A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I finished my last EOC yesterday, so let's do this biz!
Forgot to tell you that my sister drew me a cover for this story! Even if it doesn't fit so well. ;)
On deviant art, her name is Buzzley, if you wanna check her out. The full picture is in her gallery, too~
Guyz, I just realized I could make a whole book on the backstory of Nightflight, Toothless, and Mistyeyes XDDD
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
The giggle of the little dragon echoed throughout the cave, and the clicks of claws against the stone floor alerted the arrival of the youngling before she made her appearance. The Night Fury straightened at once, eyes softening as all worry and tense feelings melted from their face. Tail lashing with a burst of happiness, the male got to his feet, eyes shining as the younger dragon burst out through the tunnels. Her face was lit up with happiness at the sight of him, and she charged right for him, nearly tripping over herself in the process. "Whoa!" The male purred, having to stifle a laugh as the little one skidded to an uneven halt, skidding a few feet before slamming into his leg. He took a small step backwards, leaning down and nosing the small one to her feet gently. "There you are." He said warmly. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Where've you been?"
The girl regained her balance quickly, hopping from one foot to another as she started to weave anxious circles around him. "I've been practicing flying!" She chirped. "I've gotten really good at it, too! Watch this!" She puffed out her cheeks, stubby wings flying out at her sides as she pushed off the ground. The older male stiffened as she took into the air little by little, heart picking up at once as he observed her rapid strokes. Her wings flapped back and forth a little roughly, the youngling trying much too hard in her flight. She took into the air, buzzing circles around the male as her face creased with concentration.
"Hey- you'd better…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say as he turned tight circles, trying to keep his eye on her the best way he could. "Can you just-" He broke off, huffing with worry as the youth completely ignored him, trying to twist her body to perform some kind of trick in midair. "Be careful, please…" He sighed, closing his eyes in a flinch as she tumbled out of the air, smacking into the cave floor with a pained grunt. Her wing bent forward awkwardly in the crash, draping over her head like a curtain, hiding her from view. The elder shook his head, leaning down and lifting his claw, hooking it underneath the girl's wing and lifting it ever so slightly. Large blue eyes stared back at him, embarrassment flooded through the orbs as she shifted her paws closed to her snout cutely.
"Whoops." She breathed out quickly, ears flattening close to her head. "I guess I forgot that trick."
He rolled his eyes, lifting the wing back over her head and sitting back on his haunches. His eyes glimmered with amusement, though, as the little one straightened, brightening once more almost immediately as she got over her slip. "But did you see me?" She demanded, crowing over herself like her mess-up had not happened. "I've gotten so much better over the course of a morning! And I really could do that trick! I swear! You- you had to angle yourself just so," She twisted her head to the side, craning her neck like an owl's. "and then you had to sort of bend your tail, like this." She said, cocking her tail into an L-shape. She remained in that awkward position for a moment before unwinding and giving a smug tilt of her chin. "I was the first to do it." She said firmly, surprising the male as he perked at the words. "The Teacher told me that it was the best twirl he'd seen in a long time!"
"Really?" He cooed, tail curling with pleasure. "Good for you!"
"Yup." The girl chirped, self-assured. But then she straightened considerably, looking around with wide eyes. "Did I interrupt something?" She asked suddenly. "Are you busy? What're you doing? Are you going to do something important? Are you doing something important? Can I help? Can I be important?" The Night Fury watched the youngling bounce up and down eagerly, watching as her little wings started to whir to life once more. Anxious not to let her get into the air again -and let her fall a second time- he shook his head with a small laugh. The girl stopped hopping at the notion of boredom, ears flattening to head as she tilted it to the side, looking a little put-out.
"Come on, don't look so sad." He chastised, reaching out and poking the little one's nose with a single claw. The youngling spat at once, wriggling her snout as she went cross-eyed, leaning back to try and get a good look at her nose. "Where are your friends?" He asked, watching as the girl straightened at this, eyes widening slightly. It looked like he'd almost hit a nerve with the question. "I would have thought that you would go out and practice with them."
The little one blanched for a moment, eyes blinking open and closed rapidly as she searched for something to say. Finally, she managed to find her voice, getting over her obstacle as she quipped out a tart reply. "You don't want me to play with you?" She huffed angrily, blowing out her cheeks with irritation as she looked her elder up and down. "Am I boring?" She snapped, miffed as she turned and pointed her nose into the air.
The older dragon sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. As if he were saying: 'We're gonna do this, again, aren't we?' Obviously the small one had done this before at the look that crossed over his face, and he heaved a small sigh. Willing himself patience, he leaned down, crouching low and pushing his forehead against the little girl's cheek affectionately. The nudge almost knocked her clear off her paws, but she planted her feet against the stone at once, righting herself before she could fall over. "C'mon." He said softly, amusement hidden in his voice as he drew back and looked down at the little dragon. "You know that you're the only girl for me." He teased lightly.
The dragon let out a giggle at this, recovering from her recent bout of anger as she beamed at her friend. She gave a laugh, tossing her head back and flapping her wings rapidly at the statement. "Yeah, I know!" She purred, bright as the sun as she swung her tail back and forth. The male's eyes softened down at her, and he opened his mouth to say something, when he snapped his mouth shut. Straightening, he looked around the little one to look past her. His eyes flooded with recognition as he raised his tail in greeting, and the little girl twisted around to follow his gaze. But as she turned around, she sobered instantly, jerking with.
Four dragons were heading their way, two adults and two little ones, much like her own size. As the two elders caught sight of the pair, they changed direction, trotting over neatly and calling out friendly greetings. The male drew himself up at their arrival, letting his tail flick over the little one's shoulders affectionately before he went forward and met them halfway. "Hello." He said, eyes taking in one dragon and then the other. "I haven't seen you two for a while, how's it going for you?" The two females lightened at the question, sitting down neatly and entering into the polite conversation that had been presented to them. The little dragon deflated the at the negligence, throwing dirt over her disappointment as she let out a small sigh. She'd been looking forward to showing off her new move to him. And now that she messed it up, it wouldn't be as impressive when she finally managed to get it right.
She perked as she saw the two other dragons that were beside the older ones. Just her size, they had been in her flying class just this morning. Though they never talked all that much, their names were imprinted in the little one's mind firmly, as if she had known them personally her whole life. Which she wished was true, in hindsight. The two were tussling on the ground with one another, squealing with joy and excitement as they faced off against one another. So far, the female was winning the fight; it was obvious that the male was letting her do so, though.
She tilted her head to the side questioningly, ears flicking back and forth with a yearning sort of interest as she observed the game that they were playing. She got to her feet, raising one, as if to walk over to the pair and ask to join along. Why couldn't she just do what her friend had done? Just get up and insert herself into a social setting? But the thought of going up to the two and trying to force herself into the equation was enough to send her reeling away from the situation. Shrinking back in on herself, the little dragon turned tail, slinking over and curling herself around the older male's leg.
He started at her touch, looking down surprised at the youngling. He leaned down, unnerved as he prodded the baby with his snout. "What's wrong?" He prompted, looking concerned. The other adults observed the smaller dragon a little oddly, as if they weren't used to such shy behavior. Why would they be? the little Night Fury wondered, a little dejectedly. But instead, she just turned, curling her tail tighter to herself as she buried her face into the male's scales.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Mistyeyes studied the waves of the ocean, lost in thought as she looked down at the sea. Her face was blank, expressionless, as she looked down. Every so often, her tail would give a small lash of agitation, but that was the only thing that hinted at her upset attitude. To anybody else, she just looked quiet. Which was why everybody didn't raise any questions about it. Why they hadn't raised any questions the entire time that they had been traveling. No matter how many stops they had made, whether to hunt for food, or just to find someplace to spend the night, Mistyeyes had kept her thoughts to herself.
There was no use in moping around, it never got you anywhere. So the gray dragon pushed aside her worries, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand. When it was daylight, she worried about how fast she would go, and trying to remember the way back to Night Fury Island. And when it was night, she worried about finding shelter and lighting fire and finding food. And when she couldn't go to sleep, she would lift her head up and find herself talking to Toothless not a few moments later. She would try and avoid as much social interaction with Nightflight, and only making contact with the dragoness when they were flying. Just making sure that the female didn't get too far behind them in her flying.
But that was the most amazing part of it, Mistyeyes had to guess. The fact that Nightflight was getting so good at flying so fast. It was like her injury wasn't even relevant to her anymore. Now that Astrid was making sure that the Night Fury was leveled out enough and went smoothly enough, Nightflight could actually perform the feat pretty decently. She wasn't nearly as fast as Toothless or Mistyeyes, and the gray dragon had to wonder if she ever would be. But taken in her very-recent injury, Mistyeyes had to admit that the dragon was actually trying. She was trying to fit in and make an effort to work alongside them. Which was something that Mistyeyes dreaded.
Because she still wasn't sure whether or not she could trust her completely.
She felt like an idiot when she thought such things. After all, everybody else had come to terms with the new side of the female. Even Toothless was making efforts to draw her in to conversations, or flash her a small smile every once and a while. Much as the details seemed small, they seemed to help the Night Fury. Mistyeyes watched as Nightflight brightened every time that Toothless acknowledged her, and while it made the gray Night Fury flare with jealousy, it did cause a small pang of pity to wrap around her heart at the same time. And not even pity for herself. It was pity for Nightflight.
Every time that she was even noticed, the female seemed to swell with happiness. Mistyeyes sat on the sidelines as they traveled for that last few days, keeping to herself most times and observing the female carefully. She watched as Nightflight smiled widely whenever she managed to light the fire by herself. Or the way that her tail curled up whenever Hiccup and Astrid told stories of what had happened before Toothless came to the island, or how things used to be. And the way that she grew as bright as the sun whenever Toothless even glanced her direction.
It was entirely different from her normal personality. It was almost…sad at how happy she could get. And while that might not be the best word to use in a situation such as this, it would have to suffice for now. Because that was the thought whenever Mistyeyes looked at Nightflight. Sad. But then again, that made her a hypocrite. Because whenever Mistyeyes was alone, or left to her own devices for some time, she was thinking back on things in the past. How she had been loved in the Pack. Or the her rather-lonely childhood. Or the way that things had fallen apart so easily at the seams.
She thought the word 'sad' when she looked at herself right now.
So why was she so against Nightflight?
"Hey." The voice startled the dragoness back out of her thoughts, eyes snapping open to look back at the waves on the shore. She turned slowly, blinking and tilting her head to the side with curiosity. Toothless stood behind her, ears perked as he looked at her with a slight hint of concern. "Are you alright?" He asked her. "You've been pretty quiet ever since we've landed here." They'd landed almost half and hour ago. Hiccup and Astrid were trying to find a good place to hide out while the dragons went up to the cave, so they had all resorted to waiting until the teenagers returned. While the prospect of the two kids out there alone was frightening in itself, the fact that they'd been gone so long was starting to get underneath Toothless's scales, that much was for certain.
He was on-edge, his tail flicking back and forth every so often as his eyes bored into the dense foliage that surrounded them. After being on Berk for so long, which had been scarred over by the fires from the Raids, it was odd to see so much greenery in one place. But the familiar land was like a blueprint burned into Mistyeyes's mind. Much as the dragon would hate to admit it: she was at home here. And she felt like if Hiccup and Astrid were in danger, she would immediately be able to tell. So she tried not to dwell on the thoughts of possible danger. And Toothless would do well to do the same.
"What?" Mistyeyes asked, mind clearing rapidly as she shoved the pointless thoughts and memories aside. From where they laying on the ground, Nightflight and Shadowclaw glanced their way, looking a little skeptical as they eyed the pair. It looked as though they'd been engaged in some kind of conversation, Ludi sitting neatly behind Shadowclaw as she tried to pin down the juvenile's tail. Shadowclaw jerked his tail lazily this way and that, trying to make an effort in participating in the most-one-sided game that the cat had started. "Of course I'm alright." Mistyeyes backtracked, answering his question. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"
Toothless shrugged, still looking a little worried as he gauged her posture. Realizing that she was somewhat hunched over, she forced herself to straighten, ears pricking upwards in an attentive position as she became more aware. Toothless's eyes flashed, a small hint of amusement going through his green orbs as she moved. Flushing with a rush of embarrassment, Mistyeyes let out a short huff to try and cover it up. "You know, if you're bothered…" Toothless began, green eyes locking with her's as he tried to comfort her. Mistyeyes's ears flicked back and forth slowly, the dragon's face falling somewhat as he spoke. "…it's not like I wouldn't understand. I mean- you must feel pretty bad coming back here after they shunned you and everything."
Mistyeyes sighed heavily, turning and looking back at the waves. From where she sat curled up in a ball, Nightflight blinked a little guiltily, looking subdued as she watched the pair with a saddened gaze. Shadowclaw caught the look, changing his stare from Nightflight, to Mistyeyes, trying to connect the two of them as best he could. Sometimes, the two were so alike, it was hard to realize that they both hated one another. In the thick of things, it seemed like they would be able to stick together as they went through the tough situation. But the longer this whole thing went on, the farther and farther apart the two got from one another.
"It's fine." Mistyeyes said shortly. "I'll manage."
"Yeah, but you won't-"
"Alright!" Hiccup's voice suddenly rang over to the small group, causing them all to jump nearly ten feet into the air. Toothless swung around quickly, relief flooding through him at the sight of Hiccup and Astrid stumbling their way back along the path that they had left. They looked like they'd just rolled in a bunch of grass, stood up, and decided that they looked fashionable enough to go out to town. It was obvious that they had forgotten so much trees and grass existed either. Living for months on a gray/black piece of rock really changed a person. But nevertheless, the pair staggered down towards them, triumph shining in their eyes. "We found the perfect spot!" Hiccup crowed, quite proud of himself. At the tone of his voice, Astrid let an affectionate smile cross her features, rolling her eyes as she nudged the boy with her elbow. But it didn't damper his feelings one bit as he skidded ton uneven halt in front of the dragons. "We found the perfect hiding spot." He repeated, a little bit out of breath.
"Oh, really?" Mistyeyes purred, Toothless glancing at her quickly at the change in tone.
"Yeah." He puffed. "It's close to the main cave where you guys are going, but it's far enough away so that Astrid and I will be aware if they try and attack. This way, we can ride you there most of the way. So you won't have to walk for Toothless, and go slow for Nightflight." Nightflight flared at the last part, baring her teeth in a grimace as she growled over in the Viking's direction. Any time before this, Hiccup would have jumped out of his skin. But now, he just waved the dragon off dramatically, eyes flashing as he grinned in the female's direction. "And if the Pack agrees to what you're trying to say, we can get there quick enough so that they don't change their mind while you're gone coming back to get us."
Toothless had stiffened tightly long before Hiccup tensed, and Mistyeyes knew what was coming a few minutes before the concern was voiced. "You went all the way up to the cave?" Toothless demanded angrily, drawing himself up so that he leaned over Hiccup ever so slightly. For the boy's credit, he didn't flinch away from the angry tone, or shrink back underneath the barbed tone. He only gave a rather sassy roll of his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and dramatically waiting for the dragon to be finished. "You could have gotten found, Hiccup!" Toothless snapped. "You could have been killed! Why were you so stupid as to get so close?"
"Do I look killed?" Hiccup asked, Astrid shifting a little uneasily as the boy picked up yet another conversation with the dragon. "I'm fine. Besides: it already happened, so I think that we should all move on from it. We're moving on from a bunch of different stuff already, so we might as well add this to the 'List of Things We Don't Talk About.'" Mistyeyes laughed under her breath at this, watching as Toothless puffed up, closely resembling that of a chicken when it was poked over and over. Hiccup reached over, poking the Night Fury in the nose and giving out a small 'boop'ing noise at the same time. Toothless blinked with surprise, drawing back and reaching up, wiping his nose with a sour look as he glared in the boy's direction. Mistyeyes's smile wavered at the actions, a sad sort of aura coming to rest around her by now as she shrunk backwards.
"Anyway." Hiccup went on pointedly. "The hiding spot is a little cave that's hidden by a few overhanging branches. It's not very big on the inside, but hopefully we're not going to be in there for very long. We think that it's hidden enough for us to be there for a while, but close enough for you to be able to get to us." Hiccup paused a moment, thinking back to his words before. "Or, of course, far enough to get away if such a situation were to occur."
"You make death sound rational." Astrid drawled.
"If only it were." Hiccup sighed, the puff of air causing his bangs to flutter upwards. "I'm just trying to make it seem a little organized here. If everything I thought out worked perfectly and fit the way that I said it would, we'd still be back at Berk. So I'm just trying to cover all possibilities. Can't blame a guy for trying, right?" Astrid opened her mouth to say something at this, but Hiccup cut her off rudely, not giving her the satisfaction. "Please don't say anything." He said swiftly, turning around and going over to stand beside Toothless.
Off to the side, Nightflight, Shadowclaw, and Ludi all leapt to their feet, going over and standing with the others as they waited for further instructions. Hiccup turned and nodded in Astrid's direction, and the blonde immediately brightened. She perked happily as she went to stand beside Nightflight, reaching out and not even hesitating this time as she placed her hand comfortably against the dragoness's nose. She gave a small grin down towards the Night Fury. "You ready, girl?" She prompted, watching as a nervous tremor went through the dragon as a reply. "Don't worry." She said bracingly, turning and hoisting herself up to perch expertly on the scaly back. "We're gonna show those other Night Furies just what you're made of, aren't we?" She prompted, leaning over and patting the female's head with a determined grin. Nightflight let out a small purr at this, but Mistyeyes could still see the way that the female's knees were shaking back and forth. She was scared stiff, she realized. It would be a miracle if she managed to get two feet off the ground in her state.
"Alright, Bud." Hiccup sighed, doing the same as Astrid as he boarded his dragon with months of practice. Shadowclaw went over to stand beside Mistyeyes as he had done on the way here, an old habit that he couldn't very well shake. Ludi hopped up from the ground and into Hiccup's lap, the contended cat immediately flopping down to the boy's lap as she closed her eyes. If Mistyeyes didn't know the cat any better, she would have guessed that she had fallen asleep right then and there. "We're gonna stop by the hiding spot we were telling you there so that you can remember where it is. And then you'll have to leave us there."
Toothless shifted nervously. "As much as I hate to do it." He grumbled softly.
A flash of guilt went through Hiccup's emerald gaze. "Yeah, I'm sorry." He managed. "But…you know that you have to do the next part on your own. It's inevitable." Toothless snorted at this, as if the excuse wasn't nearly as good. Which was partly true, of course. To a dragon like Toothless, who had been forced to watch his favorite person in the world nearly ripped all the way away from him too many times over, this would be like torture. And dimly, Mistyeyes wondered if it ever got routine: to watch Hiccup put himself in danger. Or whether it hurt just as much as it did the first time around for the Night Fury.
But at the pain welling in the dragon's eyes, Mistyeyes could guess the latter of the two choices.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
"It's not very protected." Toothless fretted, shifting his weight from one foot to another as he looked at the pair of kids anxiously. Hiccup and Astrid were standing in front of their shallow cave that they had signaled out as a hiding spot, looking back at the dragon as Toothless downgraded their findings. "I mean- the branches aren't covering it nearly as good as I thought it did!" The Night Fury blustered, sounding like a stressed-out mother. "And it's way too close to the cave! If you get cornered in there, you're not going to be able to get out! There's not escape route! And what if-"
"Oh, would you be quiet?" Toothless snapped his mouth shut tightly, whirling around and looking at Nightflight with a dangerous look. Mistyeyes winced a little at the confrontation, shifting away from the raging Night Fury with a small hint of anxiousness. But, though blind, Nightflight managed to hold his gaze pretty well. She was only a few inches away from it. Pretty dead-on, for her. Her ear flicked dismissively, and her voice was surprisingly teasing as she went on. "I'm blind. I can't even see it, and I know that it's fine. You're just making a big fuss over nothing."
Toothless paled, wings drooping down low to the ground at the statement.
Hiccup cracked a smile, and Mistyeyes let out a laugh. "She's right, Toothless." She said, before she could stop herself. Nightflight straightened at the agreement, looking surprised as she looked over in the direction Mistyeyes's voice had come from. "You're making a bigger deal out things than necessary. If anything happens, we'll be out of there and heading over here before you can say: 'Whoops.' You shouldn't be worried about anything. Hiccup drilled us every night for an hour the past three days." The comment went added a little dryly, but Hiccup didn't look too ashamed of the fact. "We can make this thing in our sleep. You shouldn't be too worked up."
Toothless gave a small heave, turning over and looking a little awkwardly over at the little cave. It was partially hidden by the branches from a close-by tree, Hiccup had been right about that part. But it wasn't as hidden as it could have been. And even from here, Toothless could see that it would be cramped inside. They wouldn't be able to stay in there for long, with the risk of claustrophobia. But before he could voice the concerns once again, Hiccup spoke up, sarcasm lacing his voice thickly. "You know, we can't manage to find awesome tree forts all the time." He sighed. "That's only for special occasions." Toothless rolled his eyes grouchily, refusing to reply as he looked away. Hiccup sighed heavily at this response, shaking his head with a smile. Going forward, the teen got on his toes, reaching up and wrapping his arms tightly around the Night Fury's neck. He squeezed tightly, face creasing with sudden emotion as he hugged his friend as tight as he could manage. "It'll be okay." He assured him, albeit thickly. "We're going to make this work." He pulled back, wringing his hands together a little nervously. He turned, gaze sweeping over Astrid, Ludi, and the other dragons that were all giving him their undivided attention. "We all will." He pressed, more firmly.
"Hiccup's right." Mistyeyes chirped in assent. "There's nothing to worry about."
"I hope your right." Nightflight sighed softly, ears flicking back to her head.
The gray dragon turned, looking at her with a small smile. The dragon was still shaking a little with her tremor of fear, and Mistyeyes couldn't blame her. They all had reasons to not want to go back to the Pack. Toothless had been exiled with Hiccup's blood coating his paws, insulted and banned from returning to the island. Mistyeyes had been cast aside and demoted from leader, shunned from her own people that had once looked up to her for advice and wisdom. But Nightflight was different. When it all came down to it, the female was responsible for all the deaths in the Raids. She'd morphed the Night Furies into creatures of bloodlust and anger, filling them with rage just so she could get back at Hiccup and Toothless. Nightflight had no idea how she would be welcomed.
She could be welcomed back fully. As a hero or a returning god to look up to.
Or she could be immediately hated and raged at. They could get attacked on sight.
Either way, both situations weren't what she would be hoping for.
"I am." Mistyeyes said, voice soft as her smile became evident in the words. "I promise."
Nightflight perked a little, looking up at Mistyeyes as a surprised look overcame her features.
"Alright." Hiccup said worriedly, breaking through their moment as he looked up at the sky. It was getting a little dark, the sun starting to make its descent to the ground as the sky turned a light pink. He turned quickly, grabbing Astrid's hand and pulling her backwards, towards the cave. "We'll be waiting here. We'll stay here overnight if we have to." He said, eyeing the sky overhead once again. "…Although it's not ideal, so you might wanna keep that in mind."
Toothless gave another impatient huff at this. Mistyeyes threw him a look, stepping forward and in between the two, as if fending off an argument that was guaranteed to come. "We'll be quick." She promised swiftly, making a mental note to make sure and keep the vow as best she could. "Don't worry, Hiccup." She assured him. "We've got this all under control." She hoped they had it all under control. Otherwise the long rants from Hiccup around the fire at night had all been for nothing. And Hiccup could lecture for a long time, so it better not have been all for nothing. Mistyeyes could name ten things right off the bat that would have been more useful during the time spent listening to him.
Astrid disappeared behind the foliage, throwing a careful look over her shoulder as she went. Hiccup went a little slower, pausing at the entrance of the little nook as he stared back at the dragons. Ludi had followed the two inside, seeming to be sitting this one out this time. She'd been inside the cave before, and by the look in her eyes, she wasn't too keen on going back inside any time soon. "…Good luck, then." The teen said tensely, as if the full situation had just now slammed into him. Mistyeyes and Toothless gave him twin smiles in return, Shadowclaw chirping a swift goodbye to Ludi as Nightflight gave a nervous duck of the head.
Staring fixedly at the group in front of him, Hiccup had to tear himself away finally. Giving them one last wave of the hand, the boy stepped back into the shallow cave, dropping the branches and watching numbly as they swung forward, obscuring the world outside from view quicker than he could comprehend.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Leafdapple sat beside Talon, green eyes worried as they were trained fixedly onto the entrance of the cave. The older dragon had tried to snap at her, telling her to get back with the other younger dragons. But she had firmly remained sitting beside him, not letting herself be debunked with sitting over by Fleetfoot. Just being near him was enough to give her an irritated headache. But now, she had different things to worry about. Footsteps echoed at the mouth of the cave, many footsteps, all meshing together and creating an almost roar of noise. Pebbles and rocks could be heard falling down below, and as it got closer, the paused in between the noises only seemed to get longer.
"They're taking their time." She noticed with a harsh whisper. Talon didn't even glance at her.
The other dragons that had gathered around the entrance were becoming agitated, eyes wide and somewhat frantic as they scanned the area attentively. A stifling silence hung in the air, and every dragon waited with bated breath for the newcomers to arrive. It hadn't taken long at all for the rumors to start spreading throughout the Pack. Mistyeyes and Toothless are back. Shadowclaw is back. The humans are back on our island. Nightflight is back. All of which seemed to float back and forth among the large crowd, but the most shocking one had to be the Nightflight part. Some dragons were waiting with barely-contained excitement, nearly gasping for air as they sat eagerly forward. But others had hate and anger in their stare as they glared holes into the stones.
It would be hell when they stepped inside this cave, Leafdapple thought.
But the group was smarter than Leafdapple first thought. They did not come in all at once. They came one at a time.
Shadowclaw was first.
The lithe young Night Fury ducked inside the opening of the cave, green eyes narrowed and slightly nervous as he caught sight of the large crowd waiting for him. Of course, it was much smaller than it normally had been before the Raids. They'd lost more than half their dragons to the humans, or even to other Night Furies themselves. But still, the sheer number of eyes was enough to smack the young dragon in the face. Leafdapple straightened at once at the sight of him, eyes widening with surprise as her breath caught in her throat. Her reaction wasn't all that noticeable, thank the gods. But it was slightly alarming that the mere sight of Shadowclaw could send her reeling. It's just that she hadn't seen him for so long. She'd forgotten the brief friendship that they had shared.
"Shadowclaw!" A voice cried out, one of the Night Furies that had helped out Berk, Leafdapple noticed with a wave of relief. Recognition was alive in the dragon's eyes, but so was surprise and a certain wary quality. "What are you doing here?" He asked, eyeing the youngling carefully. "Is Berk in trouble again?" At the mention of the island, the Night Furies that had been prime Nightflight supporters rolled their eyes, muttering angrily amongst themselves. Leafdapple caught a few words like: 'useless' or 'figures.' But she tried not to focus too much on the fact, pushing it aside for now as she focused on the Night Fury.
"Not exactly." Shadowclaw said, fidgeting slightly. "It's more like it's in danger from itself."
"What do you mean?" Another dragon that had stayed behind.
"….We have a proposition for you."
"Again?" Talon asked dryly, ignoring Leafdapple's furious look that was sent his way. "Pardon my asking." Talon went on. "But why can't Berk just mind its own business from now on?"
Another Night Fury entered through the cave entrance. Toothless's fake tailfin caught the fading light of the sun outside, throwing it back in the faces of the Night Furies as they winced away from the light. Talking over the mumbles and gasps that traveled like ripples across the crowd, the male raised his voice to a sharp, commanding tone. "Because it interests both Berk, and the well-being of you all." He said firmly, voice ceasing as skeptic looks bored into the couple as they stood against the current. "It might sound a little of right now, but we're asking you to hear us all out."
Again, Talon contradicted him, only furthering Leaddapple's frustration. "'Us all?'" He questioned.
A few beats of silence passed before Mistyeyes took her turn to enter the scene. Much different than the arrival of Toothless or Shadowclaw, the entire cave was plunged into deep silence as soon as she stepped inside. The Night Fury's eyes hardened visibly as the place went quiet, all eyes of the Night Furies trained on her. It was different gazes, just like the opinions varied throughout the group. Some were of scorn, some were mocking her. Some were surprised, and some even held a little bit of hope in their eyes as they realized who this dragon was.
But when Mistyeyes spoke, it was like she was oblivious to the stares. "Yes, 'us all.'" She said, looking blankly over at Talon, almost as if she were looking right through him. The male's eyes widened with hurt at this, the surprise melting away slowly to be replaced by sadness at the lack of attention from her. "We have something to say to you all. Something that you need to hear." Her ears flicked decisively before she went on. "It may not be ideal…to listen to those who've been driven away." Mummers started up again at this statement, and Toothless flashed Mistyeyes a nervous look. But the gray dragon looked unbothered by the voices. "But we have important information for you all. Because we believe you've been misinformed." And as if by sheer chance, or maybe Mistyeyes knew more than she was letting on, her blue eyes found Fleetfoot amid the throng of dragons. Her gaze settled on the male, and she narrowed her eyes slightly as the words left her mouth. The two locked stares, and Leafdapple felt a small twinge of discomfort. Was there going to be a fight?
But before she could wonder any longer, a sudden shriek ripped through the moderate silence, a shriek full of surprise and anger. Leafdapple froze at once, eyes bulging out of their sockets as she realized what had provoked such a reaction. Nightflight had stepped into the tunnel, ears glued tightly to her head as she stood a little too close to the others. Like she was afraid of getting too far away from them. It looked like she had started in a confident walk inside. But the immediate reaction from the crowd around her shocked her out of her scales, eyes widening with shock as she flinched backwards. She was like a turtle shrinking inside her shell when she got scared.
Leafdapple narrowed her eyes slightly, catching sight of Nightflight's own. They look clouded over…misty and unclear in the dim light of the cave. Shock thrilled through the girl as she leaned backwards. Did that mean Fleetfoot's story was true?
But her thoughts were broken by the dragons around her. They all had leapt to their feet, growling and glaring daggers at one another as shouts and screams bounced off the walls.
"Traitor!" One dragon screeched, couching down and making a leap for Nightflight.
But another intercepted, claws sinking deeply into the attacker as they tackled them painfully against the ground. "Don't touch her!" They snarled angrily. "She's our leader!"
"You're no leader of mine!" A dragon screamed from the sidelines, leaning over and spitting in the female's direction.
"You monster! You monster!" The chant was being taken up around them, along with a rival cheer of: "Hero! Hero!"
Nightflight looked as if her world had just come crashing down as she staggered. Toothless swooped down quickly, propping himself against her hesitantly as he tried to help her regain her balance. Shadowclaw looked a little overwhelmed, trying to shout over the noise in an attempt to calm those around him. But it was no use at all. Even Mistyeyes, who was trying her best to shout out loudly, couldn't catch the attention of those around her. They were too busy fighting one another, and as Leafdapple flattened herself close to the ground, she wondered whether or not this would stop soon.
"STOP!" Talon screeched suddenly, raising his voice so loud, Leafdapple was sure that the people back on Berk could hear it. The clearing immediately halted in its scuffles, Night Furies jolting to attention out of habit as they looked over at the old dragon with wide eyes. His eyes were narrowed as he took in the group of newcomers in front of him, looking a little confused and unsure. Finally, he took a few steps forward, the eyes of every dragon following him carefully as he crossed the stone floor. Inevitably, the older dragon's gaze went to rest on Mistyeyes, the girl stiffening as it did so.
Leafdapple sighed, giving a small wince.
"Mistyeyes." He said firmly, looking at her carefully. "What are you doing, bringing back these dragons?" The dragon opened her mouth to reply, but he swept on quickly, ignoring her. "The Pack has told you before the way that we feel. We may have helped you before with Berk, but that was in an entirely different situation. We have no affiliation with Berk any more, much less with the dragons on it." He eyed Nightflight and Toothless a little disdainfully as he spoke. A few supporters of Nightflight snarled at this, but had the sense to hold themselves back this time. "If you've come to stir trouble, then you can just leave." Talon managed. "We have no tolerance for trouble here. Not anymore."
"Trouble? You think I'm just here to entertain myself?" Mistyeyes managed, seeming to be speaking around a large lump in her throat. Her eyes narrowed angrily as she looked the dragon up and down. "I would think that you would know more about me than that." She growled, the Night Fury stiffening at the words. Toothless was looking from the male to the female, eyes lighting up considerably as he made the connection. "I thought you would have known that I always have a reason for what I do." Mistyeyes went on, fuming.
"Not when you bring these refugees into the cave." He snapped.
"We're not refugees." Mistyeyes snapped. "We're peacemakers."
"Is that so?" Talon growled, clearly not believing her.
"Of course it is!" Mistyeyes blustered. "I would think that you'd know my thoughts better than anyone!" Talon shifted uneasily at the words, starting to look a little uncomfortable as the Night Fury went on. "I would have thought you'd known me better than just somebody who causes issues for the fun of it." Her gaze hardened angrily. "I fix problems. Much as you would like to think different." She sighed, drawing backwards a little as she forced herself to relax. Shoulders loosening a little as she shot the male a furious look. "I would have thought you of all people would understand me better than that." She growled, fuming. "Some father you turn out to be."
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
A/N: ENDING. -head desk-
IM SO FLIPPING TIRED PEEPZ. ITS TWELIVE IN THE MORNING. IT'S A FRIDAY. IM DONE.
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