Chapter 4. A father
He's coming!
The sun had nearly reached its highest point. With difficulty I had made the yearlings retreat into the bush behind me. They were chirping busily, unable to contain themselves. To be honest, I could hardly contain myself. Their heads peeked out of the foliage and five pair of sparkling green eyes looked up to the sky expectantly.
When I had returned yesterday, they had been downcast and scared, as I had never left them alone for such a long time. But my happiness was contagious, and before long they were bouncing around, yelling "Father is coming, father is coming." I had called them to me and said "Come, listen to my heart, all of you. I so love your father, my heart goes boom-ti-boom, so very fast." One after another they had placed their little heads against my chest, beaming, giggling. "And you smell so nice, mama, is that also because of father?" I hadn't noticed, but indeed: though it was nowhere near the full mating smell, as that could not be the case, my hide released a love-smell nonetheless. I should have been wiser, because now the children could hardly go to sleep. I had to use the nighty-night purr for hatchlings again to finally make them fall asleep.
Somewhere in the middle of the night I had to step outside of the cave. I had awoken from dreams in which hands grabbed my sweetlings, lifting them out of my sight. Upset and still not fully awake, I asked myself if humans have hidden talons that can shoot out, I forgot to ask. But the cool night wind quickly cleared my head and calmed me down. Nighthawk had told me so many times now that Hiccup could be trusted. I simply hadn't had the time to let things settle. As for Hiccup touching our yearlings: both Nighthawk and I are there at the moment our children greet him. We both can tear him away in an instant if he does anything threatening.
Realisation sank in that I had accepted a human into my life. How utterly unforeseen. I had never wanted to do that. Way back, Thundercloud had told me that people had become numerous both in the warm-lands and in the sunrise-lands. Over here there are only a few reindeer people that pass by as they follow the reindeer herds in their yearly feeding route. I could avoid them easily, and I did. I doubt they even know I am here. Yet Thundercloud had told me that humans ever more spread out into new territory. I suddenly asked myself if there would be any room left for us dragons? For animals? I had thought to be safe here, but now look at what happened. Is it our future that we dragons will have to consort with humans?
I remember the heated debate I had with Thundercloud about this. I had rejected the idea, for reason they are predators like us and predators don't mingle. Thundercloud had believed it possible, having in mind the people of the sunrise-lands that revere the local dragon. But I have no wish to be revered; I just want to be left alone. Yet between Nighthawk and Hiccup there was friendship. No reverence. And no control, I had established that! Friendship… if there must be a relationship between a dragon and a human, friendship is possibly the best. But deep down I am convinced that dragons do not want to be together with humans. We are proud creatures, keen on our independence.
Still, Hiccup had influenced me. The look, close to love, in his eyes had made my paw retreat from its death grip. He does influence me, even if it is not on purpose. And how will this strange relationship influence our children? Yet, friendship and love are powerful forces to the good. I have to keep that in mind.
Oh, I have so many questions for Nighthawk. How much time together do we have? Hiccup has to go back to his mate and younglings. Nighthawk implied that she had difficulty to provide for them on her own. I find this strange, as I am able to raise my children on my own, just like my mother before me. So it must be different with the humans. And Hiccup cannot travel back without Nighthawk. How uncanny is this relationship between the two cripples! How did they get crippled? I have so many questions.
Well, enough about this. I want to think about my lover! Oh, how he howled and licked me. I so much want to feel his body again! At some point that harness has to come off so we can freely romp. Memories of our play together a year ago went through my mind. Picturing that didn't do much good for going to sleep either.
In the morning, in order to prepare the children for the meeting, I had tried to explain to them the 'things' on their father, and about the human. But the yearlings had never seen a human, so it could not be explained. "Remember, however strange he looks, he is like a dragon, so pay him proper respect like I taught you" I told them. In order to explain the harness attached to Nighthawk, I placed twigs and leaves on their backs, adding "It's something like this." All yearlings found that mighty interesting, balancing the things on their backs, but the little males in particular. Tumble asked me "Can you make the leaf stick, mama?" So I wet the leaf and their little backs with saliva in order to make the leaf stick. They had insisted on carrying it into the meeting. Every now and then they nervously asked me "mammy, does the leaf still stick?", then hissed at their sisters who tried to knock them off.
Meet your father
There! No need to call out: he had seen me. "Children, come out of hiding" I exclaimed "Look! Your father and his human brother."
Immediately they called out to their father "Peep. Peep-peep. PEEP", falling back in hatchling-talk in their excitement. But when Nighthawk landed and Hiccup dismounted, they silenced and timidly huddled together against my paw.
I have to help them. "See, children? Here is your father. And his brother has to sit on top of him, which is how they fly together. But when they do not fly the brother steps off."
Over to Nighthawk I called "We have to do this at their pace, dear."
Did he even hear me? He stared at his children in rapture, eyes opened wide.
Addressing my children again, I said "See? That is father. And that is his brother. That is how a human looks. See? A human stands on his hind legs. That is what humans do."
Their eyes darted back and forth between the two, little earflaps flattened against their heads. But now they relaxed a bit and started to sniff the air.
Nighthawk in the meantime had started to beam, and so had Hiccup. The children found their voices again "Mammy?" "Father?" Now their little heads started bobbing up and down, and their ears perked up again. They became ever more curious and Heather was the first to take a step towards them. My little Heather, if ever there was a new 'Happywings' in the world, it must be her. If I let her, she just would pad over to her father.
"Let's all go over to father, shall we?" To my sons I whispered "The leaves still stick, just walk over carefully." "Oh." They had forgotten, but now they walked over evenly. "Father looks like you, mammy." "Yes, sweetie, we are all Night Furies." "But he has longer flaps." "Shhh, we will first greet each other, and then you look and ask everything you want."
They had seen it right and it was easy to notice, as Nighthawk's earflaps all stood out wide in excitement. The long ones were similar to mine, but the two in between were longer.
"My little ones, this is your father Nighthawk. Make a nice bow to him. Well done! And now you say your name and give him a nose." I gave Pinecone a soft nudge.
"Pinecone", she said timidly.
"Hello Pinecone, my daughter. Give me a nose? Make me happy?"
A smile even in his voice.
That brightened my sweetie up and when Nighthawk's big head neared her, she bumped her little nose against his.
Now they were not so nervous anymore.
"Heather", Heather said. Then she shouted "Father!" and quickly added a lick to the nose she gave.
Fireweed astonished us all: "H…hellofathermynameisFireweed. That's the proper line of greeting. "You have been rehearsing this!" I said surprised "How nice is that for your father!"
"Well done, Fireweed, my daughter. Give me a nose?" She did so in a dignified way.
"Now look at your sons, Nighthawk. They both have a leaf on their backs because they already want to look like their father."
"BOULDER" –he shouted, as he practically leapt up to bump into his father.
"Tumble, father."
"Hello, my sons. So you also have something on your backs, just like me! Well, first go greet my brother, and then you return to check out my harness?"
"GREAT."
"YES, father."
Meet Hiccup
Nighthawk went to sit down next to Hiccup and said "My children listen to me. This is Hiccup. Hiccup is a human and he is my friend. We are very close to eachother, almost as close as Tumble and Boulder, brothers from the same nest. Hiccup is very kind, so don't be afraid of him."
I took over. "Children, make a bow? Now say hello and… and flap your wings! He will like it that you flap your wings!"
That was easy for them, they all did.
Hiccup softly laughed and spoke words to them in a soft voice. He lowered his head and Heather was the first to give his face a quick nose. Now the others followed, except for Fireweed. She stayed where she was and took the human in. I felt for her.
Now the dreaded moment came: Hiccup extended his hands to my sweetlings. My talons dug into the ground, and a soft groan escaped me. Nighthawk flashed me a look of reassurance and Hiccup stayed his hands. He looked at me and asked "May I touch them, Lady?"
I understood his question. My children all look back at me. Suddenly I found a solution and said "I believe Hiccup wants to touch you, my little ones. Shall we try? See what it is like? If you don't like it, you come to me." There. Not bad at all. And I nodded yes.
"Don't be afraid" Nighthawk added "humans like to touch with their hands. Will you see if you like it?" His eyes signalled "smart of you" to me.
They neared Hiccup's hands, smelled the fingers. Now he stroked the side of Boulder's head. "Like licks!" he shouted back at me. Heather also held her head out and giggled when he stroked her. Now they were all around his hands, only Fireweed kept back a bit. When Hiccup and my little ones got more bold, he also softly scratched their chins, chests, little shoulders. They giggled and laughed. Then he reached out to Heather. Oooooh, this is it. Carefully and gently, he cradled his hands under her belly and lifted her up just a bit.
"Peep?" she asked in surprise. But when he put her on the ground again, she wanted to be lifted again, this time shouting out in joy, flapping her little wings, "Wheee! Mammy, look. Look, mammy!"
"Mammy, I fly" Boulder cried, once he was lifted up. They are not afraid. "Yes, I see! How wonderful!" I replied. Yet I kept a close watch on Hiccup. He gave me a look and nodded, he was aware of that. I was amazed to see how my children all spread their little wings as soon as they left the ground. The instinct is there, even when this young.
Now they had all been lifted up, except for Fireweed. She wanted to be lifted too, but backed away as soon as the hands came her way. It's not that she is afraid, but she wants to decide for herself.
"Let them figure it out" Nighthawk whispered in my ear. He had come to sit next to me. "Have faith. Both in your daughter and in Hiccup. You are doing so well, my darling."
Hiccup placed his hands lightly on the ground and held them still. Now Fireweed came near, cautiously sniffed, looked up at Hiccup's face and then again at the hands. Then she hopped in herself, and was lifted by a smiling Hiccup, shouting "Mammy, father!"
"We see you. Well done!" She will have things on her own terms. She will yet make her mark in life.
I relaxed, sighed in relief and nudged Nighthawk. It had not been bad. Not bad at all.
Together
"My dear children, what about your father? Give me licks now? Tell me everything?" In a moment they were all over him. "Father, father", nuzzling him, licking him, bumping into him, telling all their important stuff at the same time. Purring, Nighthawk nudged them, said their names, licked them over and over. They also sniffed the harness, taking it in like anything else of their father. Of course, for them it is just a new thing to learn. They have no prejudice against it. But when they put their sharp little teeth in parts of the harness, Nighthawk took up his position as a father and checked them. "My younglings, listen to me. You may nuzzle the harness and touch it, but you may not chew it or claw at it. The harness is very special to me."
I helped them imprint this idea. "So what did father say you may do?" "Nuzzle and touch." "And what not?" "Not chew or claw." "Good! And I will have a sniff myself." I was still apprehensive about the harness, but could not stay behind.
At this point Hiccup stepped in. "My Lady, look, I'll show you how it works." He mounted Nighthawk - still a difficult thing to watch - then his strange hind leg became as one with the things. "See, Lady, when I move my foot, it makes the fin change shape." Foot. I took the new words in as quickly as possible. Indeed the fin changed shape. Soon I understood that Hiccup needed part of the harness to move the fin, and part of it to be able to sit on Nighthawk. The children all stood on their hind legs, watching intently, their earflaps flattening every time there were clicking sounds.
"Go over to my tail, you all, and look there" Nighthawk said.
Once there the children cheered every time the fin changed shape.
I took the opportunity to imprint on them another word "It is special. Your father's harness is very special."
"Special, special" they cheered.
Hiccup dismounted again and Nighthawk invited the children to take a ride on his back. All eagerly ran up his tail to flatten themselves on his back. But by now they had become so over exited that, while their father slowly walked with an even step, one after another pooed and began to wail in embarrassment. To my astonishment, Hiccup quickly tore loose some moss. Making soft, soothing sounds, he hooked his hand behind Pinecone's little forepaws, raised her on her hind legs and cleaned her tummy. Stunned, the others forgot to wail. Once he had cleaned most off, he held the astonished yearling in front of Nighthawk's face, laughing "welcome to the blessings of fatherhood, Toothless, you clean her spotless".
But Nighthawk didn't cringe a bit and readily licked his daughter clean. Hiccup hinted, poking at Nighthawk's forepaw "The little ones were SO exited to see you, SO happy." Nighthawk took the hint and after giving Pinecone a final lick he said "You're fine. Everything is fine. You were just SO happy to see me." After she had been lowered to the ground, she prodded his leg. "Father?" "Yes?" "SOO happy." "Yes, my sweetling. And now everything is fine, yes?" at which she nodded happily.
I took it all in, utterly amazed myself. So Hiccup knows how to clean little ones? Oh, but he has younglings himself. How marvellous.
Of course the others wanted the same treatment, so before long Nighthawk was thoroughly introduced to parenting. I chuckled, for once relieved from that chore. At hearing me chuckle, Hiccup started and said to me "Oh, excuse me, Lady, I didn't want to…" But I gave a soft purr, and brushed his arm slightly. Don't worry, Hiccup. You amaze me. When I did the final cleaning of Nighthawk's back, I thought: Indeed, Hiccup is gentle and caring.
Once all yearlings had been lowered in front of their father, they became drowsy, huddled together, yawned and fell asleep. As I sat down next to Nighthawk with my head close to his, I saw him looking down on the little ones between his paws with such tenderness. Again and again he sniffed them, gave their bodies little licks. But, though they shifted a bit, nothing could wake them up anymore.
Hiccup lowered himself next to Nighthawk on the other side. At that, Nighthawk looked up at him and then at me, beaming! Then down to his children again. "I don't know what to say… you both and these sweetlings… I have no words."
oOoOoOoOoOo
Illustrations !
On Deviantart are three drawings of Hiccup carrying a little Night Fury, that I really like. You will find these drawings on my DeviantArt account. Browse:
whiteaspen on deviantart; open favourites (hope you can still read this, after it's published. FF is hopeless with links.)
For Hiccup + little Night Fury, see:
- Hicderp by ~dinosaurbarbecue. In my story the yearling is slightly bigger, just slightly.
- Baby Night Fury by ~TheTeaMaker. Very nice, though the little one is hilariously chubby.
- Baby Toothless and Hiccup by ~Timeless4Life. A rather large baby lying on Hiccup's shoulders. But it is grey, like in my story! This little dragon, in my opinion, would be a youngling of 2 years old. Yet also too chubby. My guess is that Night Fury younglings are slender, until they fill out as grown-ups.)
Enjoy.