The Scotland Highlands were beautiful, even Jack had to admit; it was the perfect image of rolling evergreen hills and adult pines, horse-trodden dirt tracks and weathered stone buildings and castles. It was a poet's inspiration, what with the Fire Falls and streams and the warm caress of the summer sun against exposed flesh - which was the exact reason Jack evidently pulled a hood over his wet white hair, both to avoid question and the burning slap of heat that was breathing down his neck.
Stoick led the way from the port, where they were greeted by the townspeople, bearing flags and open arms for the annual Sighting and Hunt for the Wisps. Jack stood back behind the horned helmets of the Vikings, keeping the shadow of the hood over his face, inspecting the people with quick eyes, trying to find one that looked to be Defender material.
A big man in a red-and-green plaid kilt and leather armour came forward - Jack's eyes caught on the thick wooden stump in place of the man's foot, before inspecting the man's face. Jack noted the silver throughout his fiery red hair, thick mustashe and whiskery chin. His eyes were a bright clear blue and his crooked wide smile both unnerved Jack and made him feel welcome. His nose was crooked, signifying it had been broken. He was large man, almost as large as Stoick - Jack had a vast idea as to how the two got along when he shouted, "Stoick! Nice to see you again!"
Stoick's mustashe lifted with a smile as the two exchanged a handshake, before colliding shoulders and laughing heartily. Jack looked up and down the crowd of people, noticing a woman with extremely long dark brown hair, striped with silver near her face; she wore an elegant green gown that glittered with silver thread in the sunlight. Three young boys, at least seven years each, with identical heads of orange curls and mischievous smiles gazed at the Vikings, whispering in hushed tones; Jack could feel their excitement in the air and he had a feeling those three were up to some fun. Jack's eyes finally landed on the last of the crowd that seemed to radiate a type of authority - a girl with fiery curls, clear blue eyes and a dress of teal.
The colour of the dress was defiantly familar and Jack had to think back, but not very hard; the teal cover of the book was very much like the fabric of the dress and Jack thanked his lucky stars and Manny for making this Defender blanantly obvious. The head of red curls was not one to be lost in a crowd, that was for sure.
Hiccup ducked back, coming up beside Jack and peering at his shadowed face. "You okay?" Hiccup whispered, taking to get a clear look at Jack, who turned to the side so that only the outline of his pale nose and pink smile was visible to the boy.
"You worry too much, Hic," Jack told him, aware of the heat shadowing him like an angry hand. The frost that had once clung to his armour had melted away, leaving his armour warm and dry from the sun's persistence; the inside of Jack's armour, however, had begun to collect in cool puddles against his cooling flesh. Jack was surprised he wasn't steaming, as it sure felt like it - another thing he would never admit aloud, not with Hiccup beside him.
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You never worry," Hiccup muttered, "Someone has to do it for you."
The two were silent as Stoick and The Bear King reminiscenced; Hiccup glanced at Jack and asked silently, "Have you found The Defender yet?"
"Yeah," Jack whispered back. "The girl with the curly red hair."
Hiccup set his gaze on her. "How do you know?"
"I just do," Jack said, smirking and sneaking a glance at Hiccup, who had given him a very annoyed look out the corner of his eye. Jack jerked his chin out in her direction. "The woman past the three kiddos is wearing a crown; I suspect she's The Bear King's wife and the Queen. The next Defender is obviously a princess."
Hiccup puffed a quick shot of air from his nostrils, shaking his head at Jack's perceptiveness. "Anyone could've figured that out, Jack."
"Yeah?" Jack raised an eyebrow, his teeth showing as he parted his lips in a smile. "Like Snot or Tuff would've known that; you gotta give me some credit, Hiccup."
Hiccup tried to hide his smile from Jack, but Jack caught it and his smile seemed to dampen, as Jack took in the side profile of Hiccup's face. He wanted desperately to reach down and grab the Viking's hand, but the wetness of his sweat prevented him, as did the call of Stoick for his son.
Hiccup glanced at Jack, walking through the sparse crowd of Vikings which parted, allowing him to come forward. Toothless and the rest of the dragons, who had been surveying from the sky, began to float down, or at least Toothless did. Toothless landed near Hiccup, causing gasps to ripple through the townspeople; the crowd grew apprehensive as The Bear King stepped forward, smiling good naturedly as he embraced Hiccup in a large hug, lifting the boy off his feet. When placed back down, Jack noticed that their prosthetics were both on their left feet; Jack tilted his head at the realisation and his eyes fell to the grass before lifting and focusing on Toothless as The Bear King turned to him.
Toothless eyed The Bear King, glancing sideways at Hiccup. Hiccup nodded encouragingly and Toothless stared at the large hand aimed at his snout. Toothless rolled his eyes, apparently accustomed to this, and placed his snout against The Bear King's hand. The crowd visibly relaxed and Jack smirked, crossing his arms, causing the braces to clink.
The Bear King laughed, rubbing the dragon's snout before turning to Hiccup and placing a heavy hand on his tiny shoulder; the force made Hiccup's knees buckle but he held his ground, or tried to, at least. "Hiccup!" The Bear King exclaimed loudly. "Have you gotten smaller?"
Hiccup gave a sarcastic laugh; Jack let out a real one. The sound of his laugh caught the attention of the fiery princess, who'd been staring at the dragon and boy with keen interest; her blue eyes met the royal blue of the figure's hood, the silver of his armour and the paleness of his skin. She raised an eyebrow at him, feeling as though she'd seen him somewhere before ...
Jack glanced away from Hiccup, feeling as if he were being watched; his eyes flicked up and he caught a pair of clear blue eyes staring at him. In return, she saw his bright blue eyes glisten like ice against the shadow of his hood and he smiled slightly, a set feeling deep in his gut telling him that any doubt of her not being the Defender of Summer before was defiantly diminshed.
The two were interuppted as The Bear King addressed the Vikings and his people with the promise of a grand feast fit for the long journey they'd taken and a seperate one for himself.
...
"He's been sitting out there for a while, North," Bunny said, his voice twinged with concern. "He's gonna get a gnarly case of frostbite."
North mirrored the same concern as he stared at the back of the feathery white wings, the same colour as the snow and ripped suit he wore. Eric had been out there quite a while and North knew he was punching himself over the fact that Tim had gotten captured. North sighed, nodding, before setting out across the snow to take a seat near Eric, who didn't seem to hear the crunching of the snow underneath the heavier man's footfalls.
Eric's eyes were ringed pink and he stared down at the broken hourglass in his trembling hands, finally saying over the whipping of the wind, "We're not leaving him."
North nodded. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Eric's nostrils flared. "This is Pitch's fault, you know that, right? He's got Peter and Tim - the Guardian of Youth and the Guardian of Time. He's going to do something and you better be ready - "
"Trust us," North said gently. "We know what we are doing."
"Really?" Eric growled. "Did you know that you just got betrayed by that asshole, Winter? This has got his name written all over it. Frost is too busy making out with Vikings to have done this - "
North glanced up, raising an eyebrow. "What about Jack?"
Eric sighed. "It's not my place to say. You'll have to wait until he comes back."
The two were silent, North blinking confusedly and Eric rubbing his thumb over the cold glass in his hand.
Eric was the first to stand. He helped North to his feet, his determined eyes meeting North's. "We're not letting Tim get hurt," Eric said, his tone stern.
"Pitch won't have a chance to," North said as Eric turned and began to walk to the makeshift leather shield against the torrent of snow and wind. Eric's voice was lost against the wind, "He better not, if he knows what's good for him."
...
Pitch sighed in content, an uncharacteristic hop in his step as the door of the hut closed behind him. He slinked into the shadows of the forest, feeling a prickle of fear from the people at the port at the sight of the Night Fury; Pitch smirked, knowing rightly that Jack had to be among them, as were two Defenders.
In moments, Pitch had journeyed through the Highlands to a crumbled mountains of rocks and stones; the forgotten ruling place of the last Bear King. Pitch stepped from the shadows from inside the dome of stone, his hand twirling as black sand began to surge out from between the rocks, from corners of the Highlands, from the Fire Falls to the dome to the stone hedges of Destiny; the fear of the Brave made Pitch gay with delight and lightheaded with power. A strand of Sand curled along his index finger affectionately before surging into the mass of Nightmaresand Pitch had already manifested.
Pitch's eyes shot open just as the two golden irises poked through the top of the black mass of glittering fear; the mass began to move, sand began to revolve, until there were two clawed hindlegs, a massive body, a stubby tail, a pair of clawed forelegs and a large head complete with two large ears, perhaps the size of North's stomach. Pitch grinned; the moonlight streaking through the broken part of the rocky ceiling highlighted the bear's saberlike underbite and the slash of a golden scar over a once dead eye, now golden and alive.
Pitch addressed the bear with both authority and a leer of cockiness, "Why, Mordu, you do look rather frightful in this considerable moonlight; don't you agree, Manny?" Pitch looked to the moon through the ceiling; he could've sworn he saw the face against the glowing sphere frown. Pitch laughed and his laughter aroused a roar from the bear; together, they dissipated into shadows, gone without a trace, the laughter of The Boogeyman and the roaring of the Demon Bear the only factor that the two had been there.
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