On Wings Soft As The Wind
Toothless followed Starlight's flight so that he could see how well that mission was working. All the adult Furies of the pack had settled into having specific tasks they worked at to help the humans.
His sire and dam carried messages from Edoras to the far-off villages and towns. Hunts-In-Deep-Waters volunteered for more cub-watching within the pack so that he could be around Lightning and their new cub. Wings-Of-Ice, Eyes-That-Shimmer, Growls-At-His-Shadow, and Dreamcatcher worked as far-fliers who watched the borders for enemies, dangers, and new hunting opportunities. Starlight, Wind-Biter, both Alphas, and he and Moonbeam worked with herding and protecting the prey-flocks. The fledglings who worked usually flew to the river to catch fish. Jumps-At-Fire still flew off on her own in the mountains much, but she also brought back the occasional deer or elk. All who were in Edoras or surrounding villages volunteered to carry things to help make new human dens. The cubs only needed to be cubs and play with each other and the friendly humans.
He spun in a complex set of loops to test the improved tailfin. Satisfied, he glanced down at the prey flock of sheep far below while Starlight dove to speak with the leader of the shepherds.
Getting the shepherds to trust that they would not start snatching up the prey was not easy and had taken direct commands from Theoden and his sub-Alphas. But the lesson had been learned eventually, and now the shepherds were very thankful for the help. The wolves, both normal in size and those that were very big, were not problems now. The humans explained that they had lost one of the prey in each flock every week or so to a predator, usually the big wolves, but that danger was lesser now.
Satisfied, he purred as he circled on the warm winds. That the humans knew to grow their own food instead of just hunt and find what already is was such good thinking. That life-way made it possible to live far away from other places that naturally had more prey.
He glanced back over his tail toward where Edoras was hidden beyond the horizon. He remembered some of what Middle-earth looked like from the maps Hiccup had showed him.
There were other lands far beyond Rohan, and those other lands touched more of the ocean. Maybe some members of the pack could go live in those lands also. The pack could hopefully spread to all good lands in Middle-earth eventually.
But for now they could enjoy the peace here in Rohan and hopefully stop anything from going wrong.
One of King Theoden's attendants stood in the forge's doorway.
"Master Haddock, you are needed in the Hall immediately!"
He set aside the spear he was working on.
"Alright, what's the matter?"
"An incident with the dragons!"
Oh gods... what happened...
He left behind everything and ran through Edoras up to the Golden Hall. There didn't seem to be anything wrong out in the city. Everyone was calmly going about their business.
Oddly, Windripper was waiting for him outside the Hall. The Fury looked very uneasy based on his twitching tail.
"Windripper, what's wrong?"
"My sire and dam were in a fight with a human!"
That sounded very unlike them. Wings-Of-Ice and Eyes-That-Shimmer were not an especially suspicious pair and had not been in any incidents before.
"A fight? What happened?"
"I do not know what happened. They are inside right now..."
He patted Windripper on the shoulder in reassurance and then entered the Golden Hall. It was immediately clear that something was very wrong once he got inside.
Wings-Of-Ice and Eyes-That-Shimmer were huddled together on one side of the Hall while several men including Theoden and Eomer stood across from them. One of the strangers was pointing a finger at the Furies while yelling in frustration.
"The beast even admits it!"
Eomer bristled at that and got in the man's face.
"Calm yourself! You will not speak so before your King!"
Theoden stepped up to both of them and calmed them down.
"Peace, Eomer, Eowhil. We do not know..."
The King noticed his presence and beckoned to him.
"Master Haddock, thank you for coming. Please join us."
"King Theoden, what is going on here?"
"Eowhil, would you please tell us again what you said before?" Theoden asked.
The man, Eowhil, glared across the Hall. That he did so was impressive given that Wings-Of-Ice was glaring right back with bared teeth. The man's slightly unsteady gait suggested that he might have been drinking, which was probably why he was unfazed by the angry Fury.
"These beasts killed my horse!"
That is... what? No way...
"With respect, sir, I don't think they would do that."
Eowhil glared at him.
"Care to explain the teeth marks in my horse's neck?"
Eyes-That-Shimmer snarled.
"I put them there! I killed the horse!"
Wait... why would you do that?
Eowhil furiously pointed at her.
"See, I told you so! They are too dangerous to keep around!"
Theoden looked over at Wings-Of-Ice and Eyes-That-Shimmer. She had already put her head back under her wing for some reason.
"Why did you kill the horse? You do not lack food, I hope," Theoden asked them.
Wings-Of-Ice stepped forward while still glaring at Eowhil.
"As I was trying to say before, I, my mate, and our cub were walking to go drink water. A horse-cub ran out into the walking-path, and Nightfall ran to play with the horse-cub. The horse-dam tried to kick our cub and stomp on her! My mate killed the horse-dam!"
"I did not see that," Eowhil countered, "I saw these beasts around my dead horse in her own pastures!"
"Because I moved the dead horse out of the walking-path!" Wings-Of-Ice snarled.
Eowhil dismissively waved a hand and turned his back on them. A very tense silence ensued.
"Were there any other witnesses?" Eomer eventually asked, breaking the silence.
Hiccup stared at Eyes-That-Shimmer and how she was curled up on herself. Was that out of shame? Probably not. He knew why she was hiding under her wing, so he walked over to her.
"Can we see Nightfall now?"
She warily lifted her head and turned to him.
"Why?"
"I want to ask her a question."
She thought about it as the silence echoed in the Hall. Then she lifted her wing.
The young, yellow-eyed cub got to her paws and warily looked up at him as he sat down before her.
"Hi there Nightfall, do you want to tell us what happened?"
"I want... play with cub..." she warbled with tiny tears in her eyes.
"You wanted to play with the... horse cub?"
"Yes..."
"But what happened?"
"Big... big scary horse... try step on me..."
He gently scratched behind her ears. She leaned into the scratching and softly cooed at the attention.
"Thank you, Nightfall. Tell you what, I will play with you later, if you want. Promise."
"Yes! Playing!"
He got back to his feet and went over to the observers, most of whom looked much calmer.
"Any questions?"
"None," Theoden immediately answered, "this was a misunderstanding. Eowhil's foal got loose, Nightfall went to play with it, the horse went to defend her foal against what it thought was an attack, and we know what happened. I say that there is no true fault here."
Eowhil didn't look pleased, but he still spoke respectfully enough after hearing that.
"My King, what am I to do now?"
"Eomer, do we have any mares that lost a foal recently?" Theoden asked.
"Yes, my King, a couple."
"See to it that one of them is provided to suckle the foal. And Eowhil, take better care to secure your horses. You are dismissed."
"Yes, my King," Eowhil gruffly answered.
Eowhil and several of the others in the Hall departed.
"I knew that there was some reasonable explanation," Theoden muttered once the others were gone.
"Yes, sir. The Furies wouldn't try to cause trouble. I'll help remind them to try to not bother the horses."
The King still sighed and looked weary as he leaned against the table.
"Still, change is not easy, and I am not as young as I once was. Many of my people request audience with me or my marshals to discuss the dragons."
"What do they say about us?" Wings-Of-Ice asked, staying behind while Eyes-That-Shimmer and Nightfall walked to the door.
Theoden frowned.
"It generally depends whether they remember seeing the pack fighting for us at Helm's Deep. Even among those who do remember, there are some who wish we did not need to provision so much for you or who still have difficulty trusting you."
Hiccup eagerly stepped forward, hearing the opportunity to do something useful. The King's mention of problems with provisions was slightly more worrying, but he could surely help with the other problem.
"What do you need me to do to help?"
Theoden paced in thought, eventually staring down at his large map of Rohan.
"If you would not mind, you and Burning-Star together might be able to help with the tension. Not all of the villages have met a friendly dragon before..."
Toothless calmly walked along through the simple village while Hiccup remained at his side. The dog-hounds barked at them both from a distance while the horses whinnied and hid in their dens.
He and Hiccup were visiting one of the nearby villages in the Westemnet. This village, Eralas, was a place where everyone was a shepherd or farmer, though not of plants, and it was apparently one of the more productive places which now sent a prey-animal to Edoras every couple weeks.
The farmers watched him in clear wariness and surprise, likely that he was not doing anything like chasing their animals or flaming their dens. Finally, one of the men stepped forward and addressed Hiccup.
"Young man, you are here on King Theoden's business, yes?"
"Yes, I and my friend Burning-Star are here to meet everyone in this village. What is your name, master?"
"I am Garluf, son of Garmund. I am the Jarl of Eralas."
Hiccup considered the man. The Rohirrim man looked very simple and did not try to hide his worry at Toothless's presence. Honesty was respectable and something he could work with.
"Well met, Garluf, son of Garmund. I am Haddock, of the pack of Night Furies. I speak for them and work to keep the peace between us and the humans of Rohan."
"I see," Garluf frowned, "what business do you have with us?"
Hiccup looked around and observed the large audience gathering around them all. Men, women, and children, all garbed in simple and messy attire, were crowding close by.
"No real business of my own. Who does have business is my friend here. I want to introduce you all to your first Night Fury, in case you haven't truly met one yet."
Toothless preened and held his head proudly.
"That would be me. My name is Burning-Star," he toothlessly grinned.
No one in the crowd moved to greet them. Several women held tightly to their children, and a few bearded men pointed at him.
"I promise that I do not bite!"
"Unless you are fish or Orcs. He might bite then," Hiccup interjected.
That prompted some chuckles of laughter.
Then a couple older boys stepped forward from the crowd.
"Do you really have fire?" "Do you like gold?"
Toothless shot a small fireball into the sky, much to everyone's apparent amazement.
"Yes, I have fire, and no, I do not like gold. My kind are not like the dragons that live in your old stories. What are your names, young ones?"
"Erestor." "Forgoil."
He purred to them. A young girl also came up to him, apparently without any fear.
"I'm Frealaf. You are nice dragons."
His soul-fire glowed with warmth at her kind words, and he slowly bent down to nuzzle her head. She laughed at that, completely unafraid of letting him show her some small-bonding.
More of the humans came closer to meet him and ask simple questions of him. He was entirely happy to do that since doing this helped them think better of him and his kind.
What was very soul-fire warming was that the young were even more eager to know him than the adults were.
"Can I get a pet dragon too?" another child asked.
A gasp of shock went through everyone nearby. One of the dams held a paw up to cover her mouth in apparent fear.
Hiccup mentioned that this twisted-thinking might need to be destroyed.
He stifled a shiver at the creeping memory of a certain ice dragon who, despite being wrong and a very terrible creature, had not been blind to everything around him. Middle-earth dragons apparently had the power to see hidden motivations or could make very biting guesses.
"No, young one. We are not pets, and humans do not take care of us. We take care of each other, together."
Hiccup stepped over to his side and put a paw on his neck.
"Exactly, you humans provide some food and protection for the pack, and we help keep watch on the borders and do other work that needs doing."
Toothless rolled his eyes, amused at Hiccup's choice of words. Hiccup had started completely thinking of himself as part of the pack. There was some sense in that, especially since he had wings and fire, in a way, of his own now.
As his own dam had said, Hiccup had the soul-fire of a dragon. What would Hiccup have been like if he were truly a dragon?
Even as he thought about that strange idea, something felt odd about it. Part of what was so special about him and Hiccup was precisely that they were different types of life, and they were still friends and family across the kinds of life. They were an example of what could, should, and would be.
Hiccup made his way down to meet Lightning and check on her early in the morning. Along the way he noticed King Theoden and Flame-In-The-Night standing together above the pack's slope and speaking together. He wondered what they were discussing.
Probably about guarding Rohan, scouting missions, resources, and other serious stuff.
The other sweet and slightly solemn thing he saw was that Snowflame and Eowyn were sitting together and also sharing words as they liked to do. The female Fury's wings still needed more healing before she could try flying again.
But he couldn't help but wonder what would happen once her wings were healed. Eowyn certainly had an appropriate build for flying, very lean but strong from her training, if they both wanted that.
Who will the first pair be to fly? They are already friendly. She has as good a chance as any.
Then he noticed someone else waiting closely around Snowflame. Windripper was also eager for her to get in the sky again. They were, from all he had seen of them, really sweet on each other. It was good of him to be there for her. That was the kind of dedication which would make them a lasting pair.
He paused and noticed Toothless and Moonbeam gliding freely high above at each other's side.
Toothless had explained everything he knew about his experiences of solo-flight so far. The tailfin was, as expected, a little less responsive than the foot-operated one, and there was also some relearning of flight that Toothless was constantly needing to do. That was what he was doing now by practicing on a peaceful wind with someone at his side in case something went wrong with the tailfin.
Seeing the Furies freely soaring above and around Edoras, and seeing the Furies on the ground in peace and trust was so very good. It was almost as if this was a dream which he hoped never to wake up from.
He finally arrived at the barn with the partially-closed door which he then knocked on.
"Lightning? Are you awake?"
"Hiccup, come here," she purred.
He entered and saw she lifted her head from her side where she lay in her barn.
With her permission, he strode up to her and held her head, gently scratching her chin. This was the first time he had met with her in a few days.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Still weak and sleepy. I will be for many days, though Hunts-Golden-Light is the reason why..."
"And how is..."
Her wing slightly lifted at her side, and there was a faint mewling from underneath. Then she lifted her wing even more.
He sat down and stared in awe at the bright golden eyes that fixed on him. Little Hunts-Golden-Light tried to get to her little paws, but she stumbled and whined in displeasure at her still-weak limbs.
So he crawled over to her. The newborn slunk away from him with a wary chirp, but Lightning leaned over, nuzzled his head in reassurance, and purred to her baby.
That satisfied the newborn because she did not seem afraid as he reached out for her. He gently held her and gathered her into his arms and lap. She tried to nip at his arm, but she wrinkled her nose.
He couldn't resist the temptation to gently stroke her head and neck, which made her softly croon. After a long stroking, she purred very softly and curled up there in his lap, with a forepaw in her mouth as she fell asleep.
So small. So new. So precious.
And strange in one very noticeable way.
He had first noticed it as he helped clean her off with a wet rag after her birth, but that had not been the time for questions.
"Where are her wings?" he whispered.
Lightning scooted closer and whispered.
"They will grow out when she is almost three winters old. They are hiding under her hide now."
Yeah, thought something like that. They wouldn't have wings when they're born. Birds don't hatch with them grown in.
Then he rolled his eyes, realizing another very obvious thing that he had completely overlooked because Haerfara had been more involved in that.
She has a bellybutton. Toothless definitely does also, though I've never really checked for that before. No reason to...
"I had no idea that is what happens to you dark wings. I thought you always had wings since Nightfall did and she was the youngest."
She softly hummed and curled her tail around to rest the tailfins on his lap and on her dozing daughter.
"Her wings only grew out fully a few moon-cycles before you and Burning-Star flew to us. That is why she is not a strong flier yet. The new cubs not being able to fly makes them much in danger."
That thought made him shiver. It also helped explain part of the mystery as to why Night Furies were so rare in the old world. They were extremely vulnerable early on and needed a lot of attention from both of their parents for many years.
Just like humans.
"Did you hear yet about Burning-Star and Moonbeam?"
"About them being mates now?"
"Yeah, that."
"What about his flying? Did you... help them fly together as one?" she chuffed.
He snorted and laughed softly.
"Yes, but not how you are thinking. I made him a new tailfin that lets him fly on his own."
She gasped and looked awed at that.
"Humans are amazing," she whispered.
"Yeah, they're not so bad once you get to know them..."
She stared down at the sleeping baby in his lap.
"Hunts-Golden-Light will always know you humans as being good. The early years of life are very important for a soul-fire to grow well and burn strongly."
He was about to ask more when a strange clamor went up from outside. There was also some roaring of alarm.
Great... now what?
"Sorry, got to go..."
Worried about what was happening, he carefully got up while holding the baby in his arms, and he lay her down at Lightning's side. Then he ran outside.
Surprisingly, Toothless dropped in before him. His eyes were slightly narrowed.
"It is coming here!" Toothless shouted.
"Wait... what is?"
"A big bird!"
He stared for a moment, wondering if he heard that correctly.
"Huh? A big bird?"
Toothless turned aside without saying anything else and offered his back. Together, they flew up the slope to the northern corner of Edoras's highest hill where they then touched down.
"Look!" Toothless barked and pointed with a paw.
The bird flying down from the north across the Rohan plain certainly looked like a large bird. It was at first hard to tell how big the bird was with nothing to compare it to in the background. Then the bird passed by a rock formation on the plain, and Hiccup gawked, certain that his eyes were seeing something impossible.
That wingspan is... bigger than Toothless's... oh gods...
The bird looked like a great eagle with massive talons, enormous brown feathers, and a very large, curved beak. The creature looked like it could easily carry away a human or even a horse.
He also recalled what Elrond had told him before: a Great Eagle had warned him about Saruman's activity. These Great Eagles, assuming that this was one of them, could apparently speak.
"Just when I thought we'd have a calm day..."
"Is it dangerous?" Toothless hissed.
The other present Night Furies also dove from the sky with wary roars. Their cubs and fledglings quickly flew over together or bounded to their parents from wherever they had been.
"I don't think so..."
The Rohirrim guards also noticed and started pointing out over the plain.
No one moved as the Great Eagle circled high over Edoras, gave a piercing, clear cry that echoed from the hills and stones, and then swiftly dove for the ground. The Eagle's wings whipped up a gale as it passed overhead, backwinged, and touched down on the grassy slope before the Golden Hall.
The Eagle held its deep brown wings aloft and raised its head highly and proudly as it glared at the nearest Furies, almost as if daring them to move. They in turn had their wings lifted wide while standing ready to act.
He and Toothless slowly approached while keeping their distance. Moonbeam also landed and bounded up behind both of them.
Unsurprisingly, Gandalf emerged from the awestruck crowd and approached the Great Eagle. His arms were spread wide in greeting.
"Gwaihir my friend!"
"Olorin," Gwaihir answered with a sharp bow of his great head and a deep voice.
Hiccup just rolled his eyes.
Yep, I knew it! It talks! He talks!
"Twice now you have born me aloft," Gandalf continued.
"And I will bear you hence again if you wish it."
"To what do we owe this honor, Windlord?"
Gwaihir then crouched down low to the ground, which was not an easy motion for him.
"Another had need of haste greater than the wind. No wings are faster than mine."
Toothless grumbled and ruffled his wings, but he didn't otherwise move.
Hiccup then gasped when he realized that the Eagle, Gwaihir, had a passenger hidden until now on his back. That person slid down one of the great wings, stood up, and bowed to the Eagle. The Elf was clad in fine, dark robes and bore a silver diadem on his brow. He carried a long sheath and sword attached to his waist.
It was Lord Elrond.
Okay, that is amazing. I had no idea that they have Eagle-riders or something like that. Maybe this is a special occasion...
Elrond and Gandalf silently regarded each other, as if uncertain what they were seeing, and then moved to embrace each other.
Hiccup realized that this would be the first time those two great people met after Gandalf's somewhat-death and being returned to life.
"Let's go introduce ourselves..." Hiccup whispered.
"To that big bird?" Toothless barked in alarm.
"Yes, you're not afraid of it, are you?"
An ear flicked in annoyance.
"No... but look at its claws, and I do not think it likes us..."
Gwaihir was keeping a very wary eye on the nearest Furies. The Eagle's talons and beak were also very large and sharp.
Hiccup dropped his voice to a whisper.
"It isn't attacking anyone. It's probably scared of us..."
Toothless grumble-growled at that and preened slightly.
"It should be," Toothless muttered.
"Let's go then."
Hiccup squared his shoulders and marched forward. Gwaihir noticed his approach and gazed at him with massive golden eyes that felt like they could pierce straight through him. As probably could the massive beak and talons also.
His hand on Toothless's neck definitely helped to reassure both of them. Elrond saw them and strode over to meet them. The Elf appeared very grim.
"Masters Haddock and Toothless, a pleasure to see you here. I hear that congratulations are in order for you, good dragon."
"My thanks..." Toothless hissed while staring at Gwaihir.
"You don't need to be like that..." Hiccup muttered.
"Yes, I do."
Gwaihir awkwardly stepped forward, clearly not a creature of the ground, and bent down toward them. It was only Elrond's and Gandalf's lack of alarm that reassured them that there was not going to be an attack.
"Duath Amlug," Gwaihir spoke.
Toothless tilted his head and grumbled without saying anything.
"Excuse me, Great Eagle, what does that mean?" Hiccup whispered as Gwaihir faced him.
"It means shadow dragon, Child of the West."
Gwaihir then turned his piercing gaze back to Toothless.
"I remember others much like you, dark one. Long ago."
Hiccup and Toothless shared a breathless glance, suddenly forgetting their wariness at Gwaihir's appearance. If this Eagle had information about the history of the dragons, they had to hear it.
"Please tell us anything you know," Hiccup implored him.
Gwaihir settled down and folded his great wings away while Gandalf and Elrond strode up toward the Golden Hall.
"I was alive in the First Age and fought in the War of Wrath against the Great Enemy. My ancestor, Thorondor, and a myriad of my kin fought against the dragons of yore. Great ones like Ancalagon the Black and the lesser ones also, of which there were many. Your kin and those like you were among the lesser ones. They vanished from the broken skies before the Great Enemy was defeated, bound, and cast out into the void."
Toothless looked away and slightly hung his head.
"We are not like those ones," Toothless whispered.
Gwaihir stepped away from them and then looked around, likely at the visible Furies attentively watching him.
"You are and you are not like the old ones. Tell your kin that they need not fear me or my kin so long as you reject the flame of Udun. We are both sky-hunters, and I would prefer we not cross claws and flame."
Gwaihir then flung wide his wings and leapt with a cry and great beat of his wings into the sky.
Everyone in Edoras watched as the Great Eagle calmly and majestically soared high above.
Moonbeam hopped closer and crooned softly as she looked up also. Then Toothless snorted and slapped the ground with his tail.
"I am faster than him!"
"That's what you're worried about? Really?" Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"Really! No wings are faster than his... my waste end!"
"Isn't Sky-Dancer the fastest in the pack..."
"True, but she does not count. I am faster than him!" Toothless objected.
"Let's just go see Gandalf and Elrond."
Moonbeam nuzzled Toothless's neck.
"I will fly and watch the big bird. It might not be bad to us, but I will watch it," she said.
Gandalf and Elrond were sitting together at a table in the Golden Hall. Neither were partaking of any food or drink. The entire Fellowship was gathered with them.
Gimli was drinking an ale, and the two Hobbits were munching on cakes. All three were also smoking the fragrant Shire-herb.
Probably elevensies...
"The King will be here shortly," Gandalf reassured Elrond.
"And he knows the true purpose of the Fellowship?"
"He does."
Elrond then looked around the hall, seeing the normal people eating inside and the guards on duty.
"I will wait until he arrives and we can speak more freely."
Hiccup and Toothless strode up to the table and joined them.
"What did you think of Gwaihir, good dragon?" Gandalf cheerfully asked.
"He is dangerous," Toothless grumbled.
"Dangerous!" Gandalf cried, "And so am I, very dangerous indeed. Aragorn is dangerous. Legolas is dangerous. You are very dangerous yourself, so I recall you most vehemently letting me know..."
Toothless briefly rolled his eyes and huffed.
"I did not know that there were other winged hunters that big. It looks like he could prey on us, on our little ones."
Gandalf frowned at that.
"And that would be a fair worry were you servants of the Enemy. The Great Eagles were sent to Middle-earth to watch for the Enemy and to thwart him. You need not fear the Eagles."
Toothless still grumbled.
"Gandalf," Hiccup spoke, "Gwaihir said something that I didn't understand. He said that the Furies are not his enemies as long as they reject the flame of Udun. What does that mean?"
Gandalf leaned against the table, as if he were suddenly weary.
"Udun is another name for Utumno, the northern realm that Morgoth inhabited in the First Age. It was a realm filled with fell beings, not the least of which were the Balrogs."
Woah, that was the type of creature that sort of killed Gandalf.
"So, basically he was saying that the Furies should not be servants of the Enemy, right?"
"More precisely, servants of the Great Enemy, true."
The front door to the Golden Hall opened, and King Theoden entered. The King beheld Elrond and immediately inclined his head in respect.
Surprisingly, Elrond stood from the table, put a hand to his breast, and bowed to Theoden.
"Lord Elrond..." Theoden reverently whispered.
"Elen sila lumenn omentielvo. The honor is mine, Theoden Ednew. You need not bow to me here in your lands and your hall. I am your guest."
"To have one of your eminence here in Edoras, my Lord," Theoden answered, "is a great honor. I wish that we had more to show you here, but the courtesy of my hall is not what it once was."
"I see two free peoples living in peace. That is enough. I would ask that we, the Fellowship, and our esteemed guests here be given leave to speak freely with no other ears listening in."
Theoden nodded and dismissed everyone else from the Hall.
"Lord Elrond," Aragorn softly spoke, "what brings you here to Edoras?"
"Is it about the quest?" "Have you heard about Frodo and Sam?" Merry and Pippin clamored.
Elrond shrank slightly at that and sat back in a chair. Theoden similarly joined them.
"No, I do not know anything about them. The Enemy is active everywhere. Corsairs from Umbar are sailing the shores and the rivers. The Easterlings are moving on Erebor. Goblins and Orcs are readying in Dol Guldur and all along the Misty Mountains. Where his greater forces will strike is hidden in shadow now. However..."
Elrond faced Aragorn and Gandalf.
"Isengard fell, and Saruman was cast from the Order. You now have with you a prize from Orthanc: something you could use to learn what we must know."
Aragorn got to his feet, put his arms behind his back, and started pacing.
"What brought they from the foundered land... Over the flowing sea? Seven stars and seven stones... And one white tree," Elrond continued.
"It is too perilous to use. Even if it is the Elendil stone," Aragorn objected while gazing at the green-jeweled ring on one of his fingers.
Hiccup was very confused since there was a lot of lore that he knew nothing about.
What are they talking about?
"Saruman did not understand the danger. You do. You have the wisdom and will to use it," Elrond answered.
"I do not know if I am strong enough," Aragorn countered.
"The stone is part of your birthright. It will answer to the King of Gondor!"
Elrond stood up and swept out from under his robes the sword in its scabbard, now unclipped from his waist. He clasped the sword in both hands and held it out.
Aragorn froze, staring at the sword in awe and wariness.
"Anduril, Flame of the West, reforged from the shards of Narsil!"
No one else moved. They all knew that this was a very symbolic moment for him.
Hiccup thought back on some of the history he had learned in Rivendell. Then he realized that this new sword was made from the pieces of the sword used by Aragorn's ancestor, Isildur, to strike down Sauron.
Aragorn slowly reached out, took the sword, and drew it. The blade was very long and gleamed in the light from the Hall's firepit.
"Sauron will not have forgotten the sword of Elendil. The blade that was broken has been reforged," Aragorn breathlessly whispered.
"You are strong enough to wrest the stone from him. Challenge him, show him the blade, stoke his fear, let him know that you have returned!"
No one said anything as Aragorn beheld and familiarized himself with his new blade, which seemed so symbolic to him. Maybe that was because it was his recovered birthright, or a sign that better times were at hand.
"Excuse me, what is this stone we are talking about?" Pippin piped up, breaking the reverent silence.
"Pippin..." Merry groaned.
"As I have said before, Master Hobbit, that is not something you must worry about," Gandalf briskly answered.
"It might be best to just tell us what it is," Hiccup spoke up, "We are all on the same side here."
Gandalf put a hand on his pack.
"Too eager and curious... very well, very well," Gandalf grumbled, "What we obtained in Orthanc is a Seeing-stone, a very perilous relic of a bygone age. The stone allows the bearer to see across space into distant lands, and one could also share thought itself with another bearer of a Seeing-stone."
"So, I could see the Shire again?" Pippin eagerly asked.
Hiccup started in surprise as he realized that he could possibly use one of these Seeing-stones also. It sounded as though he could use it to see Berk again, one last time. He didn't really need to, but it might be nice to check on everyone.
Aragorn frowned.
"It is not as simple as that, Master Hobbit. We know that Sauron has one of his own, likely the Minas Ithil stone. None of you could safely use it. What would you advise, Mithrandir?"
Oddly, Gandalf shook his head.
"I cannot advise you. You are the most worthy of any Man. Only you can assess your own strength and readiness to truly face him in a contest of will."
Aragorn nodded at that and started for the door while holding Anduril.
"I need time to think about this."
Elrond, looking very grim, got up and followed after Aragorn.
"There is more. I came here on behalf of one whom I love..."
The two of them left the Golden Hall to go speak alone. Their departure left the Hall very quiet.
Hiccup then sat down at Gandalf's side. Gwaihir had mentioned a detail that he wanted to ask about, and he had a moment right now.
"Gandalf, Gwaihir said that he remembered dragons like Toothless long ago. He said that they disappeared from the sky before the Great Enemy was beaten."
Gandalf started stroking his beard.
"Did he. Did he now? I could use another walk. Would you two please accompany me?"
Hiccup and Toothless followed him out the Hall and over to the side of the walkway where they could look out over the plain. Gandalf was silent for a long time as all three of them watched Gwaihir circle high above.
"You are thinking about something," Toothless observed.
"When am I not?" Gandalf answered.
"True. What are you thinking about?"
"Your story, Toothless, and how you came to be. I believe that we have another answer to the puzzle that is you and your kind."
"What is it?" Toothless eagerly asked.
Gandalf leaned on his staff.
"The world in the past Ages was very different. There were tongues of power that have been forgotten now and weapons that do not exist anymore. How precisely Morgoth shaped dragons into being, none will ever know beyond doubt. Before he was defeated he may have used a part of his strength to hide away much of his army, the dragons."
"How? I don't understand," Hiccup wondered.
"He might have known some now-forgotten words that could tear open a door in the sky itself, a door to another world: your world. That would save the greatest part of his army by hiding them away to grow in number for when he returns and can bring them back."
Gandalf paused before continuing.
"I also wonder if something might have changed for you and your kind when you were cast from Arda long ago."
"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked, still confused by this explanation.
"A true being of evil could not comprehend mercy. Morgoth could not give his creation a soul or free will of their own. Only one Being could gift the Flame Imperishable. Having that Flame would not prevent you from feeling temptation, but you would have choice. That should be an encouraging thought."
"I suppose it is," Toothless grumbled.
Gandalf grumbled, stroking his beard yet again.
"None of which explains how you and your kin were brought back here though. For that answer I need more pipeweed and more long walks."
"Wait, you still smoke?" Hiccup asked in surprise.
Gandalf mumbled indistinctly for a few moments.
"Not as much as I did as the Grey Pilgrim. It is odd to have a fondness for an old habit that I, Gandalf the White, have never truly partaken of."
Their musings were interrupted when Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall bounded over to them in clear worry. Free-Flight stayed under Snowfall's wings as much as possible.
"Hiccup!" "The sky-hunter!" "Scary..." they cried and settled down in front of them, their tails twitching at their sides.
"What about him?" Hiccup asked.
"The pack is afraid of the bird." "We think it might hunt the cubs." "Scary..."
Hiccup went over and gently hugged Free-Flight to reassure him.
Gandalf also approached the Alphas.
"Good dragons, I have known Gwaihir and his kind for longer than any of you have been alive. You need not fear him or them. Elrond has told him of your kind. The Eagles have been watching you from afar for many days, waiting to determine your purpose."
"Are there any more very big things like those bird-Eagles?" Snowfall asked.
"Only the Fellbeasts of the Enemy."
"Fellbeasts?" Flame-In-The-Night grumbled.
"The twisted-into-wrong dragon-thing you told us about," Hiccup answered.
"Very scary..." Free-Flight chirped.
Surprised, Gandalf turned to Hiccup.
"They know of them?"
"Yes," Hiccup frowned, "they said that they were visited by a Nazgul on one of those Fellbeasts years ago."
"What did it want of you?" Gandalf asked them.
Snowfall growled.
"It wanted us to bend our wings to a new Alpha and to fight against humans."
Flame-In-The-Night hung his head and said nothing for a long time.
"And you did not listen to it," Gandalf observed, "why not?"
Flame-In-The-Night looked up, briefly paused, and then answered.
"Because we want to be free and bend our wings to no other that can control us."
"And in that you, Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and the Eagles are alike; you have the same Enemy now," Gandalf answered.
Then the Wizard wandered off as the other three Furies similarly departed to return to everyone else gathered together in safety. Hiccup and Toothless watched as Gwaihir soared in the clouds. Then the Great Eagle, at some unknown beckoning, dove from the sky and landed on the slope before the Great Hall moments before Elrond emerged on the steps. The Elf Lord descended, briefly greeted Gandalf again, and then approached them.
"My apologies for being so hasty, but time is of the essence and we must be on our way. Bilbo asked me to convey his regards to you both and Lightning," Elrond addressed them.
"Please tell him that her cub was born, a girl, and is well!" Hiccup shouted.
Elrond nodded to acknowledge him, strode over to Gwaihir, and then took his place on Gwaihir's great back. Gwaihir beat his great wings, gave a piercing cry, and turned his flight north across the plain where he had flown from.
They stood together and watched the swift departure.
"Well, that all happened," Hiccup shrugged.
"The Eagle might be good, but seeing it makes me feel... afraid," Toothless whispered.
"Now you know how many humans probably feel around you dragons."
Toothless hummed at that.
"I had not thought about it that way. I will find Moonbeam now. She said she would be watching the bird."
"Alright, I'll be back in the forge if you need me later. Oh, did you see our parents nearby?"
"Our brother is with the other fledglings, but Far-Flight and Sky-Dancer are already away on a flight."
"Ah, they missed seeing Gwaihir. That'll be a story for them when they get back. Later, bro."
Toothless then flew off, and Hiccup turned for the Golden Hall.
He had planned to have breakfast after meeting Lightning, but that plan had been thoroughly interrupted. He got to the Hall and was pouring himself some soup when he noticed a curious sight within.
Aragorn was sitting alone at a table. The Ranger was staring at the new sword on the table, and he looked very disturbed or weary. His head was in his hands. It wasn't like him to show such weariness or weakness.
So, he is going to fight Sauron for that magic stone thing? I'd be worried too. Unless there is something else going on that I don't know about.
It made a little more sense as he thought about Aragorn's situation. The man had lived much of his life in exile as a Ranger. He was the heir of a great King and had the claim to an entire Kingdom. But, if he remembered his Middle-earth history well, that very ancestor, Isildur, had fallen to temptation and had not destroyed the Ring when he had a chance.
He probably doubts himself. I... understand that.