Moon Fire

Chapter 14

So . . . this took forever and a day. Sorry about that.

Enjoy!

***

Hiccup was oddly nervous when he woke up that morning. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, though. A bad dream, maybe? No, no, he'd slept like a rock last night. Then what was it?

It's the flying, he told himself. You're nervous about flying.

Honestly, that didn't feel like it, either, but he didn't know how to figure it out, so after a quick bite of breakfast, he grabbed the coil of rope, slung it over his shoulder, and started walking outside. Twig flapped up to him, perching on his unoccupied shoulder, and sniffed at the rope. Hey, whatcha doing? she asked in her usual perky way.

Trying to see if I can get the Alpha to fly, Hiccup answered, reaching up to scratch behind the little dragon's ear. Twig purred happily and inquired further. What's the rope for?

I'm going to tie it to the tail fin I made and pull on it in different directions, depending on where he wants to go.

Are you sure it'll work? Twig asked, tipping her head to the side. This whole thing seemed kind of precarious to her.

No. Yeah, sure it will. We'll figure it out.

Twig raised one eyebrow, fully aware of the commotion in her friend's mind, but didn't comment further.

When they got to the cove, Toothless was reclining by the pond, his head up and eyes closed. He seemed much calmer than last time, more serene and comfortable.

"I'm here!" Hiccup called out. The Night Fury turned at the sound of the boy's voice and trotted toward him. Now that they were closer, Hiccup could still see that spark of urgency in Toothless' eyes, but he'd lost that erratic, panicky glaze. He rubbed against Hiccup and Twig fondly. Come to watch the show, I see?

That, or offer moral support, Twig replied. Whichever is needed more. 

Toothless' face took on a more concerned expression. Moral support? Why?

"Will you stop worrying over me, please?" Hiccup asked Twig in exasperation. "I'm fine, really."

If you say so, Twig said with a shrug, flapping off to find a perch from which to watch.

Toothless swung his tail over to Hiccup, who tied the rope to the prosthetic in such a way that would allow him to control it. The knot secure, he pulled the rope up, then side to side. Toothless hummed approvingly. Now, time for the real test. Tie the rope around my neck so you have something to hang on to.

Hiccup took the rope, figured how much he needed to control the tail, then put his hands on either side of that spot. "Can you cut it here, please?"

Toothless aimed carefully and shot a quick burst of fire at the rope, cutting it into two pieces. Hiccup grabbed the separated length of rope and held it around the dragon's neck. Is that comfortable?

Toothless tilted his head from side to side, experimenting. Just a smidgen looser should be fine.

Hiccup complied and tied the knot, making sure it would hold firm but still be easy to undo. Once he was satisfied, he slid his right leg over the dragon's shoulders and settled in. He marveled at how he could feel every little move Toothless made, whether he was turning his head or shifting his weight off of one foot. He grabbed the rope at Toothless' neck with one hand and the rope tied to the prosthetic with the other. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Whenever you're ready."