How To Train Your Dragon 3 - A Tale of Two Tails -

Chapter Twenty-Five: For The Dancing and The Dreaming

Toothless jolted up from his cold stone bed with a gasp. His entire body was sweaty, convulsing and his heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour. His cheeks were covered in tears, some old and some new. He thought he felt a bout of vomit crawling up his throat even though he hadn't eaten anything for dinner last night.

He felt so sick. 

His nightmares as a dragon were just voices but this was different. He'd been replaying actual instances in his mind. He remembered seeing the Bewilderbeast. He could hear echoes of his roar... It was like he was there, reliving the battle again.

And then, Stoick was there. He called him his son, and Toothless called him 'Dad'.

It made him shudder.

Were these what dreams were like for humans?

Oh god, he was going to throw up soon.

Toothless forced it down, wiping the tears from his eyes as best as he could. His skin was paler than usual, and he was hyperventilating. He tried his best to regulate his breath but the voices in his mind were so clear, and paired with such vivid images.

He could feel Stoick still wrapping his arm around him. 

It hurt so bad.

He wondered if he was suffering from a convulsion and gasped for air. A tear leaked from the corners of his eyes and he weakly choked out a sob. He shut his eyes and covered his mouth with his hand to muffle the noise.

Hiccup tossed in his sleep, and the Alpha quickly clamped a second hand over his mouth. The last thing he wanted was for Hiccup to see him like this, especially after everything he saw.

Toothless shook his head and grabbed Eret's-- well, his shirt and put it on. It was a slight struggle but he managed. He looked out the window and saw nothing but white.

'Must be a foggy day,' he thought blankly, 'How early is it?'

The former dragon sauntered down the stairs tiredly, making sure to be as silent as possible. He didn't want to wake Cloudjumper and he couldn't bare to look at Valka now. 

But then he heard something...

"...I have no use for rings of gold,
I care not for your poetry,
I only want your hand to hold..."

Someone was singing sadly. 

He knew that tune.

"...but that's their song," Toothless thought out loud, suddenly feeling extremely hollow.

"To love and kiss to sweetly hold,
For the dancing and the dreaming..."

He thought he would have a heart attack. 

The door was open, even though he clearly remembered shutting it yesterday, after they returned. He warily made his way towards it and found that the singing was growing louder. He put an ear near the crevice of light and listened.

"Through all life's sorrows
And delights...
I'll keep your laugh inside me..."

It didn't sound like Valka. No, this voice was higher-pitched and softer. The song was also sang sadder and more melancholy. Toothless frowned because it wasn't supposed to sound like that. It was supposed to sound happier, talking about viking marriage, even though the mysterious singer clearly had the voice of an angel.

With all the courage he had left, he pushed open the door and stepped out. It was a very misty day, the kind where it looked like a thin blanket of fog were skirting around the houses. The skies were a light grey, almost white but it wasn't the kind where it looked like it was going to rain. And surprisingly, it didn't look as gloomy as he thought it would.