Journeys New Begin
Hiccup anxiously shuffled in place and stared at the simple, straw-thatched house at the end of the row. Smoke was gently streaming from the chimney, which was a sure sign that people were home. This was Gamling's house. More importantly, this was Adney's house.
He had never been in it, but he knew that her grandparents and younger brother, Wynfryth, lived there. The last time he had been here was about a month ago, he had lost track of exactly how long between the traveling and being injured, when he and Adney had their friendly duel under the stars. Afterwards, they had rested and cuddled together on the slope under the stars. She had held his hand and shared with him certain of her fears.
Well, I can share some good news with her about that.
He took a deep breath and strode toward the house. He paused before knocking on the door. This was possibly going to be one of the most important moments in his life, right up there with his meeting Toothless.
What if he did not understand her intentions? What if she was not actually interested in him and just wanted to be friends? What if something had changed for her since he saw her last?
He took another deep breath.
It's go time.
He knocked on the door. The door opened a few seconds later, and Adney stood in the doorway. Her eyes widened in surprise. Her hair was very messy, as if she had just recently woken up, and she was wearing a long, wool sweater and fuzzy socks.
The sudden warmth in his chest when he saw her was the most definitive proof yet that he had made the right decision.
She said nothing, throwing herself at him with an eager hug that he returned. He had not expected such a sudden reaction, and the feel of her tight hug made it hard to focus on anything except how good and... exciting this was in a way he had never really felt before.
But her soft sobbing as she held him helped him not get too excited.
"Nice to see you too," he chuckled.
She let go, stepped back, and smiled as she idly twirled her hair.
"I told you to come back."
"Yeah, and I did. Mostly."
She crossed her arms and frowned, staring at his peg.
"Who is it?" Wynfryth shouted.
"It is Haddock!"
Her younger brother ran up to the door, saw him, and nodded to him.
"Haddock, good to have you back. Are the dragons back also?"
"It's good to be back. Yes, most of them are, but some of them are still traveling here. They have... injuries."
He frowned.
"Are your grandparents home?"
"No, they're not here. It's just us. They know a little healing, so they went with a caravan to treat the wounded," Adney explained with a worried look in her eyes.
Wynfryth glanced from him to her and then stepped aside, clapping him on the shoulder.
"I'm hungry. I'll be up at the Hall if you two need me. The dear older sister is not a cook."
"Nor is she your mother!" Adney shouted.
Wynfryth laughed to himself and ran off, leaving them alone. All her apparent frustration vanished as she gazed back down at his peg.
"What happened?" she whispered.
He nodded outside, so she slipped on her shoes, closed the door, and followed him. They walked in silence over to the same slope that they had rested on the last time, and then they sat down in the long grass.
"So, what happened?"
He didn't want to share every detail, only enough that she more or less understood.
"I fell in the battle. Moonbeam caught me the only way she could, but I lost a foot. I do not blame her. She saved me and Toothless in that battle."
She shuffled closer and hesitantly put an arm around his shoulder. She struggled to ask something, starting and stopping several times.
"What else... happened? Do you know... anything?"
He could hear the fear and concern in her voice, so he also put an arm over her shoulder. He knew what she was really asking about.
"Your father is fine. I asked King Theoden about him."
She nodded, looked out over the plain, hung her head, and covered her eyes with her free hand. Then she wept freely, seemingly not even trying to hold it back.
He knew that not all tears were born from evil.
She finally sniffled, took a deep breath, and wiped away the tears.
"Thanks for... telling me. Sorry about... the crying."
He held her a little tighter.
"Don't be. I've cried too for different reasons. Nothing wrong about that."
She sniffled.
"Did I ever tell you how like a man of Rohan you are?"
"Uh, no. How am I?"
"They aren't afraid of showing how they feel either. Everyone weeps at the funerals and roars with laughter at the feasts. Feelings are not weakness."
She paused.
"How is... the pack?"
He frowned and took a deep breath.
"Growls-At-His-Shadow died."
"I didn't know that one," she whispered.
"Yeah, he kept more to himself and his family. His daughter, Tail-Hunter, is... she doesn't have her mother anymore either."
"What?" she exclaimed.
"Dreamcatcher became so sad that she... has lost her mind or something like that. She's not well enough to care for her daughter. Wings-Of-Ice lost a wing, and he is grounded. He and his family should be here in a few days."
The tear fell down his cheek as he stared at the distant mountains. She noticed the tear and gently wiped it away for him with her sleeve. He did not object.
"What will happen with Tail-Hunter?" she whispered.
"She's staying with my family for now. She will be adopted by one of the other dragon families. I don't know who yet."
She nodded.
"That's good of them. There are many in Rohan who have adopted the children of the fallen. The war has touched everyone's life in some way. I'm glad that we will have peace now. Everyone is."
"Yeah, I can't wait to start on my next projects: mostly that Great Hall just for the dragons."
She chuckled.
"I remember the plans you drew up in the forge. Do you know much work that will be?"
"Yes, but remember that the dragons want this also. They will be able to help out with the construction, I hope. They might not all stay here though."
"What's going on?"
He shrugged.
"Some of them might fly off to an island that Gondor will give them to be their own place. Some of them are not as comfortable around humans as others. There are two new Fury families we rescued."
She nodded.
"That's fair of them. It takes time to adjust. There are plenty of people in Rohan who still have some doubts, not me though."
"Hey, do you want to help out with my leg? I need to make a real prosthetic instead of this stupid peg."
She glanced at his leg and then looked away.
"Sure, I'd love to. For a... very good friend," she whispered.
He took a deep breath.
"Not only did this happen," he gently lifted his peg, "but I had a lot of time to think about life... and everything that's important to me. I will always work to help the pack."
"As you should," she agreed.
"But they cannot give me everything I want. I also have stubbornness issues."
She rolled her eyes.
"As if I didn't know that already!"
"But even I can learn and figure it out eventually."
"What?"
He clasped her free hand on her lap, and stared into her eyes that went wider.
"I don't know Rohirrim customs about this, but I have to ask. You are not involved with anyone, are you?"
"I am not," she whispered.
He nodded and held her hand, rolling their fingers together. Her hand was rather rough and callused from long work in the forge.
"I want to get to know you better."
"How much better? Just say it."
He grinned.
"Well, if you insist. You are a very good friend, and more... someone I could want to... marry and have a family with. If you'd like... I'd like to take this nice and easy, get to know you better, and not make... big mistakes."
She rolled her eyes and chuckled.
"As if I'd let you move too fast."
"No, definitely not. Wait... you you're... alright, what do you think about me? Honestly. Don't worry about hurting my feelings."
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"What do I think about you? You are stubborn, funny, and loyal. Also, rushing when forging a fine sword will only make the blade weak and fragile. We both understand that."
She didn't need to say anything else. It was obvious what she meant.
He grinned and sighed in relief as his heart fluttered. Or maybe it only felt like his heart did that. He wasn't sure. Regardless, he liked it. A lot.
"Yeah, I've made that mistake. Not with a woman, but just in the forge. How does marriage work for your people?"
"Our parents must agree to it. Your parents would pay my parents, my father now, a bride-price before the wedding."
He wondered how that could work.
"Hmm, what gift could my parents give your father? It's not like Far-Flight and Sky-Dancer have a hoard somewhere."
She chuckled and sat upright.
"Don't worry about that. My father is very reasonable. Having a family of dragons that would want to protect me would be reason enough for him to give his blessing. I'm sure that we could arrange something between now and then. If that needs to happen, which I hope it does."
"So do I."
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he blushed as she also blushed.
They remained sitting together on the slope, gently holding each other and staring into the distance as the warm wind whipped their hair.
He sighed and relaxed.
It's good to be home at last.
Toothless noticed the two Night Furies flying from the western mountains. He had no doubt who those were. One of them he had no interest at all in meeting. The other was a different matter since he had to tell her what he had decided about the offer.
One of the two Furies landed far outside the wall of Edoras while the other continued on inside. She touched down in the center square and then bounded up to a specific barn the humans of Edoras had made. That barn had the dried meats, fresh meats, and fish that the humans brought for the pack every day. One of the attendants was always there and ready to paw out portions of meat to any of the Furies who needed food.
She bounded outside of the barn, a large haunch of meat in her jaws. He dashed over to her before she could take flight. She saw him coming and dropped the haunch at her paws.
"Jumps-At-Fire, I must talk to you."
"Yes, Burning-Star?"
He nodded toward the meat.
"The food is for Dark-Fire, true?"
"It is. He does not want to come into this city-nest."
"That is fair of him. I must speak to you about your request."
"Speak."
"I told Moonbeam, and she would allow it for the good of the pack. But it would hurt her soul-fire, and I could not help that hurt heal. It would break our trust. I will not do it."
She said nothing for many wingbeats in which she only stared at him. He had no idea what she was thinking.
Then she hummed softly.
"You truly love her."
"I do."
She sighed and hung her head, staring long at her paws before she looked up at him.
"I wish... that life had been different and that I could have been in her place. But there is no flying into those past-skies."
He nodded.
"True. All you must think about is what you will do now and what future-skies you will fly into. Has Dark-Fire said anything to you about the future?"
"Yes, he wants to range far from here where there are no humans. I would fly with him if he does."
That might work well for them if the island Snowfall is flying to is a good one.
"I hope that you and he can be a good pair and make each other's life-flights warm," he said.
"So do I."
She looked like she wanted to do something, shuffling in place on her paws and hesitating while staring into his eyes, but then she bent down, picked up the meat, nodded once, and flew off.
He watched her as she flew down and landed near Dark-Fire to share the food with him. That she was the one working to win his interest was a little strange and not how the future-mate impressing had usually gone in the past. But he was not going to involve himself in their lives any more than he had to.
She has already made a lot of progress. Maybe they can help each other.
Hiccup smiled when he found the two dear Furies who needed to be told about something very good. They were drinking water from the modified well they could use on their own.
There they are!
"Brother! Moonbeam!"
They turned to him and purred in greeting.
"Hiccup, how are you?" Moonbeam warbled.
"Really, really good!"
"What did you do?" Toothless barked in alarm.
He put a hand on his chest and took a deep breath.
"I talked to Adney. I told her that I like her."
Ears lifted and tails started swaying.
"Are you mates yet?" Toothless eagerly asked.
"What? No! Not yet. It doesn't happen that fast!"
"Oh, is there a ceremony for it?"
"Yes, I will get to know her better until I can decide for certain that she is who I want for my life-mate. Then I will ask her to be mine, I give her a gift, and I get her father's approval. Then there is a feast and a ceremony in front of the tribe-pack, or something like that."
Moonbeam nodded and then nudged him.
"She is a good human."
Toothless purred in agreement as he also stepped closer.
"Yes, she has a warm soul-fire."
Hiccup put a hand on their purring necks, and closed his eyes, thinking back to the flight that Toothless had taken him and Adney on. She had not said much on that gentle flight in which she had been awestruck.
Yeah, she does.
"Do your sire and dam know Adney? Have they met?" Moonbeam asked.
"They know of her, but I don't think they know that we are... interested in each other."
"Where is she now?" she wondered.
"She went up to the Golden Hall to have some lunch."
Moonbeam nodded and hopped to her paws.
"We should bring your sire and dam! They should meet Adney as your maybe-future-mate!" she proposed.
"Yeah, we should. Let's go!"
Hiccup returned to the Furies' slope in the afternoon after a pleasant meeting in the Golden Hall. His adoptive parents had, unsurprisingly, been very pleased to hear about what he intended with Adney. They had also given her licks on the cheek after explaining that they approved of her.
They could be very direct, and Adney took it in stride.
He walked down the slope until he saw the rest of the pack. Free-Flight, Storm-Chaser, Tail-Hunter and several human kids were gathered and playing a game involving batting at each other's paws and hands. Hunts-In-Deep-Waters and Flame-In-The-Night were overseeing the play. Both kinds of kids were easily amused, which was not a bad thing at all.
At least Tail-Hunter looks a little happier. That is something.
It was one of the mysteries of life that children could bounce back so quickly, at least on appearances. It definitely helped that she was being kept with the pack all the time and never being left on her own.
Hiccup finished scribbling his design for a new prosthetic with springs to help cushion the force of every step. A more form-fitting cup to hold his stump would also make a big difference. The design needed some parts that he did not have and would need to make custom molds for, but it would be worthwhile.
The first he heard was a roar of joy that echoed off the slopes of Edoras. He could not distinguish the roar, but it sounded from far beyond the walls. The timing was also correct since five days had passed since he had arrived back in Edoras.
He ran as fast as possible out of the forge. Several Furies were already lifting into the air and flying out over the plain.
Then he spotted several shapes leaping and bounding across the sea of golden grass. He knew that they were all running on the ground out of respect for one of their number.
Oh, thank the gods... er the Valar. They're here.
He tearfully watched as the procession, followed from above by roaring packmates, ran along the slopes and hill until they reached the main gate of Edoras. The gate was, naturally, opened for them. Once inside the gates, they started taking to the sky, winging over to the main square in a storm of wings.
They would go for the food. Can't blame them at all for that!
Starlight and Wind-Biter were assaulted by Storm-Chaser as soon as they touched down. Snowflame and Windripper were greeted by Breath-Of-Sky, Mystery, and Flame-In-The-Night, the last of whom rested his head on their shoulders in a Fury hug. Lastly, Eyes-That-Shimmer, little Nightfall, and Wing-Of-Ice trotted up the steps. Wing-Of-Ice was solemnly greeted by many who had been in Edoras and hadn't yet seen his injury. Not counting Snowfall, the only Furies not present were Dreamcatcher, Dark-Fire, Jumps-At-Fire, and the newest families.
Everything froze and everyone hushed when Lightning stepped forward toward Wing-Of-Ice. There was a brief pause in which neither of them moved while she stared at his visible wing-stump. Then she roared softly and leaped at him, gently knocking into his chest and laying her head on his shoulder as he did the same to her.
Brother and sister whined and nuzzled each other in comfort without saying anything that anyone could hear.
Hiccup was sure that no words could be sufficient anyway.
Hunts-In-Deep-Waters then strode forth also, stepping up alongside Lightning. Hunts-Golden-Light perched on his head. He greeted Wing-Of-Ice with a face lick. Hunts-Golden-Light chirped in greeting, hopped onto Wing-Of-Ice's head, and then jumped down onto his back where she curled up.
Alright, that's adorable. They'll be fine.
He strode over to his parents, two brothers, Moonbeam, and Mystery. They were all packed in close together while purring at the reunions taking place. Sky-Dancer rested her chin on his shoulder.
He frowned when he noticed Flame-In-The-Night whispering to those who had just returned. That ears fell and tails froze after the Furies heard what he was saying was all he needed to know. That most of them then bounded over to a certain cub and gave her nuzzles and licks was further proof.
They were being told what happened with Dreamcatcher and Tail-Hunter.
Now we just wait for Snowfall to get back, and then the pack will decide what to do about Tail-Hunter and that island. She should be here any day now.
The metal bubbled in the mold. He scraped the settling metal flat and carefully watched it until it cooled and hardened just enough. Then he dropped the piece into the metal bucket of water, sending up a cloud of hissing steam.
It was hard work, but he savored it anyway. This was something that he knew very well how to do. He also took his time on this project, seeing as he planned to use the finished product for... years.
He took a break around noon and hobbled up the slope to the Golden Hall. There hadn't been much in the way of food the last few days, mostly plain soup and stale bread, but he wasn't going to complain. He finished his meal, went back outside, and looked around at all he could see. Most of the Furies were away from Edoras now; they had returned to their specific tasks, mostly watching the herds, patrolling the eastern plains, and hunting in the mountains and the streams. While most of them were off doing something, they had agreed to be back by nightfall since the pack had important business to attend to soon.
One pair that was not taking part in any work was Starlight and Wind-Biter. Those two were staying in Edoras with their cub, Storm-Chaser, and, more importantly, with Tail-Hunter. The two cubs were natural playmates. Starlight and Wind-Biter, after hearing the explanation of what happened to Dreamcatcher, offered to look after Tail-Hunter until the time the pack decided on a pair to take care of her. It looked to him as though Starlight and Wind-Biter had an interest in Tail-Hunter as an adoptive daughter.
Looking years out into the future, he wondered if that could be a problem since Tail-Hunter and Storm-Chaser were the two obvious choices for Free-Flight, once they came of age. But, that was all under the assumption that they wanted to find a mate at the same time, which there was no guarantee of. Also, there were the rescued families of Furies and the lone fledgling. Further, both his own parents and Toothless and Moonbeam were likely to have cubs who, assuming one of them was a boy, would be only a few years off.
Then he shrugged.
It'll all work out somehow. Practical dragons.
He gazed out beyond Edoras, looking for a group of Rohirrim tending to the small herd of horses. Adney was somewhere out there.
The last few days had been peaceful. They had worked together in the forge, eaten meals in the Golden Hall, and talked about life and some of his adventures with the pack. She had a dreamy look in her eyes as he related to her his and Toothless's time in the Shire.
Slow and steady steps.
But he already found himself getting light-headed and feeling that strange, warm fluttering inside whenever he was around her.
Was that what it felt like to fall in love?
He wasn't sure since it hadn't happened before. His one-sided affection for Astrid had been... well, he had been a young man with... interest toward a physically beautiful young woman who was totally out of his league at being a true Viking. He hadn't really known her family, hadn't had her confide in him her secret fears, and hadn't shared with her any interests which would have allowed for bonding.
This was different. Maybe he was falling in love, but not in it yet, whatever 'in' meant.
I'm not sure what's happening, but I could get used to it.
The entire pack was settling down for sleep when Toothless heard another beat of wings in the sky.
It was Snowfall.
The Alpha female dove with a joyful roar from the sky. She hovered, looking for her place, and touched down at Flame-In-The-Night's side. He, Free-Flight, and Snowflame leapt to their paws and dashed for her, nuzzling and licking her in greeting.
We should hear what she saw.
He hopped to his paws as Hiccup did the same. Together, they ran over to Snowfall. The Alpha pair stepped aside to whisper to each other, and he saw the moment when she must have been told about Dreamcatcher. She stiffened as her ears went back. The pair whispered more to each other, quietly comforting each other, before coming back.
He and Hiccup then approached her.
"Snowfall, you flew to the island. How is it?" he softly asked.
She took a moment to compose herself after what she must have been told.
"It is a big island with no humans or others living on it. The waters have many fish. It is a good island. I also saw the human nest-city by the water on the mainland."
"Dol Amroth," Hiccup whispered.
She continued.
"The human nest-city is in shape like the Minas Tirith place that had much fighting, not like here at Edoras. The dens are made of stone."
Hiccup nudged his shoulder.
"We should probably go there sometime. That's where Aragorn will be the King for Gondor."
"Yes, that sounds like a good flight. We should meet him there."
Snowfall hummed and looked toward the rest of the pack.
"The island is good for the pack. There are no caves to hide in, but we do not need any."
Hiccup lifted a paw.
"Question, what are the shores of the island like? Are they cliffs or sandy beaches?"
"There are no cliffs. They are sandy beaches."
"Okay. What do you think about having some of the pack go live there?" Hiccup continued.
She glanced at her mate, and he answered.
"We agree that some should. We know who is best. I already spoke with Dances-In-Shadows, Sun-Spark, Ashen-Whisper, and Tempest-Cloud. They want to fly there to be away from humans, if that place is good. And... there is Dark-Fire."
Flame-In-The-Night sighed heavily, and Snowfall lay a wing over his back.
"It would be best for him to fly there too," Flame-In-The-Night granted.
Hiccup glanced around and saw that they were far enough from the rest of the pack that they could speak freely.
"Jumps-At-Fire wants to fly with him."
"I know. She has told me what she wants to do. She is an adult and so is he. It would also be good for her to be there to stop him from doing any bad. She might be able to help him in ways I cannot," Flame-In-The-Night granted.
"It is time for us to speak to the pack," Snowfall declared.
He and Hiccup strode back to Moonbeam and the rest of their family. They settled down together and waited for the Alphas to speak.
This was a very important moment for the pack. He did not know how many others from the pack would want to fly to that island.
Snowfall stood up and flared her wings.
"Pack! We must speak!" she roared.
Everyone, adults, fledglings, and cubs, hopped to their paws and bounded over before the Alpha pair.
"The human Alpha whose pack we flew to defend gave to us an island! The island is ours only! No humans live there or will go there!" she shouted.
Flame-In-The-Night stood up.
"The waters there have many fish! It is a good range for us. The humans here told us that some of us might need to fly there for food and roosting. The prey-flocks might not be big enough for us all here. Do any of the pack wish to speak?"
The new fledgling, Bagronk, stepped forward, looked very nervous being before everyone else, and hesitated before speaking.
"Would those who fly there still be part of the pack, or would this be like turning tail on the pack?"
Flame-In-The-Night huffed.
"No, it would not be turning tail on the pack. Any who fly there will still be part of the pack and welcome here always!" he explained.
Bagronk hummed and stepped back as Snowfall spoke.
"Dances-In-Shadows, Sun-Spark, Ashen-Whisper, and Tempest-Cloud said they will fly to this island to live there in peace with their young. Dark-Fire is not here, but he will fly. Do any of the pack wish to fly to the island and live away from the humans?" Snowfall asked.
He was not surprised that Bagronk stepped forward again.
"I will fly. I do not hate humans, but I know those two pairs and their young more than... all others here," Bagronk said.
Jumps-At-Fire also stepped forth and confidently stood before the pack.
"I will fly. I can help keep Dark-Fire from doing any bad."
Flame-In-The-Night exhaled and hummed in acceptance.
"Any others?" he asked.
Toothless looked around, wondering if anyone else had the desire to fly.
No one else moved.
Flame-In-The-Night then roared and stomped on the ground with a paw.
"It is done! I will fly to lead those who will fly to the island. Those who are flying will fly in four days. But there is one more pack-deed we must do now! One of our pack has gone to the stars!"
Toothless was not sure what to expect; he had never been part of a death-memory ceremony before. Such ceremonies had definitely happened for the old ones of the pack who had died of age and been left to death-sleep deep underground in the north.
"Look to the stars this night and remember him," Flame-In-The-Night hummed.
Everyone present flared their wings wide and hummed softly. Maybe a minute passed before everyone settled down again.
"Also, one of our own... is twisted in thinking. We will help Dreamcatcher as we can, but she cannot be a dam as she is," Snowfall said.
Toothless then looked around until he saw Tail-Hunter sitting beside Wind-Biter. Tail-Hunter had more than enough understanding to know what was happening. Her head was hung as she stared down at her paws.
Dreamcatcher was not present, probably resting in her barn-den.
"One of our cubs has no sire or dam. This is wrong! Does a pair wish to name this cub as theirs?" Flame-In-The-Night asked.
Starlight and Wind-Biter immediately stepped forward, holding their heads and shoulders high.
"We will name her ours!" Wind-Biter declared.
Snowfall looked to Tail-Hunter.
"Tail-Hunter, come here," she hummed.
Tail-Hunter dutifully hopped over to her.
"Do you want that? Do you want to be named Starlight's and Wind-Biter's cub?"
Tail-Hunter stepped over to Wind-Biter and rubbed against her neck.
"Yes..."
"Starlight, Wind-Biter, will you name Tail-Hunter as your cub? Will you treat her as if she has your blood, came from your seed, and you birthed her?" Snowfall asked.
"We will!" they both answered.
"Do any of the pack object?" Flame-In-The-Night asked.
None objected.
"It is done! Tail-Hunter is your cub, Starlight, Wind-Biter!" Snowfall roared and stomped a paw on the ground.
The entire pack purred with approval as Starlight, Wind-Biter, and Tail-Hunter walked back together. The adults sat down with Tail-Hunter under one of Wind-Biter's wings and Storm-Chaser under one of Starlight's wings.
Then, the ceremony finished, the Alphas stepped down and left for their rock.
"So, that's all finished. Nothing surprising," Hiccup softly said.
"True, pack ceremonies do not last long. The important decisions were probably made before the ceremony. The ceremony is just to tell everyone what was decided," Toothless agreed.
Hiccup frowned, still worrying about one of the decisions. The decision to partially split the pack was necessary under the circumstances, but he was still unsure.
"I hope this is enough. I don't know how bad the food situation is. But I suppose that we could always ask for more volunteers later."
"We could. Middle-earth is very big, and we have not even flown in all the ranges of Rohan."
"We can fly those skies when we get to them. Oh, there's one more thing we need to do," Hiccup whispered.
"What did we forget?"
"Remember what Gandalf said about Bagronk's name?"
Toothless growled, remembering what Bagronk's rotted sire and dam had named him: the Orc-speak for waste-pit.
"Thank you for reminding me. Gandalf said he should change his name, true?"
"Yep. No one deserves to be named something so disgusting. I was thinking we should talk with Bagronk and the Alphas about getting him a new name."
"Good idea."
Together, they strode to the Alphas and caught up with them before they curled up. Toothless addressed them.
"Alphas, there is one more pack-deed we should do."
"What is it?" Snowfall asked, yawning.
"We should talk to Bagronk about him taking a new name. His name means waste-pit. His dead sire and dam named him that because he was not... as violent as they wanted him to be," he growled.
"Good idea. We should speak to him about his rotted name," Flame-In-The-Night growled.
The Alphas got to their paws and went to find Bagronk. Hiccup and Toothless followed them and found Bagronk settling down to doze near Wing-Of-Ice, Eyes-That-Shimmer, and Nightfall. Bagronk jumped to his paws as soon as they approached him, and he looked worried, shrinking back slightly from them.
"Alphas," he warily said.
"Peace, we are not angry. We want to talk to you about your name," Snowfall encouragingly purred.
"What about it?" he asked, looking down.
"Do you know what it means?"
"Yes, waste-pile, which I am."
"What!" she barked.
Bagronk shrugged, still looking down at his paws.
"It is what they said about me, many times. I am only a useless waste-pile."
"You are not!" Hiccup growled, deeply disturbed by that.
He knew all too well the feeling of thinking of oneself as useless.
Snowfall stepped closer to Bagronk while sympathetically purring.
"Your sire and dam were rotted and wrong about you. No sire or dam should hurt their young as yours did. You are not a waste-pile!"
Flame-In-The-Night huffed and lay down beside Bagronk, though everyone noticed that Bagronk slightly leaned away from him.
"We have seen you playing with our fledglings. You have a good, warm soul-fire."
Snowfall nudged Bagronk's muzzle.
"And we asked Dances-In-Shadows, Sun-Spark, Ashen-Whisper, and Tempest-Cloud about you. They spoke only good about you," she added.
"I am not as good as they think I am," Bagronk grumbled.
Flame-In-The-Night snorted.
"You do not see yourself well if you think that. We think you should take a new name. Doing that will help you see yourself better."
Bagronk stiffened and blinked, shuffling in place.
"A... new name?"
"Yes, did you have another name before you were named... that wrong name?" Snowfall purred.
"No, I was only Cub or Fledgling."
"Well, you have our approval as the pack-Alphas to change your name. We can give you suggestions if you want."
Bagronk's ears rose.
"I... I would like that. What names were you thinking about?"
The Alphas glanced at Hiccup and Toothless, gesturing them closer with a nod.
"We can think of ideas. Maybe your packmates can help with this," Snowfall said.
"Is there anything you like doing?" Hiccup asked Bagronk.
"Sleeping, playing, hide and hunt, not having fighting or killing lessons..."
Bagronk paused, lifted a wing, and glanced at the visible scratches on his side. Snowfall briefly growled when she saw those marks.
"What about... Strong-Scar?" Bagronk asked.
The Alphas grumbled at that suggestion. Hiccup agreed that the suggested name might be too close to the bad past which everyone here wanted Bagronk to not dwell on.
"That could work. I heard from Sun-Spark that you also liked swimming," Snowfall said.
"Yes! I... well, I did. There is not much water here," Bagronk pointed out.
Snowfall smugly purred as she looked up to the sky.
"What about Cloud-Swimmer?"
Bagronk joined her in staring skyward, and he began purring after a few moments.
"Cloud-Swimmer, yes, I like it! I am Cloud-Swimmer!"
"Good name!" Toothless huffed.
"Yeah, I like it," Hiccup eagerly agreed.
"We will tell the pack in the morning," Snowfall said.
The Alphas then got up and slowly strolled back to their rock where Free-Flight was waiting for his parents. Bagronk, now Cloud-Swimmer, happily loped away toward Wing-Of-Ice and Eyes-That-Shimmer.
Satisfied that everything was taken care of, Toothless and Hiccup went back to where their family was waiting for them. Toothless lay down at Moonbeam's side after entwining their tails.
Hiccup paused, watching them as they curled up together. Seeing them resting together was nice, but the simple fact that dragons, and himself for the last several months, slept outside was a possible problem. At least, it would be an issue if he were to continue to do as they did.
"Brother, Moonbeam, I have a question."
"What is it?" Moonbeam asked.
"If I do marry Adney, I'll need to start living up there in a house of our own. She wouldn't want to live outside or sleep under the stars. I still plan to make that new Hall for the pack to live in, but do you want me to make a barn for you next to my house?"
Toothless nodded in agreement.
"I like the idea. Barn-dens can be good when the weather is bad, like heavy rain or storms."
"Yep," Hiccup mused, "and it would also be useful when you need to be alone on the ground, like when someone is sick or has a new cub."
"True, me having a safe and quiet place would be good for that. It could be like a cave," Moonbeam hummed.
"Alright, we can get started on that before too long. I could use some of your paws and wings to help build it faster."
"We will help," Toothless agreed.
"Thanks."
Hiccup then strolled over to Sky-Dancer and lay down under her offered wing. Mystery and Breath-Of-Sky were resting against each other beside Far-Flight. Peace and quiet fell over all in the pack.
He could not think of any pressing matters or sources of drama, not for a while at least.
Life was going to be very busy between construction of the barn for Toothless and Moonbeam; gradual work on the Furies' Great Hall, if that project ever got underway; his normal work in the forge; and his further getting to know Adney.
The entire pack, which as far as he knew might be all the remaining Night Furies in the world, was going to enjoy peace from now on.
But there were several Furies, the new families and Dark-Fire, who were not here now and who had problems trusting humans. Jumps-At-Fire had already flown away from Edoras so she could keep Dark-Fire company. The new families were peaceful enough, though they just wanted to be with their own kind.
Dark-Fire was another matter entirely.
He had not seen that Night Fury since the disturbing meeting in Minas Tirith. Flame-In-The-Night had seen his wayward brother as being worth bringing back here to Rohan, though Dark-Fire had to stay outside human settlements. Even Jumps-At-Fire had said that Dark-Fire had changed in the short time she had known him.
So what had changed, if anything?
It felt important to learn the truth about what was going on with him, even though Dark-Fire was leaving with the other departing Furies soon. The best way to learn that was probably by doing something Toothless wouldn't like, but he could suggest that in the morning after everyone was well-rested.
"I do not like this!" Toothless grumbled.
"Why not? You will be there, she will be there, Moonbeam can come too."
They stared toward the White Mountains.
"But why do you care about him?" Toothless grumbled.
"Because he is a Night Fury too. Because he could cause problems if he becomes bitter. Because he might be like Jumps-At-Fire: confused about how he should act. Remember how Flame-In-The-Night said that Dark-Fire felt different?"
"Maybe."
"So what if he was never free or didn't know what he was doing? We have to consider that."
Toothless didn't look convinced yet, so he decided to use the one remaining reason he hadn't yet mentioned.
"And we should do this for Jumps-At-Fire. You want her to be happy too, right?"
Toothless relented.
"Yes, I do. I should ask Moonbeam if she wants to come with us."
Hiccup nodded.
"Alright then, I'll ask Flame-In-The-Night where we can find Dark-Fire."
Toothless dashed away to find Moonbeam while Hiccup went in search of the Alphas. Along the way, Hiccup passed Starlight, Wind-Biter, Storm-Chaser, and Tail-Hunter. He secretly inquired of Starlight how well Tail-Hunter was doing in this first full day as his adoptive daughter.
That Starlight and Wind-Biter had been the closest of the pairs to Growls-At-His-Shadow and Dreamcatcher, because their cubs were the same age, meant Tail-Hunter was naturally more trusting of them as opposed to any other pair.
She was doing well enough as far as Starlight could tell. He hoped that she and his natural daughter could become like sisters. Only time would tell if that would happen. It was still too soon after all that had happened to her to know how well Tail-Hunter would respond to the attention and new family she was a part of.
Toothless followed the instructions Flame-In-The-Night had given Hiccup. Dark-Fire was to remain every night on a specific plain high up in the mountains for as long as Dark-Fire wished to shun humans. He could hunt up in the mountains themselves, but he had to keep his distance from any humans he might come across.
Moonbeam followed beside him. That she wanted to come with was entirely fair of her.
They arrived at the plain, and sat down there to begin waiting. Thankfully, they did not need to wait long, as Dark-Fire and Jumps-At-Fire glided down from across a series of western mountain peaks. The two Night Furies touched down on the rocky plain and then stared at them in surprise. Jumps-At-Fire approached them whereas Dark-Fire kept his distance.
"Burning-Star, Hiccup, Moonbeam, is something happening with the pack?" Jumps-At-Fire asked.
"Nothing you do not know about. We flew here for Dark-Fire," Toothless curtly answered.
"What about him?" she warily asked.
"We just want to see how he is doing," Hiccup answered.
She clearly did not believe that was the entire truth, and she glanced back at Dark-Fire before looking to him again.
"Can we not hide the truth? Why are you three here?" she whispered.
"Because we care about him, you, and his... motivations."
"His motivations? You think he might hurt me?"
"Not that," Hiccup frowned, "I meant his reasons why he was a fighter for Mordor, why he killed humans, and why he might be different now. Have you spoken with him about his life?"
She grumbled.
"Getting him to trust is not easy. Maybe you can help me talk to him."
Hiccup suspected that talking to Dark-Fire might be necessary, which was part of why he wanted to do this at all. Toothless and Moonbeam let their opinion be very clear through their grumbling of displeasure.
"Sure, I will. You three following me?"
"Always." "Of course." "Yes."
They approached Dark-Fire, who was sitting calmly on his haunches while staring into the distance.
"Dark-Fire, they want to talk to you," Jumps-At-Fire said, standing beside him.
"And do more if we must," Toothless hissed.
Hiccup frowned and glared at him.
"Not now. That's not why we're here."
"Fine..."
An awkward silence followed until Hiccup spoke.
"Dark-Fire, how are you?"
"Why do you care?" Dark-Fire hissed.
"Doesn't matter. I do. We do."
"Just leave me alone."
He crossed his arms. Between having Toothless and Moonbeam at his side, Jumps-At-Fire standing by Dark-Fire, and his own natural stubbornness he did not feel afraid of him.
"Because that has worked very well for you so far. Leaving someone alone when they are hurt is a very bad idea."
Dark-Fire snorted and looked away.
"What do you know of what I lived?"
"Not much. So why not tell us and help us understand?"
Moonbeam grumbled.
"Tell us why you flew with the others. Why you left the pack."
Dark-Fire huffed.
"The shadow-life thing promised us that we could fight the humans and be free of them."
"So you flew with it. What then?" Hiccup asked.
"We... flew to its world, and we saw... the eye of fire. That was when I felt stronger and... knew who the enemy was."
"Humans?" Hiccup scowled.
Dark-Fire paused before answering.
"Yes, I remembered that humans killed my sire. I could not find those ones, but I could protect us against all other humans."
"But they never hurt us! You hurt the wrong people!" Toothless hissed.
"I... know that now, but that does not change what I felt then. The eye of fire gave us strength and more wanting to hurt our enemies. Everything felt right back then."
"What changed?" Hiccup asked.
Dark-Fire shrugged.
"That strength died inside and is gone now."
"When did it go away?"
"When the skies were emptied of clouds and that darkness was brightened. My... brother brought me here soon after so I could be away from humans."
Hiccup glanced at Toothless, both remembering the event Dark-Fire was apparently relating: Sauron's downfall.
Maybe destroying Sauron freed him or took away his reason to hate.
"What will you do now? You don't need to fear anyone."
Dark-Fire grumbled.
"So you say. I remember what happened. I remember killing human fighters and tasting their blood. I will never be safe with them. That is why I must leave for that island we dark wings can have alone."
Jumps-At-Fire purred.
"And I want to fly there also, as I told you."
Hiccup nodded, already knowing she planned to do that.
"That might be for the best. You and the others flying there can keep each other safe and live in peace on your own."
Oddly, Dark-Fire looked far too glum.
"Yes, I can flee humans by living there, but I cannot flee my memories. I remember letting that other will live in my soul-fire and give me strength. I made a mistake by letting that fire-Alpha control and use me."
Dark-Fire stared at his paws.
"No one in the pack can understand that."
Toothless knew that Dark-Fire's situation was a bad one. Dark-Fire killed humans out of anger and resent, strengthened by Sauron's will controlling him or feeding his anger. But now he regretted that and didn't see a way to be forgiven or understood. Only he and the vanished one among the Mordor Furies had joined the battle and lived.
He faced Jumps-At-Fire.
"What do you think about that: his making a big mistake and not believing he did wrong that can be forgiven or helped?"
She blinked in surprise, clearly understanding his insinuation of her own past.
"I understand doing bad that is regretted after. I know that... in my soul-fire," she whispered.
"And what matters after seeing the bad for the bad it is?" Toothless added.
"Learning from it and choosing to not do the bad again," she confidently answered.
"I agree. Knowing is most of the fight," he purred.
Dark-Fire curiously looked to Jumps-At-Fire; he looked surprised for a moment. Then he huffed and turned aside.
"If you say so..." Dark-Fire muttered.
He trotted away, flamed a bare patch of soil, and curled up there, his head hidden under a wing.
"What will you do now?" Toothless asked Jumps-At-Fire.
"More of what I have been doing: resting here, watching for him, and trying to talk to him. I will fly with him and the others when they leave to the island."
She paused.
"I know what you did just now. You tried to help me with him."
Toothless glanced at Moonbeam, but he did not step away from her.
"I want to help him not be a danger to any more humans, himself, or anyone else. If that means you and he fly the winds of life in a good way, well, that is for you and him to learn," he explained.
Jumps-At-Fire took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes, it is. I thank you, all of you."
With that, she spun around and trotted toward Dark-Fire, eventually to lay down beside him.
"No reason to wait out here," Toothless muttered.
"I agree. We should go back to Edoras," Moonbeam purred.
Hiccup nodded in agreement and mounted Toothless. His thoughts kept returning to Jumps-At-Fire and Dark-Fire all throughout the flight back to Edoras.
"Will they work out?"
Toothless glanced back at him and then shrugged mid-flight.
"I do not know. She has changed much... since I first met her. He still needs help, and she might be the best of us to give him the help and attention he needs. If they become mates, I will be happy for her, but their lives are theirs to live how they want."
"Fair enough."
Toothless also wondered whether she was going to make a similar mistake to that which he had made with her, but hopefully she would not. If she had learned from her mistakes and could pursue Dark-Fire the right way, by getting to know him first, she was far more likely to win his interest than if she tried to trick him. Tricking and pretending would not lead to true trust.
He had no plans to stick his nose into their lives unless they specifically came to him first. Though for what reason they would want to do that, he had no idea. Probably not for advice or flight-guiding. Regardless, he wished her the best, whatever the best actually was for her.