"Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim." - Graham Greene - The Heart of the Matter
Umbra
A new morning broke over the island. The slowly rising sun gradually burned away the remnants of the fogbank and mist as the temperature slowly climbed.
The wounded were no longer screaming or howling, their pain having mostly eased with time or death, and the smoke from the large bonfires of corpses had long since blown away on the winds. No one had even tried burning the dragon bodies, and they still lay wherever they had fallen.
There were two masses of people gathered on the beach. The larger mass had worked at the boats through the night while making repairs and comforting their wounded. The very idea of tribes had fallen away for the moment as everyone was united in their common goal of getting off the island. There were no living dragons among or near this group.
The smaller mass was huddled together around roughly constructed huts far up the beach. Their dragons were crowded nearby, almost encircling the assembly, and refused to move.
A Stormcutter flew up from these survivors and vanished inside the ice nest.
He did not want to move or do anything else besides lay deep inside on the ledge after not sleeping at all. None of it helped with the chill in his limbs. Nothing felt like it mattered much anymore. There was a gaping hole in his chest, in his heart, out of which the warmth of life had bled dry.
Was this what it felt like to have ones soul ripped apart? To suffer two separate invasions into his own being, his own self, in the same day.
He reluctantly opened his eyes when he heard some of the native dragons flying by and out to sea. They were grumbling as if they were hungry, which they probably were since there was no Alpha to provide for them.
It must be easy for them to forget… to not really feel anything at all or be attached...
Maybe their way is better...
Was it better to not feel and not get attached to anyone so that getting hurt by losing them is not possible? It certainly seemed safer at the moment.
A softer sound of footsteps began drawing nearer, and he did not need to turn and look to know who it was. Who else would or could come to him now?
Valka walked over to his side and sat down on the ground. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.
"Are you ok, son?" she whispered.
What do you think, mom?
He only shook his head almost imperceptibly.
She cautiously reached out and rested a hand on his neck. When he did not shy away, she began stroking his neck. He reacted to her gentle stroking by unfurling a wing and draping it over her.
She could remember several times when her newborn son had been very unhappy, probably hungry, and only she had been able to calm him. Nothing that Stoick, having no way with babies at all, had ever done had quite comforted the crying baby. This was now her chance to make up for some of the motherly comforting that she had not been able to give, not that the news she had to share was at all good though. Almost none of it was. It had to be shared regardless.
"It is ok now. I... we need to talk."
He reluctantly nodded and got up from where he lay to follow her over to the writing box. Several tense seconds passed before she spoke.
"This is bad. Very bad."
You think?
Her voice was frail and quivered when she spoke. She held on tightly to his neck as she spoke the terrible words.
"The other tribes have denounced all dragons."
The words seemed to echo in the air long after they were spoken. It felt like a hammer that beat upon a piece of metal too hard and caused the metal to splinter. It marked the end of something that he and others had devoted countless days, years even, to bringing about. So much of the friendship and trust, the peace and coexistence, shattered in one day.
He whimpered as he wrote the simplest question possible.
Why?
She could only whisper.
"Can you not imagine? Many of their own dragons turned on them in the battle when the other Bewilderbeast won. Threw them off in the air. And they said that some of their own dragons even… killed their own riders..."
He almost vomited at the mere suggestion. Seeing a dragon from Drago's army try to eat a dead body was one terrible thing, but for a dragon turn on its own human companion, on its own rider and... friend, was too horrifying to seriously think about.
"I do not know if that happened, but all the Chiefs we knew are gone... missing and their people are scared. There are so many dead. They want to blame someone; they need to blame something. So they blame dragons, all dragons."
His paw trembled as he wrote.
What will they do?
"They are taking the remaining ships and sailing home alone right now."
Do they care what we did?
We defeated it
She got up and slowly paced.
"It doesn't make sense, I know. They don't understand that the dragons did not have a choice and that it wasn't really them. Everyone saw what happened, but I don't think they understand it or can accept that they owe their lives to dragons, to you both."
Everything was falling apart.
I need to talk to them
She put an arm on his shoulder to stop him.
"No, you don't understand. They will try to kill you too. Especially you or me."
"Fine! Let them!" he shouted back.
He tried to dash away from her but was foiled as she grabbed his neck and refused to let go.
"Let go!" he growled.
"No son..."
"Let go..." he whimpered.
"No son..."
"Let go..." he whispered.
"No..."
Then he stopped and hung his head with renewed exhaustion and grief. They did not move for several long moments as she remained holding him.
"Don't make me lose you... Please stay..." she gasped.
He whimpered but nodded in pained agreement. She nervously let go and walked back over to the box with him slowly following her.
Why especially us?
"They blame us for telling them to come here. Something about it being a trap from the start. No more treaties, I remember. There are a dozen or so who disagreed and stood by their surviving dragons. Berk also survived mostly in one piece, I think, except..."
She could not bear to speak the name.
"I... I should also tell you that I met him. Your father."
He reluctantly glanced up at her in genuine surprise.
"I let him know who I was. He told me about how sorry he was for everything he did and about how he was going to work to make everything right again. I believed him."
She paused and only warily continued.
"All that they know right now is that he is missing."
He blinked and stepped back.
What?
"So many are missing right now, and we might never know what happened."
He hung his head anew in weary shock and leaned into her comforting touch as she stepped over to him.
He might be gone... my dad might be... oh gods... no... not this too...
A moment passed as he silently mourned and she rubbed circles on his neck.
"I thought I knew him again. He reminded me of the man I married, before all the cares and duties of being Chief changed him."
She closed her eyes, clearly lost in old memories.
"I bet you never knew that your father could sing. Not very well of course, but he had a gentler side once."
She began humming a strangely comforting tune though she spoke no words. Then she went silent and did not continue.
"I wish I had been able to sing our song happily as it should be sung…"
Neither of them said anything until Valka wiped her cheeks dry and hesitantly continued.
"The funeral for all the dead will be later in the afternoon..."
He moaned sadly but nodded in acknowledgment.
"You might... go down and see everyone later after the other tribes are gone. It might help."
Now what?
"I think I will stay here with you until everything settles down out there."
He turned away from the writing station, and they slowly walked out to the ledge together where they looked out and saw a mass of people far down on the shore. Boats were being loaded with survivors and supplies and were already sailing away from the island. Several dragons tried to fly up to the boats but were beaten back with spears or other weapons.
It almost felt like his heart was tearing anew as he saw confirmation of the terrible event unfolding. He turned away and looked down the beach in the other direction to where there was less to see.
"It will be ok, son," she stroked his neck.
I... did this... I wasn't there for them... So stupid... What was I thinking? I failed them all...
He felt nothing but emptiness as he looked down off the ledge at the rocks far below. At the sharp rocks.
The merciful rocks.
It would be easy. Just step away from her, hop off the ledge, close his eyes, and let the fall take him. It would all end. The emptiness, the pain, the shame, and the guilt.
All would be... not.
And he saw his brother finding his broken body and howling in grief to the skies. Innocent Dawn-Singer hanging his little head. Valka weeping as she knelt beside him. The pain they would all feel for many years.
Don't make me lose you...
Fly the winds of life...
He gasped and stepped back from the ledge at the thought of how those he loved would grieve at such a terrible deed.
"No," he whispered.
"What?" Valka asked.
He silently shook his head.
Another glance followed at the ships sailing away from the island. With all his limbs trembling, he turned away from the life-shattering scene and returned to his spot by Valka's hut where he normally rested. But he knew that there was no sleep waiting for him there now.
"Will you be ok?"
Yes, he nodded.
"Ok, I think Cloudjumper needs me. He is... a bit upset too."
They both crept back inside the inner sanctum. She whistled and leapt onto Cloudjumper's back mid-flight a moment later.
Shadowwing glanced around the interior of the nest, vaguely noticed how quiet and still it was, and winged to his brother's ledge, landing with a slight hiss from the pain in his knee. The excitement of battle had thoroughly died away and left more of the pain behind to feel.
Was-Grounded lifted his head while Green-Wings remained still.
"You are awake," Was-Grounded whispered at his arrival.
"Yes..."
"How is your leg?"
"It hurts some but is not... I do not..."
Shadowwing could not finish his thought and only weakly sighed. A moment passed before Was-Grounded spoke up after seeing his growing despair.
"You are very chilled for them."
"Toothless... It all broke..." he whispered.
"What?"
"The other two-leg nests have turned their tails on all kin."
Was-Grounded blinked, certain that he had misheard.
"They are not kin-bonded now? Why?"
"The Monster made the kin turn on their own bond two-legs and try to kill them. Many two-legs who still live cannot trust kin now and have thrown all kin out of their livers and nests. The two-legs from our home-nest-island and some from the other nests are still kin-bonded, but they are not many. Too many were grounded and killed."
He hung his head and trembled, his voice barely a whisper when he continued.
"I wanted to make a good world... where kin and two-legs could trust and not fear. Like... we were before... It was and now it broke. It fell from the sky. All flamed in one sun..."
Was-Grounded lifted a wing and gestured at his side. Shadowwing only briefly hesitated before walking over to him and reclining at his side. His brother covered his back with a wing as they used to do long ago.
"It is an egg that was cracked. You said that the home-nest-island two-legs and some others are still kin-bonded, still have a liver-bond with their kin?" Was-Grounded said.
"Yes," he mumbled.
"Then the hatchling in the egg still lives."
"Maybe. I do not see how it can hatch now..."
"Try not to think about it then. Think about other things."
Shadowwing faintly nodded and tried to change the subject to something happier.
"What about you? Being the Alpha? What does that mean?"
Was-Grounded had thought long and hard about that exact question in the sun since driving off the Monster.
"I do not think I am truly an Alpha like what was with the great-tusk."
"But they all bowed to you."
"It depends what Alpha means. I cannot thought-control the kin like the great-tusks did. I cannot provide for them. Being Alpha for us is different from the great-tusks. We can help protect them only."
Was-Grounded hummed warmly.
"Do not forget that they also bowed to you. If I am like an Alpha then you are also and that makes me warm."
"But… what will the kin do without an Alpha like what they had before?"
"Probably what happened back on our old island. There was no providing Alpha then. As long as they nest with two-legs, there is no need for an Alpha to get food for them."
"And the kin who do not nest with two-legs?"
"They will need to survive alone."
A moment passed during which Was-Grounded's ears fell and he too only whispered.
"Is there a death well-saying and body-burning ceremony soon?"
Shadowwing was silent for a moment before he answered.
"When the sun flies lower in the sky, yes."
"My liver is much chilled for her. She was good to us. Very different from the first sun I met her."
Shadowwing could not bring himself to chuckle at the memory or do anything but stare aimlessly.
"She was a good Alpha to her nest. She grounded and killed the Monster two-leg Alpha. I am sure that was a great fight. She had the liver and life-fire of a kin," Was-Grounded continued.
"I do not want to think about it..." Shadowwing mumbled.
"Then think not. Sleep now under my wing. I will shelter you."
Shadowwing lay his head down on his arms and exhaled deeply.
"Thank you, brother..." he mumbled.
He soon fell asleep at his side.
"No bad sleep-visions now..." Was-Grounded whispered.
With that, Green-Wings slowly lifted her head, as she had been pretending to be asleep for a long time but had not wanted to intrude. They looked at each other without saying anything until she broke the silence.
"Your egg-mate is very strange..." she whispered.
"He feels much and wants much. More than most kin. You heard about the two-legs..." he answered.
"Yes, I... know not what to think. I always thought that they would be mostly false in their livers."
"But you saw what happened to them on the sand. They think that their kin were false to them first. And you met the spine-tail kin-friend, the she-Alpha. Did she have the liver of a kin?"
She thought about it before admitting it to him and to herself.
"Yes, she did. She was a two-leg with good fire in her liver for kin."
She seemed to pause in confusion for a moment though.
"What did he mean by you and him before when he was talking about kin and two-legs? He sounded very thought twisted then."
He thought quickly and flew an answer that hopefully had enough lift.
"He probably meant our old home-nest-island. That was a place where kin and two-legs were good and warm to each other when we were fledglings."
She hummed and seemed to accept the answer. He lay his head down to return to sleep when an idea warmed his liver and nipped at his tail as he looked to her side where Dawn-Singer was also resting under a wing.
"I want us to do something later this sun..."
The other tribes' boats were gone out past the horizon by now. The departure of the survivors from the other tribes had been impressive in its haste. Maybe half the number as had come to the island left it on those ships. No one was left on the island now except those still loyal to their dragons and several score of Drago's stranded soldiers whom no one bothered as they distantly worked at repairing a few ships.
Shadowwing finally summoned what courage he could and flew down to see what remained of his dream.
It was strange to walk toward the people who had once been his tribe and whom he had met again just days before. Gobber, Thorvald and Sifa, Skald and Vistra, Gustav, Finnbjorn and Katrina, Roggvir, Nien, and the Hrafn family being the main ones he could see who were from Berk and whom he knew decently well. Others he recognized along with some of their families from the other tribes were Helgrid, Ralof, Orsik, and Tembra from the Vaina and Jarlief from the Volsung. They had all lived, though apparently with various assortments of burn marks and scars to hopefully boast of someday.
The entire group had removed itself from the worst of the destruction and had removed the nearest dragon bodies to where they had made camp. It was almost possible to pretend that nothing terrible had happened if one was on the ground and looking around without prior knowledge.
All of their living dragons, many of which had minor clawmarks, lounged on the ground or glided nearby, clearly relieved that the beach was emptier now. He briefly spied Blueback and Stormfly further up the beach playing with their fledglings. Even from such a distance though he could see that Stormfly looked disturbed and lost. Every dragon he even came close to inclined its head toward him.
He saw everyone start to stir at his approach, even those he had already met just days before.
"Hicc... Shadowwing, we are happy to see you," Skald was the first who stepped forward from the pack.
Hey there Legs...
He forced back an attempt at a smile and gave the man a brief pat on the back in greeting.
Others came forward as well to greet him.
"We all saw your flying yesterday. Absolutely amazing how you and Toothless beat it," Gustav exclaimed.
"We wouldn't have made it without you!" Finnbjorn said.
Then a big man with a peg-leg strolled forward to meet him. However, Gobber seemed far more subdued than he usually was.
"Nice of ye... ta join us."
He walked right up to his former master and teacher and stared evenly into his eyes. He could see the hurt and despair in them. It was not hard to imagine why considering that he felt it himself.
He reached up and put an arm around Gobber's back in a hug which the blacksmith awkwardly returned.
"Thank you... Hiccup..." Gobber whispered.
Shadowwing then stepped back and regarded everyone else gathered here. There was still so much unreasonable hope, life, and eagerness among all of them. They still stood by their friends despite all that had happened. They still trusted even after all the terrible things that had happened. They all had stubbornness issues.
Something amazing happened only a few moments later. A cry went up from those gathered as people pointed up in the sky.
Three more Night Furies, two adults and one almost yearling, were spiraling above them and looking for a safe place to land. They flew down and landed a short distance from the gathering.
Everyone stood motionless for a moment, and then chaos erupted.
"There they are!" "I told you!" "The other Alpha!" "Look at it!" "So cute!" "I want it!"
Shadowwing hopped up to the three dear arrivals in surprise.
"What are you doing out of the nest?"
"We wanted to come see the good two-legs and see the death-resting ceremony," Was-Grounded answered.
"Two-legs!" Dawn-Singer happily cried before dashing for them.
"No, stop!" Green-Wings shouted after him in alarm.
But the eager little Fury did not listen and ran on.
Skald stood motionless as the young Fury wove around his legs but not because of the young Fury sniffing at his boots. The mother Fury who had pounced over and stood glaring down at him with her teeth bared while softly growling at him was incentive enough to be perfectly motionless.
"Uh... nice Night Fury..." he mumbled.
"Green-Wings, do not hurt him," Shadowwing exclaimed.
"Play!" Dawn-Singer cried as he peeked out from behind Skald's legs.
"No, little one! Come here now!" she growled.
He lowered his little head and submissively wandered back over to her. She plucked him off the ground and put him on her back. Then she backed away from the gathering, only fully relaxing at her mate's side.
"Uh, what was that about?" Skald asked.
Shadowwing looked around for some viable sand.
Her name is Green-Wings
She does not trust humans much
"Ah, I see. Do you think she will ever trust us?"
It will take time
"And the little one?"
He is Dawn-Singer
"Dawn-Singer. That is a beautiful name. He actually reminds me of you."
What! Me?
He glared at Skald with some amusement.
"Yeah, so full of energy and friendly to everyone."
Shadowwing grumbled and rolled his eyes, but he managed to faintly hum nonetheless.
"Could you ask Toothless to say hello to us? I heard that he doesn't go by that now, but we all remember him. We have not seen him up close in a long time."
Shadowwing called to Was-Grounded and beckoned him over.
"You remember legs-of-fish."
"Yes, he is less in the belly now," Was-Grounded hummed.
Shadowwing actually chuckled softly.
"What? What is it?" Skald demanded to know.
He said you lost weight
"Well, I am glad he approves," Skald smiled.
"He is not the only one!" Vistra exclaimed with a soft nudge at his back.
Everyone laughed heartily at Skald's embarrassment.
Shadowwing then turned around and stepped over toward Green-Wings.
"You want to see good two-legs. You see them and run away?" he teased.
"I do not know these two-legs. Kin-liver I know, but these ones are not kin to me," she hissed.
"Not kin to you now..."
Then he was staring cross-eyed at a big tail drooped over his face as Dawn-Singer had leapt from her back and onto his head. The Fury must have liked his perch because he sat down there, still looking eagerly out toward the crowd of people. He was also getting a bit big to fit on such a perch.
Shadowwing glanced at Was-Grounded, who returned a bemused look at him.
"Shadowwing, we play with two-legs?" Dawn-Singer hummed.
He glanced at Green-Wings and saw her perfectly clear answer.
"Not now, Dawn-Singer, you go to your dam."
The little Fury grumbled softly and flapped once back to his mother's back. Even so, his eyes never left the crowd of people gathered nearby. Shadowwing then turned back from the other Furies when he heard the beat of more approaching wings.
Cloudjumper landed just down the beach from everyone, and Valka hopped down from his back. She again wore her full attire including the wild helmet and spike-horns. Then, staff in hand, she approached the remnants of her old tribe.
"What is that!" "The Dragonheart..." "The wild woman..."
She nervously looked around the gathering and was solemnly greeted by a Night Fury first.
"Hey there, you look a little better..."
She hugged his neck as he put an arm around her back and gave her a faint rumble.
"...my son," she whispered.
Thanks mom...
"Where is Gobber?"
He turned to one of the side tents and gave her a beckoning nod. She followed him to the tent's entrance where they saw Gobber sitting inside in apparent exhaustion. He briefly glanced at them before returning his attention to the weapons on the ground before him.
"Hiccup... oh, Dragonheart, what are you doing here?"
Valka gathered herself and then slowly took off her helmet. She held the helmet at her side while staring at him. He had not yet looked up at her.
"Gobber..." she implored.
He turned toward her and froze, his eyes going wide in disbelief.
"Val, nah, it can't be... now I'm seeing ghosts..."
"Yes, it is me."
He stumbled over to her, still in apparent shock at her sudden appearance, and eventually found his voice.
"We thought ya were dead... all those years..."
"Oh, Cloudjumper never meant to harm me. But I was... lost all this time in a way."
He put out his good arm, and they embraced with him being very gentle with her much smaller frame.
"No one else knows who I am Gobber, do not tell them."
"Why not?"
"I'm not ready for that yet. I do not think I ever will be. Let me stay lost to the world. I... we both need to know what happened with Stoick. All I heard is that he was missing."
Shadowwing nervously squeezed himself partway inside the tent to listen.
"I guess you two of anyone here should know," he groaned as he sat down again.
"He was fighting with his old battle-fury, not really sure where that came from. I saw him kill one of Drago's beasts myself and take on several mercenaries at once by himself. That was after he saved me a couple times. Hurled an axe some twenty paces to take someone who would'a had me, a perfect throw it was. And I lost sight of him. More soldiers were landing, dragons were attacking and carryin' people off, and everything was chaos. Then the fighting down on the ground just stopped when ya two were up there fightin' the big one..."
Gobber went silent for a long moment.
"I never saw a body and no one has seen anything of him since. We looked among the dead and the survivors. I don' want to think about it, but I know it in my gut though..." he whispered.
Valka did not shed a tear or sob. She instead stood at Shadowwing's side and held his head. He only stared at the ground, his aghast expression perfectly evident to them all.
The sun began to fall lower in the sky as the afternoon passed. Everyone began looking around at each other anxiously as they began setting aside their various tasks. There was no Chief or Elder present to formally announce the beginning of the ceremony.
Then Thorvald stepped forward and took the lead.
"It is time."
The next few minutes passed in a blur as strong men carried bodies wrapped in sails or old cloth onto a mass grave. The weapons of the fallen were placed at their sides. The survivors grabbed torches and began to gather around the departed. Family members spoke words of honor as they lit the fires.
"Why are they doing that to the dead?" Green-Wings asked.
"It is how they respect the dead. Burn the bodies so that predators or rot do not eat them, true, Shadowwing?" Was-Grounded answered.
"Yes, true," Shadowwing mumbled back.
His gaze was fixed on the men and women standing somewhat removed from the gathering and slowly piling rocks together far up the beach. Each person had a helmet in their arms as well as a sword. One after another they sank the swords in the ground before the pile of stones and then placed the helmets on top of the pommels.
Gobber was the last to participate and left his own helmet behind.
"What is that?" Was-Grounded asked, following his brother's gaze.
"That is for the dead... with no body to burn..." Shadowwing hesitantly answered.
Then he walked over to the pile of stones and sunken swords. He sat down, curled his tail around his front, and hung his head as he remembered it all.
His dad's bravery in leading the tribe through all the years of raids and protecting his own, being disowned by him, him announcing how proud he was of his son, his providing for both his little charges even before the first day they hatched, how he had supported the inclusion of dragons in the village and arranged for peace with other tribes, how he had outcast those who had to be removed, how he had threatened Alvin, how he had bravely led the battle against the Berserkers, how he had become consumed with an obsession that made him turn traitor, and how he had apparently spent all the time since then trying to redeem himself.
How he had died fighting for his own and for family.
And all of his own frustration and smoldering anger seemed to wilt within.
I'm... sorry dad...
Sigh.
I know I'm not what you wanted me to be. And I'm not the peacemaker I thought I was. I don't know...
He felt a hand on his shoulder. She spoke only in a whisper, despite it only being the two of them, as she looked down at the solemn markers.
"You came early into this world. Such a wee thing, so frail, I fear'd you wouldn't make it. But your father, he never doubted. He always said you'd become the strongest of us all, and he was right."
He rolled his shoulders in a faint shrug.
"You have the heart of a human and the soul of a dragon. I know I doubted you before, but only you can bring our worlds together. I believe it. That is who you are, son."
She slowly stepped away to give him some room. He closed his eyes and took in the silence.
I, uh, I guess I was always afraid of becoming like him. He was arrogant, stubborn, and proud.
And I did in a way. I made the same mistakes that he did. I was too proud. I did not trust my own people enough. I did not listen because I thought I knew best. Like father like son.
The soft, chill wind drifted over him.
But he did try. He was also powerful, brave, and selfless, even if he did make many mistakes. He tried to move on and be better. I guess that is all anyone can do. Never stop trying.
He gave a very deep sigh and turned away with Valka standing next to him. They walked back to the main gathering together. Everyone was gathering closer together as the mass bonfires started dying out. A couple solemn minutes passed in relative silence.
Then he saw four people, one of whom was Sigurd, emerge from one of the tents while carrying a stretcher. The stretcher had a blue Nadder-scale cape laid over it.
He watched from afar as his heart clenched anew. Then he closed his eyes, still remembering her empty eyes and her golden hair stained with streaks of red.
Everyone followed the procession at a respectful distance down to the water's edge where a small fishing boat was prepared with a pyre. There was no wailing although there was a great deal of sobbing.
Gobber stepped forward and faced everyone once the body was laid to rest in the vessel and the sails unfurled.
"What needs to be said about the Dragon Whisperer? She had a way with the dragons. And she was a fighter, a true shieldmaiden. She killed Bludvist in combat and died in battle, and for that we know where she is. May the Valkyries welcome her and lead her through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing her name with love and fury so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that she has taken her rightful place at the table of kings. For a great woman has fallen; a warrior, a Chieftain, a sister, a dragon rider."
With those words, they pushed off the ship. Everyone watched as the ship slowly drifted into the harbor.
Shadowwing only lay on the shore, whimpering softly while Valka rubbed his neck in comfort. Archers along the shore began to light their arrows and fit them to the bows.
And then Was-Grounded leapt into the sky without any warning and flew out toward the ship. He came to a rest and hovered next to the ship, each beat of his wings pushing wildly at the ship's sails. Everyone on shore watched in amazement as the Night Fury roared aloud and then fired a glowing shot at the ship. The shot spilled out over the ship instead of exploding and quickly set the pyre alight. Then he winged the short distance back to shore with the ship fully engulfed in dragon fire.
Shadowwing trembled openly as the flames spiraled higher into the sky.
It all washed over him in an instant. His memories of her from his youthful crush on her, to her newfound respect and admiration for him following their romantic flight, and to their drastically changed and confusing relationship after his new life began.
As the pain sank in again from having such a dear part of life cruelly torn away, it felt safest to never risk being attached in that way. To never risk such heartbreak again.
Thorvald turned away from the harbor and faced everyone once the final remnant of the ship had burned away and vanished under the waves. He struggled to find his voice for several moments. Then he glanced over at Sifa and took some comfort from her encouragement.
"We will remember the world that she worked for, unlike those who would forget and turn their backs on their friends. We will always be dragon riders."
A brief pause followed.
"I wanted to be the Chief once before. I did not know what I was doing and thought I deserved it by only being in the right family. None of that stuff matters now. I am not the Chief you all wanted to have or deserve, but I will lead you if you want me. Will you have me?"
No one moved or said anything for several moments. Then Gobber started hobbling toward him. The blacksmith stopped, unhooked his smith's hammer in lieu of a weapon, and lay it on the ground before him. Then everyone else from Berk followed after him by laying a weapon on the ground at his feet. Only those not from Berk remained uncertainly waiting.
"What about you? I understand if you do not know me. All that you know is that I am a fellow dragon rider. Look around at everything..." he gestured toward the distant burned ships and devastation.
"Everything changed. We all lost our homes, and you left your tribes because they could not accept you anymore. Berk... is gone. Your homes are gone. Will you join us and be one people, the last dragon riders, wherever we end up?"
All the survivors from the other tribes conferred among their own groups and gradually began to kneel in acknowledgment of their new Chief.
He held out his torch and looked over the new, unnamed tribe.
"Thank you. Now we need a plan. We are, what, just over a hundred strong? We cannot go back to where we are from. Either there is nothing to go back to, or we are not welcome there. I do not think that we can live on this island or would want to after what happened here. I welcome any suggestions."
People began eagerly giving ideas to their new Chief and talking among themselves.
Valka turned back to Shadowwing and held his neck for a moment before she whispered to him.
"I remember that you told me about the place where Toothless lived before coming to this nest. It sounded like a good place. What do you think about it? Could they make that their new home?"
He hummed in thought, momentarily rousing his thoughts from the quiet emptiness.
It is definitely big enough. Plenty of forests for lumber and mountains for fresh water. Grass for grazing animals. Good fishing. Uninhabited too. It is a bit cold, but when has that ever stopped them before?
He nodded.
"Ok, will you tell them? You know the place better than I do."
He reluctantly got to his feet and began to walk toward the assembled crowd.
"Everyone!" Valka shouted to get their attention.
"Dragonheart, what is it?" Thorvald asked.
"Shadowwing has an idea. There is something he wants you all to know about."
"What is it?"
"There is a place where he and the other Night Furies lived before they came to this nest. That place could be a new home. Shadowwing, if you would..."
He stepped forward before everyone and slowly began to write.
On the mainland north and east
It has trees, mountains, streams, farmland
Good fishing and hunting
No one else lives there
"How far is it from here?" Thorvald asked.
Two days flight
"That is a long way to go without even seeing the place first. But we have come this far already and we do not have much choice."
Thorvald turned back to the new tribe.
"Shall we go there? Fly to this strange place that he told us about. This... what should we call it, Skald?"
"Haven?" Skald offered.
"... this Haven where we could rebuild and live in peace?"
He looked around and saw nods of agreement all around.
"Then we shall. We will be ready to leave in a couple days."
Then Valka stepped forward and addressed everyone.
"There is something else that we need to do first," she declared.
Author's Note - Some closing thoughts on the confirmed significant death, I believe that it was a fitting homage to the second film and of what happened therein while still being different, most significantly in how the death came about. I also believe that I gave that fallen character an honorable treatment all throughout. No, it was not a romance arc. Instead, it is one that felt to me more in keeping with their original character of duty, sacrifice for the tribe, a warrior streak, and maturing and coming into their own as a capable leader who did what was necessary to keep the tribe together in a difficult situation.