"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." - H.P. Lovecraft – Supernatural Horror in Literature
Harbingers
Oh come on! It is the summer now, what is with you both? You don't have anyone to impress.
The red one growled at the yellow one.
Both flashed their teeth and lit their backs on fire.
The red one lifted a leg and marked its territory.
Both snarled at and took a step toward each other.
Shadowwing sighed and looked up toward the distant skies. The busy, occupied, and loud skies.
Gods, will this ever stop? I know you like that perch, red, but there are so many places to perch. And you, yellow, do you have to try to push him off...
The yellow one jumped at the red one to push it off and also hurled a stream of fire at it.
Ok, game is over!
He hopped into the air and flew at them both. He roared aloud and got both their attention as he dove and landed next to them. Their tussle was forgotten immediately as they both bowed their heads and sulked.
"No fighting with fire or biting!"
They whined softly at his snarl.
"And do not make me tell you again!"
Both Nightmares threw a final glare at the other and flew off in different directions.
"Now think about what you have done..."
He snorted, looked back out over Haven, and saw a disturbance on the far side of the village. A small flock of dragons were circling in the distance.
Great, just my luck that all of this would happen on his off-day. But with three kids of his own, he does need to take more time for them for sure.
He blinked.
And I will hopefully.
He sighed.
Oh well, no task is too small. The woes of being Alpha or Chief or whatever...
He took wing to investigate the day's next misadventure.
The grooming stations had lines, the fish stations were surrounded like wolves staring at a sheep locked in a cage, the streets were filled in moving rows of bodies, Nords were hopping on dragons' backs just to cross said streets, the distant fields had some of the more docile and trained dragons helping to till the fields, and the waters swarmed with activity as the ships hauled in fishing lines and trained dragons hounded fish or even flew back to shore with fish in their jaws.
He threw a glance toward the new Academy where Skald and Valka tended to spend a lot of time instructing the children of Haven in everything pertaining to dragons.
Everything was chaotic and wonderful.
A column of flame erupted from the far side of the village where the other dragons were swarming.
Great...
He took one more glance up to the distant clouds where he had last seen a flash of white. His hum and the warmth in his heart reassured him that he could get through the day no matter what he would face. Despite the frustrations and toils of the day, a warm comfort and tender hum awaited him. And that would be more than enough for him.
Spinning with her wings tucked closely to her side. Roaring aloud for pleasure as she flew into the warm wind. Diving at and seeming to bounce off clouds. The joy of being alive and not alone in her life-flight. Remembering much-good sleep-visions of an egg nestled against her belly. All was warm with her life-flight now.
She leveled out into an easy glide.
Time to practice this.
She took a deep breath and shaped the fire-air into the shape that she knew it needed without knowing how. The glowing ball of life-fire flew ahead several lengths and erupted into a ring shape that burned very hot.
Fire poured into her scales and hide as she spun through the flames and wished deep in her liver to hide. A few wingbeats passed before she glanced back at herself and saw what she wanted to see.
Nothing.
Not even a shimmer in the air. Even now when the sun was high in its flight.
Now to foul some flights...
Down toward the Haven-nest she dove, looking for a good target even though there was only one that would be truly worth teasing.
And she saw him. He was perched on one of the larger tree-dens to overlook one of the fish-places that most commonly saw small fights. He was also completely unsuspecting.
Gliding silently without beating her wings. Closer and closer, waiting for the perfect moment.
A fire-scale roared at something else in a display of dominance as it dove and tried to land on his perch. He growled softly at it and sent it flapping away somewhere else.
Yes!
The loud sound and disturbance from the departing fire-scale was all she needed to carefully drop in on the large-tree-perch. He did not react as he continued to gaze ahead over the flights of many kin.
He does not know...
Slowly padding closer to him one step at a time. She gave no hum of warmness or growl of play. Unseen hunters that strike from the shadows were the most successful at catching their prey.
His tail kept swaying behind him as she approached.
She froze as she saw his ears flicker.
The hunt was frozen as she held her breath and kept her eyes closed. Holding on to that warm, hiding-feeling that she knew hid her from all eyes. A quick glance at him followed. He was not looking at her.
Shadowwing, you are prey, and I am the hunter!
She lunged at him and carefully nipped at his flanks. He bucked in alarm and spun on her with a cry. Or rather, he spun on where she should be.
"Luna!"
"Great Alpha!" she kept her eyes closed and listened for where he was.
He swiped with a paw at where he thought she was, and he hit nothing.
"Will you not let me see you?"
"Or what?" she hummed.
"Or maybe I will forget how warming it is to see your bright wings, your long tail, and your blue eyes."
"Never!" she cried in alarm and glanced at him again.
He groaned and lay down on the tree-den-ground while putting his paws over his eyes.
"The memories are fading now... I do not know anymore. What color are her wings? Green?"
That was too much to allow. She dropped all hiding-will, pranced over to him, sat down on her haunches, and glared. Eyes narrowed and her wings were flared.
He only hummed back at her.
"That is what they look like. As liver-warming as I remember, my life-mate."
All pretend-anger and teasing departed from her liver.
"Shadowwing, you ground my fouling-flight," she sighed.
He stepped forward, licked her cheek, and gave her a deep purr.
"I try," he hummed.
She fell in at his side and rubbed against his shoulder. They glanced as one toward the fish-place and all the perched and flying kin.
"What is happening here in this mixed-nest this sun?" she asked.
He groaned and let himself collapse limp.
"The once fighting-thrall kin here are all twisting. Like you."
She bared her teeth and snarled again.
"In a warming way," he hastily added.
She hummed and sat back on her haunches.
This is too much fun!
"No, there is always another fight. I just made a big ball of flame to show how big I am. I made a bigger one! I dropped waste to mark my territory! I will drop more waste on yours and make it my territory! That is my two-leg, get your own! That is my mate, get your own! I will join you in sitting on this tree-den even if the trees groan and break under us! I will chase after the water-walker that has fish on it and try to take the fish! I will play drop my waste on the two-legs on the ground!"
He groaned and sighed.
"You are warmed that you are Alpha and have many small flights to fly, true?" she laughed.
"Thank you for saying all that..."
She rubbed against his neck again while warmly purring to him.
"Can I help you do anything?"
They looked out over everything together.
"Fly with me so I can see you. Find bad fights and stop them before there is true hurting. You do not fear the other kin now, do you?"
She snorted and growled softly.
"I have my hot fire now, I can hide from all eyes, and I am mated to an Alpha. The other kin can smell you on me and would not try to hurt me. And they will learn to know my roar."
He chuckled softly.
"There is my mate's life-fire that I told her about," he whispered.
She snapped at his neck, a strike which he dodged, and she took to the sky with a joyful cry while he kept watch.
At least while not looking up at the spinning white wings above him.
They both stalked closer to the prey. Low to the ground, hind legs coiled to pounce. The four-leg across the clearing had no warning what was coming.
Green-Wings gently nudged Aurora's tail in a signal that this was to be her moment. That four-leg prey would be brought down by Aurora's claws and teeth.
Aurora contained the growl of pleasure and stalked closer through the grass. Towards her first hunt.
A cloud fell over their hunt.
A rock-belly kin flew low overhead and spooked the prey, which dashed away as fast as its long legs could carry it into the thick trees.
The hunt was fouled.
"Grr! Stupid rock-belly! That was my hunt!" Aurora growled.
She lay down in frustration, tail thrashing her anger.
"Do not be chilled, Aurora, you did not fail in your hunt. You stayed downwind, you tracked it, you did not let it see you, and you are very strong-thinking."
Green-Wings lay down next to her and hummed deeply.
"You will be a better hunter than I ever was."
"Truly?" Aurora asked.
"Yes, you are faster than I am. My hunts were always... difficult when I flew the winds of life alone before your sire flew them with me."
Green-Wings purred with warmth.
"I still remember the first sun-cycle that I saw him. He said that he would catch a big four-leg for me, and he did it. I ate very well, and until we left that range after becoming mates."
Her ears drooped slightly though.
"I think I ate well because he gave me more of his hunts than he should have."
"Hunting is also different in the Haven-nest with the two-legs. The hunting is done for all instead of for one or one nest within the range," Aurora warbled curiously.
"Yes, their way is different, but you know why this way is important for you to learn?"
They both looked around them at the green, the trees, the bushes, and the wild.
"Because a kin who can hunt on its own but does not need to is strong, but a kin who cannot hunt on its own is weak and prey to life," Aurora answered.
"Yes, it can be pushed more on the winds of life. You are not weak, my Aurora."
Aurora purred softly at that reassurance. She hummed softly.
"Dam, when will I get my color?"
"I got my color in the hot-season after my second season-cycle, so you might start getting your color next hot-season or new-life-season," Green-Wings answered.
"Can I know what color I will be?" Aurora asked after a moment of thought.
"Wing-skin color and scale-shine might fly close to the eye-color. Mine are only green. Yours are green and blue. We will see, but it will be liver-warming whatever color you are."
Was-Grounded woke up from his long and very restful nap with Rain-Eater at his side. Green-Wings and Aurora were out hunting together. He opened his eyes, stretched everything, and saw something strange.
The first of his liver, Dawn-Singer, was standing before him and had an abnormally confused look about him.
"Dawn-Singer, what is chilling you?"
Worried green eyes stared back at him.
"Sire, I have been thinking much about my life-flight."
"As you should, what about?"
A quiet moment passed as Dawn-Singer squirmed on his feet.
"I remember in this new-life-season, all the other kin went flying and fighting to find mates. They found ones they wanted, impressed them, and joined with them. They will make nests and have eggs and hatchlings here or on a far nesting island."
"Yes, they will. And you will also when you are grown."
Dawn-Singer's eyes fell slightly alongside a slightly worried hum.
"But there are no other kin here who I could take as a mate. I do not know where to fly to find a mate in the ranges beyond."
Was-Grounded gave a slightly worried hum of his own at where his first's thoughts were leading him. It was only normal though.
"There are no others you could take as a mate now, but there will be in time. Shadowwing and Luna are life-mates, and they will start having eggs and little ones. You can find a mate among the female Night Furies or Light Furies that will be in future season-cycles. Or, if that does not happen, we might find other Light Furies or Night Furies eventually."
Dawn-Singer's ears drooped and a worried croon left him. It was clear why.
"It will be much waiting, yes, but the ranges beyond are not safe for any kin. I had to fly for an entire moon-cycle before I found your dam, and I knew where I was to fly that flight. In all the cycles that were before, I never saw another Night Fury," Was-Grounded solemnly explained.
"So, I must stay here in this range?" Dawn-Singer asked.
"Yes, first of my liver, that is not the normal way, I know. But we do not live in a normal world. The two-legs that live beyond this mixed-nest are not warm to kin. They would try to kill you and wear your hide as false-skins."
Dawn-Singer whimpered and shook slightly at the thought.
"I do not want to think that two-legs could be that bad, that they could be Monsters to me," Dawn-Singer groaned.
"Look at me," Was-Grounded said.
Green eyes looked up at him again.
"This is liver-truth on my wings and on my being your sire. Two-legs beyond this big Haven-range are not as kin to you. I was once made a thrall by them."
"What!"
"Yes, they put false-vines around my wings to ground me, they gave me not enough fish and water, and they made me fight other kin and two-leg fighters. All because the bad two-leg nest wanted to see fights and dying. They tried to make my life-fire fade, and they tried to mate me to wrong-kin."
Was-Grounded sighed heavily as he felt an odd chill within.
"You will be big enough to fly the nest in the next season-cycle if you want. You will learn your fire soon. Your life-winds are yours to fly as you wish, but I would guide your flight to stay in this range. There is much danger beyond that you do not know about."
Dawn-Singer looked down at his paws for a long moment. He looked back up with some decision clearly in mind.
"I hold these two-legs close to my liver. They are warm to me and to us. I want to fly the winds of life with them. I can wait for a mate."
Was-Grounded carefully got to his feet to not disturb Rain-Eater's sleeping, strode over to Dawn-Singer, and nuzzled his nose.
"That makes me very warm to hear. I know that you will be warmed here with those you have as kin to you."
Dawn-Singer eagerly bobbed his head and hummed.
"And maybe I can have the two-legs make me a tree-den to roost in like they do! Hmm, I will talk to Shadowwing and Kin-liver about that warm idea!"
His first spun around and whipped out the cave-den to take flight. Was-Grounded carefully returned to where he had been resting and held a wing over little Rain-Eater at his side.
My not-so-little one, you live in a very different world than I did when I was your size. Mine was the wild, hunger, fear, and surviving from one sun to another only. All alone. You will have so much more.
He nestled Rain-Eater closer to his side with a wing and a hum.
You all will.
"For the last time, I will not tell you about that!" Shadowwing groaned.
"I told you how Green-Wings likes to play before we..." Was-Grounded began.
"And I was not listening!" Shadowwing hastily interrupted.
"Grr, maybe you should. You might learn something... helpful."
"I do not need help... with that!"
Was-Grounded sat down on his rump and rolled his eyes.
"Rock-head kin..." he muttered.
"Tail chaser..." Shadowwing grumbled.
"Tail catcher!"
"Useless kin..."
"Green-Wings would disagree. And my flock is bigger..."
"You started... flying... before I did!"
Was-Grounded grinned most smugly at that comment before his eyes brightened.
"If you will not tell me about that, what about the range where you both flew to when you became life-mates? What is that range? You never told me."
Shadowwing glanced back into the cave to make sure none of the other Furies were nearby to overhear.
"This is a big secret. You should not tell your nest about it."
"What? Not tell my nest about it? Green-Wings knows everything about me and my life-flight," he laughed.
"Promise me on our shared egg that you will not tell anyone."
Was-Grounded stopped laughing at how much weight was behind that choice of words. He grumbled softly for a moment.
"I will tell none of my little ones, but Green-Wings will know all that I know. I made her a life-promise on that."
Shadowwing nodded at that, took a breath, and began.
"We flew far up into the cold ranges and we found a cave after almost a half moon-cycle. The cave was like the one that we walked down into the dead nest on home-nest-island when we were small fledglings. It was like that cave but very much bigger."
Was-Grounded was evidently still confused.
"The cave goes down into much bigger caves deep under the ground. But these caves have rocks and plants that burn with light. There are waters and ground-prey and fish. It is a hidden world with many ranges."
Was-Grounded stared blankly without saying anything for several long moments. He even forgot his wings, which fell to the ground at his side.
"Truth?" he gasped.
"Yes, think about caves big enough to have all this range inside their bellies. That is how big it is. They are all filled with light-making rocks. And there are more caves that touch the big ones."
"What about other kin and two-legs? Are there any in that hidden world?" Was-Grounded warily asked.
"There are kin in the hidden world, but there were no others in her home-range cave. There are no two-legs in that hidden world."
"Do they know about it?"
"Only Kin-liver. My sire... told me a story many season-cycles ago about a hidden place where all kin come from. He might have been thinking about fire-nest-island or the ice nest though."
Was-Grounded looked up at the open sky above and gave a great sigh.
"My dam told me a story about a range that sounds like that one. She said that it is a place of safety where kin could go to hide from all Monster two-legs. I did not know that was truth."
Shadowwing hesitated before he answered that comment.
"I knew that it was truth before I found you in this range."
"How?"
"I flew to an island far up in the cold waters. Kin-liver knew about the place."
He paused and shook his head slightly.
Mimir would not mind me telling him. It is only other humans who he does not want to know about it.
"... where there is a very big cave that goes down into that hidden world. I saw many kin flying in that place."
Was-Grounded carefully got up and started pacing, his swaying tail and swept back ears showing his thoughtfulness.
"Why did you not say this before? We could have flown there to be safer," he eventually asked.
"Why would we need to? All we know are here."
"Only because they follow us. We could take all the kin with us and hide from all fighting."
Shadowwing stepped back and blinked at that.
"I mean all of us together are here. Kin and two-legs as one nest," Shadowwing explained.
"We are not the Alphas of two-legs. That is... Thorvald."
A pair of wary glances at each other followed.
"Are you saying that we should break the nest in two?" Shadowwing faintly growled.
"I think that they are two nests that share a range now, not truly one nest," Was-Grounded answered.
"No! We are one nest! How can you say that!"
They walked together away from the cave for a while without saying anything. Was-Grounded turned away from his brother and looked back toward the cave. He was silent for a long time as something seemed to be building in him.
"You do not know what pain I had from two-legs. Being held thrall for many moon-cycles, kept trapped and made to fight for my life, almost having my life-fire die and become a dim-fire thrall, them trying to force-mate me, having my wing broken, and moon-cycles of walking and hunting alone. And remember that two-legs killed my sire, dam, and nestmates in my other life! I had nothing until I found Green-Wings."
A snarl followed this along with a faint shine from his back.
"But these two-legs would not do that. You know that. We can trust them," Shadowwing exclaimed.
"I trusted your sire!" Was-Grounded shouted.
The shout echoed off the nearby forest. Silence followed. A long silence.
"Two-legs are not part of my life-flight, even if these ones have warmth in their livers for some kin. I do not hate the two-legs here or feel warmth for them other than Kin-liver. She is kin to me. Maybe in a different life-flight I could feel more warmth for them all. Maybe if you had lived as a two-leg the home-nest-island would have been much different, but those life-winds were not flown," Was-Grounded softly snarled.
Shadowwing groaned and looked away.
"Have you forgotten, brother?"
"Forgotten what?" Was-Grounded growled.
"Hiccup..."
Was-Grounded spun on him and stared, his soft growl gradually fading.
"No, I have not forgotten Hiccup. But I think you never knew him."
"What?" Shadowwing weakly warbled in confusion.
"He always had the life-fire of a kin, of a Night Fury. He was never a true two-leg."
"What do you mean?"
Was-Grounded sighed heavily and lay his head on the ground, all his anger seemingly blown away.
"I remember how he would look up at the sky and roar, in his own soft way, when flying. He was always warm to me. He talked to me when no other kin could. He never made me feel trapped. All that he did was to get me off the ground again. I do not think he was a two-leg in his life-fire. He was never one of them!"
"But the two-legs here are like that. They want to live as one nest, as one flight. They help kin who have hurts, bring food for all, and give care," Shadowwing objected.
"You think too much of them. Hiccup was different from all other two-legs."
"And you think not enough of them. They all learned from Hiccup's, from my life-flight and are trying to be more. Kin are part of life for them all. That is why they are here and not on their old nests."
Another brief silence followed.
"Think about how warm they are to Dawn-Singer and Aurora. The little ones are part of their life and nest not as another kin only, but as life like them," Shadowwing explained.
"I see the good and warmth in that. But I would rather my little ones live somewhere safe than somewhere where they might become prey."
Shadowwing blinked in dismay and confusion.
"Prey? What?"
"None here in this range would make them prey, true. But a bad flight of two-legs came for the ice nest. How do we know that will not happen again?"
Shadowwing gave his own sigh at that question and started pacing.
"We are far from the ranges that we lived in. We are safe here. And we are kin. We can fight for the range if we must."
Was-Grounded chuckled for the first time in a while at that.
"Would you? Can you fight and kill two-legs if you must?"
Shadowwing looked out over the spinning flights over Haven.
"I could not in the past because my thoughts about myself were too big. I was clutching weak thinking in my liver. Now I understand better. I will fight to defend all in this range, even if I must kill."
Was-Grounded walked over to him and growled warmly with a firm nudge of his shoulder.
"You will be a good fighter when you stop fouling your flight at this," he teased.
"I have never killed a two-leg before and I hope that we will not need to, but I will if any of my own are in life-threat," Shadowwing declared before turning back to his brother.
"Would you truly have the two-legs and the kin fly into different winds, after all that kin and two-legs have done together?"
"If we must to be safe," Was-Grounded confidently answered.
"What if I were a two-leg instead of a kin?" Shadowwing whispered.
Was-Grounded hung his head and refused to speak for a long time. He lifted his head, something bringing light to his eyes.
"I would bring you with me when the kin would fly. If Kin-liver can live in the ice nest for two tens of season-cycles, you could live in that hidden world with me."
Shadowwing blinked at the idea and wondered.
Would that even be possible? I guess so from what I saw down in the hidden world. An entire tribe though, maybe.
The first sign of them was the ships. One at a time they appeared on the far shores down the coast. The first rider to approach one of the ships to investigate recognized the nets and cages onboard and immediately turned their mount for home.
"Trappers!"
The cry went up throughout the Great Hall and echoed through Haven as people gathered in the square and proceeded into the Hall as well.
"What in Thor's name is going on!" Thorvald shouted.
"Trapper ships!" "They're out on the water!" "They want to take our dragons!" "Lemme' at 'em!" "I filed my axe-returns!"
"Easy now, settle down! What did we see?" Thorvald yelled over the din.
Valka came forward.
"They already told me. It looks like there are some trappers in the area now. They probably came here because this is where they can find the most dragons now," she announced.
"Well, we cannot let that happen now!" Thorvald announced to all.
Roaring followed.
"What are we?" he shouted.
"Hungry?" "Thirsty?" "Tired?" "Nords?"
"That's it Ragnar! We are Nords! And we stick together! Anyone who wants to mess with our dragons," he thumped his chest, "is messing with all of us!"
"That's right!" "What're we gonna do?" "No one takes our dragons!" "They can kiss my hairy..."
"We have had peace for a long time, over a year now! But we must defend ourselves and our dragons! We have to fight for their freedom!"
More roaring went up at his words.
"I want patrols always in the sky. Those with the faster dragons and the ones that can stay aloft a long time, the Nadders and Nightmares mostly, will be scouts. Watch for ships. We will start teaching the riders how to free dragons and how to fight. Dragonheart, can you do this for us and teach us what you've been doing?"
She looked around the dozens assembled in the Hall.
"Aye, I have decades of practice doing all that," she answered.
She gave a very wide and wild grin.
"And I think I will start teaching everyone how to fly on their own. Wingsuits for all the riders."
The suggestion was met with confusion, wonder, and eagerness, the latter mostly from the younger riders.
"And will you tell the Furies about everything?" Thorvald asked.
"I will," she announced and left the building.
Gobber approached him moments later after everyone else started to depart.
"Well handled, I'd say."
"I guess we knew that the peace wouldn't last forever," Thorvald muttered.
"Nah, but they're only trappers here fer the coin. Makes sense ta them though. Say Chief, think ya could get me a new apprentice ta work the forge?"
"What? I thought you had Shadowwing taking over for you."
They both chuckled at it.
"He's actually quite handy in there fer fire and hammerin' stuff at least. But uh, he has other duties now with being a dragon Chief and his Light Fury now, ya know," Gobber winked and nudged him in the side.
"I understand that. Sifa changed me so much after the Berserkers attack," Thorvald sighed.
"We'll get through this. We just have to remember how to use the axe, bow, and whatever we have and get our dragons a bit better prepared for fightin'," Gobber explained.
"Yep, we are Nords. Occupational hazard. Dragons will always be dragons. And wingsuits like Dragonheart, that will be a sight to see."
Shadowwing heard Valka's words as she stood with them both in his cave.
Well, great, I guess this means that the little vacations to other tribes are on hold. Maybe forever.
"Oh, come on, this is not that bad. It's just a few trappers trying to do what they've always done," she replied.
He sighed.
I guess I hoped the peace lasted longer
"Hey, it's not like there is an army out there coming for us. This is no different from what we used to do in the ice nest. Fly patrols, keep a lookout, and put together a rescue mission if anything goes wrong."
True, we know the routine quite well
Luna trotted closer and bent down to write.
Trappers bad
"Yes Luna, there are bad trappers. We are going to stop them," she growled.
Luna purred with a hint of a snarl.
Valka left to return to Haven shortly after delivering the news.
"Why do thrall-making two-legs take kin?" Luna wondered.
"There are different reasons. The old ones were taking kin for a bad thrall-flight to fight other nests. Others take kin to use them to make eggs and get more thrall-kin. Others take kin to give them to other two-legs for shiny rocks."
"Why do they want shiny rocks?"
"Because the shiny rocks can be given to other two-legs to get other things that the two-legs want."
She growled.
"Power and control like what great-tusks could do. That is what the shiny rocks are. The two-legs take kin to have more power."
"Yes," he sadly groaned.
Her growl changed into a solemn whine.
"That is the normal way. Wanting power and control over others is how most two-legs are, I think. Even many here in this range."
"What? No!" he exclaimed in alarm.
"The two-legs here do want to do good to their bond-kin, but they need control to do that. They guide their kin's life-flights much. It is not true freedom for the kin."
He entwined his tail with hers as he thought about his reply. He had a long time to think about this exact concern of hers and thought he knew the best way to answer it.
"But you did the same with me," he grinned.
"How do you mean?" she hummed.
"You made yourself less free when you chose me. You say that you will not take another as a mate, and that gives me some guiding of your life-flight. The same is true for me. I say to you that I will not take another as a mate, and you can guide my life-flight. Both become less free, but that is not bad or chilling to us. Nor does it make the other kin less."
She stared deeply into his eyes.
"I have not thought about it before like that," she mumbled.
"That is part of why I hold my good-vision of kin and two-legs as one nest. Yes, the kin must not do some wild things and there are things the two-legs must not do, but both are warmer by being together in their life-flights. More as one and less as two," he explained.
"I will need to think about it..." she grumbled.
He nuzzled her nose and hummed to her.
"While you do I will go let my brother know. The more Alphas we have ready to free thrall-kin the better," he chuckled.
She purred at that.
"And I will go eat more fish," she announced.
"But you had fish already this sun-cycle..." he blinked in surprise.
"And now I want more fish. Is that twisted of me?"
"No, not twisted at all. It is much good and... yes," he hastily answered.
She growled softly and stroked his tail.
"I am very hungry now. I would eat other land-prey and not only fish. A big, fat four-leg. If only I had a hunter who wanted to warm my liver and my belly," she sighed.
"Who would want to do that?" he teased.
"Maybe Was-Grounded can help provide for me."
He pounced and tackled her with his gummy jaws around her neck. They wrestled until he fully pinned her. He licked her face until she started gently batting at his nose.
"You! Why would you do that?" she laughed.
"You know why," he hummed and nuzzled her nose.
The warmth in her liver remained after he got off her and turned for the cave-den's mouth. He bowed his wings and head to her.
"I will fly now and I will bring you a big catch after I talk with the other nest. Anything for my life-mate."
And he was gone.
She remained there on her back, staring up at the top of the cave-den and filling the place with a warm croon.
Shadowwing, how are you so warm? What did I do to deserve you?
Was-Grounded snarled at the news.
"I knew that there were thrall-making two-legs here on the waters before. There is one of their grounded water-walkers on the rocks near this range."
"I know. Our two-legs took it and are making it new to be a fish-catching water-walker."
"That is good. Still, thrall-makers... grr, I will kill them if they come here to our range."
"Is that much to do, brother? We could burn their water-walkers and maybe show them a better life, if they can listen and see it."
A wary hum and soft growl followed.
"Is this what you tried to fly with the Monster-Alpha again?"
Shadowwing blinked and gave his own growl.
"No, I know that not all can or will change and be warm to us. But more death should not be the first flight to fly."
"And what would you do if you see Luna grounded or thrall on a water-walker? What if one of us, Dawn-Singer or Aurora, are taken?"
A wild fire appeared in Shadowwing's eyes along with a very visible shine on his back.
"I will make those Monsters remember why we Night Furies have our name," he calmly declared.
"I never doubted that you had the liver and fire of a Night Fury in you," Was-Grounded chuckled.
"Where are the rest of your kin?"
"Dawn-Singer and Aurora are, I do not know where. Probably here in the Haven-nest or with Kin-liver. Green-Wings is flying with Rain-Eater. He is a very strong flier, even more than his older brother and sister were at that age."
"That is good. Dawn-Singer said that he is teaching him picture-writing already. They have much good heads and thinking," Shadowwing happily sighed.
"And think about what yours will be. With how twisted- and strong-thinking you are, the sky-breath only knows what your little ones will be."
"We will see when we fly those skies," Shadowwing hummed.
A moment passed with nothing but their warm hums in the air as they looked away from the village and up toward the mountains.
"What do you think they will look like?" Was-Grounded asked.
"What?"
"Will they look more like her or you? White or black? Night Fury or Light Fury?"
Shadowwing only hummed with his tail slowly swaying. Actually, maybe a bit more than slowly.
"I do not know or care. I only want them to be with good bodies and strong thinking."
"Male or female?"
"Stop!"
"We should have a life-race," Was-Grounded toothily grinned.
"A life-race?"
"Who can have more eggs, more little ones. We will fill the skies with Night Furies and Light Furies and be the sires of all in the flock!"
Shadowwing rolled his eyes and groaned again. He also grinned a toothy grin afterwards.
"That does sound like a good life-race that will warm all our livers much."
"Yes, it will. Fish are good, flying is better, making eggs is best," Was-Grounded added.
A quiet moment passed as they stared at each other. And they both laughed with abandon with their tails crashing against the ground. They struggled mightily to catch their breath.
"I am starting behind your tail on this flight. You were flying this good life-race before I was," Shadowwing protested.
"You and Luna have much... flying to do. We will not fail in our flight and let you catch up!"
Shadowwing only rolled his eyes and huffed at the tease.
One at a time now, I still have so much to learn. A flock of Night and Light Furies indeed...
"I will need you to guide my flight of being a good sire to them. I would not want to foul my flight with them," Shadowwing nervously chuckled.
"No, you would not want that. I would not want that or my little ones would only have life-twisted mates to find."
"Do you think I am that thought-twisted? No, do not answer that..."
"I will tell you what I have learned in being a warm sire. And," he paused and chuckled with a gleam in his eyes, "I can tell you some things that will help you with Luna."
Shadowwing bounded back from him in alarm and dismay.
"What! I do not need help... with her!"
"There are things you do not know about showing your wanting when it is the new-life-season."
"Not a problem!"
"But I know more than you."
"What?" Shadowwing groaned in growing exasperation and with his eyes closed.
He never saw the glint that flashed in his brother's eyes.
"Listen to me. Here is what you must do..." Was-Grounded evenly began.
The ship continued on along the coast through the night, the people on the vessel completely unaware that they were being followed.
Several shadows drifted high above the ship, waiting for a signal.
Valka shifted on Cloudjumper's back as the other riders and dragons glided nearby.
All they needed was confirmation. It certainly looked like what they suspected it was. It was the correct size, had a large hold, and had large crates. What they could see was not absolutely conclusive since they could not see any captive dragons on it, but it could hardly be anything else.
The Night Fury flew up alongside Cloudjumper.
"Well?" she shouted.
Shadowwing reluctantly gave the agreed signal of a soft roar and dive toward the ship.
It is go time.
He dove toward the ship without any fear, knowing that this had to be done but hopeful that violence could be avoided. The air over the trapper ship was filled with beating wings, punctuated only by Valka being helped down onto the deck with much-practiced ease.
The dozen or so deckhands were quickly sent into a panic as they beheld the swarming dragons over the ship.
"What the-" shouted a large man on deck.
"Are you the captain?" Valka shouted from behind her mask.
"What is this?"
"You are dragon trappers. Are you not?"
The cages and ropes spoke clearly enough.
"Why do you care!" the captain roared.
"Because we are dragon riders, and that makes you our enemies."
"We are just doing what we are paid to do. It is just good business."
"Not for the dragons or for us. Here is your choice. Get in your rafts and sail for land. We will take your ship and let you all live. You will never try to trap dragons again. Or you could try to fight and..." she pointed to the night sky with her staff.
The night sky where several burning jaws appeared in the darkness.
Most of the crew began angrily muttering.
"Or we just take you and kill you before we die! Might as well!" the captain shouted.
The Night Fury landed behind her and threw out its wings in display. Its back and maw glowed in the darkness.
"Night Fury!" "Get down!" "Unholy spawn of Hel!"
All courage departed from all the trappers on deck.
"You were saying?" Valka shouted as she gently patted the Night Fury's neck.
The ship was emptied of trappers minutes later as they were all left adrift on a pair of rafts. Skald and several others of those most accustomed to seamanship took control of the ship and turned it for home.
Shadowwing remained circling over the ship, gently gliding on the night currents to keep watch while Valka and Cloudjumper led most of the dragons back home.
This is not so bad actually. None of the dragons get caught, and no one has to die. Bad luck for the trappers, yes, but they did choose a risky occupation. We get more ships and all their supplies. Heh, they get to do the work for us. And this could actually be a good way for our hotheads to burn off some steam too.
He flew home late in the evening after another successful mission late in the summer. The fleet in the harbor had now reached seven ships, interestingly enough all of them having been acquired from trappers in some way and subsequently re-purposed.
It helped a lot that the mere sight of a Night Fury was usually enough to convince everyone to take the peaceful approach. Even so, the variety of responses was quite amusing.
One captain had basically handed the ship over willingly without even a protest, saying that he had something called 'insurance' on the venture. Another shouted for the crew to abandon ship as soon as they saw the Night Fury, which everyone had done without thinking about how cold the ocean was. The entire crew had to be fished out of the waters by some very confused dragons, else the men would freeze to death. Apparently they thought that a better fate than to face a Night Fury. Finally, another captain had gone quite defiantly, shouting all the while that a very grim and grisly fate awaited them all.
The warm, late summer winds caressed him as he flew down the range. He spied a flash of white somewhere that was not usual. She was sitting on the grassy plain which overlooked the bluff over the ocean. It was one of the higher points on the peninsula outside of the mountains.
He glided in on the breeze and landed smoothly beside her. She was facing out to sea and did not stir except to angle her head slightly in his direction as he walked up alongside her.
"Shadowwing, how was the flight" she hummed.
"We took another water-walker and grounded the flight of thrall-makers. We had no hurts."
"That is warming," she sighed.
Something felt faintly wrong though.
"Are you chilled?" he asked.
"Why would I be?" she whispered.
"You feel like you are a little twisted inside."
She was quiet for a while.
"No, I am more warmed than anything else."
While saying this she swung her tail up over his and let it rest there.
"Is there anything that is making you so warm?"
"Yes, there is," she coyly answered without saying anything more.
"You want me to guess… grr, help guide my flight."
"It is because of something you did."
"Something I did?"
She hummed while continuing to look up at the clouds.
"Something about our cave-den?" he wondered.
"No."
"Something that was liver-warming to you?"
"Very much."
"I do not know. What is it?" he grumbled in confusion.
She slowly turned away from the sea and nuzzled his nose. Her light blue eyes sparkled with warmth.
"I can feel our egg."