The Soul of a Dragon

Chapter 14

Vara

After that...situation with Hiccup, I felt too restless to go to bed so I practically sprinted out of my hut and paced back and forth with Aria not acknowledging my stupid ass (because she's used to it). As soon as my legs started to burn, I decided to go to bed, a million thoughts still racing through my mind like tiny Terrible Terrors. I couldn't sleep all night – not like that's not normal for me –, but every time I tried, I didn't have my usual nightmares, instead I dreamt of Hiccup and what it must feel like to have his strong arms hold me safely.

The exhaustion I can feel in my bones doesn't reach my brain because it's been working non-stop. So, when I hear the early morning birds singing their songs, I don't even bother to try to sleep in. I'm grateful for the interruption of a voice asking to come in. It's Snotlout.

"Hey, Vara", he smiles sheepishly and I find myself missing his usual confidence and large ego. I sit up and nod at a chair. He clears his throat loudly and steps closer, looking all serious. That worries me. "I, uhh..I-I had a good time with you the other day. And I don't know about you, but I don't connect that instantly with a lot of people."

I answer with a big smile to let him know I feel the same way. With a crooked grin, he starts to show more of his normal confidence. He shrugs nonchalantly and says much louder, "So, yeah, you know...Hookfang wants to hang out again. He's kind of amazed by you and stuff. Yeah, he's like talking about you aaall the time." Yes, Hookfang can talk. Suddenly a red tail enters the small hut and swoops Snotlout off his feet (with much force, I must add). I burst out laughing, much to Snotlout's disliking, but I don't care.

Still laughing, I can barely breathe out the words, "Sure, I'd love to hang out with Hookfang."

It's been a while since I've woken up this early on a beautiful sunny day, and since I've laughed so hard my tummy starts to ache. Hookfang is, of course, nowhere in sight, so Snotlout and I take a walk around the village. It's really coming along and Vikings are buzzing about everywhere, never resting and always holding something or hammering something. There's a lot of shouting and I'm surprised I've slept through all that noise before. Snoutlout introduces me to some new people, friendly people, and we mostly talk about his adventures with the gang. I enjoy hearing about those, especially the transition of the Hooligan tribe – how Hiccup and Toothless showed everyone that dragon aren't monsters. Or the tales of the gang living on Dragon's Edge and how every day there was a new enemy to defeat, a new dragon species to be discovered, and more information to be revealed about something called a 'Dragon Eye'. I'm so fascinated by those stories, I don't even notice there's a tree right in front of me. I manage to avoid impact but I don't see the rocks below and – naturally – trip over them, looking like the most elegant idiot that's ever existed.

Two arms catch me and pull me towards a hard chest before my head hits the stones. I breathe shakily and my eyes wander up Snotlout's broad shoulders all the way to his shocked face. He's so close to me, I can feel his breath on my cheeks and his muscles tense nervously. As quickly as he caught me, he lets me go and we both chuckle to loosen up the awkwardness.

"I think I'll go for a ride now with Aria. She needs to stretch her wings every morning. So, uhh...yeah, that's where I'll...uhh...go", I say whilst slowly walking backwards and pointing back at, well, nothing because Aria's actually waiting for me at the cliff. Snotlout still looks very much overwhelmed and I think he doesn't even register me talking to him.

I'm immensely relieved at the sight of my beautiful girl standing ready, the sunlight casting her in a beautiful golden glow and making her scales shimmer even more profoundly. Only when I'm seated on her and we take off into the sky, I release the breath I've been unconsciously holding onto. The view atop the clouds never gets old and I let myself fall back against Aria's back to close my eyes for a bit.

Aria and I spend the rest of the day just flying around and it's exactly what both of us need. Just some quiet and peace. Just us together.

It's getting dark but the sun is still sending beautiful rosy and purple rays across the ocean, the water's surface reflecting them with its soft waves. We need to go back so I turn Aria around and, again, lay flatly on her back and close my eyes.

"I never tire of it, too", someone says calmly on my left. I wince shortly but don't bother to sit up straight. Instead, I open one eye to confirm my guess at who's disturbing my peace.

"So, I uh-", he hesitates, "I saw you and Snotlout this morning. Looks like you're getting along pretty well, very well even." He mutters the last bit but I can still make out the words. I get distracted by Hiccup's voice. It can be identified as high-pitched, yes, but it's also husky and deep at the same time. It stirs something in me that I don't quite want to think about.

Sighing, I slowly straighten my posture and give Hiccup a sidelong glance. Is he really trying to talk about this? He must have noticed my disapproving frown because he nervously ruffles his auburn hair in the wind and scratches Toothless neck whilst sucking in some air through his teeth.

The silences stretches out and I can almost see the tension between us.

"Here's something you didn't know about me", I smile at him in an effort to make this conversation less uncomfortable, and then look up at the sky where some stars are beginning to light up the evening, "I'm in love with stars."

Hiccup chuckles to himself and fiddles with the hem of Toothless' saddle. I feel the need to watch the way his crooked smile forms and the wrinkles around his lips accompany it. But I force my eyes to focus on straight ahead.

"I'm in love with stars, too", Hiccup almost whispers but saying it loud enough for me to hear over the noises of the wind. My eyes now dart to him and I cannot help but smile. Of course, he loves stars. Why wouldn't he love the same things as I do? Why wouldn't the Gods want to make him more...intriguing. I swear, they're trying to torture me.

"You see those four stars forming a square? And the three sticking out like a head? That's part of a constellation called Ursa Major, or great bear", Hiccup points at certain stars and it takes me a moment to locate the constellation. Even from my position, I can see the small balls of light sparkling in Hiccup's eyes. "It kind of resembles an animal walking. Could be a bear but, honestly, it could be anything else."

He notices me grimacing and asks "What?"

"Well, I don't know any of the 'correct' names but I called those and some adjacent stars the big and small dragon", I say whilst scoffing at my idiocy, "But I like to think they're watching over us, you know. The dragons up there."

Hiccup casts me his famous crooked smile. "I like that." The way he says that and stares at me causes my cheeks to redden with a blush. Inside, I'm scolding myself, but outside, I'm trying to act normal. Luckily, New Berk appears before us and I quickly say goodnight to the boys and land next to my hut. Aria nudges me pretty strongly against my side and gives me that look again, the same knowing look she gave me when I came back from tending to Hiccup's wounds. She's a big lizard, what can she possibly know?

She nudges me again. That's it. No more. "There's nothing to look at here, girl. So, stop giving me those eyes." My frown is turning into a devious grin. "And don't even think for a single second I don't see the way you give Toothless lovey-dovey eyes."

Bump.

That's the sound of me falling on my ass because my dragon has shoved me. Great.

I laugh because she's acting all offended and everything, rolling her eyes and turning around to introduce her rear part.

"For what it's worth", I add and grunt as I stand up, "He looks at you the same way." That catches her attention and curiosity is vibrating in those gorgeous amethyst eyes of hers. I must be back in her good graces because she lets me pet her. Hence, for the rest of the night I spoil my sassy dragon with kisses and cuddles.