686Chapter 41: Golden Plains
Golden Plains
Hiccup walked at Snowflame's side to keep her company while her parents and Windripper were away. He was glad to see that the stitches Eowyn had given her were holding nicely after a couple days of slow marching. Her parents also gave her wings frequent lickings. It was unclear if that attention would help the wings heal faster, but it certainly couldn't hurt. Best of all so far was that walking no longer greatly pained her. The puncture in her belly was just starting to scab over and no longer hurt her except when she lay down.
Starlight spun through the sky high above, followed closely behind by Wind-Biter and young Storm-Chaser. Starlight's recovery was also a swift one, though he still said he felt weak and wobbled slightly in flight and whenever he was on the ground. His injury had been the far lesser of the two, even though he would have bandages for a few more weeks. Starlight had let him strap the bandages to his side and tie them down with rope. It had taken some explaining to help him understand why that was necessary, but Starlight agreed to it in the end.
Hiccup paused with Snowflame atop a small ridge, since she wanted to rest for a while.
The warm wind from the southeast blew into his face as he beheld Rohan in all its glory. Golden plains, short shrubs, small hills, and valleys with streams stretched out as far as the eye could see. Far behind him lay the snowcapped White Mountains.
It figures that a people who call themselves the horse lords would live here...
But what amazed him the most, far more than the beautiful landscape, was the people of Rohan. Hundreds of them were marching together down a trodden path. They carried very little with them in the way of possessions, but everyone was still contributing. Men, women, and children were all carrying supplies. Horses were pulling wagons loaded with armor, weapons, and those wounded but still able to be moved. Mounted soldiers rode on the perimeter of the convey to help keep watch.
There were many ways in which this people reminded him of Vikings and of home. Everyone looked rather simple and rugged, and the people had proven themselves competent in combat. However, the Rohirrim, as they called themselves, had no bloodthirst or great desire for war and glory. They were entirely capable of war when needed, but their lives did not revolve around bloodshed or glorious death.
All of which was very encouraging and bode well for what he hoped might happen.
He then returned to Snowflame's side.
"Snowflame, what do you think of these ranges?"
Her ears lifted, and she purred.
"This is warmer than where we were."
"That's not saying much," he chuckled.
"True. The grass tickles my belly and tailfins."
He laughed.
"Bet it does. What about the humans?"
"They are good, but I do not know them... other than Eowyn."
He had been watching the Fury-human interactions so far on the journey; there were a lot of encouraging signs, which mostly meant there had been no violence or open hostility yet.
The cubs and fledglings were doing their part to change hearts and minds just by being themselves. Tumbling over each other in play and chasing each other's tails surely helped a lot. Toothless and Breath-Of-Sky had been especially eager to meet as many of the humans who were willing to meet them.
There was still healthy skepticism though, and he could not fault anyone for that. Night Furies were, after all, fire-breathing dragons with sharp teeth, claws, and a very protective streak. Human parents always held their children close whenever any of the Furies were near, and Fury parents always followed closely behind their cubs when down on the ground. The pack slept apart from the people of Rohan when everyone settled down to rest at night, and the pack, for the most part, kept its distance in the sky or on the ground while following the convoy.
There was no true mingling happening yet. But, there had been a lot of questions for him.
"Where did they come from?" "What do they eat?" "Do they abduct maidens?" "What is it like to fly?" "Should I hide the family gold?" "They don't eat horses, do they?"
He knew it was overly optimistic to expect a people with centuries of history living one way of life and having heard certain stories to change overnight. That would never have happened back on Berk anyway.
"Yeah, but we'll get to know them, and they'll get to know us. What do you think of her so far?"
Snowflame paused before answering.
"She is twisted: both warm and kind in her soul-fire, but she is also cold and not happy about... something. She did not talk about that."
He suspected that he knew what was bothering her.
"That makes sense. She's not happy that she isn't allowed to fight."
"Why is she not allowed to fight?"
It was complex issue, for sure. She might want the glory and honor combat brought, she might see herself as having a duty to fight, or she might not like the expectation that she be a healer despite being a shieldmaiden.
"Theoden probably wants her to be kept safe. She's not his daughter. She is his sister's daughter, but he loves her like his own."
"He named her his cub?"
"Yes, he adopted her and her brother Eomer. Their parents died... so I heard."
"That is good of him."
She settled down to rest until her family returned, so he decided to wait there with her until they did.
Hiccup returned to the convoy after her parents and little brother arrived. He had nothing better to do than just listen in on all the conversations and try to learn what he could about the people. The mood was very jovial, which made sense given that they had just won a major battle with minimal casualties.
He saw plenty of people pointing skyward at the circling Furies or glancing aside to where several packmates were walking apart from the convoy. Closest to him were, unsurprisingly, Toothless, Breath-Of-Sky, and Far-Flight. They were being very helpful in making introductions with those Rohirrim willing to meet with the dragons.
Moonbeam and Mystery flew in from the distance, and they touched down by Far-Flight and his sons. They were all much too far away for him to hear what they were saying, but the two Light Furies looked like they were joining them for a while.
Moonbeam had kept her distance so far, preferring that she and her sister fly out of sight of the Rohirrim. He wasn't sure whether to be frustrated with her for that, or be accepting that it would take time for her to change.
But she had stubbornness issues, and those might never go away without finding out what her problem was. There was probably more than just the pain of her parents' deaths and the burden of being like a mother for Mystery. Something else was behind her bitterness.
He noticed when about a dozen of the Rohirrim men and their horses split off from the main convoy just ahead of him.
"Let's go, boy..." "Come on, girl..." "Time to go, bud..."
He watched as the riders led their horses and vanished over a ridge. The men returned several minutes later with saddles and bridles in their arms. Their horses were not with them.
What's going on there?
Shortly thereafter he saw a small herd of about a dozen horses galloping away together across the plains. He thought he knew what must have happened, but he couldn't know for certain without asking someone.
He glanced to the side and saw a pair of shapes, one black and one white, loping along together off in the distance, well away from the convoy. It had become clearer what was happening beginning the day after the Fury pack and the people of Rohan left Helm's Deep.
Toothless and Moonbeam were walking together and talking a lot.
He wasn't sure what to think about that. So many times he and Toothless had joked with each other about whether or not they would ever find a... partner for him. That had been only idle teasing back then when they thought that Toothless was the only Night Fury in the world. Now Toothless... finding someone was definitely not just a possibility.
He knew that his own thoughts on the idea had changed a lot after meeting Lightning and speaking with her. His awkwardness at that natural part of life had to come from some aspect of himself. The Furies certainly were not reluctant about embracing all of life, though even they had some ideas and customs about propriety and what was acceptable to do or not do in public.
Toothless and Jumps-At-Fire had not worked out even after they had been... together a lot. There were irreconcilable differences in who they were and what they wanted from life. What would it truly mean if Toothless and Moonbeam became a pair? They would be... together... and try to have cubs eventually, which would definitely be a good thing, but what else would change?
She had given few signs that her thoughts about humans in general had truly changed, and she definitely didn't behave like the kind of dragon who would be interested to live among humans in peace. There were very deep scars in her life. She might be more trusting of him specifically, but not yet of humans as a whole.
He stared off at the distant mountain peaks while walking, lost to his thoughts and the constant sounds of the convoy.
It felt almost wrong in a way for her to fly into Toothless's life like she was doing. Jumps-At-Fire had used him for... fun. Moonbeam probably would be different, but even she would change a lot in Toothless's life. At least Toothless couldn't just fly off and leave him or...
He stumbled over a small rock and winced at the pain in his stubbed toe.
Ugh, stupid foot...
Then he realized what he had been thinking and winced, ashamed of himself.
How could he be at all relieved that Toothless couldn't fly on his own? That dependency and limitation was a tragedy for the dear Fury.
Even if Toothless could fly, he wouldn't just leave him or forget about him, would he? They were family.
Something's wrong... with me...
He frowned and turned his thoughts away from that. Maybe all the marching was getting to him and leaving him tired. There had not been much food available so far on the march, so hunger probably contributed to his foul mood.
Hmm, what do they have to eat here?
"Master Haddock, are you hungry?" Eowyn kindly asked.
She carried with her a hot pot, wooden bowls, and some wooden spoons.
"A little," he glumly answered.
"Good. I made some stew for everyone. You should have some."
She poured a generous helping of the stew in a bowl and handed it to him along with a wooden spoon. He warily inspected the stew, poking around in it with the spoon.
"What's in it?"
"Not much, just some of the vegetables and dried meat. Please eat!" she gestured at the soup.
A cautious sip of the stew followed, and then he looked up at her. She warily looked back, awaiting his thoughts.
"Do you like it?" she hesitantly asked.
"Yep, much better than the yak stew everyone had back on Berk! The stew at home was almost always tasteless."
She beamed at his praise.
"Really? Lord Aragorn liked it too on the journey to Helm's Deep. I shall have to make more of it for him when he gets back!"
"I'm sure he'd like that a lot," he heartily agreed.
She prepared to continue on down the line when he remembered what he meant to ask someone about.
"Lady Eowyn, I saw some of the riders lead their horses away earlier. The men returned with their riding equipment but no horses. What was going on?"
She shrugged.
"War can leave people with scars. The same is true with horses. Some of them have seen too much of war and need to be let go to live in peace and heal. We respect all the horses of these lands."
She confirmed that they had let their horses go free.
"You just let them go... wild?"
"They need their freedom to be able to come and go as they wish. They also remember the riders whom they carried in the past, and they will usually accept the saddle and bridle again if they care for the rider and were treated well. They have a way of finding those who are known to them."
He idly stirred the soup.
"It must hurt to send them away though. What if you never see them again?"
"Have you ever seen a herd of horses galloping, no, thundering, across the golden plains or grazing in the fields?"
"No. There aren't any horses where I'm from."
"It is glorious. Does it hurt to let a horse go free? Yes, it does some. But we do it for their own good. We even let those who do not bear the scars of war roam on their own to gallop and graze as they wish. They need freedom too, though they always return to us because they want to be with us."
"What were those fighting twisted-not-humans?" Moonbeam snarled.
Toothless flamed a small bush that had made the mistake of being in his way.
"I heard them named Uruks, but I do not know what they are other than twisted-bad-life," he answered.
"They looked like they wanted to kill much. Not only were they attacking, I also saw some of them feeding on dead humans," she hissed.
"Monsters..." he growled.
She then ran ahead up the slope. It was a steeper slope, so she used her wings to help herself along. He did the same, although he was very pleased that he got to watch her as she ran. Her long tail swayed from side to side, her wide and strong wings stirred up the wind, and her shape was so warming and...
What am I thinking...
Being around her was tempting in a good way. He knew that much.
However, he had learned from his mistakes before. That he had desires and wants in his soul-fire did not mean he must act on them. He needed to truly know who she was in her soul-fire before he could... act on his wants with her, assuming that she could want him also. For one, he needed to know that she could warm to humans at least a little.
She perched at the top of the slope and sat down to look over the flock of walking humans. He sat down next to her and watched with her.
A pawful of their packmates danced in the sky, playing tail-tag games or otherwise gliding for warmth in the sunlight. Mystery and Breath-Of-Sky were walking together beside Far-Flight.
"I saw your fighting in the night, you and Hiccup. Your together-flying was good and fast. You also have hot fire," she huffed.
"I know how to fly attack-flights. I flew flights to protect other dragons for many winters before Hiccup happened to me."
"What?" she barked in confusion.
He smugly purred at her surprise; that detail about his past was one that he had not shared with her before.
"Yes, I flew with attack flights and used my fire to destroy rock- and spine-throwing things made by the humans. I was the... flight-leader."
She looked very impressed.
"I did not know that."
He liked that she was impressed, so he continued.
"Hiccup told me that the Night Fury attacks on his human-pack stopped when he was a young cub. That was when my sire and dam were brought to these skies. The attack flights got better for the dragons when I got my fire and joined the attacks."
It was still a twisted part of life. His defending the other dragons was a good thing, but the need to do the fighting was just as bad. That was all in the past.
Thinking about attacks and fire reminded him of the most amazing thing that happened in the fighting at Helm's Deep.
"How did you disappear? I did not know we could do that."
She blinked in surprise, but then she chuffed, probably remembering that there was much he did not know.
"Usually it is the sire and dam who teach how to hide from eyes."
"That did not happen for me. I want you to teach me."
"Why me?"
He flicked his tail against hers and let it rest there.
"Because I want you to show me more of life."
She did not pull her tail away from his, but neither did she return any gesture of warmth or wanting. But he saw in her eyes that she knew what he had done.
"I can tell you what you must do, but there is a problem that will foul the flight. My way of hiding from eyes is different from yours. You must have split-fins on your back, and then you must fill all your thinking with the sky-lightning jumping to you. Being under a storm helps much, but you can make the sky-lightning without clouds. The sky-lightning will hit you and will dance on your hot scales and hide. Then you fade from all other eyes."
"And we see with sound-seeing?"
"Yes," she purred, "that is how we do not foul our unseen flights. We can see each other without using eyes. Our kinds are the same in this. But I cannot teach you the fade."
"Why not?"
She pointed a paw down at the humans.
"You can be hit by the sky-lightning without dying, but I do not think humans can be hit safely."
The problem was immediately clear. He needed to be flying to call the lightning to him, which meant Hiccup would need to be flying with him, which meant that Hiccup would be hit by the lightning also.
That would kill Hiccup.
"Good point. I do not need to fade. I can live life without it," he grumbled.
There was no flying around this problem.
"You can live without the fade, but it is bad for you to not be as strong and dangerous as you could be."
He said nothing to that, preferring to guide her thoughts to something else.
"What do you think of these humans?"
She hissed.
"I do not know them. Flying to help them was... needed... as you and the Alphas explained, but these are still humans."
"Yes, they are humans who do not hate us, who just saw us fight for them, and who will let us live in peace with them in their range. That is good."
"Maybe... I do not trust them yet," she grumbled.
She started walking again, so he followed her. They walked until they stopped together on the peak of another small hill. Then she spun on him.
"You said something twisted to me before, but I do not know what you meant. What is the gold hoarding you told me about?" she asked.
He snarled and stared out over the golden plains. If he did not look closely, he could almost imagine that the ground was a solid floor of gold, just like in Erebor.
Telling her about this weakness was very soul-fire chilling, but it was also another way to show trust and bond with her.
"Something bad happened to me. I was touched by a bad-twisted-soul-fire that gave me... bad thoughts. My thinking is twisted when I see gold, a rock that is yellow and... precious."
"Why do you want a rock?"
"I do not, but I do. It is rotted thinking, and I know that it is rotted. I did not have those twisted wants before we flew to this world. What do you think about that?"
She blinked and looked away from him when he glanced over at her.
"I do not know what to think. You are fighting against part of you?"
"Yes, I am. I want to change and find a way to bite out the rotted thinking or stop it from growing, but I have not found one yet. The rot is still there inside."
She sighed.
"I understand that. Life was hard and hurting after my sire and dam were killed. I had to hunt for myself and Mystery while keeping her hidden and teaching her everything... hunting, words, life-rules. All was much better after I flew to the pack and was accepted by them, but I almost gave up."
"What?" he gasped.
She paused and hung her head before answering him.
"The hunting was very bad once, and I lost much weight. I thought it might be better to not try. I could leave Mystery in a nest of other dragons, and I could... find peace... by never waking up."
"Moonbeam..."
She snarled.
"But I was strong! I saw that rotted thinking and tore it out of my soul-fire. Mystery needed me because I was all she had."
He stepped over to her side and gently nudged her shoulder, though he did nothing more. That act could be one of bonding between packmates only. That she confided something about her past in him was an act of trust by her, and returning that was only fair of him.
"I am warmed that you did. Hiccup was similar for me; he is a reason I could fight the twisted-thinking. Having another who is kin in life helps when fighting rotted thinking," he whispered.
"Yes, it does," she purred.
They said nothing else as they looked around at the golden plains and at the flock of humans.
She does not think I am twisted because of my hoarding-wants. She knows what it feels like to fight against herself.
Edoras was very large compared to the village on Berk. The city was built on a rocky hill perhaps a ten minute swift flight from the snowcapped mountains to the southwest. There was a large wooden wall around the base of the city. The lower levels of the city had what looked like thatched houses with straw roofs.
An amazing structure was up at the top of the hill, removed from the couple hundred simple homes.
It was a massive, golden great hall. Banners of leaping horses flowed in the afternoon wind around the hall. The slope below the great hall had large boulders and outcroppings throughout the slope.
A tear streaked down his cheek as he beheld Edoras for the first time in its simple, rugged beauty.
This is so like home! Could Berk have been like this if they lived in peace?
"So, Master Haddock, what do you think about it?" Eowyn asked.
"It is amazing, my Lady. This reminds me of where I came from. All the homes there are wooden and have the same design, mostly."
"It was greater once. Rohan and the House of Eorl has been declining for generations."
"Well, there will be dragons here now, so we might be able to help with that."
"How are we going to bring them into Edoras?" she asked.
"Make a list of the homes that are... available, and go from there? I'm not sure what will happen."
They looked up at the circling flock high above.
"Some of them might not want to live near you all. We just have to make them all welcome," he added.
"I will send for some of the cattle to be brought from the Eastemnet. Providing for all of them will be a challenge, but I think we can do it," Eowyn mused.
"Yeah, I have the feeling you all have stubbornness issues. We will help provide for our own needs too," Hiccup agreed.
"Stubbornness issues?"
"You fought against an army that was... how many times bigger than you?"
"True, the first plan was to defend Edoras itself, but we heeded council to take refuge at Helm's Deep."
He frowned, seeing an obvious dissimilarity between the two peoples.
"Actually, my old tribe would probably have stayed here to fight in Edoras. No idea at all of retreat."
She crossed her arms on her chest. Her forearms were surprisingly strong for a lean woman, though her training as a shieldmaiden definitely helped with that.
"There is no lack of honor in giving up ground if doing so helps win a future battle. Not unless it is truly hopeless. Only then is such a defiant death a worthy one," she explained.
"Tell that to my old people. There is a reason why every home back on Berk is new. The old ones all burned down. You think everyone would leave and go somewhere else, but no..."
Eowyn almost smiled.
"They sound like great people, indeed. Very loyal to each other and brave."
Hiccup shrugged.
"They were that for sure. They had other problems though."
"But you were not happy there," she observed.
"If it's not obvious, I'm not a fighter. I wasn't one of them like that. Toothless would have been killed if we stayed there, so we left."
"I see. Did you leave behind family?"
"My father was the Chief, basically the King there."
She started in evident surprise.
"You are a son of a King?"
"Yes, but we didn't get along that well."
"Why not?"
He wasn't sure why this was, but it felt somehow easier to speak to her about such issues. Actually, it was probably because she was in a similar case to what had been his own, being asked or expected to be something she was not by someone she loved as a father.
"Because of what I am. Because I'm not violent, aggressive, or a leader. I was always different, and it took a while for me to see that and accept it."
Eowyn nodded and drew her sword, clearly knowing what to do with it as she held the sword aloft with a palm on the blade. He had not appreciated that she was traveling so armed.
"I am a shieldmaiden, not a simple woman who is content to stay in the house, mind the kitchen, and tend the sick or the children. Someone must do those things, but not I. My place is to do great and honorable deeds in war."
He was again struck by that similarity to someone else he had known and been fond of. Still, she and Astrid were very different in other parts of their temperaments, not to mention their ages. Eowyn was decades older than Astrid or himself.
He spied Toothless bounding toward him from a distance.
"Well, looks like the dragon brother is on his way. Gotta go."
She politely nodded to him as he ran off. He met up with Toothless at the base of the hill, climbed to the top with him, and then joined him in staring up at the city.
"This is the city? It looks very big," Toothless observed.
"Yeah, it is. Almost reminds me of Berk but in a good way."
"True, the dens look like the ones I saw before in that Berk-nest-city."
"But we will not need to sneak around in the night anymore next time I get stuck to the saddle!"
"About that, why did you not just take the saddle off me after our crash?"
"Uh, let's not talk about that one..."
Toothless then crouched down with an expectant purr.
"Fine! We should fly and see this place!"
"You got it!"
They took to the sky and flew toward Edoras proper. The rocky slopes, straw-thatched homes, wells, pastures and barns, buildings that looked like forges, and the great golden hall passed underwing as they circled.
"This is where we will be living now?" Toothless asked.
"Looks like it. At least for those who want to live here."
"Moonbeam said she does not want to live here."
The cool wind blew in their faces as they glided, calmly circling above the city.
"Why not?"
"She is... afraid of being trapped... and does not know if she can trust humans."
He put a hand on Toothless's neck.
"She said the same thing to me before. I don't think she understands that it isn't a trap to live with humans. Yes, it changes life for the better, but..."
Toothless dove for the rocky slope, landed, and perched on a large outcropping. Then they silently stared out over the vista. The rolling grass, golden hills, flat plains, and distant mountains were truly glorious. The wind flowed around the slope and around them.
"What does it meant to be free?" Toothless softly asked.
"No one is making you do something?" Hiccup offered.
"I am not free to fly on my own anymore. No one is making me be grounded now."
Hiccup closed his eyes, wincing at that unintentional reminder of the past.
"Okay, free is that nothing is making you do or not do an action."
Toothless warbled softly and sat down. Hiccup hopped down from his back and stood at his shoulder.
"What if a dragon wanted to attack a human and make it prey, but you could stop the dragon. Would you?" Toothless asked.
"Yeah, of course."
"But you would be making the dragon less free to do what it wanted."
"To stop it from doing something bad."
"You say it is bad, but the dragon might not."
"What are you saying, bud?"
"I think that free is both having different flights to choose from and being able to choose good. A dragon out there," Toothless snarled toward the north, "that only wants to sit on treasure on its own is not free. It is living in a trap that it made for itself."
"Maybe so."
Toothless nodded and purred toward the distant procession of refugees.
"Living in peace with humans does mean that we dragons should not do things that we would do in the wild. Things like hunting any prey animal we see. But that does not make us less, only different."
"Totally agree."
Toothless then hung his head and sighed.
"I wish Moonbeam could understand that."
They were alone, so it felt like a good time to finally talk about that issue.
"What do you want from her?"
Toothless's ears fell slightly.
"Truly, I am thinking about if she can be my mate, but I fear that she... cannot think well of me because I am grounded on my own."
Hiccup frowned, frustrated with her behavior on Toothless's behalf.
"Then maybe she is not the one for you either. If she cannot accept you for who you are, well, what is her problem? Is this like with Jumps-At-Fire?"
Toothless slowly shook his head.
"I do not think Moonbeam has a problem. Not in this. And I am not going to foul my flight with Moonbeam by being too eager with her."
"That's good to hear. Nice to know my best friend can control himself."
"Of course I can! I learned from that mistake."
Toothless then purred and nudged his shoulder.
"We are among a good human pack now."
"Yeah, we are."
"There will be females your age."
"Probably so, yeah."
Toothless huffed.
"I just wanted to remind you of that!"
"You think I didn't notice?"
Toothless's eyes went wide.
"What is this? Is Hiccup staring at females in secret?"
Hiccup punched Toothless's shoulder.
"No! But... I know they're there..."
"Good."
Neither of them said anything else on that matter.
The refugees were still streaming into Edoras or past Edoras on their way out to other nearby villages.
The Fury pack was resting on a golden hill well outside the city. A small stream flowed down around the hill, and several of the Furies were refreshing themselves there.
Hiccup and Toothless were led by Eowyn on a walk through Edoras. She showed them to the stables and barns, which could possibly be converted into actual dwellings, and to a group of empty homes. As he suspected, the homes were solid wood and had straw roofs, all of which made them extremely flammable, but that probably wouldn't be an issue.
Those could maybe work if they had new, bigger doors and more open space inside. Am I missing something here?
Then she showed them up to the Golden Hall, the Meduseld as she called it. This structure used the most stonework in its construction. Its roof was mainly straw, which gave the Hall its very golden look from afar. It was smaller than the Berk Great Hall on the inside. The walls were covered in tapestries depicting the people of Rohan. There was no great central firepit, but there was a throne at the head of the Hall.
"What do you think, Master Haddock?"
"It's smaller than the Mead Hall back on Berk, but this one feels different."
"How so?"
"It feels... quiet, obviously since no one else is here."
"It has seen greater days. A far worse pall hung over it and my King not long ago. What do you think of this place, Toothless?" Eowyn asked.
Toothless looked around at the hall. He was not sure what to think about such human dens and buildings yet, though he had no complaints about the den the Hobbits gave him or the places he had lived in while among the Elves.
"It is strange for a dragon to be inside these things. But we like caves for dens, so these ones you made might be good for us."
He stepped over to her side and gently nudged her shoulder. She did not blink or recoil.
"That is where Theoden sits as Alpha, yes?"
"It is."
"It looks like a good perch for him."
She looked amused by what he said.
Hiccup shrugged.
"Bud, think we should bring some of the Furies up here and find some... dens for them?"
"Yes, we should. My sire and brother are waiting outside," Toothless agreed.
Hiccup watched as Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall inspect the stable. It was admittedly one of the nicer and larger ones; the people of Rohan treated their horses very well.
But there was a detail that, while not intended, was almost symbolic in a way he hadn't appreciated until now.
The stables were somewhere that useful beasts of burden were kept.
It just needs a lot of work. Take out a few of these extra walls. Bring in some rocks for them to flame and lay down on. Put in doors they can open and close on their own. Shouldn't be too hard...
"What do you think?"
Snowfall stepped back to his side as Snowflame and Free-Flight walked inside. Snowflame immediately lay down and went to sleep while little Free-Flight stood up on his hind legs and started batting at the walls for some reason.
"I do not know what to think about it. None of us ever lived in... dens like this," Snowfall answered.
"And," Flame-In-The-Night added, "we cannot see the rest of the pack. They cannot rest with us."
"That is not good. We are pack dragons," Snowfall explained.
Hiccup started pacing, arms behind his back and his thoughts wandering. The Furies definitely rested and lived as a pack when they were up in the Northern Waste. The pairs and kids would stay together, but all of them would sleep very close together to share warmth and protection.
Maybe I am not thinking about this the right way. Dragons are not humans. Maybe this putting them in homes and modified stables is treating them too much like the humans.
Then he stopped and rolled his eyes as the obvious solution came to mind. It was amazing that he had not realized it before.
Gods, I am an idiot...
"I got it! You all prefer to stay close as a pack and rest together, yes?"
"Yes," Flame-In-The-Night agreed.
He started explaining his idea.
"You want to do what?" Eowyn asked in surprise.
Her arms were crossed, and she looked very suspicious.
"Yes, my Lady, you heard it correctly. Doing this would be far better than putting them in stables or empty homes that aren't even the right size for them."
"But do you know how much work that would be? We do not have many trees in these plains."
He nodded, walked over to a table, and pulled out his map that Bilbo had given him. He pointed to one place when she stepped over to him.
"The slopes on the White Mountains have plenty of large trees. I remember from flying over them."
"I suppose that might work. Flight..." Eowyn whispered with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Hmm, it might be a good idea to share this...
"Can you keep a secret, Eowyn?"
"Certainly."
He lowered his voice.
"You obviously remember Snowflame. She told me that she would like you to fly with her once her wings heal."
Eowyn's eyes went very wide. She was struck dumb for a long time.
"I... is it like riding horseback?" she breathed.
He shrugged.
"I've never ridden a horse before, so I can't compare them. It's also a little different for me and Toothless because he needs me to... help him fly."
"Because of his tail?"
"Yes."
He took a breath and turned his thoughts from that.
"Anyway, it's probably very different since there is no giving the dragon instructions. You are a guest on their back, not their master."
"True, that would be different."
He looked around the Golden Hall again.
"Do you think the people will want to do this for the Furies?"
"The King could order it, and it would be done."
"Yes, but what do the people really say about them? You must have heard people talking about the dragons."
"They have been. Mostly good things from what I have heard. The people know that the dragons fought for them and saved many lives. It will probably take some time before everyone is willing to truly trust. Toothless and his brother are doing a good job right now."
Toothless and Breath-Of-Sky were standing outside at the base of the steps to the Golden Hall while Far-Flight drifted on the winds. The brothers were sitting peacefully, tails swaying, and speaking with some of the braver boys and girls of Edoras. Toothless never missed an opportunity to show off his starlight pendant or his toothless smile.
"Yeah, Breath-Of-Sky is very friendly too. He never knew bad humans or had to fight them. Anyhow, that plan I told you about is best. The Alphas agreed that the pack would like it more than having stables or houses for each family."
"What will you and the pack do in the meantime until Theoden King returns and can discuss this further?"
"They are fine with resting outside together. Probably on the slopes below this Hall but inside the outer wall."
Eowyn gave a gesture, and an attendant answered her with a report which she received.
"Thank you, Leofing, you are dismissed. Master Haddock, the first of the cattle for the dragons should be here by evening tomorrow. We will prepare the meat and provide provisions. I will have you shown where."
"My thanks, Lady Eowyn."
He turned to depart but she cried out again.
"How big do you want the new Hall to be?"
"Well, it will take a lot of work, but I was thinking that the front gates could be... as wide as this Golden Hall and the inside could be twice as high. That sounds big enough. I know it sounds crazy..."
"Very..." she mumbled.
"... but I know how to make things. I can see it right now! Some crossing support beams, strong timber, a high ceiling they can hang from, stone beds to flame, oh, maybe Gimli can lend some masons and Dwarven skills from his people, and..."
"Master Haddock!"
"Yes?" he blinked in surprise.
"Go..." she shooed him away.
He eagerly nodded and ran from the Golden Hall; his mind was too occupied with ideas about this great abode. Now all he needed was some paper to begin making his design.
Yeah, right over there on the gentle slope! Open space with a good, solid rock foundation.
Joyful bellowing got his attention as soon as he exited the great building. Then he rolled his eyes as soon as he understood what was happening. As usual, it involved Toothless and Breath-Of-Sky, both of whom were rolling on the ground and snapping playfully at each other's tails.
The boys and girls watching them were grinning and laughing while pointing at the play.
Yeah, that definitely helps. Playing Night Furies makes everything better.
Who knew that being a peacemaker was so easy? It's almost like I don't even need to do anything myself!
"Hiccup, we need your help!" Flame-In-The-Night cried and bounded up to him.
"What is wrong?"
"We do not know human life-ways on this problem. You remember how in the cold range we always flew out over the water to drop our waste and not foul our range."
"Yeah, oh..."
He winced at the obvious practical problem that he really should have thought about before. Taking care of basic needs simply wasn't a concern out in the wild since there was so much free space in which to do what was necessary. There were plenty of times up north with the pack when Toothless has asked him to take him on such a flight out over the water, frustrating though those flights were.
But that had to change now with both kinds trying to live together in peace. Expecting the Furies to just fly out over the plain or outside the city to relieve themselves on the ground would be disrespectful, demeaning, and unsanitary.
Fortunately, there was an easy fix.
"I can ask the humans to dig deep pits outside the city and away from water, you... use the pits... and then cover them with dirt."
Flame-In-The-Night huffed.
"That is a good plan. We can do that and help with digging. I will let the pack know what to do."
"And I'll go tell Eowyn to have some people get to work digging, sooner rather than later."
Flame-In-The-Night flew off, and Hiccup turned for the Golden Hall.
How much of leadership is managing practical matters like food and... cleanliness? Dad certainly had to worry a lot about... all that, even if Bath Day was not as frequent as it should have been... for some people...
It was bittersweet to see a place that was so familiar in shape and purpose. The forge in the Shire was very simple and only useful for sharpening tools, whereas the forges in Rivendell were beautiful and elegant.
This forge was rugged and sturdy.
He walked around the forge while recalling so many things he had done in the past: sharpening swords and axes, hammering out nails and other metal tools, and shaping metal rods to be used in a fin. This had been his life for many winters.
His fingers brushed over the hammers, anvil, chisel, tongs, fuller, slack tub, charcoal, firewood, spare leather, bellows, and the dull, notched weapons sitting in a barrel and waiting to be restored. There were also other things, saddles and other equipment for riding horses, there to be repaired.
"I could definitely get back to this someday."
Hmm, do they need any help? Maybe I could get apprenticed to someone and...
"Hey! Who's in there?"
He spun around in surprise and saw that a young woman stood in the entrance to the forge. She was about his height and had golden hair, what was a very common trait among the people of Rohan, tied up in a bun. She had plain brown eyes, strong forearms, and was wearing very rough, worn clothing appropriate for use in a forge.
"Oh, the black rider..." she gasped.
"What! Oh, black rider, yeah, I suppose I am one in a way; it's, funny story, just odd since I knew other Black Riders, but... is that really what they call me?"
"Well, your dragon is black and you ride it, so yes."
He frowned.
"Him. Toothless is not an it."
"Toothless? Ha! I heard that was its... his name, but I didn't believe it," she laughed.
"Yeah, that's him. He also goes by Burning-Star, if you think his first name is so hilarious. What do you think of them?"
"The dragons? They're dangerous, and the little ones are cute, friendly, and playful," she immediately answered.
"Fair, that sums it up. By the way, I am... my name is Hiccup Haddock, son of Stoick the Vast. I'm not so vast."
"Hic...cup?" she mouthed.
"Don't question it. I know it's a stupid tradition my old people followed."
"I wasn't going to mention anything, but I agree with you that your name is stupid," she said.
What is going on?
"What is your name?" he rolled his eyes.
"Adney, daughter of Gamling."
"Adney, a pleasure to meet you."
He went to sit down on the edge of a stool, but he missed and fell down with a clang of falling steel as dull swords crashed down around him.
"I'm okay!"
Then he hopped back to his feet and brushed himself off. The ground had a lot of soot on it, and now so did his backside.
"Ugh, that was... a little embarrassing. What, uh, are you doing here?" he asked.
She frowned and crossed her arms, clearly very unimpressed by him.
"I should ask you that. What are you doing in the forge?"
"I used to work in one."
"Did you?"
"Yep, Gobber, the village blacksmith, had me training almost my whole life. Need an ax or sword sharpened? I'll do it! I was hoping that I might be able to get back to blacksmithing eventually. I've a few ideas of some things I need to make."
She rolled her eyes.
"I'll believe it when I see it. Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do."
He blinked in surprise as she ushered him out of the forge. Then she got to work by striking up and feeding a fire, tossing coals and wooden planks into the furnace.
She is a blacksmith! I didn't know women did that here. It makes sense though if they can also be trained as shieldmaidens.
Seeing that she was busy and didn't want to be, he left to go check on all the Furies. It was tricky to get to them since they were resting on the outcroppings of rocks on the slope below the Golden Hall.
But it looked like all of them were there except for those in Rivendell or flying from there.
When will they get here? Maybe by tomorrow evening. Lightning might be flying slower now. Gods, I really didn't think about that. She has to be getting very close to being ready.
Flame-In-The-Night hop-flew over to him as he climbed down the steep slope.
"What did she say?" Flame-In-The-Night asked.
Who? Oh, Eowyn...
"She is not the Alpha, but I think we can do it. King-Alpha Theoden will return in a few days, and we can talk with him then. I'm sure he won't have a problem with the plan. It might take a while, several months, moon-cycles, before the place is ready for the pack."
Flame-In-The-Night snorted.
"That is fine. We like where we are now. Being a pack together under the stars is what we know."
They both looked out over the plain filled with distant steams and flowing lengths of golden grass. The wind was warm out of the southeast as were the rocks that had bathed in the sun's light all day.
"How is Snowflame?" Hiccup asked.
The Fury purred softly but also sadly.
"Her wings will heal; we are sure of that. But she will stay grounded for over a moon-cycle to be safe until we know her wings are strong and well again."
He stepped up next to Flame-In-The-Night and rested a hand on his neck.
"Yeah, that's a good idea. What do you and the pack think of these humans?"
Flame-In-The-Night looked up at the distant clouds and hummed in thought before answering.
"You and Burning-Star have shown us a world we did not think could be. These humans are a little afraid of us, but they do not attack or show hate. They gave us food, water, and tended our hurts. Their young have wide eyes and talk much to our young. They... are willing to share ranges with us. I... I think it was good to fly here," the Alpha declared and then glided away to his family.
So do I...
Hiccup continued on to the pack. Each present pair had claimed one of the larger rocky outcroppings on the slope. Several of the Furies bounded down to greet him with a nuzzle or briefly talk about what they had seen.
Finally, he arrived where Far-Flight, Toothless, and Breath-Of-Sky were curled up.
"You two look tired! Too much playing?" he teased.
Toothless covered his head with his tailfin. Breath-Of-Sky looked over at him from where the young Fury lay on his back, yawned widely, and then went back to sleep.
Far-Flight visibly rolled his eyes and jumped down from the rock.
"They wanted to play much to help make the young humans warmer to them."
"They certainly did that."
"Mystery is also resting with us," Far-Flight added.
There was another, much lighter shape up on the rock and barely hidden behind Toothless.
"Oh, shouldn't she be with Moonbeam?"
"Moonbeam is flying to the mountains."
He remembered the nearest snowcapped mountains in the southwest. There had to be a reason why she was flying out there.
"Why?"
"She wanted to find a place she could roost away from humans," Far-Flight explained.
He gave a weary sigh and sat down on the slope. He wondered whether or not Far-Flight knew how important Moonbeam was becoming to his son.
"She will not stay here with the pack?"
Far-Flight grumbled at that.
"She is looking for other roosts because she fears that this one might not be good. I do not think she would turn her tail on the pack without enough reason. The humans here appear peaceful to us so far."
"Far-Flight, can you keep a secret?" Hiccup whispered.
Far-Flight's ears lifted as followed Hiccup away from where Toothless and Breath-Of-Sky were resting.
"I will," he hummed.
"Burning-Star likes Moonbeam... as a mate, or as someone he wants to be his mate."
Far-Flight purred solemnly.
"Yes, I have seen them walking and talking together. I feel cold for him."
"It's not fair of her to reject him because of his lost tailfin. She..."
The Fury shrugged and tapped his tail against the rock.
"She can decide what is important for her. She wants a mate who is strong, free, and can fly. That is... fair of her. To not have a mate who can provide when she is heavy with a cub would be bad."
A long silence followed only broken by the whistle of the wind. But Hiccup's heart was not peaceful inside.
A tear fell down his cheek as he realized that there was a truth that he had to share. He had kept this truth from Far-Flight and Sky-Dancer for too long, and it was only fair to share this.
"Far-Flight, I need to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"You... know that I... love Burning-Star like a brother... and I would not hurt him."
"Yes."
"But life was... not good before I knew him. Dragons and humans where I lived always fought each other."
"I remember well."
"You and Sky-Dancer helped the other dragons attack my... previous human pack."
Far-Flight's lifted ears fell at that reminder, so Hiccup stepped over to him and took his muzzle in his hands. The Fury looked so much like Toothless, except for having a slightly different shade of green in his eyes, that it looked like he could have been holding Toothless in that moment.
"It was fighting. We all did... what we thought was right."
"I know. My nest-pack killed, gods, probably thousands of dragons, and the dragons killed hundreds of the humans... through the winters. I do not blame you for what happened then. No, this is about Burning-Star," Hiccup whispered.
"What?"
"I shot him down. He lost the tailfin when he fell into a tree... because of me."
Far-Flight blinked and did not look away. His eyes narrowed for an instant and then softened, going wide again, and the Fury gave a deep sigh.
"I thought you did it."
"You... you knew?" Hiccup gasped in surprise.
Far-Flight pulled back slightly, still purring to him.
"Sky-Dancer and I thought you might have downed him, but we were not going to ask."
"How... how did you know?"
"There were things you both said that sounded like you were dodging a fireball or trying to not say something. We guessed from what we heard of your story. Do any others in the pack know?"
"I only told Moonbeam. Burning-Star probably wouldn't have told anyone else."
Far-Flight huffed.
"Good. Let that knowing stay with us. I would not want to scare the cubs or make any others in the pack doubt you."
"And you don't hate me for what I did to him?"
Far-Flight stepped closer to him again.
"Did you really? You, the Hiccup standing before me, hurt my son? No. The Hiccup with me now would not hurt Burning-Star."
Far-Flight poked him in the belly with a paw.
"You said that. You are different now. You are not the human who hurt Burning-Star even if you remember... what happened back then. That human who wanted to prove himself to his old pack is gone."
Far-Flight then rested his chin on Hiccup's shoulder.
"You gave him life when you did not need to. You are like another cub to me, but also not at the same time."
"That's..." Hiccup put an arm around Far-Flight's neck in a hug, "a little strange, but I was thinking about you like a father, in some ways. My real father was..." he fumbled.
"Speak..."
Hiccup frowned and sat down before him.
"It's a mess. He was a good Alpha who did what he thought was right for the pack, and he was very patient with me. He put up with so much from me; mostly my not listening to him and making many mistakes, all because I was trying to be like one of them: a Viking. But I'm not like him. I don't know what could get him or others to change and listen to me. Maybe if I died first for them, that might get them to listen..."
Far-Flight curled his tail around him, much like Toothless frequently did.
"I never thought I could be like my sire. He was big, fast, and understood the enemy, humans, better than any other dragons in that safe world did. That might be why he was the Alpha. Most of the others never saw humans because they never flew out. Or they did know humans and went into that world to be away from them forever."
Hmm, that sounds strange. So, Toothless's grandfather was the Alpha of that place.
Far-Flight continued.
"I wanted to be a flight-leader and Alpha like him, but I also wanted to find a mate. He and my dam only had one cub, me, and there were no other dark wings where I was in that world. There were light wings like Moonbeam and Mystery, but I wanted a dark wing for a mate."
Hearing about that place, combined with what he saw in the recent battle, helped Hiccup realize an obvious explanation for something that had been mysterious until then.
No one knew about the Light Furies if they stayed in that safe world and could go invisible.
"I had to choose between staying in the safe hidden world with him and my dam, or flying the nest to look for a mate. I flew and found some pairs of us, some of whom are in the pack now, but it was long before I found an unpaired female."
He purred softly.
"It is good that I found Sky-Dancer, but it was also not good what nest we were both caught in. We flew into a trap."
"The really big dragon with six eyes?"
"Yes, a monster that could twist a dragon's thinking. Looking into its eyes would take their will and soul-fire from them and would make them less free. We followed a flight of other dragons flying with prey catches, and then we saw the Monster. It thralled us, and we had to be a sire and dam in that nest while flying to protect the other dragons."
A pensive pause followed as Far-Flight kept his eyes closed.
"A sire and dam who fly that duty-flight well make their young strong enough to fly on their own, even if that has their young fly a different flight from what the sire and dam would want. One who cannot disagree with parents is still a cub or a fledgling, not an adult with a strong soul-fire. I stopped thinking that I had to put myself in my sire's scales and live his life. Does your sire know why you are gone?"
"Yes. Someone saw me and Burning-Star leaving, and she would have told my father what she saw."
Far-Flight then unwound his tail and stepped aside with a soft purr.
"Then your sire knows that you flew away with a dragon. Even if he thinks that we dragons are monsters, he will know that you did a brave deed and made your own choice in life. He should be proud of you and who you are now."
Why was it so much easier to speak about this with Far-Flight? Maybe it was that Far-Flight accepted him and encouraged him as he was without dismissing him, seeing him as inferior, or trying to mold him into someone else. Rightly or wrongly, it was this precise attention and acceptance that he had felt he lacked with his father.
"I don't know if it is that simple. He might not appreciate peace."
Far-Flight huffed and snorted.
"Do you truly think that? If your sire walked up here and saw us dark wings living in peace with these humans, would he be angry or would he want that peace for his own nest-pack?"
Hiccup remembered an old story his father had told him about some mythical hidden place where dragons, even Night Furies, supposedly came from. His father had spoken fondly of finding that place and sealing it up to end the fighting and bring about peace by forever separating humans and dragons.
He had long thought that story was a fantasy or a wild tale, probably told by sailors who had too much ale or wanted attention. After all, dragons probably lived all over the world, or they would if humans didn't hunt them. Now, it sounded like there might be something to those old tales. As terrible and wrong as that idea of separation definitely was, it was one with the best of intentions. Even all the old nest hunts were always in the hope that the danger could be eliminated forever.
Wasn't there a saying that the path to Helheim was made with good intentions?
"He would want the peace," Hiccup sighed.
Far-Flight chuffed and turned toward the mountains while his tail tapped impatiently at his side.
"You are making that peace live here. Almost all of us feel safer here. I hope Sky-Dancer flies to us soon."
"Yeah, I miss her also."
Far-Flight softly purred.
"Breath-Of-Sky is big enough to help hunt now. He has shown that he can help with providing. Sky-Dancer and I were also waiting until we knew where the pack would be living before we started flying together."
Flying together? Wait. Wait... oh great... yeah... that.
"Uh, you'll be trying for another cub?"
"Yes, as soon as I see her. We have wanted this for several winters."
Hiccup took a deep breath and tried to not think about what the two would be doing.
"Well, I... hope your... flight goes well."
Far-Flight smugly purred.
"It will. You will be helping Lightning birth her cub, yes?"
"Thank you for reminding me about that. Yes, I need to find some help and learn what I need to know, but I will be helping... with that... yes."
"Good. We will want that help for our future cubs also," Far-Flight nodded.
Hiccup felt dizzy, but he did not fall over.
It was one thing to help any female Fury from the pack with such a request. That was an awkward but practical deed to help protect life by making sure nothing preventable went wrong. It felt very different to do that for Toothless's mother.
Hiccup Haddock, rider of a Night Fury, self-outcast from his tribe, dragon whisperer, and a midwife. Not sure I'll ever get used to this.
"I'd be... honored to do that. First, I want to learn about what to do."
"You will have a full season-cycle of her carrying the cub. That should be enough time to learn. We should rest now."
They had been talking for a long time, and the sun was falling low over the western mountains. He followed Far-Flight over to the rock the rest of the family was perched on. Toothless was already asleep, so he leaned back against Far-Flight's side while the Fury purred peace to him and covered him with a wing.
The same Fury who had once unknowingly sworn to tear him apart to avenge Toothless's lost tailfin was, now knowing the full truth of what had happened, covering him with a wing as he would a son.
Hiccup gave a weary sigh and closed his eyes as he relaxed and thought about the immediate future.
Food provisions, a new great hall still to be constructed exclusively for the Fury pack, plans for growing families, and peace.
He really liked Rohan so far. This land felt like a place where he could live for a long time, maybe forever if everything went well.