Growing Pains

Chapter Twenty-Four: Guilty One

In his fifteen years of life, nothing could have prepared Finn for the task he had set for himself.

He tried his best to allow Thornado to fly at his own pace, but hours of nervousness and terror grated on his nerves. Finn twisted in his saddle, stared at the waves, counted the clouds, spotted familiar islands and landmarks to pass the time. Thornado growled in annoyance at his fidgety rider numerous times. But he couldn't help it. Never before had he dreaded something so much.

He spotted various landmarks and familiar islands as they passed by, his trepidation rising with every wing beat. His father would throw him out on sight; Adrianna would probably break his nose for daring to set foot on the island. The council would grab their swords and torches and prepare to burn him at the stake. His father was a creative man at heart so there was no telling what the punishment would be for Berk's ex-heir. He had to be ready to make a run for it, no matter how tired Thornado would be.

At dusk, the Thunderdrum grumbled at him as if to say "stop muttering under your breath kid, you're driving me nuts!"

Finn sighed and leaned his head against his friend's scales. "I can't, buddy."

When they passed Brawn, Finn felt his stomach twist into knots. He tried not to think about the stupid mistakes he'd made down there. He vaguely wondered, had Raine really cared about him as a person, if he'd still be there now, hanging out with her. But instead of him, he wondered if now she spent her time with another young man. He faced forward, staring at the darkening horizon, and forced all thoughts of Raine out of his mind.

It was another two hours' flight from Brawn, but at long last a familiar island began to take shape in the darkness. Two massive braziers flamed in the ocean as Berk loomed in the twilight. Seeing his home again, Finn quivered in his saddle. He didn't see many patrols in the streets as they flew overhead, which was good. That meant his dad had gotten full control of the gang and many of the guards could get some rest. They deserved it. Finn felt another pang of guilt. How many husbands and fathers, even some wives and mothers, had been kept away from their families night after countless night because of his stupidity?

Finn directed Thornado over the village and across the massive bridge that separated most of Berk's population from his family. He never thought too much about how far away his family's home was to the village. He supposed his parents chose this area for the peace and quiet. It was kind of nice to have that tranquility away from everyone else, but in the midst of a tragedy (mainly caused by him) it had to be a pain in the rear for his parents.

Thornado landed softly near the barn. Finn slid off, his knees nearly buckling, either from sitting in a saddle for hours straight or out of fear, he wasn't sure. From the dining room window he could see a single candle flickering, sending shadows dancing across the inner walls. That either meant they'd forgotten to blow the candle out before going to bed or someone was still awake. He wasn't sure which set his nerves on edge more.

Keeping a wary eye on the house, Finn jimmied the barn lock open and let Thornado slip inside. The large blue dragon flopped into his pen with a contented sigh. The poor guy was clearly exhausted. Finn suddenly realized if he was about to be thrown out, either now or in the morning, if Thornado was too exhausted or unwilling to fly... maybe his father would allow him to take a tiny skiff or something. A final parting gift for his wayward son? Unlikely. This plan was going so smoothly.

Lily raised her head from her own pen and sniffed at him, her tail thumping softly against the hay.

"Shh..." Finn whispered. "Quiet, Lily."

The Monstrous Nightmare huffed as if to say "Well, nice to see you too" and dropped her head back onto the hay.

Finn faced the house with an audible gulp. Should he sit on the porch and wait all night until everyone woke up? Should he step inside, hope everyone was asleep and wait at the table? Should he crash in the barn loft and wake up at the crack of dawn?