"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." - Victor Hugo
Declarations
Shadowwing roared with relief when Haven finally came into view again on the horizon.
Finally! I wonder what disasters befell everyone while we were gone. The Great Hall is still going up. There are no signs of any fires. Plenty of dragons are on the wing. Yep, everything looks good.
He dove down toward the main clearing and finally realized something.
Not everything was good.
Dozens of dragons were crowded around the fish stations and were violently shoving each other out of the way. All the perches were occupied, which forced dragons to sit on houses which were not built to support such weight. There were places where there was not enough room to push a cart down the road. There was a lot of noise from roaring and shouting. Several people were only making their ways through the crowded streets by jumping from dragonback to dragonback.
He finally spotted a small clearing over near the forge and deftly backwinged as he landed. Gobber was in the forge and hard at work at something. He spotted why there was a clearing near the forge.
Gobber had pinned a dead and very evil-smelling eel over the entrance to the forge.
Clever, clever.
He snuck into the forge after growling at the foul-wrongness of the eel. He was better able to maneuver around this forge since it was much bigger inside than the one on Berk had been, and he crept up behind the dear blacksmith.
"Boo!" he cried.
Gobber leapt in surprise, lost his balance, tumbled to the side, and fell into a pile of weaponry hanging from the wall and on the list to be sharpened. Swords and spears harmlessly fell flat onto the man's back.
"I'm ok!"
A large axe started to shift on the wall and looked dangerously close to falling.
The tiny bolt of glowing fire flew forth before either of them were aware of it and struck the axe full on the heavy blade, knocking it safely back into the corner of the forge.
"Ah, whad'ya do that for? I had my hand on the situation," Gobber groaned.
Shadowwing huffed and rolled his eyes.
Sure, whatever you say...
He held out a paw for Gobber, and the blacksmith groaned as he was easily helped onto his foot.
"Odin's eye, I'm not as young as I once was. I really need ta get a new apprentice."
Why have you not?
"Well, my... retention rate... with apprentices has nae been the best. I think the parents think that someone cursed the position."
Fair point, that has been a very bad run of luck.
A truly crazy idea entered his thoughts.
No way this works. But this is so crazy that it almost makes sense.
Could I help at all?
Gobber looked at him as though he had sprouted another head.
"Huh? What? You want to take over the forge for me?"
Take over no
I could help though
Gobber rubbed his mustache in thought.
"Well, be honest now, do you think you could hold everything and work all the tools?"
A faint purr echoed as they both looked over everything in the smithy.
Using many tools would be hard
But other things would be easy
And it is harder for me to get burned
"That is true. Bit more fireproof on the outside this time, eh? I guess that ya would also already know a lot more than any new apprentice. And ya'd never have a problem lightin' the forge now would ye?"
They both chuckled at the comment.
Very true
"Imagine it. Metal forged with a Night Fury's fire. Well, it is settled. I will go talk ta tha Chief about it. You will be tha first dragon blacksmith in the history of eh... forever... I guess."
They both laughed deeply at that.
How was everything else while we were gone?
Gobber groaned and collapsed in his chair at the question.
"Don' get me wrong now, I like the peace as much as any other Nord here but... there are too many dragons."
Is this not a dragon-Nord utopia?
"Your utopia maybe. Mine is less crowded and more sanitary. Did ya know that I had ta clean up a pile of dung from the roof the other day? It was... pungent."
They both winced at the thought.
Occupational hazard?
That at least brought a hearty chuckle to them both.
"Yeah, and we found a Terror swimming in one of tha cauldrons of soup a couple days ago!"
Was it fish soup?
"Dunno, I dinna try it. I'm probably overreactin', but it has been hard tha last couple weeks while u've been gone. So many incidents, unexplained fires, sheep going missing, and the little fishing boats being hounded."
Is it that bad?
"Well, no one's been hurt yet, but m'fraid it's only a matter of time."
Has Toothless been helping?
"Oh yeah, he's down in the village almost every day ta help with the challenges and fights. It's always the new dragons though. The ones from Drago's army mostly since they are more used ta violence, I guess. Even the wild ones from the Bewilderbeast's nest are a bit much. There just is not enough here ta provide for everyone. Oh, I forgot ta ask, how did it go out there with ya two?"
Shadowwing groaned and slumped to the ground with a great sigh.
"That bad huh?"
Frustrating
Some of them seemed to listen
I think
Gobber roughly got up and patted him on the head.
"It's alright. Ya were just doing that ta help them anyway, ta help em' know what to expect."
A sad warble followed.
It hurts to see how little they want to trust
"Whell, not everyone is like us now. I guess we got used ta having dragons around in some way aft'r generations. That made it easier for us ta change after we learned another way from you. But it is strange for the peoples on the mainland ta see dragons again after not seeing them at all, I think..."
Gobber turned for the door.
"Whelp, I'm going ta go tell the Chief about our arrangement here."
This is only temporary
Don't forget that I am an Alpha to the dragons
"Aye, what does that mean though, you being Alpha?"
Basically like a Chief
Help protect them
And break up the worst fights
"Never thought I'd live ta see the day. Hiccup muscling in on fights."
They stared at each other. Gobber blinked. Shadowwing blinked.
They both gave a confusing sigh that turned into chuckling.
"Well, that is one more reason why it would be good to have you here in the village a bit more. Though..." Gobber frowned and paused.
What?
"I dunno. It seems ya have a lot ta do already, what with teachin' the other Furies and bein' a dragon Chief. I wonder if yer-" Gobber sighed.
Shadowwing gently nudged his shoulder.
"Are ya tryin' ta go back ta yer old life even now?"
Shadowwing hung his head and softly grumbled.
Uh, I don't think so. I might have wanted that in the past, but that is not really me anymore.
No Gobber
I only want to help and
Be around a friend
Gobber looked down at the words for a moment and lay a hand on his neck.
"Ok, I believe ya. In that case I am glad ta have tha help."
Shadowwing nodded and followed Gobber outside. He took to the sky and observed all he could see of Haven.
What am I doing? They all need to know that I am home!
He immediately turned for the mountains and found himself outside the cave seemingly moments later after an eager flight.
And he heard snoring from within.
Oh, you poor dragon, being Alpha is that tough, huh? Well, I was not here to help so...
He strode inside and walked over to the snoring Fury. Was-Grounded had his head hidden under his tailfins and looked very exhausted. And he was a perfect, unknowing target.
Should I or should I not? Nah, he looks very tired.
"Brother..."
Ears twitched.
He stepped closer and carefully tickled the ears.
The ears twitched more, and there was a faint grumble.
"Brother..."
"Grrrrrr... Shad...wingg..."
"What is with you? Did you eat something rotted?"
Was-Grounded slowly lifted his head and stared at him with very bleary eyes that struggled to focus on him.
"The other kin... they are almost as liver-twisting as you."
Shadowwing sat back on his haunches and gave him a sympathetic grin.
"What did they do?"
"Chase four-leg thrall-prey animals, chase the fish-bringing water-walkers, drop their waste where feet walk, mark territory with waste-water, fight for territory... grrr... and the two-leg Alpha and Kin-liver come get me to fly over that nest and stop the fights... All when I have my own nest and little ones to protect and play with. I want sleep..." he yawned.
"Hmm, I can help keep peace now that I am back."
"That would be good. How was the flight to other nests?"
Shadowwing gave a deep sigh.
"We said what we needed to say, but I do not know if the two-leg nests wanted to hear."
"So, they are normal two-leg nests?" Was-Grounded laughed.
"Thank you for saying that. Where is the rest of your nest?"
"Flying up to the frozen-fluffy water in the highest mountains. The little ones wanted to play up there in the cold. You might want to fly to Luna."
"Why?" Shadowwing blinked in surprise.
"She has warmed to my little ones much. She does not sleep here in the den, but she let Aurora sleep on her head."
"Did she? That is good. I will go find her now," Shadowwing hummed before he turned and bounded out the cave.
Was-Grounded remained where he was resting and watched his brother go with warmth in his own liver.
You go find her. Take all the suns you need. You will fall into her good life-trap.
He had an idea for a very subtle nudge that could be given. It was one that he and Green-Wings had already spoken about in their planning about how to guide Shadowwing's and Luna's life-flights together into one. He flew to his feet and bounded out the cave, forgetting his own tiredness for the moment as he turned for the coldest of the mountains.
There was a flash of white inside his cave.
He pulled up for a moment before entering and merely watched as she remained bent down toward the writing dirt.
I wonder how much she has learned in the last couple weeks.
"Luna!"
She stiffened and lifted her head to turn toward him as he bounded inside.
"Shadowwing! How was your flight?" she asked.
"Some chilling. There was ice and not-trust in the livers of many two-legs out there. But we told them that the far-flying kin mean no danger."
"Will that help?" she hummed.
"I hope it will. Your learning?"
They both turned back to the dirt where she had been busy writing, clearly with Dawn-Singer helping in the past. She probably did not actually know the language yet, but she had apparently learned the specific words that were needed to get across what she wanted.
Dragonheart you help wings
"Very good," he purred happily at seeing her progress.
She chuckled and bent down to write some more.
Two-legs thingking twisting
"I will not disagree with you on that."
Shadowwing thingking twisting
"What!" he groaned.
She laughed openly at him.
"Very funny, yes, laugh at the kin who is an Alpha," he grumbled.
"May he never step in waste..." she solemnly professed.
He blinked.
Did you just make a joke? You wit...
Her grin steadily faded into something more solemn though as something else seemed to drift into her thoughts.
"Shadowwing?"
"Yes, Luna?"
"I am ready to go down into the two-leg nest."
He froze and held his tail very still.
Wait, what!
"Is that liver-truth, Luna?"
"Yes, I want to see where they roost. Only if you will walk with me though."
"I will, Luna. They say many warm things about you and wish that you would roost with them."
She hissed and growled softly.
"No, no roosting or sharing that nest. But I will walk in their nest and see the places with fish for eating."
He nodded and walked outside with her following him. They took to the sky and turned their flights down toward Haven. They landed on the outskirts of the village where they were likely to get less attention at first.
That did not happen.
Nearly a dozen dragons turned for them as soon as they touched down. All of the dragons bowed their heads and wings slightly to him as their Alpha. They turned to Luna, eager to greet, smell, and nudge the newcomer.
She shied away from their eager advances. He flared his wings wide and snarled softly in warning to them. They quickly backed down and went on their own ways, clearly somewhat confused but not going to challenge or disobey him.
"What was that?" he softly asked.
She stared at the ground.
"I still fear the other kin, especially males."
"They will not hurt you. They are not Monsters."
"Any of them could be one which... tried to hurt me before."
He hung his head for a moment. It was a very fair point on her part.
"True, but they would have been thrall-kin, yes?"
"Maybe..."
"Their livers were not in what happened. They might not even know that it happened, if they were thought-thralls. And I would not let them hurt you if they tried," he growled.
She warily hummed at that and stepped away from his side.
"It would make me feel warmer if I had my own fire," she sighed.
"What happened to it? You have fire-air, yes?"
"Yes, I have fire-air but no spark. It was hot white fire, almost like the color of my wings. It might have died when I was thrall for long," she sadly explained.
He stepped closer to her and softly nudged her shoulder without thinking anything of it.
"If it helps you feel warmer, I could not make any fire until the same sun I and my brother became Alphas. You did not think that you would ever fly again. I think that you will learn your fire."
He stepped away and gestured deeper into the village.
"Coming?"
She stepped forward and slowly followed him as they walked together through Haven. She frequently glanced all around her and was clearly very wary of her surroundings.
"Look at all the perches and the tree-dens," he offered.
"I see them."
There were many occupied perches on the houses and stables that had been built. The stables tended to have the more domesticated dragons and those with young still under their care. The wilder dragons reclined wherever they wanted to on the ground through the countryside.
Plenty of the village's humans saw their passage and waved or tried to approach. He gently held out a wing or a paw to give them an obvious sign to keep a respectful distance. Some of them needed more convincing than others since they were Nords after all and were not the most perceptive of people.
"Look at 'em!" "So sparkly!" "Nev'r seen one like 'er." "Are they a pair yet?"
He froze in his steps and blinked as the last thing that he heard echoed in his head.
Uh, no... no... no... no... you've got this all wrong! I do not want anything like that and neither does she! We are not even the same type of dragon.
Nope... never... not. So that is... that.
"Shadowwing, why are you not walking?"
He shook his head and caught back up with her.
"Twisted two-legs!" he grumbled.
They both arrived at the largest fish station. It was also the one which always had the most dragons perched around it as they waited for the daily deliveries.
"Do not fear them," he whispered.
Her only answer was to walk a little closer to his side.
"The two-leg who stands at the fish-place will give each kin a few fish and will make sure that no kin takes too many fish," he explained.
They both saw something that made them both hum with warmth.
"Kin-liver!" Luna cried.
Sure enough, Valka and Cloudjumper flew in, and she deftly lowered herself to the ground with Cloudjumper's much-practiced assistance.
"Luna!" Valka smiled.
Shadowwing hummed in happy surprise when Luna bounded up to Valka and quickly sat down before her.
"I want to picture-talk to her."
"Are you ready to picture-talk?" he wondered.
"I remember how to make what I want to say. Dawn-Singer helped me learn this."
He stepped forward and flamed a small patch of trampled grass to write on. He nodded at her and stepped back.
Luna fixed Valka with her light blue eyes and deliberately bent down to the ground.
Dragonheart
Valka smiled very widely at the writing.
"Luna, you can write."
Luna hummed softly and bent back down.
You help wings
"I would do the same for any dragon. Do you understand me, Luna?"
Luna blinked and grumbled softly until he relayed what was said.
"Do you think I can learn to hear the two-leg voice-talking?" she asked.
"Yes, Was-Grounded and Dawn-Singer already know much of it. Kin-liver would teach you, if you want."
He wrote.
Can you teach her to understand spoken Norse?
"Yes Luna, I will," Valka eagerly answered.
Luna hummed in pleasure of her own, completely able to understand that response without any aid.
They got no further in the discussion because four shapes appeared in the sky and flew down at them. All four of the inbound Furies landed rather nearby in the clearing. There was a moment of peace and quiet.
Dawn-Singer and Aurora dashed to attack Valka, Green-Wings and Was-Grounded bounded over to Shadowwing and Luna, dragons perched all around started bellowing for no apparent reason beyond the fact that both their Alphas were present, Tembra, the attendant on fish duty, started whispering to an attendant while waving her hands wildly, and a veritable crowd of adoring humans began rushing toward them all. It was chaos.
"Brother, Green-Wings!" Shadowwing bellowed over the din of dragon voices.
"Can they be-" Was-Grounded's voice died off as he paused and took a deep breath.
He roared louder than all the other dragon voices combined.
Silence followed.
"That is better," he mumbled and turned to Luna.
"Green-Wings and I are going to go flying to hunt fish. Will you shelter our little ones with your wings while we fly, Luna?"
"Me? Why not Shadowwing. He is of your nest," she nervously mumbled.
"You are a Light Fury, a light wing, of this range. That makes you as kin to us also, as we already told you. Dawn-Singer, Aurora!" Green-Wings answered.
They extricated themselves from Valka and bounded over to them.
"Do you want to play with Luna?"
"Yes!" "Yes!"
Luna could not help but find herself humming as well at their young eagerness.
Green-Wings slowly strode up to Shadowwing and sat down. She stared at him for several moments, clearly deep in thought.
"How was the flight to the other two-leg nests?" she rumbled.
"I do not know if our words of peace stayed in their heads," he grumbled.
"But you understand two-legs better than any of us do. Are you sure that a two-leg female did not sit on your egg and sing to you? Are you sure you are not a two-leg in your liver?" Green-Wings innocently grinned.
Luna laughed aloud at that.
"Shadowwing is thought-twisted," Luna chuckled.
"Thank you both of you for saying that," Shadowwing sighed.
Both females laughed softly at his expense.
"You both should watch and play with our little ones for us. We will bring you a big fish if we catch one!" Was-Grounded hummed.
Green-Wings and Was-Grounded turned aside and flew off toward the ocean without another moment of delay.
"They are twisted kin," Luna mumbled.
"No, they are trusting kin. Aurora, ride?" Shadowwing hummed.
She hop-flew up onto his back and perched between his shoulders.
Valka crossed her arms and looked at the sight while wearing a very happy and probably silly grin. Shadowwing and Luna were standing side by side with two young Furies, one at her side and one proudly sitting on his back. It was a striking and heartwarming image.
And with the gathering audience it was a perfect opportunity to do something else for the first time.
"All right, you little ones, think it is time to show them what you know, Dawn-Singer?" she asked.
The Fury eagerly bobbed his head and bounded over to her side.
Valka raised her voice and got everyone's attention.
"Everyone, I and the Furies want to show you something."
Indistinct but excited muttering followed. The crowd came closer while Luna backed away from them.
"Dawn-Singer," said Fury held his shoulders proudly at hearing his name spoken, "has been learning his runes. He can talk now like Shadowwing."
Eyes went very wide around the assembly as Dawn-Singer extended a claw and bent down to the dirt.
Hello
And Shadowwing remembered quite fondly how it had been for him the first time after his father had allowed him to write in public. The rest of the entire dinner had been spent answering questions from eager people and especially from an enthusiastic Fishlegs. It seemed to be no different for young Dawn-Singer. He twisted and spun to greet each new hand and quickly answer every question possible while only occasionally asking for help on translations. His ears remained high all throughout and his tail never stopped swaying.
You are such a lucky one. This is what I always hoped to see.
And he heard a soft growl from behind his head.
"What, Aurora?"
"He can picture-talk! But not me!"
"Do you want to learn?"
She ran partway up his neck to get a better look.
"Yes!" she barked into his face.
He hopped over to Valka so that she could take Aurora, which she did.
She wants to learn
"Why not! Ha, at this rate you Furies will be better at writing than all but the Elders and the Skalds," she laughed while cradling the purring Aurora on a shoulder. Doing that would not be so easy before too long.
He hopped away from her and walked over to Luna. She was now openly looking around what could be seen of the village. Even so, she had made a bit of space between herself and the gathering around Dawn-Singer. She also visibly shied away whenever someone else from the village tried to get close.
"Luna, are you afraid of something?"
She softly sighed and closed her eyes after glancing at him.
"I think I see some of the warmth in this nest. None of the kin have any fear of two-legs. Having already caught fish is good for those who cannot hunt well. This mixed-nest might be safe and warming for most kin... but not for me."
He almost recoiled in his alarm.
"No?" he gasped.
"I do not clutch anger at them in my liver. I know that I should not fear ones who have not hurt me, but I only see thrall-makers in the big males and all the nest. Even if the thrall-making and life-dimming is slow and hidden. Living in a nest like this makes life smaller," she explained.
"Why do you think that about this place? Why do you think it makes life... smaller?" he weakly asked.
She turned and looked up at the mountains.
"I am a kin of the wild beyond, not a weak-life-fire kin like these ones that would wear two-leg holding things and give away their backs. Kin and two-legs are different life. We should be free to fly on our own, hunt as we want, and nest as we want. But two-legs are all forced rules and work and bonding."
"You say bonding like it is a bad thing. I think that living with two-legs makes life bigger. There are more ideas that you can put in your thinking. Stories and warming things that make life more than surviving only from one sun-cycle to the next cycle," he countered.
A moment of silence passed as she considered her words.
"I do not think that two-legs and kin will always fly in life together. This," she looked around her, "may last for many seasons, but it always ends in kin dying."
"You do not know that," he whispered.
"No? Is the past of this nest that of fighting because two-legs hate kin for being kin?" she objected.
He barely restrained the growl of frustration.
"You think that it is strange and twisted that a new way that has not been before could be made true? That because you have not seen many warm two-legs before these ones probably are not and this is empty. Because it is not... how life normally is?"
"Yes."
"Is it the normal way of life for a weak hatchling that cannot break its own egg to live?"
She blinked in surprise at having her own life-story turned on her.
"Your sire changed the normal way and made something new because he wanted it. Because the normal way would not be good. Because he said no to bad things! We are trying to do something new. Look at Dawn-Singer."
Said Fury was furiously scribbling away to answer Skald's questions in front of a crowd of about ten people. The young Fury's tail was still swaying.
"Seeing this, do you think that these two-legs have rot in their livers for us?"
"It is not them having rot or not having rot in their livers," she answered.
"What is it? Please tell me, Luna."
"Even if your words are truth about all the two-legs here in this range, there are other ranges and bigger nests than this one. Do you think that you can change all their livers? Do you know what is in the liver of every two-leg?"
His own words spoken in frustration nearly a year ago came back to him.
'Because I have always changed them. Making peace is what I know how to do. That is my life-flight.'
"I do not think that there can be lasting peace. Kin and two-legs are different life and do not see themselves in the other's eyes," she added.
"They can. I know they can. I knew a two-leg who did. You know one now!"
"Shadowwing," she sighed, "we already talked about this. One two-leg alone can be warm to us and can have the liver of a kin. I know that good truth. But two-legs as nests, as group-flights, are different. They stop thinking well. It only takes one of them to break the peace, crack the shell, and kill the hatchling within this... egg that you are sitting."
"Even if true, I do not... will not let go hope. The world can be made better," he sighed.
She softly hummed and glanced up at him after several moments.
"You lived as a hatchling among them. You flew different life-winds than I did. Kin are fewer in number in all the ranges of the world from what I do remember. I think that two-legs from beyond will come here to fight this range because they can. Because we kin have done the wrong of being kin, having wings, and having fire-breath."
"And we will stop them if they do. We will burn their water-walkers and defend our own nest and range!"
She blinked and softly growled.
"How much life-water will be spilled? How many kin will be grounded and die? What will you be willing to lose to have that world be?"
He got no chance to answer or seriously consider the objection because Dawn-Singer had finished with his talking, bounded over to them both, and stood at his shoulder.
"They are very warm to me! They said my head and picture-talking are better than most of them in their own nests!"
Shadowwing forced back a smile and happy hum.
"Still thinking about getting yourself a bond two-leg, little one?" Luna laughed.
Dawn-Singer returned the question with a considerate hum.
"Maybe not what the other kin have. But there are some of the fledglings that were very warm to me and I might hold close to my liver with more season-cycles. I might want to live here near them when I fly the den-nest."
"You hold that thinking close to your liver, little one," Luna hummed.
She turned away and briefly paused next to Shadowwing.
"I do hope that I am wrong, and that he lives long in warmth as one of this nest," she whispered.
She walked over to Aurora without glancing back at him. He watched Luna while feeling a pronounced emptiness in his chest.
I do not know what to make of her. She does not seem very afraid, not like she was before at least. Does she truly not think that this is good?
He lay down and groaned deeply.
"What is twisting you, Shadowwing?" Dawn-Singer happily asked.
"Life," he eventually answered.
"All twisting is part of life, yes. I will go play with Aurora and Luna now! I can twist their tails!"
As he watched them playing together with Valka and as Luna warily stood nearby the two children, he reflected on the fateful meeting long ago that led to all of this.
Toothless did not truly know humans before he came to Berk. Yes, he lost his family many years ago to them, but I was the first one he knew up close. It would have been very different if he had been a prisoner and been... tortured. He probably could not have trusted me at all.
He again closed his eyes and imagined Luna flying off into the wild here. Unable or unwilling to see the world that she could be a part of if only she wanted it. The same world that Dawn-Singer was eagerly embracing. There was also something a bit different in this second major encounter between his nephew and the village. There were no people he could hear who whispered of Dawn-Singer being someone's future dragon this time. That was definite progress.
But her words of warning that there could be a future threat to this world certainly rang true.
We will defend it! They may have armies and they may have armadas, but we... we have the dragons!
And he imagined hearing a whisper on the wind.
'What will you be willing to lose to have that world be?'
They lay down in the sunlight on a warmed rocky cliff above the crashing waters. They had both caught a few fish, but they had mostly flown for the sole reason of flying together without any sire or dam responsibilities. There was also something liver-warming about catching their own fish with their own teeth, claws, and fire that was far more warming than only filling their bellies from the fish-places in the mixed-nest.
As for now though there was nothing in their world except for the warm feeling of their mate at their side, the comfort of their wound tails, and the warmth of the sun on their backs. This was their first chance in many suns to do absolutely nothing.
"Do you think it will help them?" Green-Wings softly rumbled.
"Will playing with our two little ones together help melt the ice around Luna's and Shadowwing's livers? Yes, it must," Was-Grounded gently answered.
He snuggled a bit closer to his side.
"That is all still hard for me to believe about him. How could your life-will-power change him from a two-leg to a kin?"
"I only wanted him to live, his life-breath be saved, and have his hurts be not."
His ears fell slightly.
"As for myself, I hoped that my hurts could be not also, my broken wing and lost tailfin. Maybe both savings could be only by making us both new-hatched Night Furies. I do not know or care. That life-almost-ending gave me a brother, an egg-mate, and the new tailfin that let the winds of my life fly me to you."
"And I am always warmed that they did. You still think that we should not tell Luna or Kin-liver that I know?"
"Not now, let Shadowwing be the one to tell her or you. I do not want the knowing about our powers flying far from us and to other two-legs by accident. We do not know enough picture-talking to tell Kin-liver on our own without having Dawn-Singer talk for us."
"Why should we keep that hidden?"
"Because two-legs fear what they do not know. Powers make us Monsters in their thinking, I think. No, it is better for us all if no others know what happened to him, not even our own little ones. Let them always know him as their own... larger-nest-kin, as my nestmate only."
"He will always be that for them and for all our little ones. And hopefully he will be a... second sire to them through their own future mates. It is very twisted to know that Kin-liver was his two-leg dam, and that he never knew her. Wait..." she softly whispered.
Her eyes narrowed on him.
"I remember now! That is what you were talking about season-cycles ago when you were talking about a two-leg being more like his dam than his sire!" she grinned.
He only bowed his head slightly.
"Your thinking is very strong, my life-mate."
She shoved his shoulder before laying down on her side and facing him.
"I will twist his tail more though with teases about him being a two-leg in his liver," she added.
"You would fly those flights," he chuckled.
He smugly purred to himself and nudged her lower belly with a paw.
"And talking about flights... do you know yet?"
The warmth in her eyes and deep purr were almost answer enough.
"We flew well, my life-mate. I wonder what this next little one will be."
She closed her eyes and hung her head slightly. She was clearly being moved in the liver by something.
"Green-Wings?" he softly hummed.
She looked up and out over the waters toward the horizon.
"I am... very warm always now. I think about life many season-cycles from now and all the eggs and little ones we will have."
She wound her tail around his again.
"And I remember how warm the winds of life have been to me. I hope that you are as warmed with me as I am with you."
Words failed him for many wingbeats. It was not like her to show this vulnerability and softness. He shuffled closer to her side, put a wing over her back, and lay his head on her green neck.
"You do not know how many season-cycles I flew alone, never thinking I would ever see another Night Fury. Thinking I would never find a mate, fly a sky dance, or have any hatchlings. Never to do what I promised my sire I would do and what I wanted much."
He paused and nuzzled her neck.
"But I found you. And for now I want a sun of no little ones and no being Alpha," he chuckled.
"What do you want?" she hummed.
He yawned.
"Restful sleep with you."