"Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another 'What! You too? I thought that no one but myself ...'" - C.S. Lewis - The Four Loves
The Winds Of Life
Was-Grounded lay on the ledge and stared up at the sky, savoring a brief moment of peace and escape from the den and overactive Dawn-Singer when something caught his eye. An absence of something. A moving black void in the sky where the stars did not shine.
That is very big and fast for a bird…
He followed it closely while wondering if it might be a wild kin even though he had not seen any in all his suns at this good range. His breath caught and tail froze when the dark shape passed in front of the moon.
Not only was it indeed a kin, but there was no mistaking what kind of kin. The shape and beat of its wings, the length of its tail, and the speed of its flight were intimately familiar.
He hopped to his feet with many thoughts swirling in his mind at once. He had found another wild Night Fury, something that he had long thought would never happen, completely without trying.
It cannot be!
He did not hesitate and roared aloud to announce himself. The shadow in the sky immediately paused and hovered in place for a moment before whirling about in his direction. The strange Night Fury dove for his ledge, threw out its wings, and smoothly landed a respectful distance from him.
They both froze as they beheld the other.
It was definitely a male, that much was certain from its head-frills, and it was also slightly smaller than him. They were at crosswinds and had none of their scents carried to the other.
His last encounter with a wild male Night Fury was foremost in his thoughts and he tensed, ready for possible conflict but also hopeful that this would be different.
This one did nothing aggressive. It was not coiled for an attack. Further, something about it gave him the bug-crawling feeling all over his scales.
The strange male Night Fury, its wide eyes reflecting the night light, stared at him in silence and took a nervous step toward him. Then it broke the silence with one word. One hopeful and trembling word.
"Toothless?"
His jaw dropped as that word crashed over him. His old name. The name that he had shed like old scales. The name that only one other kin in all the ranges of the world could possibly know.
More than the name though was the voice. It was a voice that he knew in his liver, having taught this Night Fury all his words himself on many cold-season and new-life-season suns.
"Hiccup?" he gasped.
"TOOTHLESS!" "HICCUP!"
They both roared aloud in joy, dashed together, threw themselves at each other, and tumbled over each other. Then they wildly stumbled to their feet and danced around each other while yelling incoherently.
"It is you!" "It is you!"
"You are alive!" "Look at you!"
"Where have you been!" "What happened!"
"What are you doing here!" "How did you find me!"
"I found you!" "What are you doing here!"
Hiccup hopped over to him and nuzzled his neck with a very happy thrum. And just as had happened all those season-cycles ago when they had first broken their shared egg together, he did not have the liver to tell him to stop.
"You were looking for me," he whispered.
Hiccup eventually stepped back, but then he hung his head and shook with his entire body trembling. Even his tail was stilled and forgotten.
He bent down and rested his nose against Hiccup's in comfort.
"Hiccup, why are you sad?"
"Not sad... I am warm and... very happy..." Hiccup gasped.
"Why do you sound sad?"
"I do not know... I feel much now..."
"As do I."
He then stepped back to look at his egg-mate brother properly. It was rather impressive that Hiccup had grown well, though not fully as big as himself of course, and had reached a very decent size and length. Hiccup had all his fins, soft back ridges, and head-frills. They were both mature adults with only a few more seasons before they would both be as large as they would get in life.
"Look at you, Hiccup! You are big and strong!"
"Not as big as you, Toothless," Hiccup hummed.
"No, I have always been bigger. And faster," he laughed.
"Faster? Grr... I do not know about that now."
Then Hiccup paused and obviously considered something with a wary hum.
"I am not Hiccup now."
"What?" he grumbled in confusion.
"I shed that twisted name like old scales. Hiccup was a bad, silly name for a Night Fury."
"And Toothless was not a bad, twisted name?" he play-snarled.
Hiccup gave him a guilty, half-smile with his head slightly tilted.
"Grr… What new name do you have now?"
"Shadowwing," Hiccup proudly announced while holding his shoulders tall.
He thought about it and decided that he liked it. There was nothing two-leg twisted-name about that name.
"Shadowwing is a good name. I have a new name also."
"What is it?" Shadowwing eagerly bounded on his feet.
"Was-Grounded."
Shadowwing purred happily after a moment of thought.
"That is a good name also. It is very you. It flies with your life-story."
Shadowwing then seemed to stiffen and his ears drooped slightly as he continued in a softer voice.
"Do you want to talk about… what happened to you?"
He stepped back and nodded, knowing that there was much that was better said sooner rather than later.
"Do you know what happened to me? A bad black-fur-she-Alpha took me as a thrall from home-nest-island."
The completely drooping ears, downcast eyes that avoided his own, and stilled tail all but confirmed his suspicions.
"It was him. My… my sire..."
He flew to his feet and angrily paced at the confirmation. It was not a surprise, but he had thought and hoped that he might have been mistaken.
"Why! I thought he was a good two-leg. He let us nest together in his den. Why?" he growled.
"The she-Alpha was false. She said to him that she could make me a two-leg again by taking your life."
The thought was horrifying and confusing and very chilling.
"What? I do not understand."
"He wanted to make me a two-leg again for many seasons. He thought that if he... hits your head and makes you fall into sleep, she would take your life, and then she could make me a two-leg again with a power like life-will-power. But she was false and took you thrall to give to another two-leg for shiny-rocks."
Was-Grounded tossed his head and growled again while flexing his claws.
"But he hurt me! He listened to the false-tongue, rot-liver, waste-pile, thrall-making, bad two-leg Monster!"
He angrily paced with his tail thrashing. He imagined what violence he would do if he ever met the rotten-two-leg again, the false sire. There were many different ways that he could imagine that two-leg meeting its deserved end under his own claws or teeth or glowing fire or...
Then he glanced at Shadowwing and paused. His brother looked like the most liver-chilled, life-grounded, and mournful kin he had ever seen. His head and eyes were downcast, tail was stilled, and shoulders were slumped. He was also whimpering sadly with an obviously chilled liver.
Seeing and hearing all that helped to cool his own wrath. Shadowwing had been deeply hurt too by learning how false his sire was in the liver. It may even have been a deeper hurt to him since the false sire was his own immediate nest-kin.
He exhaled as his anger subsided. Then he walked over, lay down before his brother, and gave him a soothing hum. Shadowwing visibly relaxed somewhat after a few breaths.
"The bad female-Alpha took me over the ocean and brought me to a two-leg nest. She gave me to a new male-Alpha who kept me in a trap and made me fight other kin and two-legs. The two-legs around that place watched the fights to see who won the fights. The kin were mostly easy to fight."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I had to kill two-leg fighters."
Shadowwing briefly glanced away but took a breath and returned his attention to him.
"You needed to kill them to keep safe your own life."
"I did. I was... good at those fights. Different two-legs came and took me from the Alpha-male thrall-maker. They were taking me to the ocean, but I escaped. I could not fly for many suns."
"Why not?"
"I had a broken wing."
Shadowwing recoiled and stared at him, mouth agape in horror.
"No..." he gasped.
"Yes, a fighting kin broke one of my wings in a fight."
He unfurled his wing and pointed out the place where the bone had healed but still left a noticeable bend and old scars. Shadowwing fearfully approached and shivered as he nudged at the wing bones that had clearly snapped and the thin membrane that had healed.
"You were grounded... again..."
"Yes, but I can fly again now. That is why my new name. That and another old grounding that was also made not."
He dashed for the ledge and quickly flew a tight loop with a spin and a joyful bellow before landing back at his brother's side.
"My wing healed strong again. I ran with the ocean while I was still grounded for many suns after I escaped, and I found this place here where there are good hunting, hot-bubbling water, and several cave-dens. This is my range now."
"It is a good place, Toothless... Was-Grounded. You have been here waiting until your wing got strong again?"
"No, I left here two hot-seasons ago."
Shadowwing seemed genuinely surprised at that.
"You went another place? Where did you go?"
"Far away toward where the sun breaks its shell at dawn."
"Why?"
"I was... being called there to find what I wanted. I did and I came back here because this is a good range. Much better than the one I was at last cold-season and new-life-season."
Then a strange light seemed to gleam in Was-Grounded's eyes alongside a very happy hum.
"Help me hunt. I want to show you something that warms my liver much."
"Yes, I am better at hunting now."
They went aloft together. Shadowwing followed his brother's lead as they covered the forest far below.
Wow, he has grown a lot since leaving Berk. In fact, he is probably now as big as he was when we first met years ago. Maybe even a little bigger.
Was-Grounded spied something below through the darkness and dove toward a plain. A single bright bolt of fire traced a path through the darkness into a herd of fleeing shapes, one of which fell with a cry. They both alighted around the downed elk, which Was-Grounded put out of its pain and fear by snapping its neck.
He then started carving away the fur and sank his teeth into the body. Once he got down several mouthfuls, he stepped away and gestured at the kill. Shadowwing stepped forward and ate as well without hesitation, which Was-Grounded was pleased to see. He spoke up once Shadowwing got down a few juicy mouthfuls of fresh meat.
"You never ate a fresh kill on home-nest-island."
Shadowwing licked away the life-water on his lips.
"We did not need to. I did need to hunt and catch four-leg prey out here though."
"Did you?"
"Yes, more than I can count on one paw."
Was-Grounded hummed and growled openly.
"That is very good. Spoken and hunted like a true Night Fury."
Shadowwing seemed to acknowledge his words with a half-grin but also squirmed a bit as he looked back down at the remains.
"The taste of life-water was... twisting at first though. Meat tastes much better with life-water now. That is not always true for two-legs when they eat meat."
"Are you a two-leg now?"
Shadowwing thought for a moment and then stood up on his hind legs while using his tail for balance. Then he took several awkward steps.
"Yes, I am still a two-leg now."
Shadowwing then dropped down to the ground. They stared at each other as a feeling began to creep on them both. Slowly it built until neither of them could resist it.
They collapsed to the ground in roaring hysterics and laughed until their tails thumped against the ground. It was the deepest, most abandon filled laughter either of them had felt in living memory.
Was-Grounded was the first to partly recover himself.
"I need... take the rest... of the prey-four-leg... to my cave-den now."
"You are... very hungry..." Shadowwing managed to gasp.
Was-Grounded slowly shook his head to escape the remaining hilarity dancing in his head and liver.
"It is not for me."
"Not for you?" Shadowwing rumbled his confusion.
Was-Grounded leaned forward with a very happy hum.
"I have a mate."
Shadowwing stepped back, certain that he had not heard that correctly. Then his eyes went very, very wide, and he could not control his tail in his excitement.
"A mate! You found another Night Fury!"
Was-Grounded smiled and hummed happily.
"Her name is Green-Wings."
"You found another of us?" Shadowwing whispered in astonishment.
"Yes, I found her far away toward the sun's hatching. I nested with her in her den over the last cold-season. She flew here to my range with me because the old range did not have enough food for us. Or for our hatchling," he added with a very toothy grin.
Shadowwing blinked in amazement, and his jaw fell open.
"You have a hatchling... you are a sire..."
"His name is Dawn-Singer. He is not a moon-cycle from his egg."
Shadowwing stared for several moments before he eventually found his voice again.
"Brother, I am very happy for you."
"I know. You always forget about your tail."
"What?" he stilled the traitorous tail.
Was-Grounded laughed and turned his attention back to the remaining meat.
"Help me carry this back to my den. I want you to meet them."
They both picked up the remaining parts of the kill and took to the skies. Shadowwing fell in behind him and followed his lead as they flew with the remains of the catch in hand and mouth until they arrived at the mountains. There were several caves or deep crevices visible at their base. Was-Grounded angled himself for the largest cave and smoothly touched down outside its entrance.
"Let me go first to tell her about you," he whispered.
"I will wait," Shadowwing settled down, barely able to contain his excitement.
Was-Grounded bounded into his den and ran up to Green-Wings. She lifted a tailfin and peeked out at his return.
"You caught prey."
"Yes," he rumbled after dropping his part of the catch.
But she noticed that something was strange from how excited he seemed and how he almost bounced on his feet even while standing still.
"What is it? What did you do now?" she asked.
He knelt down before her.
"I found someone."
"You found someone?"
"My nestmate, my egg-mate."
She blinked in surprise and amazement.
"Your nestmate? Another of our kin?"
"Yes, I want him to meet you and our little one here in our den. I want us to name him one of our nest," he hummed.
"But he is another male..." she nervously said.
He rolled his eyes and groaned while gently nudging her shoulder with a paw.
"And I know him. He is my kin, and I hold him in my liver. Shadowwing, come here!" he called.
They both watched their den's mouth as the new entrant walked in with a haunch of meat in his maw. He cautiously walked into the den, froze mid-step when he saw them both, and slowly continued up to them. His nervous gaze never left her as he took several slow steps.
And then Shadowwing tripped over his own feet on a small outcropping of rock and stumbled with a muted bellow.
Was-Grounded snorted in amusement.
Yes, and there is the Hiccup that I know.
Shadowwing recovered himself and sat down across from them after grumbling at his own clumsiness. He dropped the haunch of meat and stared at her.
"Green-Wings..." he whispered.
.
.
.
.
She turned to her mate and whispered loudly.
"Does he have a small head and only have few words?"
Was-Grounded glanced at Shadowwing with a very amused grin.
"No, he knows many words and even makes new words. He is only twisted inside about meeting you. You are the only other dark wing he has ever seen other than me."
She turned back to the visitor in her den.
"Shadowwing?" she rumbled.
"Great sky-breath, winds and stars... she is talking to me... the Night Fury is talking to me..." he mumbled excitedly.
"The 'Night Fury?' What is 'Night Fury'?" she turned again to her mate.
"That is the name that the two-legs use for our type of dark wing kin."
"Why make a new name? Why would he use a two-leg name?"
"I like Night Fury more. More fear-making and strong sounding," Was-Grounded answered her.
She hummed in thought and then turned back to Shadowwing.
"You are my mate's egg-mate."
"Yes, I am. We were hatchlings and nestlings together," he answered.
"Let me smell you."
It seemed a strange request at first before he remembered how much could be learned from smell alone. He nervously approached and stopped what he thought was a respectful few paces from her. Even from a few paces away, he could clearly distinguish her scent, a very foreign one which smelled of the wild and her obvious connection to her mate. And there was another, softer one which almost reminded him of Toothless but was slightly different.
"You do not smell like my mate," she eventually mumbled.
"We are nestmates though. We hatched together from one egg and lived in one nest."
"That is very twisted. I have never heard of two hatchlings from one egg and did not believe it when he told me."
Then she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Are you and my mate going to fight now for me as a mate?"
"No!" he exclaimed as his eyes went wide in alarm.
"No? You do not want to mate with me?"
"I... what!" his eyes bugged.
"You do not think I am worth fighting for?" she hissed.
"No, not that... I mean... you... you are mates... I am not going to... what, what is this?" he fumbled in dismay.
Was-Grounded and Green-Wings shared a look of clear amusement and then stared back at him together before he realized what they were doing.
"You...you, you are silly kin! You are twisting my liver..."
"Yes," she toothily grinned, "my mate told me much about you and how warming it is to foul your flight."
He turned to his brother and glared with a toothy smile.
"To foul my flight?"
"He said it is not hard to do. He told me things that made laughter dance much in my liver," she added.
"What did he say about me?" Shadowwing nervously asked.
"I said that you are so twisted in your head and liver that you sometimes think you are a two-leg," Was-Grounded answered.
Green-Wings laughed heartily at that while the brothers shared an amused look before resuming their glaring.
"And he also told me about when you had a twisted sleep-vision of having a two-leg female in your arms."
"What! No, I did not... not with a two-leg!"
"And another time when you ate a bad-wrong-snake-fish," she continued.
"Ugh! Why did you remind me?" he groaned.
"And he also told me how you fouled your own flight much with twisted thinking when you were trying to fledge. When you were fighting your own wings."
"It was a too much thinking problem..." he groaned.
He sighed and collapsed where he stood.
"What else?" he groaned again.
"Those are the twisted things that I remember now."
Shadowwing's glare directed at his brother vanished as he turned back to Green-Wings with a happy hum and a devious look in his eyes.
"Since he told you so many twisted things about me, how about I tell you twisted things about him?"
"You have no liver-chilling or twisted stories of me that you can tell her," Was-Grounded confidently announced with his shoulders high.
"Tell me," she eagerly hissed.
Shadowwing and Was-Grounded briefly shared a glance.
"He once danced around a valley while trying to catch a shine of light that a two-leg was making on the ground."
He glanced back at his brother and saw that his jaws were hanging open in shock.
"What? That was y... What!" he growled.
Green-Wings's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"And he once had his thinking so high in the clouds while walking, he was probably thinking about fish, that he stepped in waste and got some on his tail without knowing about it."
She laughed openly.
"He smelled like waste all the sun-cycle!"
And then Shadowwing gave his deepest rumble yet.
"And there is one even better..."
Was-Grounded watched in complete dismay as Shadowwing bent down to her ear and whispered something. Several life-organ beats passed before Green-Wings's ears went up and she turned to stare at him.
"What did he say?"
She only grinned a toothless grin at him.
"What did you say!" he turned on his brother.
Shadowwing only grinned a toothless grin at him.
And then Green-Wings's wing seemed to lift from below. A faint warble echoed in the den as Dawn-Singer awoke at all the noise, poked his little head out from under the wing, and looked around. All the adults' friendly banter ceased as the hatchling immediately noticed the stranger and slowly crept out from under the wing. The little one tilted his head and gave a curious hum as he approached.
Shadowwing stared in awe and felt his heart warm as he looked down at the hatchling. Dawn-Singer's head still looked a bit too large for the rest of his body. His belly was also quite stuffed from a prior meal.
"A Night Fury hatchling... He is... small and seeing him makes me happy... makes my liver very warm..." Shadowwing whispered.
Green-Wings hummed in ready agreement.
"Why his name?"
Both of his parents groaned softly and shared a glance.
"He likes waking early and singing at the sun's hatching, at dawn," she answered.
Shadowwing slowly bent down to greet Dawn-Singer and was welcomed by a soft growl and tiny jaws that pinched his nose.
"No, little one," Green-Wings grumbled.
She tried to grab her hatchling, but he darted away from her with surprising speed and jumped behind Shadowwing. Shadowwing froze in surprise and then lifted the end of his tail only moments later. Dawn-Singer had his jaws clamped over the tail, and the hatchling was lifted off his feet into the air to dangle from the tail.
Green-Wings and Was-Grounded took one glance at the strange sight and burst out laughing together.
"What should I do?" Shadowwing mumbled.
Green-Wings got up and retrieved her hatchling by stroking the little one under the chin. The hatchling quickly became drowsy and released the tail.
Amazing, they know that trick. Actually, of course they would know about that. Maybe that is why it worked on him long ago.
"Do you feed him enough? I think he wants to eat me."
They all laughed again as Dawn-Singer yawned widely and curled up to return to sleep at Green-Wings's side.
Was-Grounded snuggled up to her side, crossed tails with her, and rubbed his neck against hers, a gesture which she returned with a deep thrum. Shadowwing was quite pierced by how tender the two were with each other.
"So, you know about us and our nest. What about you? What have you been doing? Tell us both," Was-Grounded eagerly asked.
Shadowwing sighed and lay his head on the ground after grabbing the haunch again and setting it aside.
"How much have you told her about us?" he asked.
They shared a knowing look as they carefully considered their words.
"She knows that we lived once in a two-leg nest that is good to kin, but I was taken as a thrall from there by bad two-legs. She also knows that I was the bad two-legs' thrall and that I escaped before my life-flight took me to her," Was-Grounded answered.
Shadowwing nodded and continued with his account.
"I learned what happened to you. Astrid helped me learn the truth."
"What is a Astrid?" she asked.
"She is a good two-leg who is a bond two-leg with a spine-tail-kin. The two-leg is a fighter with warmth in her liver for all kin," Was-Grounded answered.
She blinked and seemed quite confused for a moment before Shadowwing continued.
"I left our home-nest-island and tried to follow the water-walker that took you, but I did not find it until you were gone from it for many suns. I became named a kin of a two-leg nest a flight away from where you were being kept thrall. I went into that big nest, but you were taken out of there by thrall-makers who took you toward the ocean. You escaped the trap, and I followed you on the ground."
Was-Grounded solemnly nodded.
"I could not fly then. My wing was still broken."
Green-Wings again nuzzled his side at hearing that reminder.
"I lost your trail and did not know where to go. Then I felt a... silent song," Shadowwing continued.
"A silent song?" Was-Grounded mumbled in confusion.
"Yes, it is a... great-tusk-Alpha."
Was-Grounded still seemed confused.
"What is that kin? I have never seen one."
"It is a very big kin. Bigger than the fire-nest-island Monster."
Was-Grounded hissed when he heard that detail.
"Monster. Big kin are bad Monsters."
"Not this one. He is a good Alpha to his kin. He protects the nest and gives food to his kin."
Was-Grounded still did not seem convinced.
"And it does not try to make you think bad thoughts?"
"No, he does not. There is no rot in his liver or in the nest."
Then an amused look appeared in Shadowwing's eyes.
"And there is something else good about the nest. There is a good two-leg female in it."
"What?" Green-Wings exclaimed in clear disbelief.
"Yes, she lives as a kin to the nest. A kin with clever fingers on her paws. She helps kin be free from two-leg traps and water-walkers. She also helps hurts heal and be not, hurts like broken wings."
"I did not know that there were any good two-legs not on home-nest-island or the other nests that are good to kin," Was-Grounded eventually said.
"I lived in that good ice nest for almost one season-cycle. I helped protect kin by breaking traps and I flew from that nest to look for you. Some of the two-leg nests named me their kin or were good to me. And now I am here."
A brief moment of silence passed.
"You flew all those winds only to find me?" Was-Grounded whispered.
"Yes, you are my egg-mate and best friend."
.
"And my brother," Shadowwing added.
The two of them said nothing as they shared a look between themselves. No words were necessary to convey the warmth burning inside them both.
"What does that word mean?" she asked.
"It means... a male from the same life-nest who you hold very close to the liver and who flies the winds of life within call of you," Was-Grounded tried to explain.
Green-Wings then turned to regard Shadowwing with a peaceful hum which broke the ensuing silence.
"I have seen enough. You are very close kin to my mate. He holds you in his liver. You are my kin also and you may sleep in our den with us."
He felt very warm inside at her declaration of trust in him. It was likely no small thing that she would be willing to let him, an otherwise strange male, into her own home with her family.
He could manage no answer except to incline his head to her.
Green-Wings gave Was-Grounded a glance and an amused rumble.
"He is not as liver-twisting as you said."
"Wait for it. You will agree that he is the most liver-twisted and silly kin that ever hatched under the sky-lights. And what did he say about me?"
Green-Wings snuggled up against him and rubbed her head against his neck.
"Do not be chilled, my mate. I know that you have teeth now," she hummed.
"Yes, I have teeth, why would I not have..." he whipped his head around and glared as all his ears went back.
Shadowwing only smiled.
"I will foul your flight one sun for this..."
"But you will be there, and that makes me warm in my liver," Shadowwing answered.
A series of contagious yawns followed and convinced them that it was time to return to rest. Was-Grounded and Green-Wings entwined their tails again and were quickly asleep. Shadowwing looked at them both, fully content in each other's presence and comfort, and curled up across from them. He remained watching them long after they had fallen asleep as he was still too excited to easily rest.
As happy as he was for them both, he still felt slightly wistful that his brother had grown up so much while he himself had not really seemed to change in that time. His brother seemed more purposeful in all he did. His hunting was deliberate, and he did not waste time in lazy flying. Every moment was spent doing something and with a clear goal. It was clear what that goal now was for him.
And that was without even considering the two years apart for them both. Two long years of life and good experiences that they should have had to share but had been stolen away.
He may never have known her if all this did not happen to him. Maybe those two years were like the tailfin was. Something painful to lose, but losing it lets something good be.
And she named me one of her nest, so I guess that makes me part of the family to her also.
Sigh.
What are we? He has his own family now. Yes, they said that I am part of the family also, but it will not be the same as it was.
He closed his eyes and vanished under a wing.
He is very happy, and I am happy for him. He can tell me so much about what has happened to him, and I have a few secrets also to share.
He was lulled to sleep by the resting hums of two other Night Furies who both declared him part of their family.
It was the most peaceful rest of his life.
The entire den awoke at the same time, mostly due to Dawn-Singer living up to his namesake.
Shadowwing got up and stretched, marveling once again that he was actually here after finding both Tooth... Was-Grounded and his family. He followed Was-Grounded and Green-Wings outside with Dawn-Singer securely tucked away in her toothless maw.
That is strange but also sweet in a way. Although, he does seem to be getting a bit big for that treatment and might not be able to be carried that way soon. We sure grow quickly in those first few months.
They all flew down to the stream first and drank. Shadowwing narrowly dodged another tail munching attack from a playful Dawn-Singer, much to everyone's amusement. Then Was-Grounded and Green-Wings shared a few words before she picked up their hatchling and flew back toward the den.
"Follow me. I want to show you a good place."
He followed his brother on a brief flight down through the crisp morning air. They arrived at a hot springs, whereupon Was-Grounded wasted no time and jumped right in.
"You are a silly kin!" Shadowwing teased.
"Jump in the hot-bubble-water. Your wings and scales will like it."
His brother looked quite silly floating on his back in the hot water with all his limbs splayed out. But it also looked very enjoyable and relaxing, so he jumped in as well. Not only did the warmth seep into his scales and skin and ease his weary muscles, but it also helped more practically just as a bath.
A warm, quiet, and relaxing bath that could easily eat up the entire day if he was not careful.
He reluctantly climbed out after several minutes and shook himself dry. Then, knowing that this was likely one of their few chances to speak freely, he decided to broach the remaining details and questions that he had withheld the prior night.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
Was-Grounded hauled himself out of the hot spring and walked over to him.
"I think so. We are talking now."
Shadowwing rolled his eyes and snorted.
Was-Grounded stepped back in amusement and then froze with narrowed eyes.
"Wait, what is this?" Was-Grounded nosed closer, finally able to see the hurt-mark on his brother's chest above where his life-organ beat.
"A bad two-leg hit me with a flying thin-tooth-stick. I had to dig it out with a claw."
Was-Grounded then growled and nudged his shoulder.
"You were strong and lived. You have a hurt-mark to show that you are strong. That is good. What is biting at your tail, other than my hatchling?"
Shadowwing chuckled at the reminder before answering.
"A few things are gnawing at me. First, and answer me with liver-truth, would you have ever flown back to home-nest-island if you thought I was still there?"
They evenly stared at each other for several moments. Then Was-Grounded looked down at his paws. He struggled to say anything and eventually looked away.
"I was warm always in my long flight to find my mate. And my liver was warm when I was with her in the cold-season and into the new-life-season."
"Yes, you should be," Shadowwing whispered.
"But I always felt a... twisting in my liver. It is... I do not know what to think about it."
Was-Grounded got up and started nervously pacing with his tail twitching in agitation. He opened his mouth to speak, but then he paused and reconsidered his words.
"I know that nestmates should grow and fly the nest. That is good even if their life-flights lead to different winds, but it... it was not... I did not feel..."
He stopped, looked up at the sky as his tail lay stilled, and gave a sigh.
"I was thinking about making that flight. Not now when Dawn-Singer is only a hatchling, but in a future sun when we can all fly the flight. I... I... wanted..."
"You wanted your life-flight to be... within call of mine," Shadowwing softly hummed.
"Yes."
Then Was-Grounded hung his head with a weak sob. It was completely unexpected and took even him by surprise. And then he felt a wing over his back along with a peaceful hum not a moment later.
"This... is very twisted... I was always the one... to shelter you with my wings..." Was-Grounded mumbled.
"Let me do it this time. Brother?"
"Always," Was-Grounded whispered.
A peaceful moment passed in which there was no sound but their peaceful thrums and the occasional calls of a wild animal.
"Next question, do I have a life-will-power like what changed us?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Do not fear, I only want to know if I do have it. It would help me... learn something. On my liver-truth, I would not try to waste it to make myself a two-leg even if that can be done. I do not think I would want to be a two-leg now even I could."
Somewhat reassured by the words, Was-Grounded gave it thought.
"I do not know if you would have a life-will-power because you were a two-leg. I never saw two-legs use any life-will-power in the old fights. Do you feel a fire that is not fire burning in your liver always?"
"No, only a burning in my belly if I have not eaten anything in many suns."
"Did you ever feel a warmth inside when you feared for your life or another's life?"
"No, only chill of fear."
"Do you know how to make fire?"
Shadowwing snorted at that.
"I know how to drip fire-air from my mouth. It is never fire though."
"Then I do not think you have that life-will-power like I did. You never had a Night Fury sire or dam to sit your egg and sing to you and would not have the same life-will-power in your liver. Does that hurt or chill you?"
"No, I did not have a life-will-power when I was a two-leg either. I cannot even put the idea in my head."
"It is very twisting to think about. That power is also something that I did not truly know until I needed it. I know that I do not have one now. That different warmth in my liver is not there now. What was the other thing you wanted to ask?"
Shadowwing faintly grinned and noticeably calmed at that question.
"Do you remember that good two-leg I told you two about? The one in the good nest."
"Yes."
"She is... my two-leg dam."
Was-Grounded recoiled and looked at him in obvious surprise.
"Your dam? You said she was killed by a kin."
"No. She was carried into the sky by a kin. My sire and all the rest of the nest always thought the kin killed her."
"You are sure?"
"Yes, we already picture-talked much. She is much like I was as a two-leg, not like my sire..."
Was-Grounded hummed in thought at this news.
"The two-leg who lay your egg must be a good two-leg."
"We already talked about this. Two-legs do not lay eggs," Shadowwing groaned.
"I almost wish that I knew that two-leg," Was-Grounded added.
"And about that, I need to talk to you and Green-Wings together."
They both took to the air and returned to the nest where Green-Wings was busy talking to her hatchling. The lesson, whatever it was, was interrupted though at their return. Both adults turned to him for the news, Was-Grounded with Dawn-Singer curled up on his head.
"You should both know what is happening out in the ranges over the ocean."
"What is happening?" Was-Grounded asked.
"There are many bad two-legs on water-walkers. They hunt and catch kin."
"There are none here. Our range is safe," Green-Wings spoke up.
"For now, yes. But it may not be safe next season. The most safe place of all places is in that ice nest with the great-tusk-Alpha. I saw him... destroy water-walkers. Any threat to his kin gives him fire in his liver. He protects all in the nest."
"What are you saying?" Was-Grounded asked.
"Come to the ice nest with me. You will all be safe there. No two-legs will be able to hurt you, and the great-tusk-Alpha always has fish for the kin who need it in his nest."
"We like our den here. It is good and safe with much hunting," she said after a moment of thought.
"But," Was-Grounded added, "I have seen two-leg water-walkers on the waters. None ever come here, but they are swimming in these waters."
A moment of consideration passed.
"How many kin are in the ice nest?" she asked.
"More than were on home-nest-island," he answered to his brother, knowing that he would understand the comparison.
Was-Grounded considered all that he had heard and then bent down to nuzzle his mate's forehead. Dawn-Singer hopped onto her back and curled up there.
"I think we should fly this flight. There is more safety in a nest, especially if there is a good great-tusk-Alpha to protect all kin."
"How far is the flight?" she wondered.
"We could be there before the night after the next," Shadowwing answered.
The pair briefly conferred further until they made their decision. Was-Grounded turned to him with a solemn and determined expression.
"We will fly this flight with you."
The three of them landed on a small, empty island to rest after the first sun of flight. Green-Wings immediately curled up with Dawn-Singer protectively enclosed in her wings. The two brothers hopped down to the sandy beach and frolicked in the waves until they were both quite exhausted.
Then they collapsed next to each other on the beach.
"You have changed much, brother," Shadowwing hummed.
Was-Grounded hummed softly and rolled his shoulders. He briefly glanced over at Green-Wings.
"Maybe I did grow. But I had some help in flying that flight and those winds that blew. And for all that did change, other things did not."
"Tell me more about your life-flight. I want to hear more of it," Shadowwing hummed.
"You know all that you need to know about my being a fighting-thrall. The moon-cycles after I got out of the thrall-nest were... very bad. I was hungry, grounded, had burning anger in my liver, and... no, I will not talk about that. I will start with the walk and flight to the sun's hatching."
"That does sound good," Shadowwing hummed.
"That was about one season-cycle after I was taken. I was in that good range and in the same den when I started having sleep-visions."
"Sleep-visions?"
"Yes, I was being called to find a very twisted kin toward the dawn."
"What? A twisted kin? Green-Wings is not twisted."
"Not her. It was a very, very old kin that I have never seen before. She could also talk in a strange way. She told me that I would find my mate if I flew far toward the dawn."
"Wait. How would she know that?" Shadowwing grumbled.
"She had sleep-visions of what might be."
Strange...
"I was still grounded when I got there to that strange kin, but I worked my wings and they healed. I listened to what she said, and I flew the flight over an ocean and over a very long range where there was only grass, no water or prey."
Was-Grounded groaned at this memory.
"That was a hurting flight, but I lived. I found a far range of mountains where there was little prey. And I found her there."
Here Was-Grounded turned with a deep hum and looked up the beach toward the dozing black and green mass.
"Her name is very true, brother. The sky-breath smiled on you that you found her," Shadowwing hummed.
"I know. We hunted and had catches. We filled our bellies before the cold-season, and we... met a two-leg nest."
"What!" Shadowwing exclaimed.
"Yes, we had to hunt, and they had four-legs we could take. She grabbed a two-leg to eat."
Shadowwing started and his eyes went wide with fear.
"No..."
"I gave her my four-leg and flew the two-leg down into its nest. I think that she has warmed enough to two-legs to not think of them as prey."
"I hope so," Shadowwing mumbled.
"We slept in the cold-season and shared body-warmth," Was-Grounded happily hummed.
"That does sound warming."
"Then we lived into the new-life-season. There was much hunting but not much catching because there was little prey. And then we fought a male kin like a Night Fury."
"What! There was another of us?"
"No, it looked like a Night Fury in body, but it was rotted in its liver," he growled.
"Rotted? What?" Shadowwing mumbled in confusion.
"It had no words, and it was going to force-mate Green-Wings. We killed it together," Was-Grounded bared his teeth with a snarl.
"It had rot in its head and liver... why? What happened to it?"
"Maybe its dam did not sing to it, maybe it was alone for too many season-cycles. I do not know or care. It is dead. We became mates after we killed it."
Was-Grounded closed his eyes, clearly lost in good memories.
"I will always remember those mountains where I found her. We hunted all through the hot-season, but the hunting was very bad. That range did not have enough prey for both of us. We flew from that range three moon-cycles ago."
He paused and took a breath.
"That flight with the sun's flight almost grounded us, but we lived. The clouds answered my thought-hope and gave us rain to drink from on my wings. We flew to the range where you found me, and we made it our range. And it was good. It had much hunting, long-tooth-grass, and it was safe. And then we were sitting Dawn-Singer's egg until he hatched for us. All was safe and warm then. He hatched not a moon-cycle ago, and you found us."
Shadowwing hummed deeply.
"You flew on many winds, brother. You did more than most kin ever do. I am very warmed that you and Green-Wings flew to your range where I found you."
"I am also. I am very warmed that she did not want to fly the other way," Was-Grounded groaned.
Neither of them said anything further in response to that comment.
"What about you, brother? What winds did you fly on?" Was-Grounded eagerly asked with lifted ears.
Shadowwing considered it.
Definitely leaving out the finer details about Ironfist clan. He would not care about that at all. And everything about Mimir, none of that stuff matters anymore.
He would be interested in everything about the ice nest and my hunting though.
"Astrid learned about what happened to you, that you were made a thrall. She showed me, and I knew that I had to find you and help you if I could. I had to learn how to hunt outside of nests. That is how I got this," he tipped his throat up to reveal a tiny old scar.
"What?"
"My first four-leg hunt. The prey almost grounded me with its horn."
"The prey almost grounded you?" Was-Grounded rolled his eyes.
"Yes..."
"Useless kin..." Was-Grounded mumbled.
They spoke long about their adventures and misadventures. Was-Grounded was especially interested in everything about the ice nest, the rescuing of kin from traps, and Hiccup's dam, who apparently went by the name Kin-liver.
They eventually decided to get some rest before making the rest of the flight. Was-Grounded snuggled up next to Green-Wings as he always did while Shadowwing curled up across from them both. They were all humming softly in contentment on that otherwise empty island.
The ice nest came into view on the horizon. There were still a few dragons flying about outside, but most would be slowing down for the coming winter at this point. Both Was-Grounded and Green-Wings were clearly awestruck at the size of the nest as they approached.
Shadowwing led the small flight up the side of the nest until he found the appropriate entrance. They flew down the narrow tunnel and landed together. Green-Wings deposited the hatchling on the ground, having held him tucked against her chest or carefully perched low to her back the entire time aloft.
"Wait until you see more of the inside..." Shadowwing hummed.
They continued on until they arrived at Valka's little hut. Both Was-Grounded and Green-Wings sniffed carefully at the hut and various supplies.
"The two-leg smells like many kin," Green-Wings exclaimed in amazement.
"Yes," he happily answered, "she is one of the nest with all the kin."
They walked out onto the ledge and saw the interior of the nest. Both Was-Grounded's and Green-Wings's jaws dropped in amazement at the swirling mass of life within. Then they both noticed the massive white great-tusk-Alpha peacefully resting in the watery center of the nest.
Was-Grounded looked intently for any sign of nest-rot, for any indication that these kin were thralls or afraid of the great-tusk-Alpha, and saw none. There was no bad-whispering of peace and darkness. There was a very faint song though that sang of food, nesting, and safety, all of which were evident liver-truth from what he could see before him. This was a healthy nest with a good, deserving Alpha there to provide for and protect those who need it.
Shadowwing seemed to see something that warmed him greatly.
"Wait here."
Then he pitched over the ledge and vanished. Was-Grounded took the opportunity to attend to his mate.
"What do you think?"
She looked around the nest while keeping a close eye on their nearby hatchling.
"I wish that we did not need to leave our den, but this does feel like a safe nest. I never thought that there could be so many kin nesting together. We should get our own roost," she added.
"Yes, we will. We are at the top of the nest-order after the Alpha."
Then they were interrupted by a pair of arriving wings. Shadowwing, they knew. And then a large kin with four wings landed on the ledge, but they were more interested by the figure on the kin's back. The two-leg swung down to the ground using a hooked-long-stick and slowly approached them at Shadowwing's side.
Green-Wings hissed to her hatchling, who then ran over and crouched under her legs for protection.
Was-Grounded stepped forward to meet the female two-leg first. She had bright green eyes and a face that seemed kind, to the extent that he was a judge of two-legs. Further, she smelled heavily of the four-wing split-wing but also of many other types of kin.
The two-leg stopped and spoke to his brother, who answered the question with a nod. She set the long-stick aside and then spoke one word which he would always recognize.
"Toothless?"
He nodded back and was amazed that she knelt before him and held out a paw toward his head. He remembered another time when a two-leg had done something similar.
She did the same thing as he did...
That made the decision very easy, and he rested his nose on her paw while calmly regarding her. She lifted the other paw to his head as well and smiled very widely. Very strangely though her eyes started to drip eye-water. Then he stepped back from her in mild confusion.
"Why is she dropping eye-water?"
Shadowwing chuckled at his confusion.
"Because she is warm in her liver. She is very warmed to see you."
"I thought it meant two-legs are sad or liver-chilled instead of warmed."
"It can be both."
Two-legs... just when I think they can be understood... there is always something else twisted...
Their attention turned to Green-Wings. She was still crouched nervously although she also looked completely incredulous at what she had just seen.
"She is a good two-leg," Shadowwing said.
Was-Grounded fully agreed and decided to emphasize the point. He stepped closer to the two-leg again and licked her across the face. She sputtered and wiped away the mouth-water from her face while meekly protesting the treatment.
Then Green-Wings worked up the liver-fire to slowly approach, keeping her gaze on the two-leg the whole time. It did not so much as move a muscle. It did say something to her though.
"She says that seeing you makes her liver very warm. And that your wings are beautiful like the new grasses and trees," Shadowwing translated.
"You know what it says?" she was amazed.
"What she says... And yes, I do know her words."
She looked back at the female two-leg not a step away from her. Right within her range to strike and doing nothing to protect itself. The tiny two-leg paw held out before her was harmless, but she could do it harm if she had wanted to.
The two-leg was trusting her.
This two-leg that had a liver filled with fire and lift for kin.
A kin-liver.
Something twisted. A pair of jaws that had always been fastened in her insides felt to be coming looser. She slowly nosed closer to the paw, smelling all the scents of other kin on her, hesitated for a moment, and cautiously put her nose to the paw.
A wing-beat of time passed.
And then another.
No disaster befell her from touching the two-leg paw. Her liver's fire roused even further, she stepped closer to the two-leg and licked its face just as her mate had done. The mouth-water dripped from its face onto its furs but it... she did not seem to care except to make her own hum of liver-warmth.
And then her hatchling was fearlessly dancing around the two-leg's legs in open excitement. That was still a bit much for her to allow and she bent down, snatched up her hatchling, who again protested being handled, and dropped him on her back. Dawn-Singer settled his tiny head on her shoulder and stared down at the strange creature while giving a curious chirp.
"We will find a roost," Was-Grounded announced.
They both walked to the ledge and went aloft to investigate the visibly promising places to roost.
Valka and Shadowwing sat together and watched the other two soaring Furies as they flew around the nest looking for a place to make their own. They eventually found one of the nicer unoccupied ledges down around the midsection of the nest and claimed it as theirs.
Neither of them bothered to say anything for a long time. No words seemed sufficient. Then she lifted a hand to her slime covered face and tried to wipe some of the slobber away.
"Ugh, I can tell that this does not wash out..."
He laughed openly at her words.
He used to do that to me too
Occupational hazard of being around Night Furies
"Yes, we should call it that. I will take the trade any day. You have to tell me everything."
He nodded in agreement.
I will
"And their baby? Their little hatchling?" Valka's eyes were alive with wonder.
He is Dawn-Singer
She is Green-Wings
"Wow, just wow. Three more Night Furies," she giddily whispered as she stared at the three newest entrants to her world.
Was-Grounded glided down to Shadowwing's den-ledge once his mate and little one had settled down in their new den-ledge. This was one two-leg that he felt an odd warmth toward in his liver and wanted to learn more about. He waited until Shadowwing and Valka returned and approached his brother.
"Will you talk with picture-words for me?" he asked.
"Yes. First, show her that you know your name."
"I only know the old one..."
"Start with that then."
They both stepped over to the soil writing box.
I am Toothless
"You know how to write!" she exclaimed.
Shadowwing took over for a moment.
He knows his name but was a slow learner otherwise
I can translate for you both
She sat down before Was-Grounded and faced him, giving him her full attention as he did the same to her.
"He told what happened between you two. All of it. That he cut you free and that you did not kill him. Thank you for sparing my son."
He had and has a good heart
Not like many other humans
"He was very much like me. I knew that dragons were not the monsters everyone thought; dangerous, yes, but not bad creatures. There had to be a reason why they did what they did. Now I know what that reason was."
Why did you not hate dragons?
"I... found one in a trap in the woods. I could not, would not kill it. I let it go because it looked as afraid as I was. It was not hurt and flew away after I released it, and I realized that we did not need to kill them. I did not know why they attacked us though."
She briefly paused.
"Hiccup said that you changed him into a dragon. That you changed both of you to save your lives."
Was-Grounded visibly shuffled at that statement and couldn't quite look up at either of them.
I did not know he would become a dragon like me
I did not mean for that to happen
"You saved him, that is all that matters to me."
They talked in this way until evening fell, at which point Was-Grounded put his nose to Valka's forehead with a deep croon and then stepped back.
"I want to meet the Alpha."
They both dashed for the inner ledge after saying farewell to Valka and winged down to the ground near where the King was resting in his deep pool. The King noticed their flight, and his great eyes followed them down to the ground.
Was-Grounded nervously glanced up from the ground and looked at the Alpha's great, powerful eyes.
Several wing-beats passed.
"Do you see his liver now? Do you hear his voice?"
He strained himself to listen for anything from the Alpha. There was maybe a distant whisper, that very faint song that he could hear before. but even that was weak.
Shadowwing watched as the King and Was-Grounded evenly considered each other. Then the King closed his eyes and almost mournfully exhaled another cloud of fine freezing mist before he turned away and returned to his deep pool.
Shadowwing walked over to his brother's side, and they stared together at the King.
"What do you think?"
"I could not hear much of the Alpha's voice. I do see that he is warm, and there is no rot in his liver."
"He is a very good Alpha to the nest."
Was-Grounded hummed happily and then yawned widely.
"I need sleep."
Then he turned away and flew off to his ledge.
Shadowwing, exhausted from all the translating and introductions flew back up to Valka's ledge and walked down the passageway to the small ledge about halfway up the outside of the nest. Then he collapsed on the ground with a great and happy sigh of almost complete contentment.
"I did it."
His brother and new family as well were safe and a part of his life, never to be lost again.
He himself had been reunited with his own long lost mother.
All the struggles, angst, and deprivation of the last couple years had led to this wondrously good result in the end.
Almost all of his family was now here with him.
The world was almost perfect in that moment.
His thoughts gradually turned to the southwest, toward an island that he had not been on in years. He continued to stare out over the ocean as the chill wind whistled all around him, but the wind and the coming winter were powerless to chill the warmth burning in his heart.