"But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them." - Ursula K. Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea
Shadowwing
Adal was woken up late in the night by his mother rushing through the door and shaking him awake.
"Get up! Raid!" she screamed.
He hopped to his feet, instantly awake and afraid. His mother held his hand and led him out into the main room where both his little brother and father were waiting. His father held a shield and sword.
"Take them to the square!" he shouted.
She held both of the boys' hands as they rushed outside. It was chaos everywhere. Groggy guards were rushing into the woods in search of fleeing bandits. Huts were on fire. Farm animals were running aimlessly in the confusion.
They passed a man lying on the ground. His mother covered his eyes and dragged him along.
"Don't look, son."
The center of the village was the place where the women and children were safest, and there was already a small crowd gathered there. They huddled together in the torchlight and in fear with several armed men standing guard as shadowy figures rushed between the huts. It became harder to tell friend from foe beyond this immediate gathering.
More fires were lit and the village gradually became illuminated as the flames grew higher. Several of the women and smaller children were crying. Several minutes passed with nothing happening, and he was almost tempted to ask if everything was over. It certainly seemed like the fighting was done.
"Hrah!" "Get them!" "Charge!"
Nearly a dozen men rushed forward with a battle-cry, torches and blades raised. Everyone started screaming and running around in terror, and he was lost in the confusion.
"Mom!"
He was pushed to the ground and nearly stepped on. Then he was roughly picked up and flung across a massive set of shoulders. It was one of the attackers.
He kicked and screamed at the top of his lungs but nothing helped. The raider carried him off into the woods along with several other men and their captives.
"Let's take them!"
He opened his eyes just enough to see his captors. Big burly men with unkempt beards. The captives, unsurprisingly, were mostly women and girls.
"Faster! To the bridge!"
Their captors picked up the pace. He was barely able to make out the torches of the pursuers following their captors.
He stared down at the burning village in horror as he circled in the darkness. He could see several bodies motionless on the ground.
No!
This may have ruined everything. The unknown attackers may have destroyed every chance he would have had to find Toothless though this people.
But he could see what looked like torches far off in the woods and flew off in that direction. It became clear from the shouting and from there being people carried off who the attackers were. There were maybe a dozen or so in this company.
He had to do something but the forest here was far too dense for him to maneuver in.
Maybe at the river…
He flew on ahead and grimly noticed the single bridge leading over the rapidly flowing river. The attackers had to cross over that, giving him the chance to block their way and prevent their escape.
It would be very dangerous. Do they have bows and arrows? How much do they fear dragons? Will they want to fight and kill him for his hide?
But I have to do this. It is the only way to get the people to trust me.
Resigned to the possibility of conflict or at least danger, he dove over the bridge and landed on the far riverbank. He stood upon the bridge and tried to make himself look more threatening by spreading his wings to their full length and baring all his teeth. He briefly glanced down at his sharp claws. Then he rolled his eyes and groaned.
Gods, I wish I knew how to make fire too. That would be perfect for this.
He waited as the torchlight came closer.
The raiding party burst through the trees, ran down the slope of the riverbank, and froze when they saw the bridge. A dragon, fangs bared and wings extended, stood on the other end of the bridge. The demon was glaring straight at them, its evil eyes shining in the torchlight.
They all shuffled anxiously with their captives, not knowing what to do. It was a somewhat small dragon. Its shoulders were slightly higher than an adult horse but that was no measure of how dangerous it could be.
The defenders arrived behind them and began spreading out around the attackers to cut them off from any escape. The raiders were gradually forced up closer to the bridge.
"Quick, give it one of them," one of the raiders demanded.
Another man slowly crept forward onto the bridge and closer to the dragon. When he reached halfway on the bridge, he threw down the little girl in his arms. She fell with a scream of pain and rolled down to the dragon's feet where she lay motionless.
The dragon was the first to move. It looked down at the girl, bent down, and…
…licked her cheek.
Then it looked back at the raiders and growled.
One very brave man drew his sword and marched onto the bridge only to stop when the dragon raised a claw with razor sharp talons and opened its mouth to show its teeth. The sharp white fangs glistened in the torchlight. The man stepped back, overcome with primal fear.
The raiders looked around at the circle enclosing around them and at the monster on the bridge. People they could possibly entreat or bargain with, but a demon monster…
"Release them…"
They released the captives, all of whom ran behind the circle of defenders. Then no one moved. Both sides still had weapons drawn and looked ready to tear each other apart. Then the dragon howled softly, and they all turned to look at it.
The dragon reached down with an open mouth. Everyone thought it was about to tear into the girl but instead it dragged the terrified girl off the main road. Then it stood protectively over her and glared at the attackers, leaving the main path completely open.
The raiders looked at each other and at the dragon. It was just standing there and glaring at them. The irate villagers behind them made their decision for them by marching forward and forcing them all onto the bridge. The raiders then fled across the river and into the forest. The dragon faced the raiders' direction and roared defiantly. The roar echoed through the forest and unsettled everything in hearing.
A cautious quiet ensued as several of the villagers continued on across the bridge while keeping their eyes and weapons drawn on the dragon.
"It's you!"
Adal escaped his mother's embrace and ran down to the riverbank.
The dragon looked over at the lad across the river, gave him a toothless smile, stepped away from the girl, and nodded at the men on the bridge. They looked at each other incredulously.
Then the dragon turned tail, flew off over the river, and vanished into the night.
The lad turned and stared at his parents, at his Chief, and at the rest of his stunned village.
"Believe me now?"
He was waiting for them when they returned from the woods. As soon as the torches drew near, he dove and landed in the square. Most of the fires had since died down and been put out.
They lost many homes and maybe people. If they don't listen to me now…
He folded his wings away, sat down on his rump, and waited for the party to return. As soon as they broke the tree line, he howled softly to announce his presence and to not scare anyone unnecessarily. The line of villagers nervously drew nearer and stopped about twenty paces away. Some of the men nervously fingered their spears and bows. He was hopeful but also knew that he had to be ready to flee with only a moment of warning.
Then two figures, one large and the other small, broke from the crowd and slowly advanced. The torch in the larger one's hand revealed his prominent garb and eminent status in the village while also revealing the small person to be Adal.
The young lad then abandoned all pretense of being serious and ran forward, throwing his arms around his neck. He slowly reached out with one arm and hugged the lad back with a soft purr. The onlookers gasped in amazement and alarm.
"You saved me. You saved us."
He nodded to acknowledge the words.
"Adal, can it really understand us?"
"Yes, Chief. Ask it."
The Chief fixed his ancient, tired eyes on him.
"Dragon, can you understand us."
He nodded deliberately without breaking eye contact. If the Chief was shocked, he did a very good job of concealing it.
"I... am impressed. The gods never said this would happen. Adal says you can write."
He nodded again and reached out to the dirt with a forepaw.
Yes, I can
The Chief stared at the Norse carvings illuminated by the torchlight.
"Most of my people cannot do that. I… we owe you many lives, dragon. Those men would have gotten away if you had not stopped them."
By now, the rest of the crowd had regathered its courage in the face of its Chief and a youth standing fearlessly before the dragon and they began to draw nearer, their weapons still in hand. He took a slow step back while eyeing the swords and spears.
"Stop! No one will hurt it!" the Chief commanded.
"It is a dragon…" several men muttered.
"It helped us, and we will not harm it. Everyone go to bed. We rebuild tomorrow."
The rest of the village obeyed, save for Adal and his mother who stayed very close to her son. The Chief turned back to him.
"I know now that you do not want to hurt us. I wondered why you never attacked these last few moons," the Chief continued.
I wanted to talk
I need help
"Help, how could we possibly help you?" the Chief seemed incredulous.
This could take a while to explain. He considered how tired both Adal and the Chief looked and how exhausted he himself was. He turned aside and yawned widely.
Can we talk in the morning?
"Yes, that is a good idea. Where will you go?"
"It can stay with us, right mother?" Adal eagerly offered.
She was clearly not enthusiastic about that idea from how nervously she was still holding him. She glanced from her Chief to her son while avoiding looking at the dragon.
"I don't think it is a good idea for a dragon to be indoors, son. It will not fit through the doors."
"Oh, the stables then. It can stay in the stables. It is not very nice, but there is enough hay to sleep on."
He spared the stable a swift glance. It did look very poor and certainly could not be pleasant to sleep in, but it was a roof over his head.
I will sleep there tonight
"Ok, I will take you there. Say goodnight, Adal," the Chief commanded.
Adal reluctantly hugged his neck one more time before returning to his mother.
"Bye dragon-friend."
He watched Adal and his mother as they walked off into the night. The Chief proceeded to the stable doors and opened them. He walked right in and grimaced at the smells of barnyard animals, but he was not in a mood to complain.
"I will come to you in the morning."
He nodded in acknowledgment and almost became alarmed when he heard a latch click after the Chief closed the door. But it was obvious that this rickety building could not hold him if he truly wanted to escape. He walked around the room and eventually lay down after finding the spot with the cleanest-looking and least foul-smelling hay.
Even though he trusted Adal and wanted to trust this Chief, he did not go to sleep immediately but rather remained awake and listened for any sign of stirring from beyond. It was only after waiting for a long time without hearing any disturbance that he felt safe enough to go to sleep.
There, in an old stable filled with old hay in a tiny village on the mainland, he gave a great sigh and imagined a tiny burden being lifted away. He had finally managed to make a peaceful contact with a completely new people and was hopefully one step closer to finding Toothless.
I did it.
He woke up the moment he heard someone fiddling with the door at dawn. The door swung open revealing the Chief and a few others. The Chief's white hair was wild and unkempt, suggesting that he had not slept well.
"Are you ready?"
He got up and walked out of the stable. It was relieving to see that none of the other people present were carrying any weapons, nor did they seem especially afraid. They were still wary though and kept their distance. He followed the Chief to the edge of town where they could speak and write freely.
"Do you need to eat?"
Do you have fish?
"Not now, we could try to catch some though."
Later then
"Ok, what do you need help with?"
I am looking for my brother
"Your brother?"
He was captured and taken this way
Do you know anything?
The Chief, apparently deep in thought, stroked his beard.
"I think I would know if a dragon was brought this way. You are the only one I have seen."
He almost despaired, but the Chief continued.
"There was one strange thing that happened. Traders from the north came through here a couple months ago. They did have one large wagon that they did not let anyone near."
Anything else?
"They were selling dragon scales."
Was its leader a witch?
"Maybe, she certainly looked like she could have been. Called herself Maera or something like that."
He almost gasped. That had to be it! There was no way that all those details would fit together and be only coincidence.
Where did they go?
"I do not know. I can ask my people though since some of them traded with them."
Thank you
The Chief looked down at the writing and then put his hand to his forehead.
"I need to know. How do you know runes?"
I grew up with humans
They taught me
"I did not know that dragons were this smart. I thought you were just dumb beasts that eat maidens and horde gold."
He snorted.
Dragons do not do that
They mostly eat fish
And want peace or to be left alone
Halvden grunted as well.
"That has not been our experience. All our stories and legends say differently. There is a reason why dragons are almost gone from the mainland. Where did you come from?"
Berk
"Berk, never heard of it."
It is an island far in the northwest
That the man did not immediately recognize it spoke to how remote Berk and the surrounding isles truly were and how little contact they had with the rest of the world in the last few decades. But the man had said something that he puzzled over.
What do you mean about dragons being gone?
By then a small crowd had gathered to watch the dragon's scrawling. No one else came as near though.
"You do not know any of it I see. The stories are that there were many dragons generations ago. Then the dragons started living farther north and started attacking our villages for food. The dragons that lived deeper inland are... gone. Even up here, there are almost never any wild dragons anymore. The only other dragons any of us know about are in Rorikfeld."
What is Rorikfeld?
"It started several years ago. A merchant opened a show in which dragons fight people or other dragons. I have no idea where he gets the creatures. The fights always get a lot of people to attend and place bets. The rest of the village is where people trade things. The show is what keeps the place going though."
He considered this news. It certainly sounded possible that Toothless could have been taken there. No, it was almost certain that Toothless was there. But what was going to happen to him? Would he be in the fighting show, would he be sold, or something else? Were the fights fights to the death?
He is a Night Fury; there is no way they want to hurt him. Not yet anyway.
"And then there is also the Dragon Master."
What?
"No one knows who he is, but he calls himself the Master of Dragons. I have only heard whispers and rumors about him, and supposedly he commands thousands of dragons."
He wrinkled his brow as he thought about this information. It certainly sounded quite fantastical.
An army of dragons? Really? That is a good one.
Despite his age, the Chief managed to look rather sheepish at something.
"I should apologize for what we did to you. For your getting shot. Does it hurt? Is there anything that we can do to help?"
He showed him the wound, still quite raw but no longer bleeding. His own treatment of it was perfectly sufficient.
Time is enough
"We can make a salve for it though. I am also going to ask my people if they know anything that might help find your brother."
He respectfully inclined his head as the Chief turned to depart. But then the man stopped after a few steps and faced him again.
"Do you have a name?"
A name.
Hiccup…
That name was a part of his old life...
The traditional hideous name he had been given by his fath…
Who was he now?
Who are you dark wing?
He was not sure what to say. His given name seemed quite ridiculous outside of a place that had strange naming customs to ward off gnomes and trolls. Not only that but it brought back rather painful memories.
But what to call himself instead? What would be a name befitting a Night Fury? What do people most recognize about dragons, especially one that lived in the shadows?
And then an obvious answer came to mind for a name that he could use out here in the world and not feel thoroughly embarrassed by.
Shadowwing
"Shadowwing, I am Halvden."
And with that, the Chief and most of the other people who had come with him departed. Only a couple remained behind.
"Shadowwing?" one of them timidly offered.
He turned to face the young man and gave him a reassuring hum.
"I know my runes so you can talk to me. I am Bori."
Hello Bori
Bori grinned like a little kid and elbowed his companion while pointing at the scratched-out symbols.
"I wanted to say blessings on you for helping us yesterday. My baby sister Aelfleda was one of the ones they took. She was actually the one they gave to you on the bridge. I was so afraid that you were going to…"
I would never
Is she well?
"She is still scared by what happened and did not want to meet you, but I will tell her how friendly you are."
He hummed happily.
Thank you Bori
Is there anything I can do to help?
Your homes need to be fixed
"We can manage rebuilding, we always do. It is those raiders, Loki spawn, that we cannot stop. Damn cowards. They keep coming back. Normally, it is just one person who goes missing, but they have been getting braver recently. It would have been terrible for us last night if you had not showed up."
Why do they attack you?
"That is obvious. They want to take our women and make us their slaves."
Why?
"Why? I guess you do not know the ways of humans. If you want to help you could move some logs after we cut down some trees."
He considered the ruined huts and agreed that the people needed shelter. He looked back at Bori and nodded.
Let me know when
"I will. I've never met a friendly dragon before. Uhm, you don't mind if I…" Bori stammered while glancing at his wings.
Really? Oh, well. Why not?
He took a step forward and extended his wings, allowing Bori to stroke them. He could feel Bori's fingers gently flowing over the thin membrane between his wing bones. It was strangely comforting and relaxing. Although, Toothless had enjoyed similar grooming back in the cove in their previous lives, so maybe it was not so strange after all.
"Are you purring?"
He blinked and realized that he had indeed been purring. He stopped and looked away in embarrassment before hastily scratching out a reply.
It feels nice
"I had no idea that dragons could purr."
Groan.
A bit of motion at one of the huts caught his eye. It was Adal. But the boy came out of the hut slowly and did not run over to him. Instead, he looked sullen and miserable.
He hopped over in his direction, but Adal ignored him. He could practically smell Adal's frustration and sadness.
What is it?
He turned back to Bori and beckoned him over.
Why is Adal sad?
Bori relayed the question.
"My father was angry that I did not obey him. He told me that I would not see the monster again or else he would hit me again."
He recoiled and growled in anger.
How dare that man! Even my dad didn't…
I saved you
Does that matter to him?
Adal reluctantly grumbled after having that repeated to him.
"I should not be talking to you."
Then the boy wandered off toward the chicken coop to do his duties. He just stared after him, wondering why Adal's father was so... so stubborn.
So like someone else he knew and...
Hated?
Bori picked up on his frustration and stepped closer to him.
"Fenrir has always been an angry sort. I don't know why he is not letting his boy see you though. I guess you met Adalwulf a while ago."
He was the first I met from here
"Give it some time, his father will come around. How about we go help with rebuilding now?"
He nodded and followed Bori. As they walked past one of the remaining untouched buildings, a girl gasped and hid behind the house.
"Aelfie, come over here! Shadowwing wants to meet you!"
Bori dashed behind the house and dragged her out by the arm.
"But… but… I don't…"
"Don't be silly, he won't hurt you. Wait…"
Bori turned around with a puzzled expression.
"You are a he, right?"
He nodded.
"I thought so. See Aelfie, he is a nice dragon. Come on, he will let you pet him."
I am a nice... Wait, I didn't say... Oh, the things I have to do…
He stayed still and let Bori stroke his neck while watching Aelf. He could almost see her fear and nervousness melt as she inched her way closer to him at her brother's behest.
"You can talk to him. He is smart."
"Hu… hi dragon."
She cautiously raised a hand before him, and he gladly leaned forward into it. Her smile of awe warmed his heart as she stroked his chin. She even giggled as he hummed to her.
Where are your parents?
"Alright Aelf, do you like him?"
"Yes, he is nice," she continued to pet his neck.
"He has some work to do now. We will be back when we are done."
She reluctantly patted him one more time and stepped away.
"Bye, dragon."
Bori waited until they had left earshot before he spoke up.
"It is just us now. Our parents are gone. I didn't want her to hear about it again."
He nudged Bori on the shoulder and nodded solemnly to show that he understood.
"She is all I have left now, and you saved her life. I will always remember that, Shadowwing."
They continued on together into the woods where they got to work hauling logs and timber back into the village. Everywhere he went he could see more looks of awe and fascination from the villagers. The children even started bravely dashing closer to him, although none of them were quite brave enough to touch him yet.
It made him feel very warm to know that these people would likely look at or think about dragons differently after today, all because of him. But not all of them yet. He still wanted to find a way to convince Fenrir so that he could talk to Adal freely. He really felt that he owed it to the boy since it was because of him that he had managed to introduce himself to the village.
It was while he was hauling a second load of lumber that the grim truth finally hit him that he was going to leave this people. That just when he finally succeeded in getting these people to trust and accept him he was going to leave and possibly have to start this painful and difficult process over again somewhere else.
I'm going to miss them: Bori, Aelf, Adal, Halvden, and everyone else.
"Shadowwing?" Halvden called.
He roused himself from his afternoon nap and walked out of the stable. A strange woman in mostly plain garment was standing next to the Chief.
He blinked when he saw the necklace she was wearing. It was a simple chain cut through several green and blue Nadder scales.
"This is Idonea. Idonea, tell Shadowwing what you told me."
She stared at the ground before him, clearly nervous to be anywhere near him.
"I traded with the people who came through here for this charm."
"Where did they say they were going?" Halvden asked.
"She said they were traveling to Rorikfeld."
Was her name Moirai
Halvden relayed the question, and Idonea started in surprise while staring at the writing.
"Yes, I think so."
Halvden looked back at him and then dismissed her.
"Thank you Idonea, you may go now."
She bowed to her Chief and scurried off. Halvden turned to him with a solemn expression.
"I take it you know where you must go."
Yes.
"What will you do when you get there? It is a large city with many guards all throughout. You cannot safely get in."
His expression fell, and he clenched the dirt between his claws while thinking it over. That all made sense. If Toothless was being held prisoner in that city, it was very unlikely that anyone would set him free or that he could get to Toothless unseen.
What do you think
I cannot leave him
"I don't know what to say. You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish, as long as you help get food. I'm sure that dragons eat a lot, and we are a small group."
Thank you
I will help you get food
But I must save him
"I will think about it and let you know if I have any ideas."
He nodded in appreciation and walked back to the stable. When he got back, Bori and Aelf were shoveling hay out and putting freshly cut grass in its place.
"Hi, we wanted you to have something nice…nicer… to sleep on."
The small act of kindness and consideration warmed him greatly. He walked over to them both and purred deeply while brushing their foreheads. Aelf giggled and started to stroke his chin. He did not let her do so for long, else he make a fool of himself, and walked into the stable. The new hay completely covered up the mud and helped a lot with the smell of old animal waste.
He mulled over the problem that Halvden brought up. He knew where Toothless was being held, but that did not mean that he knew how to free Toothless.
The witch-merchant knew how smart we are and captured him anyway. Probably to sell him to that merchant in Rorikfeld.
A captive Night Fury would definitely fetch an enormous price.
Maybe I can get the other dragons there to help, to break free… I need to see the place first though.
There was no real planning he could do without even knowing what the place looked like.
He looked out over the village and marveled at how quickly some of the structures had gone up. Sure, they were very basic hovels, but they would keep out the rain and most of the wind already.
I need to hunt. He is right that I would be a strain on them without helping them.
He walked out from the barn and launched himself into the sky to begin searching for any deer or elk to bring back.
And this time I will not forget about their antlers.
It was only his hearing that spared his life back in the barn that night.
He woke up in the middle of the night and looked around lazily for the source of the noise. His eyes were not much impacted by the darkness and clearly showed him the door being pushed open.
The torchlight from beyond gleamed off the knife the unknown man was carrying.
He scrambled to his feet in a hurry and started shaking his head to plead with the man. The man either did not see or did not care and lunged at him with the knife after dropping the torch.
"Dragon! Monster!"
The man stood between him and the door and seemed to have no intention of letting him out alive. The shadowed man lunged again, and the blade just barely bounced off his chest.
Despite his attempt to remain calm, he felt a hot anger building inside him as the man continued to swing his blade and yell profanities. He leapt with a snarl, ready to reach out with a claw and swipe the man aside, to stomp on his attacker, to sink his teeth into this man's belly, and to tear out…
He blinked and recoiled from the man who he had just shoved to the ground and at the same moment recognized through a heavy stench of ale.
Fenrir. Adal's father.
No!
He stepped back again in shock, and his flanks snapped one of the main support beams. The entire barn creaked for several seconds, and then the entire structure caved in. He tucked his wings in as tightly as he could as the beams and logs cracked and snapped around him.
It was over in an instant, and he lay there in the mud underneath an unknown amount of wooden beams and boards. Splinters poked at him everywhere. Voices began echoing from outside the wreckage, and he started to hear bits of the collapsed structure being pulled away.
"Faster! The fire is catching!"
Fire, what fire? I didn't… the torch!
He quickly experimented to make sure that nothing was hurt or would get hurt by his moving, and then he stood up. He groaned deeply as he bore the weight on his back. Wooden beams creaked and splintered all around him. Then they all fell away, and he was able to stand up freely despite still being partly buried. He slowly wiggled himself out and dragged his tail out from under the wreckage.
"Shadowwing! What happened?"
It was Bori.
Fenrir…
He did not hesitate after seeing the flames continuing to grow. He reached back down under the wreckage and started lifting it away as fast as he could. A foot quickly became visible. He grabbed the foot with his mouth and dragged Fenrir out of the burning mass. The man had a dark mark on his forehead and was completely unconscious.
Bori and a couple guards others saw to Fenrir after he stepped back and panted in fear and energy. There was no chance that he was going to be able to sleep after this.
"By the gods, what happened here? Why was he here with you?"
He attacked me
"What! He attacked you! Wait here…"
Bori whispered to one of his companions, who in turn ran off toward the Chief's tent.
I did not want to hurt him
"No, you didn't hurt him. You saved him. Why? He tried to kill you."
He just shook his head and lay down on the ground without saying anything. He was willing to wait until the Chief arrived, which happened shortly thereafter.
"What is the meaning of this!" Halvden shouted.
"Chief, see for yourself," Bori gestured at the carved words.
Halvden, still quite bleary-eyed from being awoken in the middle of the night, stared at what was written. Then he sighed deeply and shook his head.
"I should have known. He has always been more rash than most of us. He lost a brother to a dragon many years ago. But he attacked a guest of the tribe and that means he must die."
He shot to his feet and furiously scribbled when he heard that.
No, do not kill him
"He attacked you and defied my order to the entire tribe. I have to keep order."
He couldn't bear the thought of Adal's father dying because of him. Even given that Fenrir had just tried to kill him.
Please let me punish him then
"Let a dragon decide punishment for one of my men…"
He attacked me
"He also attacked the tribe by doing this…"
The light from the fire danced on Halvden's face as the Chief pondered and paced.
He waited anxiously. How could he possibly face Adal if his father was killed because of what happened? He knew very well how terrible it was to a youth to grow up with an absent father.
"Fine, whatever punishment you wish for him. I will assemble the tribe tomorrow, and we will do it then. I'm afraid that I have nowhere for you to sleep now," he added with a glance at the new bonfire.
Bori timidly stepped forward.
"Chief, I offer to let him stay with me. My place is not as large as the stables were, but it has a roof and he will fit inside."
Shadowwing gave Bori a soft rumble of appreciation and a nod.
"Ok. Gods, Loki's breath seems to follow you everywhere you go, Shadowwing."
The guards carried Fenrir off to the healer's hut. Only a couple of people remained behind to watch the fire and prevent it from spreading.
He followed Bori toward a corner of the village. Bori opened the door to his house to reveal a surprisingly well-kept, if sparse, interior. It even had wooden panels across the floor. He paused before going in because of all the mud on his limbs though.
"Do you need something, Shadowwing?
He held up a muddy limb and grumbled.
"One moment."
Bori fetched a cloth and used it to wipe down his limbs as he entered the house. Thankfully, he was easily able to fit through the door without knocking anything down inside.
"I'm afraid there is nowhere for you other than here on the floor. Is that ok?"
Yes, he nodded.
"Ok, sleep well. Don't be surprised if Aelf comes to give you a hug in the morning."
He lay down where he stood while trying to leave room for anyone else to walk. Finally being left in peace, he was able to think about what had just happened. It made him both sad and angry at the same time.
Why would Fenrir do that? I helped the tribe! I saved his son!
Maybe it was some twisted sense of justice or revenge. Maybe it was pride or anger that Adal somehow disobeyed him or wasn't what he thought his son should be. Regardless, he spent quite a while thinking about what punishment would be appropriate.
The tribe turned out in full in the morning. Those that had not been awoken during the night were told about what happened from their fellow members of the tribe. Fenrir had attacked the resident dragon and burned down the barn. Stranger than that though was that the Chief was going to let the dragon punish Fenrir.
Finding out from his mother what his father had done left Adal crying in his room and refusing to come out. Alden took it no better as he was also old enough to know what kind of punishment was inevitable. Their mother finally came into their room and held them tightly.
"We have to go, boys."
Sniffle.
"I don't want to watch…"
"Then don't, son. Just stay with me, we have to go out there. Everyone does."
The boys reluctantly followed her outside and joined the crowd ringing the main square. In the middle of the square stood the Chief, the dragon, and a bound and gagged Fenrir on his knees. Adal took one look at his father and then closed his eyes again in fear.
A few more minutes elapsed before Halvden addressed the gathering.
"My brothers and sisters, Fenrir attacked Shadowwing last night and burned down the barn. I ordered that none of us would try to do harm to the dragon. Fenrir disobeyed me. The punishment for this disobedience is sacrifice."
He paused to judge their reactions.
"But the dragon asked to decide upon and give the punishment himself. I agreed."
The Chief then removed Fenrir's gag.
"Do you have anything you want to say?"
"It is a dragon! So what if it can write? That does not change what it is. I go to the ancestors only wishing that I actually killed it," the spittle flew from the man's mouth as he shouted.
"I think you are a coward, Fenrir. You attacked our guest in the night. You will not go into the next life with honor or as a part of this tribe."
The Chief turned and nodded to Shadowwing, who rose to his feet and slowly walked toward the bound man. Everyone who could see started whispering and pointing excitedly. Fenrir only grinned maniacally.
"Bring it, dragon!"
Shadowwing sat down before him and hissed with his mouth agape and all his sharp teeth visible. The two stared each other down as if their lives depended on it, neither willing to back down. The moments stretched out.
Until Fenrir blinked and visibly shivered in fear.
Everyone expected the dragon to finish it and take its revenge then. They expected Fenrir's head to be bitten off or him to be set on fire. Instead, the dragon reached out for the ground and started writing. It wrote several lines and then beckoned Halvden over to translate.
"Are you sure?" Halvden asked incredulously.
The dragon nodded and then deliberately sat down on its rump while Halvden relayed the message.
"I could have killed you now, Fenrir. But I know about broken families. You will never again hurt your children or their mother. You will let them talk to me. If you hurt them…"
Shadowwing growled one more time at Fenrir and then turned his back on the prisoner.
I will be back
Then he looked around at the stunned crowd and flew off, quickly vanishing over the treetops.
Everyone started muttering again at what had happened and what had not happened. Halvden said nothing for a minute.
"You are one lucky man, Fenrir. I did not think a dragon could have mercy. You will have to earn your place back among us. What you do to keep order in your family is your business, but I will enforce Shadowwing's threat if I find out that you are hurting them again. Do you understand me?"
.
"You will answer me!"
"Yes, I understand," Fenrir mumbled.
"I hope so."
Halvden then gestured for him to be released.
Even after the crowd had mostly dispersed, Fenrir remained on his knees and stared up at the sky. His wild courage was completely spent. He remembered the smoke that had risen from a funeral pyre many years ago. Then he cried as the decades old memories again washed over him.
He flew long and far just coasting on the currents and thermals. It felt good to get away from all the stress and activity on the ground and even the people for a time.
Pulling lazy loops and dives in the air reminded him of long gone flying lessons and his real purpose out here. He had to find a way into Rorikfeld and somehow free Toothless.
I could go and look at it if I knew where to go. Or how far it is from here.
Sigh.
I need to ask Halvden that too.
His stomach reminded him of another problem. He was starting to get hungry again and considered seeking out the nearest lake. Until he spied a deer lapping at a small stream.
Alright, let's try this again. No antlers to worry about this time.
Another careful dive left him downwind of the deer. He swooped down, much like before, and sank his claws deep into its flanks and side. It squealed and struggled mightily as he hauled it up into the sky. He craned his neck around and under him and neatly snapped its neck. It went limp in his grasp, a clean catch and kill. He growled softly to himself with pleasure at his success.
Not bad, I could get used to this.
His catch in paw, he flew back toward the village.
They'll be glad not to have to feed me.
Just the thought of some properly cooked and smoked venison made his mouth water.
"Well, well, looks like you caught yourself dinner," Halvden remarked upon his return.
Shadowwing dropped the deer on the ground and started writing.
Everyone can eat
As long as I get enough of course
"Well, that is a given. Better you eat it than eat us. If you could take it to the butcher, he will get started on it right away."
He picked up the limp deer and carried it over to the butcher. Halvden conveyed the instructions to prepare the largest portion for the dragon, and the butcher got to work skinning the catch.
"I think there is someone who wants to talk to you," Halvden announced.
He turned around and saw a very sheepish-looking Adal standing nearby. Adal was staring at his feet and completely refused to meet his gaze.
"Go ahead Adal, talk to him. I will tell you what he writes."
"I… my dad… I thought…" Adal eventually mumbled.
He was moved to pity. How confusing all this must have been for such a young boy. To have his own father try to kill his newfound friend and also to think that his father was going to be put to death by that friend.
I want him to learn
Not to kill him
Adal looked like he wanted to say something when Halvden relayed the message but was not able to speak. Instead, he stumbled forward and hugged his neck very tightly. He slowly raised an arm and hugged Adal back as gently as he could.
"You didn't hurt him… Even after he tried to hurt you…"
He just purred back and nodded once to show his understanding. The next hour was filled with Adal asking all manner of questions and Bori, whom Halvden had summoned over to take his place, patiently replying on his behalf. Adal savored every moment from his place leaning against his side and partly covered by a wing.
"So you have been looking for your brother for over three months? I can't imagine looking for Alden for that long if he disappeared."
If you cared about him you would
"I guess so. I'm just too little to imagine going out into the world."
I am little for a dragon
"Really? How big will you get?"
He got up and paced off roughly how long he remembered full-grown Toothless being from nosetip to tailtip.
"Wow. You know other dragons then. What is your home like?"
He paused and took his time smoothing out a patch of dirt. He was not sure how to answer that question.
It is a place where many humans and dragons are friends
"It sounds nice."
It was
I do not know if I can go back
"Why not," Bori asked.
He took a long time before he started writing again.
I had to leave to find my brother
But I do not know if I want to go back
Some people there hurt me badly
"Then you can stay here with us! I'm sure the Chief would be happy to have you stay with us," Adal eagerly answered.
He did not have the heart to explain to Adal that he could not stay with this tribe forever. That was not his reason for being out here. How could he tell this happy little boy that the new friend he had just made was going to have to leave and probably never see him again?
But what about after he rescued Toothless? What would he do then? Was there a chance that they both could return here? Was there even a remote possibility that they could actually return to Berk? He had no idea.
Bori picked up on something and whispered to Adal.
"How about you run on and find out when we will have dinner. Shadowwing brought us a nice catch earlier today."
"Ok. By Shadowwing!" Adal gave him a quick pat on the nose before running off.
They watched him run off into the distance.
"What is the matter?" Bori asked.
I cannot stay here
This is not my home
"He thinks you will always be here. He wants you to stay here, but you need to look after your own. I understand that."
I am alone except for my brother
"How long have you been away from home?"
Three months
"That is a long time to be away from your people. When are you going to leave us?"
I do not know
"Well, do not fly off without letting us know. I and Aelf will surely want to see you one last time."
He nodded in agreement just as Adal hurried back with a welcome message.
Dinner was about to be served.
It did not turn out to be a fancy affair. Most of the village turned out to gather around the bonfire where the deer was roasting. The story of the heroic dragon that foiled the escape of the attackers and flamed their entire company was spreading like wildfire through everyone gathered.
Perhaps the story had been more than slightly embellished somewhere in the telling.
He lay on the ground in their midst and listened to the songs of thanks sung to various gods for the catch. He was also glad to hear and see how many families had been saved just a few nights ago now.
Admittedly, there were a dozen or so people who kept staring at him and kept their distance, but there were others who bravely walked right up to him and embarrassingly, for him at least, offered to pet him. He resigned himself to having to endure such treatment and allowed them to stroke his neck.
Only for their own good though.
It was comforting though. Not only because it felt pleasing, but also because he knew that giving everyone happy experiences with a dragon was definitely a good thing.
The butcher eventually brought out a large haunch of cooked venison and nervously handed it off to him. He dipped his head, smiled in appreciation, and started to gnaw on the food.
Finally some cooked food! Even if it is a little dry.
A bit of thought gave him the answer as to why the venison tasted off. It did not have any fresh blood.
Disturbing…
But he ate his fill anyway.
Everyone was starting to finish their meals when Halvden approached him.
"Shadowwing, I would like to talk to you before you leave for the night. Shall we step aside?"
He nodded and followed Halvden a few paces from the gathering.
I wonder what he needs to say.
"I may have a way to get you into Rorikfeld, but it won't be easy."
He sat down and gave Halvden his full attention.
"Whoever it is that is leading that place enjoys a good dragon fight. All the tribes for days of marches around here know about that. You are a special dragon; in fact, I have only seen or heard of one of your kind, you. What if there were two of your kind, two Night Furies as you call yourselves, and they were to fight? That would draw the largest crowds ever."
I suppose so, but what is your point?
Halvden paused and collected his thoughts for a moment.
"We could pretend that my tribe captured you and wants to arrange a fight between you and a 'worthy' opponent. There is only one dragon that they could possibly use. And then you will help your brother escape."
There were obvious flaws in the plan. Mainly, it required him letting himself be chained up and led like cattle through a hostile city. And that was if nothing went wrong. He also wasn't sure if he would be able to help Toothless escape.
I will think about it
"There is one more thing. If I am going to do this, I must take you to Rorikfeld and bring enough men to 'control' you. But I cannot leave my people undefended in case those raiders come back. I need you to help us get rid of them."
Get rid of them. That could only mean one thing. Halvden wanted him to help kill other people.
Is there another way?
I will not kill anyone
"They would kill people and they have. You know what they were trying to do the other night. It would be easy for you to attack them from above and flame them."
Leaving aside that he did not actually know how to flame like Toothless could.
I will not
Halvden rubbed at his beard.
"I need to know that my village is safe before I help you in that way. If you can think of another way…"
He got up without writing another word and walked off towards Bori's house. While waiting for Bori to arrive, he pondered what had been asked of him. The more he thought though, the more hopeless his situation appeared.
What he said was right, he cannot leave his people to help me. But… I won't kill anyone. There must be another way.
Bori and Aelf arrived back home shortly thereafter, and he did everything he could to be cheerful for them. It was hard though when life was so confusing.
Even after Aelf and Bori both went to bed and he had curled up in front of the fireplace, he was still unable to sleep. No obvious solution to his predicament came to mind. It was increasingly looking like he would have to find a way to free Toothless completely on his own or else join with Halvden and become a killer.
Toothless wouldn't hesitate to kill to save me… But I… I can't… I won't.
He resolved to fly to Rorikfeld in the morning, having previously learned the location, and see this place for himself. Maybe, hopefully, he could find some other way and be spared having to betray everything he believed in.
Rorikfeld was much larger than he had expected. It was also much further away than he had figured. He spent the morning following Halvden's directions, expecting to find the place after an hour of flying. It took until high noon before he found the place while keeping to the cover of the clouds.
The scale of the city far below took him completely by surprise.
There were two large roads leading into the city from the southern and northern entrances. The city itself was easily several times larger the entire village on Berk. It was surrounded by the remains of a thick forest which had been cleared to build the walls on the outskirts and the houses inside the perimeter. People were visible going about sundry tasks; tending to cattle, laying out laundry, and working gardens and fields. Merchants were tending their stalls as customers inspected wares. All of that looked normal.
But most striking feature of the city was the largest structure in the entire complex, a large bowl cut into the ground with several rows of seats layered incrementally higher. It was clearly an arena.
The dragon fighting arena.
Everything about the place looked and felt wrong. From the massive gates that led to who-knew where to the large stakes driven into the ground. Old, dark stains in the sand were all that remained of long-gone fights.
That was place where Toothless might be trapped even right now.
He wanted to dive down from the clouds and call out for Toothless, just to find out if he was here or alive. The relief of learning that he was still alive would be…
But caution learned from being shot by Halvden's people bid him to not risk himself during the day. There was no telling what weapons the people down there might have. Getting himself caught while trying to find out if Toothless was there would not help his cause.
He flew away from the city, keeping to the clouds the entire time, and resolved to wait until nightfall before getting closer. A large oak a short flight from the city gave him the perfect place to roost and wait for the cover of darkness.
Rorikfeld did not look so horrific from above, it only seemed to be a very large city. But there was something ominous about the arena. It was a place of death. It was a larger kill ring. It was enough to make him feel sickened and a bit enraged at whoever built the place.
How could anyone think that is good? Why would they enjoy death?
He remembered how his own tribe had cheered him on when he had walked confidently out into the kill ring to face a Monstrous Nightmare. Where people before him had gone to prove their worth to the tribe and to be fully accepted.
All his anger towards the denizens of the strange city vanished as he realized that Berk was not so very different long ago. They too had once found purpose and unity in violence. Hating these people for their own ignorance was not helpful.
The weather cooperated nicely by giving him a moonless, cloudy sky. The only torches were in the houses and on the walls. He glided into the village and dove silently into the dark arena. The only sound was a soft rush of wind as he landed smoothly on the sand.
A whole host of smells assailed him as soon as he settled down and started exploring the arena. Sweat, dung, fish, and blood. Fear, anger, challenge, and strength. Nightmare seemed the strongest of all the dragon scents.
But there was one other very faint scent that made him freeze and stifle a cry of relief. Somewhere under the aromas of battle and death he recognized a single, unmistakable, and wonderful smell. One that was intimately familiar, reminded him of family, and which he had not smelled in months.
Toothless!
He followed the track to a massive iron door and listened. Everything was silent inside. Was that good or bad? There was no way to tell. Too many scents were intermingled and Toothless's was so faint that he could not tell if anything bad had happened to him.
They wouldn't hurt him… He is too special…
He looked up to the heavens and did something that he never did.
Odin All-Father, I don't know if you are there or if you listen to dragons. But if you do, please protect Toothless. Keep him safe.
Then he heard some boisterous guards off in the distance. It only became concerning when he noticed a faint glare of light from a torch growing brighter.
With reflexes born of months in the wild and ever-present nervousness, he spun around, hopped twice, and was silently aloft in moments. He glided over the town to avoid making any noise after gaining height.
No one had seen him, else the alarm would surely have been raised.
He flew on into the forest and returned to the same tree to sleep in for the night. He landed and draped himself across the branches while thinking about how he might free Toothless on his own. The iron door was too large to knock down. The lock was too strong to break. A merchant running a show for coin was unlikely to listen to any appeal he could make. Landing in the middle of a fight to try to break Toothless free or talk to the people there was an absolutely terrible idea.
There must be something...
Nothing else came to mind.