Silverwings and Toothless

by white aspen

Silverwings waits for Toothless, a year after they met and fell in love. He is a father of five now. Toothless promised to come visit and reveal to her 'the secret of his flight' which he fears can still tear their love apart. Toothless aims to get her to Berk. But what can he expect of a solitary taiga-dwelling dragoness? Read about Night Fury love and challenges.

8. On the wing

Summary

Silverwings has been able to accept the fact that her lover Nighthawk has a close bond with a human. Through ups and downs she is able to understand and accept Hiccup more and more. Nighthawk is overjoyed to meet his children, and the little ones have their first flying experience on their father's back. At some point Silverwings is told that a company of dragons and humans is nearby. If she is willing to visit to Berk, the others are there to carry her children in a basket.

She agrees to visit, and the previous chapter was all about meeting the other dragons and humans. Thump, a practical Gronckle, makes a nest for her. Little Fireweed's pride is tickled when of all yearlings she alone manages to make the "wave" motion back to the humans. The humans take care to keep their distance from the wild dragoness and her young. Heather is allowed to make her first introduction, but when she gets a bit scared, her brothers rush in to protect her, thus showing the protective nature of Night Furies even at this young age. Nighthawk introduces Fishlegs, and also Kjell, his best friend next to Hiccup. Silverwings is surprised to find that she is able to accept them so much easier than Hiccup. She has deeply hidden reasons why she still has reservations towards him, and in this chapter she discovers what is at the bottom of it.

Silverwings, who never had a friend, feels the first stirrings of friendship when she warms to Sunrise, a female Nadder. Sunrise tells her that dragons sometimes point out their names to humans. Silverwings wants the humans to use the real names of her children, and of herself. Nighthawk succeeds in making Hiccup understand. Nighthawk also agrees to reveal his own true name to Hiccup, as long as Hiccup continues to call him Toothless. After meeting Seabreeze, the Zippleback, they settle down for Evensong.

A list of the dragons and their riders:
Firestorm, female Monstrous Nightmare (Firehide) with Tilara, woman, hunter and basketmaker
Seabreeze, male Hideous Zippleback with Baldar, man, hunter
Thump, male Gronckle (Hunkin) with Fishlegs, dragon expert and writer
Smasher, male Gronckle with Finnar, man. His role will be revealed in this chapter
Aura, female Deadly Nadder (Ilnas) with Haldis, woman and cook
Sunrise, female Deadly Nadder with Aina, woman, hunter and basket maker
Wavedancer, male Deadly Nadder with Kjell, man, former caretaker of captive dragons

Journey in this chapter: Starting in Karelia, North-West Russia, they fly over Finland and Sweden, and arrive at the eastern side of the Norwegian mountains after a 7-day's flight. After a night's rest they cross the mountains to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Chapter 8. On the wing

During flight
Evensong. Nighthawk explained that to me. "It originates from the time when we were slaves" he said. "It was the only thing She had no control over. Deep within the soul of each dragon, still some individuality survived, hidden away in a secluded part. So each dragon reached deep inside and made the sound that welled up from within. All sounds combined produced the Song. The Song kept us sane and united us, if only for a moment. It comforted us in times of misery and loss. If at times you could not sing yourself, the Song was still around you and carried you. She tried to snuff it out and tried to grab each dragon that started the Song. Nevertheless we sang every day… Once on Berk, we continued this habit, much to the astonishment of the humans. Dragons join the Song of free will, they are not forced to do it. But then of course we cannot be forced to do anything. Still the Song continues to the present day. It became a habit to sing at dusk and the humans of Berk use it a point of reference. They put their work down by then, and say things like "See you after Evensong" or to their children "You have to come home at Evensong."

I mulled this over in my head, and all other new things, during flight. We had taken wing and were on our way to Berk. I had to get accustomed to long distance flying again as it had been quite some time ago that I had done that. I hadn't expected to feel comfortable in this group so soon. Everyone helped to make me feel at home and I feel so cared for and safe. Though at times I can't help but miss the solitude and my own rhythm.

Being up in the air with Nighthawk is simply wonderful. I cannot get enough of watching my lover fly, his muscles rippling, his body fluently moving with every wing beat. He does not yet possess the mature majesty of Thundercloud, but he is not far off anymore. At some point Hiccup noticed my admiration and spoke laughingly into Nighthawk's ear, getting a playful smack back. As if Nighthawk himself did not feel my eyes resting on him! And I his eyes burning into me! At times when the yearlings were napping, we broke away from the group just to fly together for a while. When after a couple of days of flight I had my stamina back, he and I really went for it. As soon as the luggage had been put on the ground we set off, chasing each other, circling around each other, flying high up, then firmly gripping each other's paws and spiralling down again. I had to do my part to balance us out with the weight of Hiccup on his back, but it was not even that difficult. We screamed our excitement and Hiccup screamed along with us, which oddly felt right.

Just a few days ago I had finally come to grips with Hiccup. While flying, I again pondered the fact that I kept feeling a certain reservation towards Hiccup. A reservation that I did not feel towards Fishlegs or Kjell. What was it that bothered me?
Suddenly it struck me: what I felt was DREAD. And then I realised I did not dread Hiccup himself, but his ability to invent. That word I learned from Nighthawk. Hiccup invents things. Unlike Fishlegs or Kjell he makes things that were not there before. He invented both the contraption that shot Nighthawk down, and the harness that made him fly again. It is this ability to invent that I dread. It surpasses by far the ability of a spider to build a web, or of a Gronckle to build a nest. It is of an entirely different order and unnatural. And if Hiccup is able to invent these sort of things, so will other humans, sooner or later. Will these humans also make the choice of Hiccup, to refrain from destruction? I fear not.
It angered me to realize how powerful Hiccup's inventions are. With his contraption Hiccup had conquered Nighthawk, a Night Fury, the deadliest dragon on earth. So, in a way, we dragons are defeated already. It will only be a matter of time before deadlier inventions overpower us completely. For unlike humankind, we do not invent or develop.
My thoughts went even further: if humankind is capable of clearing us out of their way, then they may well conquer the whole earth, for we are the strongest. Already humans have become numerous and claim ever more territory...
I looked around me. Strange, that no dragon or human in this merry party seemed to realise these things.

Once I realised what troubled me, a seething hatred coursed through me, blinding every bit of sane thinking. Humans! Humans will be our doom. Destroy this inventor! Destroy the humans, because in time they surely will destroy us! I tensed up and my fire built. I had a clear shot of Hiccup in front of me.

Luckily I came to my senses in time and I deflated. I couldn't simply blast Hiccup out of the sky, as Nighthawk would crash. The humans carry my children. What am I thinking?
I sobered up and my head cleared. Killing like this, not for food, but to prevent things from happening... it's not good. Killing these humans will solve nothing, the only thing it will do, I sense, is ruin my soul. I alone cannot stem the tide of humans. Because what do I really know? Some things I fear may never come to pass. Or maybe the age of dragons on earth will come to an end, and a time comes when we will be gathered back into the fiery heart of the Creator. There simply is no way of knowing.
No, I decided, I will join the 'miracle of Berk'. Share the strange miracle of dragons and humans living together. Now that I had processed it all, I shook myself free of all dread. I can do nothing about the choices that other creatures make. In time I will share these thoughts with Nighthawk, as I will not keep my thoughts from him anymore.

Now that the feelings of dread have cleared away, I finally see how amazing Hiccup is. What he has accomplished. What... a hero he is. Oh Hiccup, you bore the brunt of my contempt. Now I sense how much you have had to bear in life, all alone. Now I fully understand why Nighthawk respects you and supports you. And I understand why you need his formidable strength and unwavering friendship. I too will support you from now on.
So, not long after we landed that day, I signalled Hiccup to follow me. And when we returned to the camp, Nighthawk saw us coming: Hiccup's hand trustingly resting on my head, the same way he steadied Hiccup himself.

The baskets
The distance we were able to cover on a day was limited. One reason was that I had to adjust to long distance flying again. The other was the children, travelling in the baskets. They manage to keep happy in their basket for about half a day. That is, if we don't hear one call "Mammy, I have to poo". Then we land, but we quickly learned to not let them all out, as they make it into a game to avoid being put in the baskets again. To see the humans scramble after them while they darted just out of their reach was so amusing that it took a while before I started to help out. But half a day approximately, that's all they can take. Then they miss each other too much and start to pine and wail.

The baskets had to be adjusted. When the lids closed over the little ones for the first time, they were very unhappy. All screamed and Fireweed and Boulder even tried to fight their way out. For a moment we were all at a loss. If the children cannot stand being in the baskets, we cannot travel. The solution came when even my brave Boulder broke and sobbed "Mammy... I can't SEE you, mammy." So they had to be able to SEE ! Aina and Tilara quickly made holes in the sides of the baskets, so the children could poke their heads through and look around. The holes were nimbly lined with leather, so it was both firm and soft.

After that things worked out wonderfully. Five humans each carry a basket with a yearling in it, strapped to their backs. The others, including Nighthawk, carried everything else. I carried nothing, not yet anyway. I could not yet overcome my aversion to having anything attached to me. However, unburdened like this, I could freely manoeuvre close to the baskets, when one of my children called for me. Both Nighthawk and I flew behind the other dragons, so the children saw us the instant they looked out of the baskets. During flight they babbled with each other and asked us as many questions as there are stars in the sky.

Evening in the valley
It had taken us seven days to cover the distance to the mountains. We arrived late this afternoon and landed in a valley some way up the slopes of the mountains. We relished in breathing the fresh air because up here the air is not as hot and stifling as down below on the plains. Once we cross these mountains, we will see the ocean. The ocean! Just one more day of flight.

Every afternoon, when the baskets are opened, the children leap out with a yell. First, they bump into me, then into each other. Then they run and run, to release all of their pent-up energy. The humans have learned to wait before lighting fires, as the yearlings storm straight through the flames, scattering the wood. They are not entirely fireproof yet , so we heard a couple of yelps. But there is no reasoning with the yearlings when they are just out of the baskets. Even the dragons wait a while before they lie down and then first scan the spot thoroughly or count all little grey heads in view.

I myself have learned to let go, to let my children go... That is, I am still learning. But dragons and humans alike take great care of them. It was even the other way around, I had to rebuke the children. They had become insolent towards the humans, because the humans hardly dared to check them out of fear for my wrath. Fireweed even bit Haldis in the hand because Haldis didn't do something she wanted. I had to have a serious talk with my daughter. That took a while, because the little thing was very cross and couldn't see what she had done wrong. I couldn't help but feel for her, as until recently I would have done even worse to a human. Fireweed must have unconsciously picked up my disdain for humans that lasted until recently. I told her that I had changed my mind about humans and that we both would apologize. So I set the example and bowed to Haldis. Then I made Fireweed bow, which still hurt her pride. The whole thing hurt my pride too, but it was necessary. Then I lined up all of the children and we all made a bow towards the humans. That was a couple of days ago and it set things straight. Now the humans dare to correct them too.

Aina is really nice. How odd, that I say this about a female human … a woman. She often comes over to sit with me and talk to me. Strange, how humans at the same time do and do not believe we understand them, so they tend to speak their hearts. Aina adores Pinecone who travels with her in the basket, which makes her speak about her wish for children of her own. She has a lover at Berk and this autumn they are going to have their wedding. That's how she calls the ceremonious start of her mating period, as far as I understand. So, an egg will be on the way soon. Humans seem to lay only one egg at a time, which they call a baby. To me it's strange they lay only one egg, but I keep an open mind. What works for one creature doesn't necessarily work for another, it's as simple as that.

Today, after landing, I had climbed up from the valley floor, so now I lay on an outcrop overlooking the camp. Everyone knew I distanced myself from time to time. Soon I heard a rustle and then "Lost in your head again?" It was Nighthawk, climbing up to me.
"Hi, you didn't have to play hide-and-seek with the little ones?" I asked back. But as soon as I asked, I realized I hadn't heard the exited screams when a yearling was found and their father made a scaring face before flipping them over.
"Well, someone WAS hiding, but I found her" he replied. Suddenly, in a move like a flash, he flipped me over on my back, pinned me, and with a rogue smirk looked down on my astonished face. "Got you. And WHAT a catch! Hmmm, you look tasty, Lady. I guess I'll have my dinner here." At that he went to nipping, biting and licking me until I was breathless with screaming and giggling.
Today we had flown over the general area of the mating ground of last year. We looked around to see if we could find the exact meadow again, but one resembled the next so much that we didn't find our playfield of last year. Nevertheless, a joy gripped us, and we had flown high up, luggage and all, to come soaring down again full speed several times.

"Tell me what went on in your head, darling" Nighthawk asked somewhat later. He had settled, placed his body firmly against mine and put a wing over me. Contented with our intimacy, I nuzzled him.
"I was taking in this new landscape of mountains. It's like the hills I came from, but far wider and steeper. …And… now I leave everything I know behind."
"Sorry you came?"
"No, not at all, you know that, don't tease me." Yet I absorbed the solidity of his body against mine. "My 'adventure' couldn't be safer, with you near and all the other dragons. And you told me you know the way, so we cannot get lost. And the children have the time of their lives. Look at them."

We looked down. The yearlings were playing on the back of Firestorm. Her broad back between the double row of spiky fins is prime playground. Everyone is relieved when all yearlings are somewhere in view. Apparently they were done with the humans already.
After running their first energy off, they often go back to the humans that carry them. They love being stroked and scratched.
Boulder is always 'fighting' with Kjell, bouncing on his belly when once more he has 'downed' the man. But on another occasion I saw Kjell tenderly hold a napping Boulder in his hands, that are exceptionally large.
Tumble loves to run up Thump's back and then jump high up, trusting to be caught by Fishlegs. He flaps his wings wildly as he wants to fly SO much.
Sometimes all yearlings gather around Thump and Fishlegs, and attempt to build a nest. That means they busy themselves with stones and moss, having a lot of fun. "But" Thump sighed to me "they simply don't have it in them."
Fireweed has come to an understanding with Haldis. She doesn't want to be held other than with her consent, but at times when Haldis isn't busy cooking, she perks on the shoulder of the large woman, looking around smugly and enjoying the feel of Haldis' soft yellow hair that sometimes hangs loose.
All three little females often rove around to find all kinds of materials and then watch Tilara and Aina weave it into different shapes.

But when Finnar unwraps his harp, all yearlings rush to him, eager to hear him play. Then he plays them simple tunes. Finnar also listens when Pinecone sings. She has picked up on Evensong and has started to 'sing' herself. To her it comes natural, it just wells up from within her. So, as often as she feels like singing with Finnar, he places her next to his harp and then listens with attention to her soft, silvery voice. After she is done, he tries to make his harp sing likewise. Yesterday it must have worked out fine, as my daughter came back to me beaming. "I bring him a song, mama, and then he weaves it. Like Aina weaves things we bring." And off she was to join her siblings. Oh, my child, my precious little one. You leave me speechless when you say things like this. Where does it come from? I don't recognise this, it's not inside me. I wish... You remind me of Thundercloud. Sometimes I wish you were a child of his being…

But I will always cherish the night Finnar sang, and the wonderful day after…

The night of the harp
On the evening before the day of our departure, everyone was jumpy in anticipation of something special to happen. I did not know what to expect, other than that it was a surprise and afterwards Firestorm would hold her speech. But this time no one gave the secret away, not even Sunrise, the chattery Nadder. We liked each other and she kept me informed about a lot of details that the males didn't realise were important to a mother. A surprise… hmm, I wasn't too keen on surprises anymore, but as Nighthawk beamed along with the rest, it could not be too bad.

After Evensong all dragons and humans sat down in a semi-circle with Finnar in front. The children lay in the nest sleepily, in front of Nighthawk and me. Finnar took something large out of a wrap and placed it before me for a sniff. It was a thing made of wood, but so smooth it gleamed. Between the wood were strands like a spider's web, only the strands were thicker and went parallel, every next one slightly longer than the last.
"This is a harp, my Lady" Finnar said. "An instrument to make music. I am a bard. I make music on the harp and I sing. You listen."

With that, he stroked one of the strands. Instantly my ears flew up, as the harp spoke! It spoke to me with a beautiful voice... vibrant, sweet and crystal clear. Unlike anything I had heard before. I gazed in rapture at the vibrating strand. The more it stilled, the softer it spoke. Eventually I tilted my head and held my ear practically against it, to hear the voice fade away into silence. Then I looked up at Finnar, eyes wide and smiling.
"Thank you" I huffed "for making the harp speak. It was beautiful. Thank you."

He understood me, but said "This is not all, Lady. You just heard one tone. There are more tones. And together they make music. Herewith I invite you to listen to the music."
He returned to his place in front and placed the harp against his chest. He made the instrument speak a new tone, this time much lower. It spoke in gentle waves until it also stilled, like ripples flatten out in a pond.
Then he stroked more strands at the same time and a sound emerged, incomprehensibly beautiful. It went straight to my heart. I leaned against Nighthawk, needing to feel the solidity of his body. He softly stroked my head and said "This is in your honour, my darling." I rested my head against his, unable to say anything.

Music... it is a wonder... I cannot begin to explain it. It was like a dream and it filled me till overflowing. At first, it fluttered like butterflies' wings. Next, it evoked a gentle rain, falling through the branches of the trees. Then the rippling of spiders' silk, covering whole patches of grass. Then something like the trotting of a fox, when it moves through the undergrowth. Then the rattling of aspen leaves in the wind. Then again it picked up speed, like a little stream hurrying towards the river.
The loveliness of it pierced my heart. It lifted me up like my wings do, and transported me. It reminded me of the vision Nighthawk and I shared. I looked at Nighthawk, looked into his eyes, and once again drowned in them.

Luckily the bard ended the music, before it became too much to bear. The children, that lay motionless with their eyes closed, stirred again.
I walked over to Finnar, bowed my head in gratitude and nudged both of his hands.
"Thank you, Lady, it is all my pleasure. But it is not over yet. There is also a song I would like to sing. The music to this song is far more simple, so it lies easier on the ear. This song is to honour Hiccup and Toothless, and it's a surprise for them."
While I walked back, I saw that both Nighthawk and Hiccup looked stunned. But all dragons and humans were whispering and casting meaningful glances. They certainly had kept this secret well.

"Ye dragons, male and female and ye people, men and women. Now I will sing to you 'The Song of Hiccup and Toothless, the Heroes of Berk'."
The children, that had woken up, cried out in surprise. They turned around to Nighthawk and once again cheered "A hero! Father is a hero! You are a hero, father!" We could barely calm them down enough for Finnar to start singing.

A tale unfolded about how Hiccup had met Toothless and how they befriended each other, although I did not understand all the words. About their suffering, apart from each other and together. And about how they had conquered the vile creature that had controlled the dragons. Many names were mentioned. Stoick, Hiccup's father and chief of his tribe. Astrid, Hiccup's mate. Fishlegs and Kjell. More names were sung of humans unknown to me, and their deeds mentioned. The names of dragons entered the tale once Peace had come.
As the story unfolded, I understood so much more about Nighthawk and about what he and Hiccup had been up against. I cast him a glance, seeing him gulp. Hiccup leaned against Nighthawk's shoulder, listening enraptured, tears streaming down his face. I was moved to the core, as the song continued to wound and at the same time heal me.

A certain set of lines were repeated over and over. All humans started to sing them with increasing certainty. Even the dragons had started to hum, drone and coo. The bard picked that up for, once the song had ended, he tuned in on the singing of the dragons. The music of the harp ran lightly into the middle of the dragon-song, much like Heather had padded over to the dragons for the first time. Then it dove under, emerged again and rose above it. Our children burst out in song and added their sweet voices to the music. My heart could not contain the fullness of it anymore and now I cooed along too. Nighthawk also found his voice and joined the song with his specific rumble.

For a while the music soared through the dragon song much like a dragon soars through the clouds. Then it gradually slowed which calmed us down, like we all descended from the sky and softly touched ground. After that we all fell asleep, more or less on the spot.

One precious day together
The morning after, it became clear that we had to delay the departure for another day as I was beside myself and the children too. Nighthawk had the wisdom to take us away, back to the nest. There we rested, and laughed and cried about many things mentioned by Finnar in his song.

To this day, I treasure that one day when there was just the two of us and the children. Nobody came near, not even Hiccup. Only Sunrise came over briefly to bring some food.
I was deeply touched that the humans had done so much to honour Nighthawk and Hiccup. And to please me, a dragoness they did not even know. It took away any remaining doubt about visiting Berk. If there are humans that reach out to dragons like the humans here, and can touch a dragon's heart as deeply as Finnar did last night, I am confident that things will work out. And that I'll be able to cope with less kind treatment. Nighthawk had been honest and told me that on Berk there are still humans who are hostile to dragons, mostly because dragons killed their loved ones in the war.

This treasured day also made me certain that I never wanted to leave Nighthawk again. This wish had been growing in my heart, but I had to muster the courage to speak to him about this. Last year he asked me, but would he still feel the same? It's so unusual. Things change.
"Nighthawk, I wish to ask you something. I'm so nervous…"
"Ask me. Why are you nervous? Don't be. Tell me, darling" he said amazed.
"Nighthawk, what if… what if no party has to bring me back to the Mainland this fall? I want to be with you so much and .. and not part again. Do you... could we..."
"Silverwings? You… you mean for us to..."
"…stay together? Nighthawk?"
"Silverwings... How..."
"That's what I feel deep inside. It has been growing ever since last year, since... our vision. And our days together just... and the music yester eve, it was... it was almost as beautiful as our vision. So I remembered our vision so clearly again. I must tell you... last year I made a vow to myself, that you would never be lonely again if I could do anything about it. I... I still feel the same, it has only grown stronger. But now I realise something else, Nighthawk. It is also the other way around. If you left me, I would feel so very lonely. If you went away... If I think about the next mating period, I only want you. I do not want another male in my life."

"I... but... Silverwings, if another male comes for you, I cannot defend you. I can never win a fight over you with another male."
"But I can refuse him. If necessary we can both fight him off and chase him away. Nighthawk... don't look away, love, don't be ashamed. Look at me... Never be ashamed anymore. Never think you are not male enough for me. You are. You already are."
Nighthawk sunk his head against mine. "Oh, my love, can this be true? I somehow hoped... that if you visited my island... that at least... at least you would be near... for a while. But then you would know where to find me. Or maybe... maybe you would like it there. Enough to stay. So at least I could... see you... see our children grow. And now you ask me..." He pulled away a bit, straightened himself and said "My love, if by the next mating period you have not changed your mind... then I'll mark you as my own."
I nuzzled him "You might as well mark me now. We'll stay together."

That last remark was overheard by the children. How true is the saying "Little hatchlings, big ears." They had been half-listening to us; we'll have to take care what we say in their presence. After they bounced around for happiness, they rolled over and fell asleep again. I looked at their sleeping bodies and suddenly sighed.
"You sigh. What is it Silverwings?"
"Now my children will grow up so much different than my ancestors. They will grow up in a busy, crowded village. Maybe they will befriend humans, like so many dragons have. They will not grow up to be free dragons of the Taiga anymore."
"But still be dragons. And free, as no human owns us."
That brightened me up. "You are right" I said. We snuggled against one another and whispered on a while, before dozing off.

Today, sitting on the outcrop, we spoke about that day again, basking in the glow of love.
"We have to go down now, it's time to eat" I said. "And socialize. I'm still not very good at that, I fear." "You're doing fine" Nighthawk replied. It simply takes time. It's not like the mushrooms that grow overnight. Speaking about mushrooms, let's see what's on the menu."

Our flight over the mountains
Next morning we rose very early. Even before sunrise we were ready for take-off. Getting to the other side of the mountains would take all day. The yearlings, still drowsy with sleep had been placed in the baskets, this time covered with a blanket as we would rise high up in the air and it would be freezing.
I was excited and fidgety. Nighthawk came to stand next to me, while we both watched the last preparations. When all was ready, he nuzzled me and said, "Here we go, darling. If everything goes well, you'll see the sun set in the ocean tonight. It will be a long day for the children, though."

The moment the first rays of sunlight touched the mountain tops above us, we set off. We flew a stretch away from the mountainside in order to avoid turbulence. Then we climbed higher and higher. As soon as the sunlight hit the land below, it started an updraft that lifted Nighthawk and me up, and Firestorm also to a degree. Our large wings allowed us to rise on the currents, spiralling up, with hardly a wing beat. But unfortunately the wingspan of the Nadders and Gronckles didn't allow for that. Especially the Gronckles could only gain height by beating their wings incessantly. Lucky for them they have an incredible stamina. But that didn't keep them from complaining all the way up. They were huffing and puffing and Smasher complained "As soon as we're home, I'm not going to move a limb for half a moon cycle". Nevertheless, all dragons had been eager to take this last hurdle and see the ocean again.

Eventually we had gained enough altitude to start crossing the mountains. But even though we flew well above the mountain tops, there was still a lot of turbulence. Sometimes we twirled around like leaves in the wind. Most dangerous were the sudden downdrafts, as they could suck you down and smash you into the mountain side. So we tried to climb ever higher.

By now the children had had enough. For a time they excitedly shouted "Whee, whee!" when we were tossed around by the wind once more. But when it didn't stop, they grew tired of it and started to whine. They also had to poo in their baskets for the first time. We had rehearsed what to do, but now it was for real. "Dig a hole in the moss, then poo, and cover it up. Remember?" I told them. They did, because they had no choice. But they hated it and one after another started to wail. They wailed on an on, while I tried to console them as well as I could, to no avail. Eventually they grew so tired that they fell asleep. That is, I hoped so, as they didn't answer me anymore.

Now that I wasn't so occupied anymore I had the time to look at the landscape below. Beneath us the mountains glistened with snow, everything was white. What was new to me though, were the glaciers. Stretched out below us, massive bodies of ice sparkled in unimaginable hues of blue. We looked down on the frozen landscape below us, so beautiful, yet forbidding. The glare of the ice was blinding and stung my eyes. Often I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head.

Yet I loved the cold, thin air we flew in. I told Nighthawk how I, when I was still without children, would often fly up high. Especially at night, to enjoy the serenity and quiet under the stars. Nighthawk's eyes had begun to shine when I told him this. He told me it was his favourite too. "Let's do this together!" he shouted. "But how do you do that?" I shouted back. "Fly all night with Hiccup on your back?" Then he told me how Hiccup had found a way. That he used a very different and rather clumsy harness on these occasions. That, once up high, Hiccup put the tailfin in a fixed position and then lay down flat on his belly, his legs secured within a kind of hooks. "In this position he can go to sleep and I can soar for hours on end. But I can hardly explain it, you have to see it."
"So he sleeps on your back while you're up? I asked in amazement.
"Exactly" Nighthawk replied. "And I can wake him up by pulling a wire that is attached to him. I cannot explain it very well, but he stays warm because he is all covered in fur. And he cannot fall off, as he is tightly secured to the harness. But if necessary, he can go back to the steering position within a heartbeat. We have rehearsed this countless times."
"Incredible! He loves you, Nighthawk, to do all this. Hiccup really is your Rider."
"Yes, he is. And I'm so glad that you ever more understand it. Understand him."
"Yes, I do, my darling… So we can make night flights together! I can hardly wait!"

Finally we left the highest peaks behind us. The mountains gradually got lower and we descended along. The sun had travelled with us and now stood in the sky ahead of us. We left the ice fields behind us and again flew over cold, green valleys. Ahead of us the sky brightened ever more, not the blinding whiteness that we had left behind, but sparkling in a way I had not seen before. A breeze that started out blowing quite erratically, developed into a stiff headwind. Ever more it carried a certain tang to it, an unknown smell.

Once we flew over the last row of mountain tops, there in the distance it was. The ocean. The last green foothills rolled down below us and beyond them an immense expanse of water stretched out. There was nothing else to be seen but this vast, silvery surface, mirroring the bright sky. You could not tell the horizon, as water and air blended together in the far distance.

We landed our tired bodies on a rather flat valley floor, still high up. I stood still gaping at the distant emptiness when Nighthawk approached me.
"It... it looks like the end of the world" I blurted. "There is nothing there. Where is your island? Where is it, Nighthawk?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

- to be continued -

Illustrations:
On DeviantArt I found several drawings that correspond with the atmosphere in my stories, or even illustrate them.
To see a drawing of a little Night Fury being cross, browse WhiteAspen on DeviantArt, click "Favourites and see the drawing "Toothless-dragon" by ~tetrapercu.