430Author's Note – Time to begin the final arc. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this so far. The next chapter will post on Wednesday.
The Gathering Night
Hiccup and Toothless gathered all the present adults in the pack together on the plain outside the city. They needed to talk about what they would do, if anything, about the upcoming battle in Gondor. A few packmates were away from Edoras, but everything they had to tell their packmates could be conveyed to those who were not present.
But as Hiccup beheld all the Furies, his packmates, whom he knew so well, he wondered again if this was the right thing to do.
Involving themselves had worked out well, or at least fortunately enough, for everyone the first time when they joined the battle at Helm's Deep. No one had died or suffered truly terrible wounds. Starlight was well again, though he still had a bright scar where he was hit on his side. Even Snowflame's punctured wings and belly had mostly healed in the weeks that had passed, though her wings would always have scars.
But there was no guarantee that everyone who flew to this coming battle would come back.
Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall stepped forward from the murmuring pack and addressed him.
"Hiccup, you wanted to speak to us all," Flame-In-The-Night said.
Alright, time to do this...
He took some courage from Toothless's reassuring purr, and then raised his voice.
"Yes, Alphas. I learned that the humans of Rohan might leave to fight another battle."
Growls of worry and surprise went through the entire pack.
"Another fight?" "Why would they?" "Are they in danger now?" "Are we in danger?" "Fighting?"
"There might be another fight in a range far from here. Another large pack of humans, kin to the humans of Rohan, is in danger," Hiccup explained
More muttering and twitching of ears followed.
"Why do we need to know this?" Flame-In-The-Night finally asked.
"Because we need to decide if we will join this fight."
"It is not for our ranges," Snowfall softly growled.
Toothless spoke up.
"True, but the danger is still the same. The... shadow-life on the twisted-into-wrong dragon that flew to the pack winters ago serves the same enemy that is a danger to us and the humans. We should talk as a pack about the future fighting and what we will do."
Dreamcatcher stood tall and barked to get everyone's attention.
"I said that we should not have flown to help humans the first time. That flight went well because these humans are not bad to us and because we were lucky. Any one of us could have died."
All eyes went to Snowflame and Starlight, being the two who were wounded in the battle.
"We are at peace now. I will say again that we should stay here and let the humans do their fighting. It does not concern us."
Hiccup grimaced. Her words were not unreasonable, and her fear was understandable. He shared that very worry. However, he knew more about the consequences of not acting.
The pack's fate was thoroughly tied into the outcome of the war and of the Ring, whether they would like it or not.
"I understand your fear, but we are all still involved. We are part of this world, and that makes it our war."
She glared at him, though apparently out of frustration and fear.
"Will we be expected to fight every fight until there are none of us left?" she objected.
"No, of course not."
"But that will happen! The sky-breath favored us that none of us died in the last fight. We will fight in this next fight, and one after that, and another, and another! We will all die!"
"Dreamcatcher, that is enough," Flame-In-The-Night grumbled.
She stepped back and went to stand with Growls-At-His-Shadow. Her mate gently nuzzled her neck and started whispering to her to help calm her down.
Growls-At-His-Shadow had been noticeably thawing in his time in Rohan. While he still kept to himself, focused on his assigned work, and avoided any unnecessary interactions with humans, he now, as far as Hiccup could tell, carried no open anger toward them.
Dreamcatcher was in a somewhat similar position to what Moonbeam had probably felt, losing family because of humans. However, Moonbeam had a baby sister to care for whereas Dreamcatcher had no one left from her family after her brother was killed. She and Growls-At-His-Shadow had become mates after they flew to the pack, though they had known each other before.
She was more afraid of losing a loved one since she knew what that must feel like.
Flame-In-The-Night turned back to him.
"Her words do have lift. How many fights will there be, and will we be expected to fight in all of them? We are few..."
"I know, and that is why we must be very careful. But we are not fighting only for humans; we are also fighting for ourselves and our own freedom. How many of us could go and fight if we need to?"
Snowfall softly hummed in thought.
"Our daughter is still healing. Starlight could maybe fight, but he is not one of the better fighters. Our daughter, Starlight, and Wind-Biter will not fly. Lightning and Hunts-In-Deep-Waters will not fly because they must tend to their new cub. Jumps-At-Fire is not a fighter at all. The cubs and fledglings will stay. The rest of us..."
The two Alphas whispered with each other, both clearly coming to an agreement.
"We cannot tell others that they must leave these home-ranges and go fight. If any of the pack want to fight then they can volunteer for it," Flame-In-The-Night declared.
Snowfall purred in agreement with what was said.
That's totally fair. I wouldn't expect them all to fight anyway.
"I understand."
"When will we know if there will be fighting?" Snowfall asked.
Hiccup shrugged.
"I don't know. It could be tomorrow or not for weeks. We will all know if it happens though."
"I hope it does not need to happen," Flame-In-The-Night grumbled.
"So do I."
"We will speak to all in the pack and let them know," Snowfall said.
The pack then started dispersing, leaving only Moonbeam, Mystery, Breath-Of-Sky, Sky-Dancer, and Far-Flight behind.
"We will fly with you," Far-Flight explained as Sky-Dancer purred her agreement.
"And me! I will fight!" Breath-Of-Sky flashed his teeth.
"No you will not, fledgling. You have no fire yet..." Sky-Dancer warbled.
"But I want to fight and help the humans!"
"You are too small for fighting. You will stay here with these good humans who are kin to us," Far-Flight growled softly.
Breath-Of-Sky grumbled and huffed, clearly unhappy with the decision. Mystery hopped to his side and nudged his shoulder with a paw.
"We can fight each other!" she barked.
"Good plan! We can fight the other fledglings too!"
Then Moonbeam leapt at Toothless without any warning and knocked him onto his side before leaping on him and pinning him with her jaws around his neck. Everyone started in surprise at how fast that strike happened.
"What was that for!" Toothless cried.
"Get him!" "Take him down!" Breath-Of-Sky and Hiccup laughed.
Sky-Dancer and Far-Flight only purred in amusement while Moonbeam stepped back and let Toothless get up.
"I am not letting my mate fly into danger without me," Moonbeam chuffed and nudged Toothless's shoulder.
Toothless purred to her, his apparent frustration at having been so viciously attacked gone.
"My dear mate, there is something about dark wings that I want you to teach me," he eagerly asked.
"What?"
"How to hide from eyes with the lightning. I can do that now with flying on my own."
"I'll be at the forge if you need me," Hiccup agreed.
Moonbeam stretched her wings, stepped away while dragging her tail along Toothless's side, and jumped for the sky. Toothless followed with a roar.
He watched Toothless and Moonbeam wing off together toward the distant mountains. Mystery followed the other Furies back into Edoras.
Far-Flight, Sky-Dancer, and Breath-Of-Sky also purred and watched the departing pair.
"I am happy that my big brother can fly like that! He is twisted though..." Breath-Of-Sky warbled.
"Twisted, how?" Sky-Dancer asked.
"He fights a lot."
"Fights?" "What?" "Huh?"
"With Moonbeam. He wrestles with her a lot in fights!"
Hiccup, Sky-Dancer, and Far-Flight shared silent glances and grins.
"Maybe I should fight Mystery like that!" Breath-Of-Sky proposed.
"Yes, you should when you are older... and both want that..." Far-Flight purred and nudged Breath-Of-Sky's shoulder.
"Why not now?"
"Because those wrestling fights are for when you are older, bigger, and ready for... more from life," Sky-Dancer chuckled.
Breath-Of-Sky just looked very confused and eventually shrugged.
"If you say so, dam."
Far-Flight and Breath-Of-Sky took off and glided back toward Edoras.
Hiccup started walking when he heard Sky-Dancer huff, clearly to get his attention, so he faced her. She stared at him, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
"Do you want to fly back with me?" Sky-Dancer asked.
He was initially surprised by the offer. He had not flown with any Fury except for Toothless. It was not a very long walk back to Edoras, and he would not have minded a peaceful walk in relative silence.
But this was a special offer given by someone who was family.
"Yes, mother, I would like that."
She crouched down and let him climb flat on her back. She was clearly unused to carrying anyone from how she fidgeted once he settled down flat on her back.
"Just don't let me fall!"
She grumbled as she glanced back over her shoulder at him.
"I will not let you fall! You have no wings right now."
True to her word, she gently took off and flew low above the golden plains while taking her time. It was a very different experience for him compared to flight with Toothless even though the action was similar. It felt more intimate in a way, probably because it was a new experience for them both. She had definitely never carried a human before.
Toothless and Moonbeam rested together on the slopes of the White Mountains. The plan had been to fly out here, far away from Edoras so as to not disturb anyone else as she trained him in how to use the lightning to hide from sight. However, the planned training had not yet happened.
They had gotten distracted, as seemed to happen a lot whenever they flew off on their own. They were new life-mates, after all.
He rested his chin on her neck.
"Moonbeam..."
"Burning-Star..."
"Do you want to teach me now?"
"If you are not too tired..." she chuffed.
He slapped her tail with his.
"If you can still fly..." he chuffed.
She playfully snapped at his neck and chewed on one of his ears until it pinched. Then she let go and growled happily.
"I let you catch me!"
I do not truly care. The flight ends the same way...
"Yes, you did..."
Then she hopped to her paws and sat down before him. The teasing and playfulness fell away as she considered him.
"I told you about your need for split back-fins," she said.
He stretched and split his back-fins.
"Good. Then you fly up high in the sky. Being in clouds is best. Fill your thinking with the lightning jumping to you. See it dancing on your scales and hide and between your split back-fins."
"Does the lightning hurt?"
"Only a little. The lightning will dance on you and make you feel very warm. Then your body will vanish from the sky if you want to not be seen."
He was not sure why wanting to not be seen would matter, but she would know better than he would.
"I can still be seen by ears and sound-sight, true?"
"Yes, true. That is how we do not foul our flights when hiding from eyes."
He looked up toward the distant clouds; he was very ready to try this.
"Is there more I must know?"
"No, you must learn by doing."
He then stretched his wings wide and took flight with her following closely at his side. They drifted higher on the morning wind until they passed even above the lowest clouds. Then he settled into an easy flight along the tops of the clouds.
Time to do this!
He took a very deep breath, closed his eyes, and remembered the very worst lightning storms that he had ever seen. The spinning, flashing, dancing lightning had jumped from cloud to cloud, leaving lines of light in his eyes. He saw that lightning jumping from the clouds and to him. Willing it. Wanting it.
The air crackled and sparked around him until there was a great crash and a flash of light all around him. A boom and roar tore from the air around his wings as warmth filled the world.
Heat. Power. Strength.
Then he glanced back over his shoulder. The space between his split back-fins was filled with dancing sparks. His scales and hide were indeed shimmering with a strange shine.
And his new tailfin was on fire.
No! Bad!
He tucked his wings into a steep dive straight down toward the ground. Moonbeam was diving at his side also. The fire was killed by the dive, but he did not know how damaged the tailfin was. Fortunately, he could dive and safely land without the tailfin, but being on the ground was much safer with not knowing if the tailfin was dead.
Finally, he halted his dive and gently touched down on the grassy plain. The first thing he did was to bring his new tailfin up under his nose to closely inspect it.
The false-hide was burned and peeling away in places.
Moonbeam touched down and bounded up to him in clear worry.
"Burning-Star!"
"Moonbeam!"
"What happened?"
"I was hoping you could tell me. What did you see?" he asked.
She warily warbled as she stared at the new tailfin.
"The lightning jumped to you as it should, but your new tailfin was filled with lightning and started burning. You saw that, and then you dove to kill the fire."
He thought about it, gently poked the burned tailfin, saw more of the false-hide peel away, and deeply exhaled when he realized the chilling truth.
"The lightning is too hot for a new false-tailfin."
"Why not?"
"Because... the outside skin-hide will burn or the inside-parts might be too hot. I... do not know if I can hide from eyes like the rest of my kin."
She stepped up to his side and rubbed her shoulder against his while purring with encouragement.
"It is what it is. You are no less to me, my dear mate."
"I still wish this was not a problem..." he grumbled.
She also grumbled and looked off across the plains toward Edoras.
"Maybe Hiccup can help with this problem," she offered.
"True. If anyone can, he can. This will be a long walk..." he sighed.
"And I will walk with you," she purred.
"This will be a good, long walk," he purred.
They started walking together across the golden plain. While it was a very long walk, her constant purr at his side, occasional nudge, and their shared conversation about nothing important made it worthwhile. This was not a total loss after all.
Hiccup stared wide-eyed at Toothless and Moonbeam as they stood just outside the forge. He wasn't sure that he heard correctly.
"Wait, what happened?"
Toothless swung his tail around and showed off the clearly burned automatic tailfin.
"She was teaching me the hidden-flying, but this bad happened to the tailfin."
Hiccup stepped up to Toothless's tail and inspected the automatic tailfin. He had to take off the automatic tailfin to determine the extent of the damage.
"Great. How does that invisible flying work?" Hiccup asked, wanting to get the details.
Moonbeam chuffed and lay down before him.
"His way is a little different from mine. A dark wing needs split back-fins, flies high into the sky around clouds, and thinks about the lightning dancing on them. The lightning jumps to them, and then they fade if they want to hide from eyes."
"So, the lightning struck him and set the new tailfin on fire, right?"
Toothless sighed and nodded.
"Yes. Do you think you can make one that will work for me?"
Hiccup considered the burned tailfin and paced in thought as he ran through several possibilities, discounting each of them in turn before he concluded the inevitable.
"Bro, I have no idea how I'd make one that could do that. There are enough gears and pulleys inside that too much heat will probably melt the inside of the tailfin. It's not just a matter of changing or toughening the leather on the outside. Sorry about that."
Toothless gave a pained grin and purr as his ears fell slightly.
"Do not be sorry. It would look very twisted if I were to hide in the air except for the new tailfin!"
Hiccup nervously chuckled.
"Yeah, that would look very strange. Nothing but a tailfin flying through the air. It probably wouldn't work with a saddle either."
Moonbeam hopped to her paws and nuzzled Toothless before she stepped away.
"My dear mate, I will go hunt with Mystery. I told her I would be with her later today."
"I will stay on the ground today while Hiccup fixes the tailfin," Toothless answered.
She purred in agreement and then flew off toward everyone who was present within the pack, many of whom were taking their early afternoon nap.
Toothless looked away from Moonbeam's flight and faced him.
"How long will I be grounded?"
"This should be fixed in a day or two. It's just the leather I have to cut and polish. Really should have gotten that spare made already. I could just give it to you now if I had..."
Hiccup paused before continuing.
"I'm really sorry that I can't make something that will help you... do that going-invisible thing."
"Do not be. It is not your fault."
Hiccup set aside the tailfin on the table, leaned against the table, and then frowned.
"I still feel responsible."
"You try to carry too much weight on your back."
"Huh?"
"Yes, you think that too much of what happens is your fault. Why?"
Hiccup started to respond with a dismissive joke or sarcastic remark, but then he paused, thinking that there might be something here he hadn't noticed before. Maybe there was a reason why he took on so much responsibility.
"I'm responsible because I can help make the world a better place and because I want certain people whom I love to be happier also."
Toothless purred at that and settled down outside the forge.
"True, and that is very good, but do not blame yourself whenever anything goes wrong. No one is perfect. Not you. Not me."
"I know. I guess that fixing stuff is what I'm good at. I just wish that I didn't need to fix stuff that I broke in the first place."
Hiccup worked on the tailfin, carving more leather strips and doing a lot of sewing, until well into the evening. He also had to replace several of the melted joints and ball-bearings inside the tailfin.
Then, finished with his work for the day, he grabbed his special dagger and turned for the Golden Hall and a small meal before bed. He passed by Theoden as the King returned alone from somewhere beyond the walls.
Hmm, what was he doing out there?
It was not his business, so he didn't ask. He was on good speaking terms with the King, and bothering him unnecessarily didn't feel like a good idea.
He arrived at the Golden Hall, grabbed some plain bread and cheese, and looked for Gimli. There was something he had completely neglected to do until now.
Where's that Dwarf? He's got to be around here somewhere... always takes supper around now.
Sure enough, two pairs of voices were raised as the Dwarf and the Elf entered shortly thereafter.
"Not sure I like the technique. Mine kin know how to properly do that!" Gimli grumbled.
"Your kin know nothing of grace," Legolas retorted.
"Grace? Bah, who needs that?"
"My point exactly."
Gimli beat his chest.
"You pointy-ears and your dainty hairstyles. You could learn a thing or two from we Dwarves. Thick, full, braided beards that can pull carts, yes! Much better than the mops on your heads!"
"Mops?" Legolas cried in indignation.
"How do you even keep it so straight all the time, rain or shine?" Gimli grumbled.
Legolas then saw Hiccup staring at them, and the Elf apparently took the opportunity.
"Master Haddock, you look like you wish to speak to a Dwarf."
"I do indeed!"
"Perfect. He's yours."
Legolas stalked off without another word.
Gimli crossed his arms on his chest while Hiccup went to stand with him.
"For what it's worth, I wonder about the hair too..." Hiccup whispered.
"Aye! Most unnatural that is. Elven grace and magic... hogwash, I say!"
He faced Gimli.
"Gimli, you could actually help me with something."
"Oh, what might that be?"
Hiccup removed his Dwarven dagger from its hilt and then handed the dagger to him.
"I found this up in the Grey Mountains. I meant to ask you about it before..."
Gimli's eyes went wide as he stared in awe at the blade and held it reverently in his hands.
"This is a dagger of mine kin. You found it in the Grey Mountains?"
"Yeah, in some ruins of a mining operation. I can't read what it says though. I was curious."
Gimli nodded and handed him the dagger.
"No outsider could. We guard the secret of our tongue, Khuzdul, very closely. The runes roughly mean 'I thirst for the blood of dragons."
Yikes, well, it made sense for the Dwarves. Maybe they were Viking-Dwarves...
The news that Gondor might come under attack had spread like wildfire through Edoras and the villages beyond. Men were carrying weapons and spears to and from the various forges. Women tended to the horses in the stables. Even the boys and girls contributed to the preparations, handling and carrying various supplies. Messengers came and went to and from the other parts of Rohan. There was a lot of work being done in the forges, mostly sharpening blunt swords and spears or repairing shields.
Hiccup was coming back from checking in on Lightning and Hunts-Golden-Light early in the morning when he saw a man of Rohan carrying a giant helmet and a coat of mail toward the stables. The armor was very oddly shaped, and the mail definitely didn't fit anyone.
What is that?
Curious, he watched until the man slung the mail over the shoulders of one of the horses and fitted the helm onto its head. With a little more equipment, the horse would be ready for battle.
He slapped his forehead with an obvious realization. Horses had armor that helped protect them in battle. It was only fair that the Furies have something also for their vulnerable areas.
I should have done this sooner!
He spun around and ran to the Furies' slope while eagerly making plans. His creative side had completely taken over.
Alright, all the other Furies can do their hiding and staying invisible thing, but they might get hit by a stray arrow. Having something to protect the bellies and necks would be good. Toothless might need a bit more since he can't hide like them.
He trundled down the slope and found the Alphas, both of whom were resting together on the ground.
"Alphas."
"Hiccup, speak," Snowfall purred.
"I have an idea to help keep us dark wings safer in fighting."
"What is it?" Flame-In-The-Night eagerly asked.
"Two places you can easily get hurt are your bellies and your necks. Wings and tailfins are also targets, but I can't do anything for those. You will all stay in the air and flame the enemy from above, so the most likely weapons to hit you are arrows."
"Like happened to our daughter..." Snowfall whined.
"Yes, like that. My idea is that I could make armor for you."
"What is armor?" Flame-In-The-Night asked.
"Very strong, metal, false-hides like many of the humans wear for fighting. Armor would help protect you from arrows."
They considered it, but they looked suspicious of the idea.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"Wearing that armor would make us slower and would be more weight to carry," Flame-In-The-Night answered.
"And it might stop us from hiding from eyes. The armor would not fade when we do," Snowfall added.
Hiccup frowned, instantly seeing the obvious. Armor would not go invisible even if the Fury wearing the armor did vanish. The same would go for a saddle and anything made by a human. Their point about metal armor being heavy was also a valid one he should have considered.
Alright, that was hasty of me. So they must just be very evasive. Not being a target is probably the best defense they have.
"True, you're right about that. I can ask Burning-Star if he wants the armor though. He can't go invisible like you can."
"No, why not?" Snowfall asked.
"Because the lightning would burn the new tailfin I made for him. He will just have to stay far away from the worst of the fighting, I guess."
Both Alphas looked disturbed from how they fidgeted and their tails twitched.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
"We... have much fear for the pack if we do join the fighting," Snowfall whispered.
She rearranged her wings and revealed young Free-Flight sound asleep at her side. The cub had his head on his paws and his tailfins on his head.
"We must have some fear as the Alphas. We are responsible if anything happens to the pack," Flame-In-The-Night added.
"But you agree that we should do something. You know that this is our fight?"
The Alphas warily looked at each other and then him.
"It might be. Many of us think well of the humans of this nest, and we would not want them in much danger alone," Flame-In-The-Night whispered.
"It hurt much the last time we... lost some of the pack," Snowfall hissed.
Flame-In-The-Night looked like he wanted to say something, but he did not.
"I will do everything I can to protect everyone," Hiccup said.
Then he left to think about the likely future summons. One point was very obvious: he needed to learn more about what that Minas Tirith place was like. Who could explain what that city was like... strategically?
Aragorn could probably tell me.
Beyond just aiding with any battle, there was another advantage of the pack involving itself. If the pack flew to Gondor's aid, all the people of Gondor will know that the Furies are not their enemy. Not only would ensuring that another people knew to trust the Furies be good on its own, but he would get to spread the peace even more and make more of the world safe for the pack. Everyone would be better off. Being useful to people and helping to make the world a better place was what he was meant to do. It gave purpose to his life.
"I have an idea!" Hiccup exclaimed.
Toothless warily warbled and sat down outside the forge.
"Great, what is your new plan to put yourself in danger?"
"Actually, this one is not for me. It's about you!"
"Me?" Toothless blinked.
"Yep, I think I should make something to help keep you safer in battle."
That got Toothless very interested.
"What is it?"
"You know how humans and Elves wear armor, right?"
"Yes."
"I could make armor for you also. It would be for your belly, chest, and the soft part of your neck. This might help keep you safer from arrows or bolts."
Toothless considered it, but he grumbled at the idea.
"I do not know. It might hurt my flying and be heavy..."
"Even leather armor?"
"How thick must the animal-hides be?"
Hiccup briefly thought about it before realizing that Toothless's objection was a fair one. Having a dragon wear armor could be prohibitively difficult and heavy unless the armor was made of something like Mithril, which was in very short supply throughout the world, or some other very lightweight material. Leather was unlikely to do more for Toothless than his natural hide would.
"Well, it seemed like a good idea. I just want to help..."
Toothless hummed in thought, strode over to him, and then nudged him.
"You should make armor for yourself. That would help."
"How would that help?"
"It would help you be safer, and that would make me feel better in a fight."
"That could work, yeah. I've been thinking about how to fit together armor and my wings."
Toothless held up a paw.
"Wait, can your armor be dark like my scales and hide?"
"Sure, I should probably do that."
"Good. You should do it."
Hiccup nodded in agreement.
"Alright, that's settled. I'm going to get Gimli to help me in the forge on this one. He'll have some ideas."
Then he grinned at something else he realized. His armor would have to be mostly leather armor, and he knew someone who had plenty of experience working with leather.
Gimli can start helping me, and I can get someone else to help later...
His and Adney's time together in the forge was always a pleasant mix of competence, seriousness, and banter.
Gimli stared back at him in awed amazement at the request.
"Did I hear that right? You want to make armor that will make you look like a dragon?"
"Yep, that sums it up. It'll also help Toothless feel like I'm safer."
The Dwarf nodded.
"Far be it from any Dwarf to turn down an opportunity to help in a forge. You have experience in a forge from when you were only a wee lad, true?"
"I trained under the village blacksmith for twelve winters. Need anything fixed or repaired, I can do it. True, tanning is different, but I want this to be good armor, so I'd like your help."
Gimli stroked his massive, braided beard.
"Do you have any plans yet for what it will look like?"
"Yeah, got it all drawn out for us. Might have used the last of the parchment, actually..."
Gimli then swung out of his chair and got up.
"Excellent! I shall go tell pointy-ears that our daily contest is on hold."
"Contest, what contest is that?"
"Ax throwing!"
"Ax throwing?"
Gimli gruffly nodded.
"Elves need a bit of building up. Too much grace, not enough muscle!"
"You do know who you're talking to?" Hiccup chuckled.
The Dwarf clapped him on the shoulder.
"Aye, but you're stronger than you look. Everyone who works the forge is strong even if they don't look it. Ya might not be able to swing an ax or hold a shield in battle, but you're strong in other ways."
Then Gimli departed.
He wondered about Gimli's words about strength. There was probably truth in them. Gobber had trained him for years in how to work in the forge, which did leave him strong and capable in many ways. However, that strength had not been paired with combat practice, which could have made him unable to effectively use that strength. That could explain his awkwardness and incompetence in the raids.
But since then, he had been living wild and rough while still eating well. Lots of work in the forge, practice with Inferno, and living rough since then had helped a lot.
Huh, never thought about it that way. Guess I wasn't so hopeless after all. And while I'm in the Hall...
He strolled over to Aragorn on his own at a far table. The Ranger had been spending more time on his own in the couple days since Elrond's arrival.
"Master Haddock, how may I help you?" Aragorn mildly asked.
"Aragorn, if you don't mind... I would like to know what Minas Tirith is like. Just in case the pack needs to help defend that city."
"They would do that?" Aragorn asked in surprise.
"At least some of us would, yes. Not everyone is free to leave, but a few will probably volunteer."
Aragorn solemnly nodded and leaned back in his chair.
"Imagine if you can a great city carved into the base of the mountains and ringed by a wall of sheer white rock. The gate is impenetrable by ordinary means. Seven levels there are to the city, each of which has trebuchets, battlements, homes, trees, and fountains with clear water. The highest level has a courtyard in which grows the White Tree and also holds the Citadel of the King. The Tower of Ecthelion stands out in the sky, glimmering as a spike of silver and pearl. Banners flow in the morning breeze alongside the ringing of trumpets..."
"That sounds amazing..." Hiccup whispered.
"It has been long since I last saw the White City. It was not even the greatest city of Gondor."
"That was Osgiliath, right?"
"Yes, it was. Minas Tirith was a military outpost before the fall of the Capital. The city may resist a long siege, unless by some fell means the gate is broken."
"Do you think the call for help will come?"
Aragorn rested a hand on his sword.
"Yes, I do believe that we shall see the beacons aglow. It is only a matter of time. Gandalf will convince the Steward to send for aid. Then it will be up to Theoden and the people of Rohan to answer the summons. I already know what path I must take, though it is perilous."
He remembered the reluctance with which Theoden and the two Alphas of the Fury pack had answered after hearing of the possible need for more battle. Their reluctance was perfectly understandable.
"Will Theoden answer the summons?"
Aragorn took a moment of silent thought before answering.
"He is still grieved by losing his son and all those who were lost at and before the battle of Helm's Deep. He must do what he believes is best for his people. Still, I believe that he will answer the call. He would lack all honor if he would not ride to the aid of others when he himself had others fly unbidden to his aid."
"That is not him," Hiccup agreed, "Theoden is a good man and a good King. Like you will be."
For the first time in their talk, Aragorn looked like he wanted to smile.
"I am glad that you think so, Master Haddock. I only hope that not too much is lost during this war. It will be incredible for the people of Gondor to see the Furies whenever they do meet them."
"How do you think that meeting will go?"
Aragorn frowned again.
"The people of Gondor are stout at heart, but they have lived and endured under the shadow of Mordor for many winters. It may be difficult for them trust these dragons. But I will help however I can, if my time comes."
Toothless glided on the morning wind above the flowing plains of golden grass. Moonbeam flew at his side, occasionally brushing his wing as she flew with him. She did not say anything to him on the flight, which was a sign that something was nipping at her tail. Something that was not him, anyway.
They finally arrived at the Snowborn river. It was the largest river in Rohan, and it was one of the only places where fish could be found.
He landed on the large rocks on the edge of the clear water, and she landed on the rock next to him.
They both settled down and stared at the rippling water while waiting in peace for the first fish to swim by. The sun was warm on their backs and outstretched wings.
But her fallen ears showed that she was troubled and chilled by something.
"What is twisting your tail?" he asked.
"Not you," she huffed.
"I could if you want..."
"Maybe later..."
She glanced at him and then looked down at the water.
"I... keep thinking about that seeing-stone thing and how it had a bad soul-fire in it," she whispered.
He snarled at the reminder of that encounter. Then a very bad thought struck him and filled him with a chill. What if she was now as twisted inside as he was? What if Sauron had done something to her also? True, she had not been around the Ring as he had, but something had happened to hurt her a little.
"Do you feel twisted now? Do you want gold?" he warily asked.
She snorted and huffed.
"No. I only want you, my kin, and our future cubs. I wish that my dreams were peaceful, but I keep hearing a twisted whisper and seeing that eye of fire."
He hopped over onto her rock, completely forgetting the hunt for fish, and lay his tail on hers. What she said was, while still troubling, not nearly as bad as what he had felt and known. His own being around the Ring was different from what happened to her. Hopefully...
"What can I do for you, my dear mate?" he purred.
"Be here with me," she whispered.
He snorted.
"I can do that."
A long silence followed as they sat together, him giving her the comfort of presence and warm purring. The water flowed on with its unending and comforting babble.
Hmm... how did the song go? I should change to be more for us!
"The flight goes ever on and on, out from the den where it began. Now far ahead the flight has flown, and I must follow if I can. Pursuing it with weary feet, until it joins some larger way, where many paths and flights meet. And where then? I cannot say."
She chuckled and purred at his words.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"I do. It makes me think of the winds of life," she answered.
"It should. It is from a poem, a word-story, by an old Hobbit named Bilbo."
"Bilbo, is he kin to Merry or Pippin?"
"No, he is kin to another whom I hold close to my soul-fire: Frodo."
He froze, staring at the disturbance on the river. Then he jumped from the rock and splashed down into the river as his teeth closed around the fish.
It was a big fish that thrashed in his jaws, but he had the catch and swiftly killed it.
Yes!
He swam to shore and hauled himself out of the river. She hopped over to him, bounding through the sand. He bit the fish in half and tossed half to her.
"Good catch, my dear mate," he purred.
She snorted and thrashed her tail.
"I can hunt also!"
She had hunted for both herself and her cub sister for years before finding the pack. He had no doubt that she was a very good hunter.
But he had to tease her and twist her tail now that she was his life-mate.
"Oh, can you? What have you caught?"
"You."
"Other than me..." he huffed.
She crouched down to the sand and growled at him with her tail swaying. It was very endearing.
"Contest! Whoever catches the most fish by midday wins. No tricks," she barked.
"Wins what?"
She stuck her tongue out at him. He had never seen her do that before. Her being so teasing and playful was such a contrast to the bitter and always solemn that she had been before.
It was also another play-signal she had probably learned from him or Hiccup.
"Wins status!" she barked.
Defending his status was important. Competing with his life-mate made that defense even more fun. Plus, intentionally losing the contest could also be a win in another way.
"Challenge accepted!"
He leaped from the shore and flew low over the river, keeping a close watch on the water for any sign of fish. She did similarly on the other shore of the river.
Then she dove, splashed into the water, and jumped out an instant later with a fish thrashing between her jaws. She glanced over at him, confirmed that he could see her, and then swallowed the fish whole.
One to none.
He snorted and turned his attention back to the water.
Mostly. She was very beautiful and distracting just by being herself.
I am fouling this hunt...
She perched on a large rock near a bend in the river. He also stood there with her under a wing.
The midday sun was very warm, and the rock on which they lay was relaxing to rest on.
"So, how many fish did you catch?" she asked.
"Four," he answered after a moment of thought.
Even if she had won this contest, there was a final revenge he could fly.
She barked in triumph.
"Five! I win!"
"Well hunted, but I could have won. You need to word your contests better, my dear mate."
"What?"
She looked confused but also curious.
"You said that whoever catches the most fish by midday wins, but you never said how big the fish must be."
"So?"
He smirked.
"So I could have eaten a mouthful of the very-tiny fish. One of your big fish and one very-tiny fish would both count as one fish."
She hissed at him.
"I said no tricks!"
"What is the trick? Fish can be big or small."
She said nothing to that, so he nudged her side and wove his tail around hers.
"Admit it, you like that your mate is clever," he purred.
She rolled her eyes and huffed, but she also purred with warmth.
"I do."
Then she sighed and leaned against his shoulder.
"This is good. You and me with nothing to do."
He agreed entirely that having time alone with her was good.
"What about our kin? Unless you want to do something now..."
Oddly, she did not laugh, tease, or show any wanting; rather, her ears fell.
"What is it?" he whispered.
"Sorry, I... was thinking about Mystery. I am glad that she has your brother as a friend, but..."
She paused and fell silent, so he nudged her head.
"Yes?"
"I... it is twisted."
"We can talk."
She hummed and looked away from him.
"I do not always know what to think about her. She is... both my sister and... like a cub. I... know that she should not be a cub... needing me as she would a dam. I... must push her away from me, slowly, but... I am not sure if I am doing that well."
"Pushing her away?" he gasped.
"Yes. A dam must do that... must let her cub grow up. I..."
She suddenly growled and shook her head, as if she was angry.
"What?"
"I... want her to be my sister, not my cub! Being responsible for her is... is... not what I should need to do..."
He hummed in thought before answering her.
"I understand. You should not need to be there for her as you were. What... what have you done for her to have a sire in her life?"
"She... had no one sire who held his wings over her, but... she has long looked up to Flame-In-The-Night as a strong and good male. What about you back when you were at the nest of other dragons?"
He hung his head and stared at his paws.
"I... had no one sire or dam, but many other dragons, males and females, helped me when I was young. Maybe that is why I was able to see a human as kin also; I already knew to see others who are different as still kin to me."
She glanced at him.
"And... how are you, Far-Flight, and Sky-Dancer... if I may ask."
He waited a few wingbeats before answering that complicated question.
"There is still some... soul-fire distance between us, but they are trying to be there for me as much as I need now. We will not be as close as they are with Breath-Of-Sky. I do not need a sire and dam in the same way a cub or a fledgling does. Still, I hold them to my soul-fire."
She purred.
"I have always respected them and thought of them with warmth. They are trying for a new cub, yes?"
He glanced at her in surprise.
"How did you know that?"
"You just confirmed it."
"What!" he barked in shock.
She chuckled, looking very smug.
"I have also seen them flying away on their own. Also, Breath-Of-Sky has over ten winters, so this time is when they would want to try for another cub."
So it was not only that he gave away the truth. That was a small relief.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because our future cub and their future cub could bond and be kin."
"True, they could, and I would like that."
She lay her tail over his.
"Must we go back to Edoras right now?" she purred.
"We do not. What do you have in mind?" he purred.
She lay down and closed her eyes.
"A long nap here under the sun would be nice..."
He lay down with her, completely agreeing that a nap under the afternoon sun on this warmed rock would be very nice. It was also important to enjoy the peace while it lasted.
Toothless and Moonbeam were gliding back to Edoras late in the afternoon after taking a long, restful nap together. Edoras finally came into view, framed by the tall White Mountains in the distance.
He was ready to glide down into Edoras itself when he saw something strange outside the nest-city. There were a white horse and a human near the base of a rocky slope. He was curious enough to inspect this more closely, so he winged closer to Moonbeam and brushed her wing.
"My love, I want to greet this human. I will join you in the pack."
She purred in agreement and winged away from him.
He glided over the lone human as it walked toward the hill. Then he saw, to his surprise, who it was.
What is King-Alpha Theoden doing out there?
He dove and landed at the base of the slope. Then he slowly trotted up the path to not greatly surprise him. The horse whinnied once at his approach, but it otherwise seemed unworried. He also kept distance from the horse and ignored it, so as to not scare it too much.
"Alpha Theoden!"
Theoden turned to face him. There was a cold in the man's eyes.
"Master Burning-Star."
He sat down next to Theoden and considered what might be going on here. Theoden was standing alone outside the nest-city. There was something that looked like an underground building carved into the rock before him, but there was no opening to the building; it was completely closed off.
Details that had been far apart flew together.
He is here to mourn his dead young one, his son.
"Why are you out here?"
Theoden frowned and crossed his arms.
"I come out here from time to time to... remember my son."
"Did he die well, fighting for your pack?"
"He did. Gandalf told me that Theodred's death was not of my making, but that is not entirely true. I am the King of Rohan. My people will follow me... to whatever end. Every single death, every child left without a father, every wife left alone, every brother or sister who loses a brother, and even the women who have been lost in the raids... they are all my responsibility."
"What do you mean?"
Theoden gestured with a paw toward the tomb.
"Theodred fell because I, in my dotage, let myself fall under Saruman's sway and thus neglected my own people. I already failed them once, and we may only have been saved at Helm's Deep because of you and your kind."
He reached out and rested a paw on Theoden's shoulder. The man seemed surprised until after he removed the paw.
"You are afraid of the fighting that will happen soon."
"Yes, I am. The King is responsible for protecting all who are his charge. If I answer this summons, hundreds, thousands maybe, of my people will die. How do I bear that?"
He thought about it, hopefully understanding the burden Theoden must feel as the Alpha. There was an easy answer.
"Maybe you should think about it differently. You are not causing the death. That dying would happen later if you do nothing and the Enemy destroys your ally. What you are doing as the Alpha is making the decisions to stop something worse from happening."
Theoden sighed and turned away from the tomb to stare up at Edoras.
"What you said reminds me of something Gandalf told me. He said that it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years in which we live, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after us may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to know. All we can decide is what to do with the time that we have."
He hummed, agreeing entirely with those words.
"Yes. If you and the humans of Rohan ride to war, we will fly with you. Not all of us, but I know that some will fly the flight."
Something about his words brought a faint smile to Theoden.
"That would be impressive to see. Eoreds of mounted soldiers riding to war while dragons soar above to aid us from the sky. No foe could withstand such a terrible and great sight as that would be."
Theoden then glanced back at the tomb.
"Still, my house has long been in decline, and my line will end after me when Eomer takes the throne. I am not as young as I once was. Something tells me that I might never see these lands again if I ride for Gondor and war."
Toothless grumbled at that.
"Maybe you should not ride into the fighting. You are a good King-Alpha, and we want you to be here to help keep the peace."
Theoden squared his shoulders and stared up at the clouds.
"No, I cannot lead from behind. A King who cannot wield a sword or who does not join his men on the field of battle is unworthy. If we must go to war, I shall ride to ruin and the world's ending and I shall sing a fey song of death... and of whatever happens after that... I shall not be ashamed."
Toothless strolled toward the forge where Hiccup worked and was sure to be right now. In-between working on the weapons and general repairs for Edoras, Hiccup was also working on making his new armor-hide that would be dark and would let him use his wings.
But there was something else that was surprising once he got to the forge.
Hiccup and Adney were working together inside the forge. Gimli had been helping Hiccup out earlier in the week, but now she was also helping.
That was good, but it also made him wonder about how much bonding they were doing.
He knew it was not his place to truly shove his nose into Hiccup's life in this way, but it would be good for Hiccup if he found a mate of his own. She could easily be that for Hiccup. She had no twisted-thoughts about dragons, was young and healthy, and had a warm soul-fire, as far as he could tell.
But he knew Hiccup well enough to know that Hiccup would probably foul his own flight and not... make a move.
Maybe I can help guide their flights together...
He thought about it for a while and then settled on one thing that he could do for them. There was no way that they would know about his hidden plan. Then he calmly trotted to them.
"Hiccup!"
Hiccup and Adney turned to greet him, waving their paws at him.
"Bro!" "Burning-Star!"
He bounded up before them and then sat down.
"Do you want to go flying? Yes, I know you do. You need a break from the work."
Hiccup glanced at Adney, and she shrugged.
"Sure, why not? Where's Moonbeam?" Hiccup asked.
"She is hunting with Sky-Dancer. They wanted some time together."
Then he purred at Adney.
"Adney, what about you? Do you want to fly with us?"
She blinked in surprise as her eyes went wide. She looked like she was struck speechless for a while. He was sure that she was not too afraid for flight.
"You want me to fly with you?" she gasped.
"Yes, it would be fun!"
"Well, okay, if you don't mind carrying me..."
"Of course not! You are a good human! Hiccup can... help by holding you."
He crouched down before the forge and gestured to his back. Hiccup came over and climbed on him first.
"Bro, we don't have a saddle right now, so you might want to take this nice and easy..."
"I will."
Adney stepped next to him, and Hiccup helped her up to sit behind him. She held onto Hiccup's belly, and her eyes were wide in a little fear. So he purred to help reassure her.
"Do not fear. I will not let you fall. Hiccup maybe, but not you..."
"Really?" Hiccup groaned.
He laughed as he stepped away from the forge and spread his wings.
"Oh my..." Adney gasped.
Then he gently leaped and beat his wings, taking flight up and over the straw-dens and into the warm wind. Out over the walls and over a sea of golden grass, slowly circling Edoras. Other packmates were resting on the slopes, drinking from the water fountains, or gliding far away on the afternoon winds.
Carrying two humans was different, a little heavier and more straining, but he was strong enough. He continued on in a gentle, calm flight higher into the sky until he arrived at the lowest-flying clouds.
Then he glanced back over his shoulder.
Hiccup looked at peace. His eyes were closed as he held his arms out into the wind, as if he were flying with his own wings he did not have right now.
Adney's eyes were filled with the same awe and wonder that he remembered seeing from Hiccup long ago on their first shared-flights. Her golden hair flowed out behind her in the wind.
She saw him watching her, so he smiled a toothless grin. Then she let go of Hiccup's belly and held her arms out also, as if stretching wings she did not have.
There was something about giving humans the gift of flight that touched the soul-fire. This time was only a little different because he knew that it was her first time touching the sky and also because there was another reason why he wanted her to fly with him and Hiccup.
He settled into a steady glide with the wind, far above Edoras and below the clouds.
"Alright, I get why you like this! This is amazing..." she shouted.
Hiccup laughed freely.
"I said the same thing! Once you fly the first time, this is where you will feel at home!"
Now for the next part of the plan!
"Is this where I should start spinning?" Toothless asked.
Adney immediately grabbed Hiccup and held tightly to him.
Exactly as planned!
"Don't scare me!" she indignantly shouted.
He rolled his eyes and huffed, having no intention at all to truly scare her.
"Okay, I will not."
He looked ahead, closed his eyes, and let the wind and his wings take over, soaring and floating high above the range that he called home.
When he finally turned for the ground in a smooth descent, he knew that her life was changed. A part of her soul-fire would always fly from now on.
Just as Hiccup's soul-fire did.
