Chapter 3. The dragoness
Maybe he will cool down now. How long will it take before we can fly home again? Will you still be my friend after this? But Toothless did not cool down. After a while he lay down, as his lust kept him tied to the spot. But he was jittery, leaping to his feet again and again, pacing this way and that. But every time he lay down again, his body pointed in the direction of the dragoness. He became brooding, intent on just one thing: the screams of the dragoness that rose up again, calling to her a more suitable mate. With pauses in between, she called all night, but Toothless kept his silence. No other male came. Only at dawn did he answer her call once. This silenced her for a while, but nothing more happened. During the morning her calls became more frequent, and Toothless answered her ever more often. Why didn't she fly off in search, I wondered? Maybe the fact that a male was nearby, even if he was not to her liking? How rare are these dragons anyway? Still no other male arrived.
The dragoness kept silent during the afternoon. But at the end of the afternoon she raised her voice again, her calls carrying a desperate tone now. Toothless reacted as if stung and started to roar as I had never heard him do before. He did not stop this time but went on an on, while trampling and beating his wings, running this way and that, drowning the calls of the dragoness with thunderous roars. Did his mighty roars do it? Because… she came! In silence she came flying in and circled the glade, eying Toothless in his frenzy. Then she came swooping down.
Toothless must have made some good moves, prancing, howling, showing himself off, as she took a hesitant step towards him. He at once started to circle her, but though she was very alert, teeth bared and snarling, she did not fly off. This was enough encouragement for Toothless, so he neared her and attempted to mount her. But she would have nothing of that! She shook him off and with a fierce howl attacked him.
Toothless backed away, hesitantly. But when she launched attack after attack, but did not fly away, his instinct kick in again and he counterattacked just as fierce. They fought ferociously, but more by wrestling than with tooth and claw. Spitting fire, but only to the side. It was as if the dragoness tested this male, that did not perform the mating flight with her, to the limit. They wrestled without uttering screams. For a time nothing else could be heard but the banging of their bodies colliding, the heavy panting and the rustle of wings.
Then, imperceptive at first, the wrestling changed. Their movements became ever more synchronised until eventually they moved in sync. As in a dance they rose on their hind legs, forepaws patting the others chest. Wings beating, they rubbed their necks together. Then, lowering themselves again, they rubbed their bodies together in sinuous movements. Suddenly the dragoness lowered herself to the ground, tail to the side, uttering a piercing cry. Toothless decidedly placed his forepaws on her body, and when she didn't shake him off, mounted her.
Their mating was brief, but a beautiful sight. The dragoness crouching low, wings spread wide, her head arched up. Toothless on top of her, his head lowered so it pressed onto hers, his wings high up while moving his body slowly to find her opening and ease himself in. Then arching his back and rising again with a mighty rustle of wings. The dragoness also rose immediately, shook herself and after a bit more pushing and rubbing, they lay down together for a while. That night their need would take hold of them again and again and they would start all over with dancing and mating, every time with more screaming and howling, until eventually the forest echoed with their cries.