7 - Commandeered

Tofa has always been close to Skuf. He was a big brother, an uncle, an extra helper for a widower. Well, he wasn't really her uncle by blood, but Tofa always saw him as such. With how often father was always away on duty, Uncle Skuf had always helped raise her. In all their interactions, he always found a way to involve training in hearing the unspoken words.

They would spend time in the village square, sitting and meditating, focusing on their breath or the sound of the wind and the hum of the emotions of the people around them. As they listened to the chatter, she quickly came to recognize the look Skuf would give her, asking what she thinks about someone. He would look down at her and raise an eyebrow in contemplation and she would try to guess if that person was telling the truth or how they really felt about what was just said.

At first, she thought he was teaching her how to read people by their facial expressions. After a couple years, she was able to appraise the subtle cues given by people and Skuf would often just nod in approval of her declaration that, "She lied when she said she loves him," or, "Whether he's relieved a dragon killed his father or that he didn't have to do it himself, I dunno. I think his tears really had them fooled. Except his brother. I think he's at least suspicious."

Hearing the unspoken words was second nature by her sixth birthday, but such a talent only made her feel sad. What people speak and what they betray in their passive hum are often at odds. If a mother dies while giving birth, as with Tofa's mother, the gods curse the child. Many people were polite and did not voice their thoughts about the little girl, but their unspoken words were loud enough. At times, it was enough to make Tofa regret that she could hear emotions that betrayed a false smile.

For a while, she hated Uncle Skuf for teaching her to hear what people were trying not to say, but shortly before turning seven, she learned that listening to these unspoken words was more than just soothsaying. Overnight, a higher level of detail surfaced above the primal emotions carried in the hum. It was like instantly leaping from a swamp to the top of a tall mountain to clearly see all around. There was so much more depth to it if she just focused.

When the Gronckles first heard her respond to their chattering amongst themselves, their jaws hit the ground. They're actually very kind and gentle creatures on the inside.

She had to get very close to the dragons to hear them, though. Uncle Skuf had explained that humans are very weak in projecting and hearing thoughts compared to dragons. Tofa's range at hearing them was only ten of her little paces, but it was enough to hold a conversation most times without people trying to shoo her away from the "dangerous beasts". They talked and talked to keep each other sane. Visions could be seen. Sounds could be heard. Memories could be experienced. Tofa had learned that dragons have a perfect memory and they were glad to share their experiences. It was like she cracked her egg and she flew high above the clouds and she plummeted on a shark and ate it. The projected thoughts carried every sensation.

She felt drawn to the forest and talked her father into allowing Skuf to take her there. There were Terrible Terrors, unfettered by the heartless Berserkers, and they were so fun to play with. They were the most adorable things, ever! All they ever talked about was who was better at this or that and Tofa was happy to be their unbiased judge and provider of belly rubs and chin scratches. Those were some of the absolute best days of her life.

It all came to an end, sadly, on one bright and sunny day. She was with her father in the forest, enjoying his precious time off from his duties, when a Terror flew right into her arms. It was the purple female she called Shrill. Shrill just snuggled right in and nuzzled Tofa's chin and neck, oblivious of her father, nearby. Another darted in, trying to dethrone his buddy, claiming he was more nimble in the air and, thus, more deserving of her attention.

Father drew his sword, ready to defend his daughter. The Terrors instantly skittered around to cling to Tofa's backside, still nipping at each other and arguing. The cuts from the frantic clawing hurt a lot, but the thought of her father killing such beautiful creatures hurt even more.

Tofa stamped her foot and shouted, "Bad daddy! Good dragons! Good daddys don't hurt good dragons!"

He made her send them off and never let her into the woods again as long as he lived.

Even though he had threatened them, they still cried with her in their own draconic way a year later when she told them of his death.

That was when Tofa had to go to the orphanage. It was boring there and the kids were either mean or scared, but Skuf had befriended Skullcrusher, a dragon recently taken into custody on Berserker Island. One night, he slipped Tofa away to Skullcrusher's cage for an introduction when nobody was around.

She instantly fell in love with him. He was the prettiest little Rumblehorn ever! However, Skuf warned her about approaching Skullcrusher while people were around because this was "their little secret". What almost happened to those Terrors in the forest would surely happen to her and any dragon she pets in public. He had her agree to visit Skullcrusher only in his company when he could be certain they were alone.

When she wasn't talking to dragons, Tofa loved watching Skuf spar with the sword. He was shorter than most of his peers, but fought with such dexterity and precision. No, she thought, he doesn't fight, he dances!

His light weight and lesser height allowed him to dance around blades and opponents. In recent years, Skuf had become almost untouchable and Tofa knew why. It wasn't because he was fast and clever, which he was, nor was it because he had a wonderful mentor, which he did. Well, all that probably helped, but he could hear the unspoken words.

Skuf had explained that people talk when they fight. Their eyes, swords, shoulders, and hips speak volumes about what they are going to do. However, people often lie, too. This is accepted and expected in sword-fighting. Nobody will appreciate an honest sword-fighter - with the exception of his opponents. Skuf could see through the lies. Everybody is always projecting some sort of hum that conveys their primal emotions. They're always speaking with unspoken words and Skuf could hear them all. He could tell when his opponent's movements did not match his intents. A feint could be anticipated. A quick strike could be coaxed into a more committed attack. Tofa concluded that Skuf is a soothsayer sword-dancer.

Up in the air, as Tofa leaned over the side of Toothless, she watched Skuf on the Outcast ship. It was just like Skuf's sword-dancing she had seen often in the past, but this time, he had a dragon as an ally! With so few torches lit, Hiccup had chanced flying lower so they could get a good view of the fight. The ship was a small cargo vessel with a flat deck and storage underneath. To her eyes, it very well could have been one of those trader ships that always bring interesting spices, exotic weapons, mirrors, and fascinating baubles she could never buy.

Skuf and Skullcrusher's entrance onto the ship was very straightforward. They simply dropped out of the night sky to slam down on one of the crew, crushing him and cracking the decking beneath. Skuf immediately slid down as Skullcrusher swung his flail of a tail around, knocking over a couple more Outcast crewmen while they were still struggling to collect their wits and their weapons. They didn't even know what hit them.

The glint from the torches on the deck reflected orange off Skuf's shortsword. With one quick move, blood spurt out from the underarm of one opponent while he was still trying to come to terms with what he just saw. Skuf then whirled about and deflected a downswing of an opponent's sword, which transitioned into a one-on-one duel while Skullcrusher stared down the four crewmen that were separated from them.

His opponent was a tall and burly man with a thick, black beard who wielded a crudely forged claymore, but the gleam along the edge promised that contact would be devastating. The Outcast's heavy blows were met with empty air. Brute strength railed against deft grace. As Skuf always said, Power without control is chaos.

The blades disengaged and Skuf took a step back. He gave a wry smile as he swung his sword around once in front of him in a demonstration of proficiency that wasn't excessively gaudy. They clashed again as Skuf allowed his opponent's sword to slide down the length of his blade and past the tip as he danced around. He had always believed that the cross-guard is a good fallback and is a critical tool for stronger fighters, but a step to the side is so much more efficient because stamina is a critical resource.

As the blades disengaged, Skuf ducked under an elbow aimed at his neck and put his fist in his opponent's back. They continued clashing as Skuf danced around and around, sending out an occasional fist to the side. He would never kick, though. One foot in the air means only one on the ground. It is a state of terrible vulnerability. Stomping on a grounded target can be acceptable at some times, but Skuf learned to never kick and always shuffled when he moved.

As the two fought below her, Tofa realized Skuf wasn't trying to kill his opponent... at least not yet. He was taunting him.

Skullcrusher continued his staring contest with the four crewmen as Skuf danced around his opponent. A quick move blocked a swing, but he could tell it was a feint. He stepped back as his opponent swung his blade in a tight circle, keeping its momentum and throwing him off balance at the lack of anticipated contact. As his opponent stumbled forward, Skuf hit the side of his opponent's wrist with his blade. The sword fell. Blood fell.

His opponent grunted and cursed, nursing his wrist and glaring at Skuf, who used his sword to point to the dinghy and took a menacing step forward. One of the crewmen in the staring contest with Skullcrusher regained his composure after the distraction with the brief duel and reached for his sword, prompting Skullcrusher to leap forward and roar loudly at him. He stumbled backward, tripped over the deck railing, and a splash could be heard.

Skuf once again used his sword to point to the dinghy. The crewmen started to quickly move in compliance as Skuf and Skullcrusher stared them down.

Tofa was startled out of her trance of admiring Skuf's sword-dancing by Hiccup, who looked quite nervous.

"So, that's it? That went so much worse in my head."

With the fight ended, Hiccup took them up higher to ensure they wouldn't be detected.

"Yup!" Tofa declared with a big smile. "Nobody can touch Uncle Skuf. He is a soothsayer sword-dancer! And did you see his coordination with Skullcrusher? It was such a beautiful dance!"

Hiccup frowned. "I really don't think that a beautiful dance would involve crushing someone under a dragon or slicing a wrist with a sword."

Tofa crossed her arms and looked up at Hiccup. "Do you really think you could have done better?"

"It's just… There's always a better way." Hiccup sighed. "Alright, I'll admit, even if I had his skill, I-"

Tofa hurriedly interrupted with a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, Mr. Firefly sir! I shouldn't question my elders. I believe you, but I assure you Skuf is not a maniac. He just wanted to scare them into obeying."

Hiccup gave a crooked smile. "Alright, I'll believe it. You probably picked up on my doubt, anyway, when I said that with my... unspoken words?"

"Yessir Mr. Firefly sir. I can hear your hum. Uncle Skuf always warned me that I should not open my mouth, though, just because I think I know something."

"Well, I guess that's good advice for your age. How does my... ummm... hum sound? That's emotions, right?"

"Yessir. It's a pleasant hum, but I can tell you're nervous. Don't worry; Nobody can hurt Uncle Skuf and Toothless is invisible. And has such a pretty voice." Tofa reached down and draped her little arms around Toothless' ear fins and he warbled softly at the compliment.

Hiccup leaned forward to talk to Toothless. "Hey, Bud, you can, ummm, talk to Skuf?"

Toothless craned his neck around and gave his rider a "what do you think" sort of look.

"Great. Tell him we'll join him in a bit. I want to watch the dinghy and make sure they're actually going back."

Toothless cocked his head to the side with a confused look on his face. Hiccup recognized this expression to mean, "Say it again, but differently."

Tofa spoke up. "Mr. Toothless sir, he means that smaller boat... yeah, that one there... Mr. Firefly, Toothless says Skuf says take your time, but he'll be ready when you are."

At Hiccup's quizzical look, she said, "I think your projection of the dinghy wasn't much different from any other boat. Focusing on the details of the things you say can help a dragon understand you.

Hiccup gave a thoughtful grunt as Tofa suddenly whirled around, declaring, "Hey, look, they made it!"

Hiccup groaned under his breath, "More surprises?"

A group of six Terrible Terrors flocked up from behind to land on the ship that Skuf just commandeered. Well, most of them did. One veered off to intercept the flying trio. Toothless turned it into a race, but between Tofa's, "Toothless, pleeease!" and Hiccup batting at his dragon's sensor lobes in irritation, the Night Fury was persuaded to allow the Terror to catch up and nestle into Tofa's lap.

Tofa stared at the new dragons behind them, now shrinking to specks. "They are mine, Mr. Firefly sir. I asked them to bring fish from the shallow waters around the island and find us."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Even if you can talk to them, how did you get them to cooperate? We've found Terrible Terrors to be selfish and lazy for the most part."

"Ah, that took uncle Skuf and me a while to figure out. They aren't lazy; they're actually really competitive and love to play games. But you have to make a contest out of something to get them to play. We challenged them to grab as much fish as they could carry. That way, we have some food so we're not depending on what's on that ship. They will probably argue about whether having the most or the biggest fish should win. Skuf will probably have to invent a few categories, like biggest fish, prettiest, or heaviest load."

"And this purple one, here?"

Tofa smiled down at the Terror. "Ah! Yes. Let's just say Shrill knows I have my favorites. And she has a fish. See? It can be a tribute to Toothless for letting us ride on him."

Hiccup leaned forward to see a decently-sized fish in the Terror's maw. He grinned, held out his hand, and was actually surprised when she graciously yielded the fish. He tossed it forward and Toothless lunged with a flap of his wings to snap it out of the air in mid-flight with an amused chortle.

Silence fell over the trio as they continued to shadow the dinghy far below. Tofa watched with fascination as Hiccup moved the control lever for Toothless' tail fin as they idly flew about in lazy patterns. Her eyes were constantly darting between Hiccup's leg on the control mechanism and the tail fin it controlled.

She asked, "Mr. Firefly sir, who decides where to fly? Is it Toothless or you? He told me to ask you as you're better at explaining these sorts of things."

Tofa knew that last bit was a fib. Toothless could show her in the blink of an eye, but the dragon told her to ask the rider instead. He was very upset that she told Hiccup about biting his leg back when they killed that demonic queen and Tofa wanted to make amends. Toothless figured that having his rider explain something would help distract him from the things that weighed him down.

Hiccup chewed his lip for a moment. Nobody had ever asked about the details of how he and Toothless interact in-flight.

"I suppose it's a compromise. If I want to go in a certain direction, Toothless can feel me lean and adjust the tailfin. Then again, Toothless can insist on a direction and I can feel his intents – the muscles flexing at the base of his neck between my legs, mainly. The way he leans and… I guess I'm just so used to him that every subtle motion communicates to me."

"Who is controlling how we fly right now?"

"Right now I am just following Toothless' lead. He's the one doing the real work, so it's only right that he should call the shots. Flying is kinda like climbing a hill. The path you take can make all the difference. One path can provide roots with firm ground and trees to steady yourself, while another has loose stones or wet grass that makes progress slower and more tiring. I quickly learned to respect Toothless's abilities to find the best path. He can find those thermals I would never have noticed or angle himself with the wind so it helps us.

"But if, say, I really want to veer off to the right…" Hiccup demonstrated by leaning as he adjusted the tail fin, bringing them into a gentle banking turn. "Then Toothless can feel what I want and fly like so. When I'm happy to let Toothless make all the decisions again, he can somehow just sense it, I think when he feels me relax in the saddle. We trust and respect each other, so there's no issue about who is in charge. It's like what Skuf always says about trust being the mother of cooperation.

"We're not just two creatures trying to cooperate to fly, but rather one dragon-Viking creature. Toothless wears me on his back like a cape and I become a part of his body. Likewise, I move with his movements and his tail fin that I operate becomes an extension of my body just like a knife is an extension of one's arm. I suppose we sorta lose our sense of individual self and become one creature."

Tofa pondered on that for a moment. "You're a dragon whisperer, too, then."

"Nah, I can't hear Toothless the way you or Skuf can."

"Maybe not as we can, but in some way."

"Maybe..."

"I think you can hear Toothless better than you realize, Mr. Firefly sir. Maybe you just need to spend time to recognize it."

Hiccup scratched Toothless under his sensor lobes, drawing out a quiet trill. "That would be amazing when that time comes, then. Anyway, I think we've followed this dinghy long enough. They're making progress towards Outcast Island. Looks like they set up a sail for themselves."

Hiccup leaned left to turn them around in a gentle banking turn. "Let's go check up on Skuf and Skullcrusher."

The flight back was uneventful, but as they approached the boat, Hiccup saw three other dragons lounging on the deck along with Skuf and Skullcrusher: two Deadly Nadders and a Monstrous Nightmare. The Terrible Terrors formed a singular heap of scales on the deck where they slept. Hiccup put them into a pattern of circling above the boat, unsure of the situation.

Tofa looked up at Hiccup to answer his unspoken question. "Toothless says that Skuf says they're friendly. They were stuck in cages below the deck and are very grateful to have been released. They asked to stay with us as they would not know where to go right now."

Content with that, Hiccup landed them in a clearing on the deck. The three newly freed dragons looked up to acknowledge the new visitors, but then laid their heads down again to sleep. Hiccup lowered Tofa to the deck and slid down the side of Toothless' neck and walked over to Skuf, who seemed to be having a staring contest with Skullcrusher. He was distracted, though, by Tofa's usual giddiness as she hugged Toothless' head.

"Thank you thank you Mr. Toothless, sir! That was amazing! I flew! I flew! ... Well, I'm glad I wasn't a burden to you. Uncle Skuf, when can we go flying again?"

Tofa whirled around towards Skuf and Skullcrusher, but her smile dissipated as she took in the situation and ran over to them. "Oh, poor Skullcrusher!"

Hiccup was still trying to make sense of the situation. "What... is... going on, Skuf?"

Skuf knelt down and held out his hand to Tofa, who grabbed onto it. Tofa said "Skuf says he freed these dragons from their cages and they ate some fish and are sleeping it off. We saved some for Toothless and there's some dried meats for us to eat. Skullcrusher is-"

"Wait" Hiccup interrupted. "Tofa, you can hear Skuf just like you can hear dragons? The speaking without words?"

"Sure! Why not? Same thing. I am happy to be Skuf's slate board."

She giggled sheepishly as Skuf grinned down at her. She lunged at Skullcrusher and embraced his head. "Poor Skullcrusher. He's feeling sad... and confused."

Hiccup took a step closer, but hesitated. Skuf had told him about the dragon and assured him that he would be friendly, but Hiccup could see that he was agitated.

Looking at Skullcrusher, he said "What's wrong, big fella? You just escaped a cage. You're free to do whatever you want! I would imagine you'd be happy."

Tofa looked back at Hiccup, still clinging tightly to Skullcrusher's maw. "He thinks everything is a cage. The queen's mind snare he escaped was a cage. Berserker island is a cage. This boat is a cage. Skuf told him that we could go to Berk together, but he thinks that would be a cage. There would be expectations, which would be like a cage without bars."

Hiccup scratched his chin. "Well, buddy, you don't have to go to Berk. I have no control over you. You're free to fly off if you want. Find a place to live, find your family, or... I dunno what dragons do on their own, especially your species."

"That's the thing" Tofa said. "He doesn't want to leave us. We are his cage."

She leaned over to look into one of Skullcrusher's eyes. "Silly dragon, that can't make sense. To leave is a cage, to stay is a cage. What, is the entire world a cage to you? ... no, I don't want you to leave. I'd miss you... but..."

Tofa's voice softened to a somber mumble. "I wouldn't want to stop you if you really wanted to go." Her face suddenly brightened at hearing some unspoken message from the dragon and she wrapped her arms around the horn on his snout. "Then I am your cage. I shall never let you escape, you silly dragon!"

Hiccup was very confused. "What... just happened?"

Tofa hooked one arm around Skullcrusher's horn and spun around on it to face him. "Poor little dragon knows nothing but cages. He was trapped in the cage of the demon's mind control ever since he was born. Then, after escaping, he was trapped in a cage of iron and stone on Berserker Island. Now that he's out, he still thinks he's in a cage of some sort. Skuf keeps telling him the cage is in his own mind. Skullcrusher is a silly little dragon. Aren't you, Mr. Rumblehorn?"

"Well, that is... interesting." Hiccup said. His head was still spinning at all this dragon talk with two dragon whisperers and all that could entail. "Well, Skullcrusher, you're welcome to stay on Berk with Skuf. He'll take care of you. You don't have to stay if you don't want to, but we'd love to have you around."

Skullcrusher chuffed and nuzzled Tofa. Hiccup took a couple tentative steps towards the dragon, who heeded Tofa's and Skuf's prodding to reciprocate the gesture. Hiccup couldn't help but smile as he closed the gap and reached out to touch Skullcrusher's snout.

"And I promise no cages."

Skullcrusher gave Hiccup a quick lick on the cheek, causing Toothless to jump up, alarmed by the sudden move, but settled back down after seeing there was no threat.

Hiccup turned to Skuf. "Well, I guess that's enough adventure for one night, eh? I'll keep our course. As Toothless' rider, I have become as nocturnal as him. You and Tofa get some sleep.

Skuf thumped his right fist to his chest in a show of gratitude.

"Good night Mr. Firefly sir!" Tofa cried out as Skuf led her into the under-deck to find some bedding.

Hiccup turned back to Skullcrusher. "Thanks for trusting me, big guy. I can't imagine how sad you must have been in cages your whole life, but I think you'll like it on Berk. And if you don't, you're a free dragon. You fly where you please!"

Skullcrusher warbled and snorted in a way Hiccup decided to interpret as friendly acknowledgment.

"Rest up. We'll be home in a couple days. Toothless and I will watch over you while you sleep."

A/N:

Ya know, it's only now that I realize I seem to always have some sort of comic relief character in all my stories. Here, it's Tofa. If you've ever read Hookfang's Tale, it's Barf and Belch (aka Spit and Sputter). In Dragons 101, it's Hauk. I never really meant to do that by design. I guess I'm helpless to write dark and somber stories, only to realize I need some sort of sunshine and rainbow element to make it less dreary. I'm just amazed I never noticed this trend until after I wrote three stories and then got a third of the way through renovating this one.