The sun, which rose from beyond the magenta horizon, whose luminous rays heated the soil from north to south, indicated, that the isle of Berk, emptied of war cries, started another, oddly cloudless day. Even though it'd been an early dawn, that is, when the breeze of the wind was characterized by a cold personality, Hiccup strode through the village's market, thus the food stalls, which were not yet overcrowded by Vikings.
Yawning, wiping her eyes, having a rather reduced gait, her body screamed drowsiness, although she'd never stopped, making further and further steps forward, downhill toward the dockside of the townlet. It is to avoid the queue, she'd repeated herself, however, being the night owl that she was, the desire to go back to bed precluded her from any satisfaction with that fact, leaving her only with the general exhaustion.
At some point, she'd nearly fallen to the ground, being shoved by the rushing Viking, and while she'd glared at him, she'd forgotten the whole incident, once noticing he'd not been the only one in such a hurry. Actually, it'd been an entire group of them, everybody heading in the same direction, hence, curiosity bugged her mind and she'd found herself lifting her head, searching for the explanation of the fuss.
Ultimately, when stepping on the wooden docking, she'd seen it - at the horizon, just over the ocean's surface, the single, multicolored boat - therefore, notwithstanding her previous reluctance, she sprinted onwards. Sooner than later, mid-run, she'd caught a glimpse of Gobber, chose him as her target, and hustled to him, barely avoiding plummeting into the water, when she stopped by him, lost balance, and got snagged by his hook prosthesis.
"Slow down, Hiccup!" he laughed, enabling her to get on her feet, lowering her to the floor. "'s rather too early for the bath, ain't ya think?"
"Thanks for the save," she replied, panted whereas her eyes were fixed on the ship, constantly. "They're really back?"
"Aye, and finally. They've made us wait for them, rednecks," he grumbled, staring at the sea just as she did, when suddenly, the concern clouded his features. "They've got a weak attendance."
"The other boats could've been just destroyed," she ensured, twisted her thumb, hard. "Everybody must be on that single one."
"Let's hope for it," he muttered, then limped to the platform, where the boat was about to be docked.
In the meantime, Hiccup stayed still, hugging her arms, almost swallowing her heart, when hearing an anchor hitting the water's surface, and the ship stopped, followed by the waves that splashed her feet from between wood's cracks. Her attention focused on the drained people, each alleviated after coming out of the unstable construction, however, she'd only breathed out relief, when recognizing her father in the group, safe and sound.
Maintaining the rather large basket at his shoulder, the man conversed with Gobber, who followed him closely and must've asked thousands of questions already, guessing by Stoic's discontented expression. Eventually, she'd met his eyes, and, speechlessly, they'd gaped at one another, unsure of their obligement, of their moves, until Gobber creased the charade, throwing his arms as he exclaimed.
"Quit that, already! Hug yerselves, ain't pretend insensible!"
Accordingly, they'd both heaved a sigh, and finally, as Hiccup approached him, Stoic pulled her into a bear hug, which seized the oxygen out of her lungs, though that didn't disturb her, rather brought back the lost serenity. Later on, they'd let go of each other whilst they'd grinned, albeit for short, because Hiccup gazed at the damaged, dotted boat, and fretted, taking in the sight of her father's body, carefully.
"Ye've not been hurt, right?" she asked, nodding just as he did too. "That's good and foremost, that everyone's alright."
"There're some wounded, but outside that, everybody's good," he reassured, patted her head, quickly. "Now, how's been trainin'?"
"'ll be better, soon," Gobber broke in, fetching the attention away from tongue-tied Hiccup, circling his arm around her shoulders. "For now, let's celebrate the return."
"Ye've not done any improvement?" Stoic questioned, his narrowed eyes betraying his irritation. "I thought we'd got a deal."
"Stoic!" Gobber shouted, furrowing his brows at the cited man, who rolled his eyes. "Go easy, ye've just returned, and yer absence wasn't the easiest time for us," he justified, letting go of the woman, just to twist his prosthesis, anxious. "The forge was burned down."
"What?" Stoic inquired, the vexation being replaced by the worry, at once. "Did anyone-?"
"Nobody died, 'though if it wasn't for the lass, I'd be, surely," Gobber explained, and so, Hiccup received Stoic's gaze, unreadable if either proud, maybe indifferent, foremostly short. "We've got quite a hard time at rebuildin', let's just postpone the duties. Everybody's earned the break, ain't deprive us of cheer, yet."
Not right away had Stoic responded, but after he'd stared at his daughter, who tensed under the influence of the intensity of it, and sighed, defeated. "Fine, but prepare a beer, necessarily," he muttered, went through them, his pace heavy, exhausted, and faded into the slight crowd, steadily.
In the meantime, the woman watched him do so, her hands squeezed around her upper arms, when suddenly, Gobber's palm landed at her shoulder, and so, she spoke to him, "Thanks for the save, again," gazing at him, gratefully.
"I'll not always be able to protect ya, Hiccup," he pointed out, narrowing his eyes at her, seriously. "'d be for best, if ya'd really stopped holdin' back yerself, ain't ya think?"
Subsequently, he'd left, however, she'd not even glanced at him, not even shortly, not even thought of the words he'd just said, but about the man, whose eyes were just like the overgrown water she stared at.
The forest, verdant path, which would always lead to the cove without much trouble, was exceptionally tortuous today, maybe because of the pace she'd flown with, maybe with the pressure that boiled in her veins, yet still. Almost twice had she smashed into the coniferous fir, thrice had she been hit by the sharp leaves, but, at last, she'd reached the target, landed at the center of the cave-in, at whose beauty she'd not even peered.
Right away, she'd searched for Toothless, examined his notorious dens, and finally, glimpsed him sleeping, hanging down from the dense branch, the leaves obscuring his body, yet leaving his delicate, facial features at view. Therefore, she'd found herself forgetting the whole cause of her coming here, gaped at him as if stunned, as if enchanted, as if the world and worries were a mere whisper that skimmed her ears, lightly.
As she'd approached him slowly, without much snapping out of the feeling, her eyes spotted such details as his tail, circled around the wood, his wings, wrapped tightly around his body, although her attention remained on his face, never fleeing her eyes from it. Eventually, when after taking many steps, she halted just underneath him, so if he'd really open his eyes, he'd find himself face to face with her, their noses inches from each other, their breaths knotting in the wind.
She could've woken him up, yet she wouldn't. She could've alerted him of her presence, yet she wouldn't. She could've behaved duly, as she's supposed to, yet she'd not ever, yearning the warmth, the security. At some point, she'd lifted her head up, just merely, just weakly, but enough that their scales grazed against one another, hence he stirred in between the slumber, though didn't wake, much to her delight.
Ultimately though, just as the male's nose sniffed, having smelled his guest likely, he'd opened his eyes, barely and drowsy, although enough so they'd come upon hers, dilated and panicked, yet unmoving, not evading his gaze. Hereafter, Hiccup thickened into the ocean, the algae caressing her face, the salt cramming her lungs and stomach, the aroma of the burnt wood, the warmth, everything filled her, leaving her at the edge between reality and infinity.
It turned out, at last, that he must've not recognized the situation previously, because suddenly, his eyes widened as he yelped, "Hiccup! his body drawing back, and his expression screamed surprise, while the rest got out of hand, just afterward.
All it took was a sharp move, a strong pull, and the branch, beforehand perfect and flawless, cracked like the stick broken by the child, thus sending both itself and the male to the earth, to the hard soil, which welcomed Toothless's muzzle, gladly. The worst victim, however, was the female herself, who, even if avoiding the male's weight, acquired the large, heavy wood on herself, which bruised her back badly, thus she roared, painfully.
Like clockwork, without lasting a second to bear his ache, he'd stood up, tossed the bark out of his tail, and gazed at the female, his hastened breath betraying his worry and startle as he studied her state. Unlike certain, it'd not ended with just some pinned fins, but the entire log that mashed her into the footing, and so, he'd bolted to grab it with his teeth, toss it away, while Hiccup could've breathed in, finally.
"Fuck," he cursed, bent downward to gaze at her injuries, nonexistent, fortunately. "I am so sorry. I have known it is unstable, but-,"
"I am fine. The air was just pushed out of my lungs-," she stated, paused when the ache shot her back after she'd tried to stand up, and she whined, hurt.
"Easy, sunshine," he said, forcing her down with his muzzle, gently. "Stay still, please."
Thereafter, she'd listened to him, laid down on the dirt, and tensedwhen his snout pressed itself into the end of her back, at the beginning of her spine, and from there, traveled up through the whole distance of her torso. Accordingly, the shiver ran through her body, and once she'd sensed his breath up her neck, she'd felt how her chest shook with the purr, which endeavored to escape her mouth, unsuccessfully.
"Nothing is fractured, luckily," he declared, then walked to the front of her, surveyed her skull, thoroughly. "It has not hit your head, or had it?"
Suddenly, without much of a warning, Hiccup lifted her head, thus they'd returned to the previous situation, when their noses, as well as their eyes, were almost the one, when the hairsbreadth split them from being one. Instantly after, Toothless drowned in the depths of the woods, the lake water sweetening his senses, the scent of herbs and flowers, the chilliness, everything filled him, leaving her behind the edge of infinity.
"I really am fine, Toothless," Hiccup pressed suddenly as if grabbing his arms, seizing him back at the edge itself. "Really."
Immediately, the smile brightened on her face, the smile he could not ignore, the smile he must return, even if merely, even if weakly, but honestly, whilst bumping his nose onto hers, purring without limitations. Ultimately, he'd stepped away, exhaled deeply, and before she could've known that, his tail whacked her chin, though not so to cause harm, but rather to teach a lesson when the seriousness transformed his face, unexpectedly.
"Have I not told you that, already?" he grumbled, narrowing his eyes, vexed. "Do not wake sleeping dragon, otherwise such things happen!"
"Oh, I am sorry," she apologized, though her cocked brows betrayed the irony, "but how could I know dragons are such rapid creatures!"
"I think, you have already got quite an experience about that," he stated, smirking quickly, before straightening, at last. "We had better reschedule that flying lesson, in that case. Otherwise, you may lose a wing in ignorance."
"Actually, I would postpone it either way," she remarked, stood up when the pain vanished, finally. "My father has returned."
"I see," he replied, then asked, "Is he well?"
"He is fine, healthy," she answered, her features being clouded by an odd anxiety. "He has not found the nest."
"That is good, very good," he retorted, tilting his head as she'd turned hers away. "I guess you are leaving to enjoy his presence."
"The whole village will be enjoying that presence," she responded, the slight anger crossing her face, quickly. "We have a party of a kind."
"The party you seem not very eager to go to, as if under some duress" he noted, and she nodded, glum. "You must go?"
"I-, I do," she sighed, glanced at him, faking a light smile. "I just wanted to inform you, so you would not be stressed."
"You did not have to," he insisted, gazing at her, actually surprised.
"Contrary to some, I notify, whenever I am about to disappear for long," she said, the corner of her mouth raising itself up.
"Touche."
Consequently, he'd cherished the amusement on her face, although not for much, because it'd only been a juncture, and she gazed at the ground, her expression hardened - the one he'd hated the most, not of her fault. Ultimately, he'd flight his common sense, the remaining of his past self, which yelled, screamed, begged to stay out of it, however, he'd not existed anymore, and his words were as insignificant as he'd ever been.
"Maybe," he started, smiled awkwardly, released her hand when falling, falling deep, "I could go, walk you there?"
"So, we agree that no one should see us?" Hiccup asked, staring at the male beside, her expression grave, serious.
"You have given rather convincing arguments for that, already," he responded, his eyes locked on the way ahead while flying just over the forest, his expression bored, annoyed.
"And even if, let's avoid conversation as much as possible," she continued, paused when the pine divided them, shortly. "The truth is any encounter is a risk, you will be recognized as-,"
"As that Roman, yes I got it," he wrapped up for her, glanced, and rolled his eyes at her. "I will never hear the end of this."
"Foremostly though, just do not let emotions take over you," she elucidated, gnashing her teeth, nervous. "I know these people are unbearable sometimes-,"
"First of all, when have I ever let emotions take over me?" he inquired, his eyebrow lifted when gazing at her. "Second of all, we can always turn back, you know? It was just a proposition, about going with you, and since you are so worried-,"
"No, I am sorry," she apologized, grazed his wing with hers at the turn, barely. "We must not go back. It is just that, I am-,"
"What, cranky and annoying?" he interrupted, smirked at her, mockingly.
"I have meant to say worried, but thank you, for that unnecessary insult," she said, although the slight smile sneaked onto her face.
"I learn from the best," he stated, blinking at her, then inched nigher her, when her concerned frown returned. "You have said, that place is well-hidden, so why unnerved so much?"
"Have you not ever felt, that something bad was just about to happen, without even reason?"
"Of course, constantly even," he answered, landing on the ground just after she did, just behind her. "However, I would not bother that much."
"Why not?" she questioned as she turned to him, curious.
"Because, the feeling, it is just that. The feeling," he declared, approached her slowly, stood just in front of her, face to face, body to body. "Do not make my mistakes, Hiccup. Do not try to predict life, because you might miss it, just as I did before meeting you."
Afterward, she'd gaped at him, surprised by his words, taken aback, turned her head away when replying, "Okay," and looked around, as if she'd not avoided his eyes of shyness, but anything else, whatever else. "The rest of the way, we will go on foot."
"Alright then," he agreed, they'd both changed, and as he brushed his hair out of his face, asked, "So, what's the direction-," and gazed at her, he froze, his eyes wide.
"Straight right there," she answered, pointing to the right, at the well-trodden path. "'s about a kilometer away, but I've wanted to be safe, also it shouldn't be a problem for us."
Alas, Toothless had registered neither of her words, his eyes fixed on herself, his arms lowered to his sides, having his attention focused on the woman, whose unusual clothing left him speechless, took the breath out of his chest, rapidly. The auburn, long hair knotted into the two braids, the green dress, having some of the blue, aqua ornaments on itself, also the beige fur, which covered her shoulders - all of that, captured on the woman, he couldn't dismiss it.
"Earth to Toothless!" Hiccup called suddenly, waving her hand in front of his face, her grin bright, stunning. "Hi, it's me."
"Hi," he responded, his voice hoarse, and grunted before adding, "You look-,"
"Diffrently? So, ye've noticed?" she giggled, then gazed down at her outfit herself. "Well, 's quite an event, I must look adequately," she stated, grabbed the edges of her skirt, and lifted away, expanding the material. "I ain't wear dresses often, so 's rather change, 'though I worried what others will say," she confessed, glancing at him, frowning when seeing his strange reaction. "Honestly, what ya think? Too less, too much?"
"I mean," he started, closing his expression up so as not to ridicule himself more, what he'd done for enough, "I am not much of an expert, and my opinion shouldn't mind you much-,"
"Toothless, that's okay if ya ain't like it," she retorted, hugged herself tightly, and whispered, "Though that might not be dress's fault."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, troubled, triggered. "What's fault would that even be, then?"
"Well… mine," she replied, avoiding his eyes, her plastered, weak smile as if the knife, stabbed into his heart. "Ain't concern yerself, tho. I'll just redress, that's all-,"
"Hiccup, the fuck stop that, because you look beautiful! You are beautiful," he exclaimed, started straight into her shocked, dark, forest-green, captivating eyes, and swallowed when muttered, "The dress is very pretty."
"Oh, um… thanks," she mumbled and stepped nearer him, her face overtaken by scarlet blush. "That was, really encouragin', needed surely. I feared that nobody would like it."
"I like it," he admitted, rubbing his neck, his eyes elsewhere than at her, "although my opinion doesn't mean much."
"Toothless, yer opinion means more than anyone's will ever," she pressed, stumbled as he gazed at her, astonished. "It means the world to me."
Consequently, they'd stayed still, the wind brushing the man's hair, the sun brightening the woman's eyes, the chirping of birds swathing the space with melody, and the scent of flowers enclosing them with a pleasant aroma. At some point, Hiccup's hand drew toward Toothless's face, and so, he'd frozen, as she'd brushed away his hair out of his face, even more when she beamed at him, then hidden her arms behind her back, insisting.
"We should go. We're rather in a hurry."
Thereafter, he'd loosened, exhaling before saying, "Lead the way," smiling as he'd followed her steps forward.
Thus, just as once ago, they'd been strolling side by side through the same woods, through the same route, however, today's sky was luminous, and the sun shone upon them, brightly.
It didn't take them much to leave the forest and appear by the Village's outskirts, although neither was really satisfied with that, desiring to remain in between the greenish richness, where their voices were the only ones. Unfortunately, while neither confessed that, they'd entered the townlet, avoiding encounters, so walking through dark alleys, on top of the roofs, occasionally only being at the main street, really.
One could've said, their way was rather tedious, without many issues, maybe outside of a sudden moment, when after being almost revealed, Hiccup's been impacted into Toothless's chest by the man himself. The swift motion, as he'd snatched her hand, wasn't meant to do that but pull her out of danger, hence, they'd both been reddened when so, having their chests plastered to each other's, though brushed the situation off, without batting an eye.
Ultimately, they'd arrived at the spot, the flat stone wall, which Hiccup's difficulty climbing onto, although was fastly assisted, when Toothless grabbed her waist, and without trouble dumped her upward, much to her annoyment. If it wasn't enough, the man himself clambered the elevation as if he'd readied his whole life for that, and once he'd been on top, he'd smirked at the woman, who rolled her eyes - only after that they'd continued their way, stopped by the steep of isle's largest mountain.
"Hiccup, I ain't like you enough, so to carry you up that cliff. You know that, right?" he noted, gazing at the mentioned mountain's tip, his smirk bright.
"Ain't worry, I hate ya also," she replied, her expression remaining irritated, before walking past him forward. "C'mon, I've gotta show ya somethin'."
Therefore, he'd followed her to the mountain's ascent, knitted his brows confused, once she'd revealed from behind the dense bushes the wooden, small window, having the cover over itself, which she lifted, effortlessly. In doing so, she'd broken some vines, that had been plastered to the top, that fell to the ground now, and ultimately, she sat by the opening and invited Toothless to do the same, which he did, eventually.
Instantly, he'd been met with a burst of heat, and as he gazed into the insides of the stone, surprised when noticing people gathered inside, enclosed by the light of torches, the aroma of dishes, and the sound of their own voices.
"That's Great Hall," Hiccup described, herself enjoying the view from the upward. "The place we gather, in happiness and threat."
"Ah, so the hideout. Good to know, maybe I'll use that knowledge someday, at the raid, perhaps," he joked, chuckling as she narrowed her eyes at him, not amused. "What's the window doing here?"
"Since the entire place was dug inside the stone, my ancestors assembled some of them," she explained, leaned her arms at the frame, coated by the greenish, dried ivy. "For the oxygen, also sunlight."
"Right," he replied, followed her example, and relied himself on the window, gazed down at the Vikings, at ease. "It's admirable here, warm. Just like in the nest."
"Ain't ya miss it, sometimes? The nest?" she asked, then furrowed her brows as he'd shook his head. "Why not? Isn't that yer home?"
"That place isn't my home, freckles," he pressed, tensing his arms evidently, continued when seeing her concerned frown. "Here, everybody seems happy, joyful, fearless. It's not what I experienced in the nest, and if there is anything I could really miss about that place is only my parents - dead."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm fine. I ain't want to think about it, much," he urged and Hiccup didn't push further, smiled when he proposed, "Tell me something about them, who you like, who you not."
"Alright," she agreed, afterward pointing at Stoic, standing by the barrel, most likely crammed with beer. "See that man? That's my father - the chief."
"Seriously?" he inquired, his eyes wide, locked at the large man, and snorted after she'd nodded. "No offense, but haven't you ever thought that you just might be adopted?"
"Asshole," she cursed, elbowing his side, though the slight grin crept onto her face. "Hey, 's Gobber!"
"I know Gobber, I'd like to know somebody else," he reminded, pointed with his nose at the group of young adults. "Them, for instance."
"Good shot," she praised, however, shrank in herself, afterward. "Those are my peers."
"Ah, so they are," he responded, very much noticing a sudden change in her behavior. "Since that, we don't like them."
"Toothless, I'll not tell ya, who to like and who to not."
"Right, right, but you would rip my throat, if I'd ever smiled at them, wouldn't ya?" he chuckled and nudged his elbow with hers, lightly. "Although, isn't it like in saying - the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Maybe, they're already my best pals."
"Moron," she groaned, although returned the nudge, then beamed abruptly, at the sounding of the new noise. "They started music, finally. The sound played to be pleasin' for the ear," she cheered and clarified, once gazing at his puzzled self. "Ain't ya never heard it? Really?"
"I heard, though dragons use it rather as the hypnosis, the threat," he justified, suddenly then, as if after realization, protected her ears, himself gnashing his teeth.
"'s not the same, Toothless!" she giggled, removing his palms off her face, smiling at him, softly. "'s just fun, nothin' to be concerned about."
"I hope you're right because I've saved your ass, too many times," he grumbled, she sighed, and they watched how the Vikings gathered in the duos. "What are they doing?"
"Oh, they'll be dancin' - moving to the rhythm of the tune," she illustrated, caressing her hands against her forearms. "Often, 's in the pairs."
Afterward, he'd not replied, though nodded approving, before they'd fallen silent, keeping their eyes continually on the inside, occasionally peeking at each other, most likely at the same time, hence the awkwardness crossing them, shortly. At some point, the man crossed his arms, and so, he skimmed his fingers at hers, which were plastered to her forearm - ultimately after, they spoke simultaneously, synchronically to one another.
"Ya'd like to dance?"
"You'd like to dance?" they asked, blinked at each other, surprised. "You don't have to if you-,"
"Ya ain't have to if you-,"
Thereby, they'd grinned at one another amused, before Toothless handed Hiccup his hand, they stood up and walked away to the empty space at the rear, while the man's thumb stroked the woman's skin, gently.
"I'd like to remind you, I've got no idea what I'm doing," he muttered as they stopped at the place, squeezing her hand, pleading. "Could you show me, how it's done?"
She'd not even had to agree - immediately, she'd gone round him, set herself by his side, so they'd both faced opposite directions, before, raising his arm, she bent it in his elbow and fisted it, later on, relied her own on his forearm. In the meantime, he'd allowed her for that, observed each of her moves as if hypnotized, thus, he'd not even noticed it when she'd made a step forward, and he must've caught up whereas they walked in the circles.
"Now, that's dancing," he affirmed, having his eyebrows furrowed, for any reason. "Pretty boring, if you ask me."
"For once, couldn't ya do somethin', which isn't interestin'?" she inquired, gazing at him, annoyed. "The dance's supposed to be like this - easy and effortless."
"But, it's pointless," he spotted, narrowed his eyes, perplexed. "Why would you do somethin', that doesn't have any meaning, that doesn't have any result within?"
"'s not pointless," she infused, then suddenly, she turned around, returned to the position, and waited until he understood and followed her movements - only then, they continued. "It might seem so, but foremostly, 's the respite, the brief moment, in between these battles and wars, which ye're forgettin' all the worries, all the troubles."
"Yet, they still exist."
"Of course they are, and ya'll have to return to them, soon. However, right now, they're likely invisible, negligible against the thought of where to put the feet, how to match the rhythm, when to change the move," she described, staring into his eyes. "Honestly, throughout that point, ye've thought about the curse, at least once?"
"Well, no," he started, gaped at her, shocked, "Not even once."
"That's how it works," she finalized, hastened the gait, so moving to the front of him, and sequentially, placed his arms at her waist and shoulder, doing the same with her own, and rocked them to the song. "Now, realizin' that, 's really that borin', still?"
"To be honest, since I can speak freely, having no concerns, I may say it, loudly," he began, mashing their foreheads together, grinning brightly, "I'd spend eternity, dancing like that, and nor for a second I'd be bored, if it meant I'd do it with you."
Henceforth, there'd been the beam out of her side only, and they'd giggled whilst he'd swung her body, the melody gaining on the velocity, hence they also, the song gaining on the volume, hence their laughter, their joy also. Eventually, while their rotating quickened to the point when the woman must've gripped the man hard, and while the song was coming to an end, he snatched her waist and lifted her into the air, stayed still, whereas the music creased.
Accordingly, being face-to-face, inches from one another, they'd stared at each other's panting, reddish selves, both tongue-tied, both aware of the nonexistent distance between themselves, both yearning for the forbidden. Ultimately though, their attention turned back to the window, when the racket of applause and cheering sounded through it, and Toothless gazed at Hiccup seriously, discomforted as he suggested.
"You should go, presumably."
"Right," she agreed, pinching the skin of her forearm, after he lessened her to the footing, slowly. "Ye've really sweetened me the time, thank ya."
"You're welcome, always," he stated, his expression grave, notwithstanding the fact that the woman hugged him, tightly. "Let's have that flying lesson tomorrow morning, okay? The earlier, the better."
"Of course," she approved, letting go of him, unhurriedly. "I promise."
Afterward, she'd walked away, waved him goodbye whereas the man stayed still, and vanished behind the hill, just as the sun vanished from the bright sky itself.