The Duel
Hiccup put the final touch on his finished leather armor. Its completion had taken a full week of working off and on between the other duties in preparation for war: such as sharpening spears, shaping arrows or molding horseshoes, repairing saddles, and other related duties.
Pitch-dark leather would cover every inch of his torso, arms, and legs. There was no metal in his armor, except what was necessary for his wingsuit, which would help keep it as light as possible. The wings were perfectly integrated into the rest of the attire. A black helmet with tiny slits for eyes fully covered his head and would protect him from windburn. Hooks and latches on the back would help secure Inferno in place. He also found a way to add a small parachute which he could use to slow his descent for a solo-landing. He'd have to test that before too long so he could be sure it would function properly.
He stepped back, cross his arms, and admired his work. It was perhaps a little bulky on the back, but it would not create too much drag. Further, it was about as slim as he could make it while keeping everything which was necessary.
"Not too bad. This'll work..."
The only way he could improve on the wingsuit and armor would be if he had actual Fury scales available. However, the Furies didn't shed those that often. Toothless had lost the occasional scale back in the cove, his barn in the Shire, and in the wild of the Northern Waste, but he had not lost enough that they had been worth collecting.
His work finished in the forge for the day and having a couple hours to spare, he strolled up to his house where he stored his various supplies. He stashed away his armor, retrieved Inferno and several arrows, and then left for the practice range.
Legolas had been giving him lessons over the last week. There was no one better to instruct him in finer points of archery form.
Men were practicing with their bows all down the practice field when he arrived there.
Legolas noticed him coming and set aside his bow. The target the Elf had been aiming at had a dozen arrows clustered within a couple inches of each other.
Now that is someone who never misses.
"Greetings, Master Haddock, are you ready?"
"Yes, Master Legolas. I am."
He strode over to Legolas's side, selected a target at thirty paces, and knocked the bow. He checked his posture, raised his elbow slightly, and loosed the arrow. The arrow drifted a couple feet off-target but still hit the board about twenty paces away.
"Do you know what went wrong?" Legolas asked.
"Shoulder alignment?"
"Correct. Again."
He drew and loosed another arrow in one swift motion. This shot flew true and struck only inches off his target. Several more shots followed, most of which were within a foot or two of the target.
"Impressive, Master Haddock. You indeed have natural skill with the bow," Legolas remarked.
"Well, it fits my build better than any other weapon, and I have been using one for years. None as fine as this one, of course."
"What lesson would you wish to have today?" Legolas then asked.
There was indeed one lesson in particular which he saw value in receiving.
"I probably need to learn to use the bow while riding. I've been practicing that on Toothless for a while now, but I'm sure you could help me."
Legolas nodded once.
"Certainly. It is probably similar to archery from horseback. Obviously there is understanding of how the one who is carrying you moves. I cannot teach that, but there are some techniques I can show you from horseback."
Great, I guess I have to learn horseback riding.
That thought left him wondering. Was he going to become a man of Rohan? He already contributed to Rohan through work in the forge. But he was also, first and foremost, part of the pack. It was as though he had two different identities at once, but only one of those truly mattered or was really him. He was not at all a man of Rohan.
"Master Haddock?" Legolas asked.
"Sorry, I was thinking."
Legolas then gestured toward the stables.
"That can be done while walking."
Legolas was kind enough to speak instructions in Elvish to the horse. Otherwise the time would have been wasted.
Hiccup realized that he had no innate skill with horses. It was possible that a proper riding relationship required some level of understanding and trust between the horse and rider.
The process seemed almost similar to those first few days of figuring everything out with Toothless down in the cove; however, this was very different in one key respect. Horseback riding seemed more about the rider giving cues or instruction to the horse, whereas communication had gone both ways between him and Toothless. Toothless also had been more active and understanding in the process, quickly figuring out essentially what he was trying to do when learning flight or needing to sneak into the village at night.
All of that was unsurprising considering how smart Toothless was, even if he didn't have spoken speech back then. Further, Toothless had the lead in all their previous flying, whereas it was his job to help Toothless remain stable and fly effectively back then. A horse did not need its rider's help just to be able to walk or run.
His horse obediently trotted in a straight line, following Legolas's instructions. He focused on his slight rise and fall as the horse trotted on.
Here goes nothing!
He let go of the reins, drew the bow, knocked an arrow, turned aside, took a deep breath, and loosed.
Much to his surprise and satisfaction, the shot only missed his target by a couple feet.
That's not so bad for a first try. I'm definitely getting the hang of this.
Even more promising was how he knew Toothless in flight far better than a strange horse. And with Toothless flying on his own now it would be possible for him to do dragonback archery.
He frowned, appreciating that figuring out how to use a bow while in flight was probably going to be very challenging. There were so many variables involved in flight. Things like gusts of wind, slight variations in how Toothless flew, and the distance to a moving target would make accuracy... very difficult.
But it would probably not be needed anyway. This was more of an exercise just to try to get better and prove himself.
Just gotta figure out how to fire flaming arrows next!
Toothless and Moonbeam joined Hiccup and part of the Fellowship up in the Golden Hall for dinner after sundown. Gimli and Legolas were busy lending their skills at the forge and fletching. It was somewhat of a rushed dinner of meats, potatoes, bread, and cheese; everyone was preparing for what seemed the inevitable call to arms. Theoden's attendants, Far-Flight, and Sky-Dancer were almost always coming and going from the Hall now, carrying messages from distant villages and other regions of Rohan.
"Tell me again: what we will see?" Merry asked.
Amused, Aragorn leaned forward at the table.
"The Beacons of the White Mountains. They are a series of manned stations that lay up in the peaks above the cloudcover."
"So the people at each station see the prior one alight and light theirs also. What about bad weather or just not seeing the other one on fire?" Hiccup asked, seeing several obvious flaws in the plan.
"It is not a perfect method, but it is the fastest if nothing goes wrong. The bonfires are some twenty miles apart each. A message can pass from Minas Tirith to the last station near Edoras in a couple of hours, if no one is sleeping on the job."
Moonbeam hummed and looked up from the plate of pork she had been nibbling at.
"So that is what the place is for. I saw it up in the mountains, and I wondered what humans were doing up there."
Aragorn nodded.
"The Beacons only carry one message: the call for aid against a foe too great for Gondor to stand against alone. They are not manned during times of peace, but the rise of Mordor and the Watchful Peace forced both Gondor and Rohan to keep this option open. The roads of Anorien, the lands of Gondor between Rohan and Minas-Tirith, are very perilous for riders now," Aragorn explained.
"Didn't Gandalf and Pippin ride that way?" Hiccup asked, worried for them.
"Yes, they did. I would not fear for them."
"Yeah, he's a Wizard. Nothing can challenge him now that the Balrog is gone," Merry whispered.
Aragorn looked like he wanted to say something but refrained from doing so.
Hiccup shrugged after a moment of thought, and then he noticed Adney sitting at a nearby table after she got a plate of food, so he invited her over. She had helped him a lot while he worked on his leather armor, and that she naturally knew a lot more about working with leather than he did was very helpful. It was also just pleasant to spend time around her and her... strange humor.
"Hey Adney, want to join us?"
"Sure," she beamed and sat down next to him, "I was hoping you'd ask."
"Why?"
"I saw your riding earlier. It was... impressive."
"Great, was it that bad?"
She shrugged.
"I've seen worse. At least your horse didn't buck you off."
Laughter followed all around the table as Hiccup crossed his arms in mock-annoyance.
"Sure, sure, hilarious. I've been thrown off my mount just once before, thank you for that by the way, bro."
"You did not!" Moonbeam barked at Toothless.
"Yeah, he did."
"Hiccup..." Toothless groaned.
"Tell us the story!" Merry grinned.
"Yes, I want to hear this!" Moonbeam laughed, her tail swaying wildly with eagerness.
"Hiccup..." Toothless grumbled.
"Alright then, sounds like time for a story!" Hiccup grinned, rubbed his palms together, and leaned back in his chair.
Toothless huffed, sat back on his rear, and crossed his paws on his chest.
"Traitor..." he muttered.
"It happened shortly after we became friends. I brought him a lot of fish..." Hiccup began.
"And an eel! What were you thinking!" Toothless interrupted with a cry of alarm as he dropped down on all fours.
"Oh, yeah, about that... what's wrong with eel? It wasn't my favorite either, but you looked terrified of it."
Toothless loudly slapped his tail on the floor.
"Eel is bad-wrong-twisted-false-fish. They make us sick!"
Hiccup nodded, having learned something new about Night Furies.
"Alright, good to know. I won't put any eel in soup for you."
"You had better not..." Toothless grumbled.
"Anyway, I brought him a lot of fish to eat, and I also brought him his first new tailfin. I put it on his tail, but he was too eager to fly. He jumped for the sky while I was still holding onto his tail! I will swear until my last day that he intentionally threw me off into the pond."
"You try flying with a human on your tail!" Toothless barked.
Hiccup grinned and shrugged.
"No idea what that's like. He got what he deserved when he fell into the water too after he threw me off."
Moonbeam laughed at that while Toothless rolled his eyes.
"You needed a bath anyway..." Toothless huffed.
"I can also say that flying with a dragon is very different from riding a horse," Hiccup added.
"How so?" Adney asked.
Hiccup thought about how to best put it into words. He also fondly thought back to his and Adney's shared flight earlier this week.
"I guess it goes like this: you all truly care for your horses, and they are part of you when you ride together. It is almost like how a weapon or a tool is part of you, an extension of you, when you use it. But you are the master, even though you do care for the horse and respect it. With a dragon, it is two people flying together, neither one using the other or superior to the other. There is no master."
Moonbeam purred in approval.
"That is how life should be. I do not think I would ever want to carry a human," she whispered and stared down at her paws.
"Fine. No one will ever force you to take riders or carry anyone if you do not want it," Hiccup firmly declared.
Everyone: human, Hobbit, and dragon, at the table nodded or purred in agreement.
"Anyway," Adney spoke up, "I'd be willing to teach you horseback riding if you'd like that."
"Are you sure you'd be best to teach me? Didn't you take longer to learn that yourself?" he answered with a grin.
She blinked and calmly smiled back at him without otherwise reacting. That was when he realized what he had said.
Oh gods, I just screwed up!
Adney leaned forward toward the table.
"So, Haddock, that is how it's going to be between us? A fair, generous offer is answered with a slight?"
"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."
She faced Gimli and spoke politely to him.
"Master Gimli, may I borrow a gauntlet?"
Gimli nodded, grumbled into his beard, took off his left gauntlet, and then handed it to her.
She then faced him, reached over, and dropped the gauntlet on the table by his plate.
He stared at the gauntlet, confused what this meant but sure it was not good.
Silence echoed around the table.
"Uh... what does this... mean?"
She slammed a fist down on the table, making everyone jump in surprise.
"I challenge you to a duel! Outside, now!"
Hiccup swallowed and looked around in shock. Merry looked alarmed while Aragorn was bemused. Gimli was gruffly mumbling while Legolas was impassive. Toothless and Moonbeam were grim and confused.
"What does that mean?" Moonbeam whispered.
Adney placed both palms flat on the table without looking away from him.
"It means that we fight for honor until I am satisfied!"
Toothless warily glanced between him and her.
"How much hurting is in the fighting?"
"No bloodletting or breaking bones. But I will not go easy on him!"
"What if I don't want to fight," Hiccup objected.
"What? Are you not... man enough?" she countered.
Toothless nodded and then nudged Hiccup's shoulder with a paw.
"You must defend yourself. Protect your status."
"What? Really, bro?"
"Yes, you stepped in waste. Now you must do this."
Hiccup was very glad that Toothless and Moonbeam were walking with him to this duel. They would make sure that Adney didn't kill him, intentionally or by accident.
Meanwhile, Adney walked at his side. She was seemingly unconcerned, and her calm gait was slightly worrying.
He wasn't sure how much combat she knew. She was accomplished in the forge and at horseback riding, but beyond that he was uncertain. Anything was better than the almost nothing that he knew in hand-to-hand combat, if that was what she demanded.
"So... where are we going to do this?" he asked.
"The flat beyond the well on the second level. Need to stop at the house first though."
"What for?"
"The swords."
Swords! Oh gods, I haven't practiced with those at all!
"Is it, uh, normal for the women of Rohan to know fighting? I just ask because the soldiers are all men."
She grumbled at that question.
"The women of this land learned that we are more likely to die on swords if we don't know how to use them ourselves. Most of us learn basic skills so we can defend ourselves and our homes. Some of us, like Lady Eowyn, become shieldmaidens and train to be the equal of a man in combat."
"Heh, heh, heh, which are you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she glared at him.
Yep, I'm doomed... Odin help me... or may the Valar help me...
They arrived at her family house.
"I'll see you there, Haddock," she said and ran inside.
Hiccup, in a daze, wandered over to Toothless and Moonbeam. They were both staring at him in open amusement.
"What are you two looking at?"
"Nothing," Toothless grinned.
"A twisted human," Moonbeam purred.
"Useless dragons..."
The three of them walked together through the calm, peaceful night brightly lit by the moonlight. There were surely a few Furies gliding high in the sky, not having returned to join the entire pack yet or just enjoying the warm night sky. But it was a quiet night regardless.
"I have never seen Hiccup truly fight before," Toothless remarked.
"Does he know how?" Moonbeam wondered.
"I am not sure. I always won our play-fights."
Hiccup groaned.
"I'm right here, you know!"
"Who said that?" Toothless barked.
Moonbeam laughed aloud, her tail thumping on the ground.
Hiccup just rolled his eyes.
"Sure, sure. Laugh it up now..."
"We will!" Moonbeam purred.
They arrived at the flat plain, and then they started waiting for Adney's arrival. Hiccup shuffled about on his feet while stretching.
Meanwhile, Toothless kept wondering about what exactly was going on and what this fight truly meant. It was entirely possible that she was just offended and wanted to punish him this way. That was what she had openly said to everyone.
On the other paw, Hiccup and Adney had been sharing a lot more time together in the forge, working on weapons and the flight-suit. There also seemed like there was something teasing in the way that they usually spoke to each other.
That teasing might be part of how they test each other as possible mates, but he was not very sure about that. There was much he did not know about human life-ways and ceremonies.
Still, he was sure that he needed to talk to him about this after the duel-battle.
Adney arrived with a pair of swords in hand. She was still wearing the same long dress that she had been wearing at dinner. The only difference was that her blouse left her forearms free and shoulders bare, which left her better able to wield a weapon. She strode directly up before him and then glared at him. Everything about the setting was perfectly visible in the bright moonlight.
Hiccup looked away from the purple and green eyes eagerly watching him and Adney.
"Can I just apologize right now?"
"Sure you can, but that doesn't mean I'll let you get away without punishment. You deserve this."
He groaned and slumped slightly.
"I love pain by the way!"
"Good," she laughed, "because you're going to feel it!"
"Lovely. What are the rules?"
"One sword each. No lethal blows or trying to draw blood, obviously. Duel ends when one of us is disarmed or when I am satisfied."
"These rules seem very one-sided..."
"Of course they are. I get to make them!"
"Fine! Where is my sword?"
She tossed him one of her swords, and he easily caught it.
It was a dull wooden sword; the same as the one she held out before her. That these were not actually steel blades was a little reassuring. It was much safer to be using what was basically a training weapon.
"Defend yourself, Haddock!"
She swung at him with a swift swing that almost completely caught him by surprise. He lifted his sword at the last second and blocked the strike so that her blow glanced off his sword and hit the ground.
"Nice block!"
She stepped back with an awkward flourish of her sword as she retook her stance. Then she went on the offensive again, striking with wide, sweeping blows that were easily blocked.
Strange...
She didn't appear nearly as practiced with the blade as Eowyn was, which was not a surprise. The shieldmaiden occasionally trained outside with her brother Eomer or other willing men, and Eowyn could hold her own against any of them.
"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked after pushing her back.
Adney laughed, tossed her hair, and waved her sword in the air.
"Not really! I'm just having fun messing with you! I'm a total beginner!"
"That is not very reassuring..." he grumbled as he angled his sword to meet her next likely strike.
"Are you pointing your sword at me!"
"That's kinda the idea... only for self-defense!"
She laughed again and swung at him, a wild strike that he easily met with his own sword. It was now clear to him that she was not an expert, but neither was he.
They were evenly matched, both very clueless about what was happening.
She was faster and more familiar with using a sword, but he was stronger, judging from the force of their strikes and how their dull blades shoved against each other.
His years in the forge combined with lots of practice with his bow over the last few months had left him surprisingly stronger than he appeared or even compared to how he had thought of himself.
He shoved her back with a heave and took a step back of his own. They both breathed heavily while shuffling in place and glaring. Then he chuckled and lifted his sword again, ready to go on an unpracticed attack.
Dueling was far more enjoyable than he had thought it would be.
I could get used to this!
Toothless purred to himself as he and Moonbeam watched Hiccup pretend-fighting with Adney. It was good that both humans were using wooden swords that would not hurt much if Hiccup and Adney accidentally hit each other. He was also very certain about something else.
They were not actually fighting because of a true challenge or need to defend status. This fighting was a kind of bonding.
But what kind of bonding?
Friend-bonding? Pack-bonding? Future mate-bonding? He did not know these human life-ways.
"Is it normal for human females to fight males?" Moonbeam whispered.
"No, I do not think so. Why do you ask?"
"Because the males are much bigger and stronger."
That was true even for his own kind, though not as much as it apparently was for humans. Night Fury and Light Fury females were almost the same size as males, but the males were slightly stronger while the females were faster fliers.
"True, what is twisted about that?"
She grumbled and watched more of the pretend-fight.
"Would it not be better for her to have him fight other males to prove himself?"
So she was thinking similar thoughts as he was. That was good to know.
"Not truly. Think of this like how you tested me."
She snorted at something.
"But you were the only male. You had no other for you to fight with."
He blinked, suddenly feeling a cold inside after her words. Was there something he had not known about how he and she had become mates?
"What if there had been another? What would you have done? Would you have still... wanted me?"
She hummed softly, looked down at her paws, and lay her tail over his.
"I do not think there is only one male I could be a good mate with and be warmed to be with."
"No?"
"He must have good thinking, be free and strong, be able to provide when he must, know the life-rules, and want cubs; nothing twisted. I am your mate now and always, just as you are mine. Thinking about how life would have been under different winds has no lift."
"True."
He settled down again and rubbed her shoulder, silently watching more of the pretend-fight while thinking about his own life. What she said did have more lift the more he thought about it. It was entirely possible to imagine another female having the kind of inside-strength and life-warmth that he wanted in his life-mate, and that did not lessen what Moonbeam was to him.
But he was uncertain what was happening with Hiccup and Adney.
We might want to leave them to be alone.
He did not know human ceremonies for taking mates, if that is what is happening here.
Just as Hiccup never wanted to see him and Moonbeam together, so he would leave Hiccup and Adney alone, just in case they wanted to become one.
"We should leave them alone," he whispered as he got to his paws.
"What if he gets hurt?"
"He might, but he might not care."
Moonbeam glanced one more time toward Adney and Hiccup, and then she purred in agreement, following him back on the ground through Edoras. The night was as clear and calm as it always was now. The bugs were singing their nightly songs as everything was peaceful.
They settled down together on the rock they had claimed as theirs. Mystery briefly awoke and then snuggled up to Moonbeam's side as soon as she lay down.
He remained awake much longer, resting his chin on Moonbeam's neck while thinking about what he knew of human life-ways. Then he rolled his eyes and chuffed in amusement.
Even if Hiccup and Adney are not future mates, it is good for him to bond more with his own kind.
Hiccup rubbed the bruise on his shoulder during a break in the duel. He had missed a block of one of her wilder strikes, of which there were many.
"Give up yet?" she shouted.
She stepped back and leaned on her sword; she was clearly very exhausted also.
"I'll never give up! I've got stubbornness issues!" he held out his sword, ready to meet the next round of strikes.
She dismissively waved a hand his direction, and then she stuck her sword into the dirt.
"Fine then! I'm satisfied!"
"Wait, you're done?"
"I guess so. You look like you can barely keep up."
"Whatever..."
He knew that they both needed a break since they were breathless and could barely lift their swords anymore. At least he thought that she was exhausted, though she probably didn't want to admit it. They both stood there for a while just catching their breath.
"Hey, where did the dragons go?" she asked.
He looked around for Toothless and Moonbeam and missed them.
Where did you two go?
There was one obvious reason why they might have gone off on their own.
"Not sure. Probably got bored of watching the duel."
"Fair enough. We certainly are no good at it."
She came over to him and took his sword since the duel was finished. Then she gestured for him to follow her.
"Where are we going?"
"The southern slope," she answered.
"Alright."
They walked in peace and quiet, occasionally passing a guard on patrol or someone out and about. Past rows of homes, stables, rows of stairs, and drinking wells.
"Adney, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I'm sorry for teasing you, sorry for telling you that now, but... ugh... sorry..."
She laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Apology accepted."
What's the matter with me?
They finally arrived on the southern slope. She lay down on the grassy slope first, hands behind her head so that she could stare off into the south along the mountains. The White Mountains flashed with the moonlight upon their snowy and icy peaks.
He similarly collapsed next to her, feeling very exhausted from the long battle, which he was not sure how long had lasted. It had been very fun regardless. He didn't get a scar out of it, but there were a few bruises.
The stars wheeled far overhead along with the faintest northern lights; however, no stars were visible far off in the south. There was more of the dark cloudcover off in that direction.
Then Adney stirred.
"How did you get to know Burning-Star so well? You haven't told anyone the start of that story."
He had indeed withheld certain details, favoring instead to tell everyone in Rohan that he befriended a wild dragon who it turned out was not actually a bad person. Telling them what they needed to hear was more likely to promote the peace. Nothing he told them was false, except by omission of a few key details which only people he trusted should know about.
"Well, there's a reason why I haven't said anything. Keep this between us, but it's because my old people and the dragons were at war, and I shot him down in battle. I... could have killed him, but I didn't do it. I let him go, but he couldn't fly because of his lost tailfin. That is why we got to know each other, and I realized that he wasn't a beast."
"Did anyone tell you the story of the Maeras?" Adney interrupted.
"No, what is that?"
"The Maeras are the smartest and strongest of all horses; they only let the King and his descendants ride on them. They can also understand our speech, though they do not talk. The first one, whom all the Maeras are descended from, was named Felarof, and he was tamed by Eorl, the first King of Rohan. Felarof killed Eorl's father, Leod, by refusing to be ridden and throwing Leod to his death, and Eorl captured the white horse, intending to kill it out of revenge. But instead he commanded the horse to be his mount in payment of the blood-debt. The horse accepted and became his mount for the rest of their lives until they died together in battle. In all that time, Felarof would not be ridden by any other and always refused a saddle"
"That's amazing. Almost reminds me of Shadowfax, Gandalf's horse."
"It should because he is one. Shadowfax was Theoden's until Gandalf was given the horse. Leave it to a Wizard to be the first outside that line to ride one of the Maeras. Theoden's current mount, Snowmane, is also one of the Maeras."
He remembered how Shadowfax had stood defiantly against Toothless and had not shown any fear. That alone made the horse a very brave or foolish one indeed.
A dark shape passed in front of the moon high above. She gave a great sigh as the unknown Fury flew on into the night.
This is nice and relaxing and...
Then she reached over and gently clasped his hand. He froze in alarm and shock as she held his hand.
It was the first time she or any girl... woman... person... had shown him this kindness or interest. This was also not at all what he expected would happen.
"It is amazing what you are making here. All the dragon stories that we grew up hearing were mostly about Smaug and Scatha," she said.
He nervously chuckled, remembering to breathe.
"I, uh, yeah, the Night Furies are very different from those ones. Not all dragons are good ones. We met a very bad one: an ice dragon."
"Really! Want to tell me?"
"Sure. It was up in the Grey Mountains north of Erebor. His name was Vorunturth, and he was very blue and big. He wouldn't have fit in the Golden Hall; that's how big he was. Anyway, he was very clever, perceptive, and he... tried to tear me and Burning-Star apart... by making me doubt him..."
"What? Why?"
He stared up at the stars.
"I don't know. Maybe he just wanted to be cruel because he could. Maybe he had another reason. I'm just glad that we aren't up there in the north anymore. The whole pack is happy to be here in Rohan now."
She squeezed his hand and chuckled.
"And I'm glad that you are here, all of you. The cubs especially!"
"Yeah, they're very cute and playful."
A long and peaceful silence followed between them as they rested under the stars on that slope. At some point she let go of his hand and closed her eyes, folding her hands on her chest.
He felt so confused by everything deep inside. On the one hand, she was attractive, unattached as far as he knew, and had several similar interests to his own. He enjoyed being around her and respected her. On the other hand, he hadn't really been looking for a girlfriend or a date. Was that what she was now?
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.
Oh gods...
"You just did. You can ask another..."
He knew without looking at her that she rolled her eyes.
"Will there be another war soon? Will Gondor send word for aid?" she whispered.
There was a nervous, fearful trill in her voice. He hadn't heard anything like that faint fear from her before.
"Probably. Gandalf thinks so."
Worried by her silence, he looked over at her. She had her eyes open now, blankly staring up at the stars.
"You know that my father is a commander in Theoden King's service?"
"Yes, I remember."
"My father would have to lead an Eored in battle. You might have... noticed that my mother, Freka, is not here now. She died years ago to a Wildling attack. I'm afraid that... my brother and I might... lose him too."
A tear fell down her cheek before she wiped it away.
Well, that is ironic in a sad way...
"I actually lost my mother to a dragon attack when I was only a baby. I never even knew her, except through a few stories I heard later. No brothers or sisters, no human ones at least, because my father never remarried. He was too busy being a chief to the tribe, as much of a father to me as he could, and... probably couldn't move on from her."
"Yeah, that's my father also. I don't think he's even looked at another woman in that way since her. My grandparents were always there to help with me and Wynfryth."
A long silence followed before she continued only with a whisper.
"I guess after the victory at Helm's Deep, I, and everyone really, was hoping that we could have peace."
He lay a hand on her shoulder.
"My old tribe had been at war with dragons for generations. I can't say that I approve of how everything about their lives was for war, but I understand why they live how they do. All we can do is protect our own and fight for what is right as we understand it. There will be peace eventually."
"I know. It must be. You will leave with them and be part of the fighting?"
He stared off along the mountains into the south toward where the sky looked unnaturally dark.
"Yep, I'll be going with the Furies. Don't worry about me though. I'll be with Toothless. Nothing will happen to me while he's around, and I won't let anything happen to him while I'm around!"
"I believe it. What will you do after the war is over?" she asked.
"Come back here with the pack. Rohan is basically my home now. I've got some projects to work on and... people I care about to be around."
She said nothing for a long time as they lay next to each other in the peaceful darkness. Then she started humming a tune which gradually turned into a song.
"Through Rohan over fen and field where the long grass grows. The West Wind comes walking, and about the walls it goes. What news from the West, O wandering wind, do you bring to me tonight?"
"Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?"
"They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning? Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?"
She went silent, staring up at the stars.
There were in that song so many similarities to his own former tribe on Berk, and yet there was a very different feeling throughout. The songs sung back on Berk were of defiance, wrath, and glory, whereas Rohan's songs felt more filled with memory, solemn and grim reality, and the faintest hope.
He had also never heard her sing before. She was no great singer, and yet she evidently felt in her heart the words of the song. Her song and voice were beautiful in their simplicity.
"That's a beautiful song. Thank you."
"Glad you like it..." she whispered.
Another long quiet passed, neither of them saying anything as the moon rose higher into the sky. Then she quietly yawned and stretched.
"I should go to sleep. Good night, Haddock."
"Yeah, I should too. Good night, Adney."
She rolled to her feet and walked off into the night after retrieving her wooden swords. He got to his feet and watched her go until she was gone.
There was definitely something there between them, but he wasn't sure what it was yet. Was she just a good friend whose company he could enjoy and whom he could speak freely with, or was she more like someone he might want to... marry or even... have a family with?
He started pacing.
I mean, she is a good friend and is like me in many ways. But I don't know...
He'd never seriously given thought to such a thing before, so how could he know for sure? Getting... married was also scary to consider because of all the responsibility that came with it. He already had other responsibilities to the pack and to peacekeeping. Those were far more important than... a small, simple life.
Oh gods, I am so lost...
He remained out under the stars a while longer, staring up at the sky while lost to his thoughts.