moments ago.

The four-flyer seemed to think for a second before huffing and rolling his wide eyes, standing up on his bed of flamed ground, and he looked between them both.

"We all go. You still fledglings." He growled, and his firm strides toward his two-leg with his back on them gave them no room to argue. Small-Claw relaxed again, and leaned in a little closer to his twin, purring at him and huffing.

"Four-flyer have big head for small-think." He said quietly, hopefully silent enough that the scale-wing across from them wouldn't hear. Toothless gave a deep coughing laugh and grinned at him before they silently agreed.

Small-Claw looked up into the sky, the fire was now up, meaning that he still had a long day ahead of him and it would let him rest his tired wings in the slight safety of his temporary nest. Pulling himself as close to Toothless as he could without smothering him, he started to rest his eyes, keeping his ear-fins out and twitching for any sounds, the larger Night-One doing the same as they both began the practiced scale-wing act of sleeping through a full day.

This chapter just sort of exploded on me. I think this is the fastest I've ever written a full length chapter, ever. I actually could not sleep yesterday because I wanted to get this out, so here it is. I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you for the kind reviews and follows and such, it is very uplifting.

I would also like to briefly say that I feel like my writing may be a little chaotic in format, and I apologise if it's hard to follow at all.

Next chapter will be a brief moment of Berk's winter before the action continues with our lovely scaled brothers, just to keep things going forward there.

Again, thank you so much for the reviews, favourites and follows.

Have a lovely day.