In Lieu Of A Tail

3. Beginnings And Endings

The world is a big place, but when you are flying high above it on dragon-back, it seems incredibly small – even when it stretches on. Hiccup had a sense of relief as he flew further and further from Berk. No, not relief, he felt free. He felt like he could fly forever, and he felt as though they had been flying forever (in truth it was probably only a day).

Strangely, he wasn't afraid of being alone and without his tribe – he was used to loneliness, after all – no, his fear was of being found. He was terrified about what might happen if anyone found out that he rode a Night Fury, what might happen to Toothless if their secret was revealed. He knew the dragon couldn't fly without him, and flying was everything to Toothless – it was his nature, how he survived. Guilt rose anew in Hiccup's heart, the sudden realisation that he had taken something so vital from such a majestic creature hitting him like a lightning bolt from Thor Himself.

"I'm so sorry Toothless," he whimpered, "I've ruined everything for you."

Toothless crooned, as though questioning his friend.

"It's all my fault. I shot you down that night, I shot the bolas. I destroyed your tail fin," he whispered, barely audible above the howling wind, "I took your ability to fly. You should hate me." Hiccup fell silent, lost in his thoughts.

Toothless growled, he had heard every word – Night Furies happen to have excellent hearing – he also hated every word. 'Not true, not true! Hiccup freed me from the bolas and the Queen. He gave me my flight back. He fed me when I couldn't hunt. I don't hate him, I never will, he is my friend.' Toothless desperately wished Hiccup could understand him, he made a mental note to find a better way to communicate in future, right now he had needed rest, especially considering he was carrying a Viking who was likely to fall asleep soon.

Toothless heard Hiccup yawn, confirming his thoughts. The dragon utilised his excellent eyesight and began looking for an island where they could spend the night. He spotted a rather rocky and small one, it would have to do, Hiccup needed to be awake in order for them to fly.

He began his descent, trusting that Hiccup would catch on, and he did. They landed softly, and Hiccup dismounted, taking several steps away from Toothless and collapsing onto his knees, almost crying.

"I'm so sorry Toothless, I've ruined your life. I wish I could go back and stop myself. I really do, I—" Hiccup was silenced when Toothless wrapped his wings around his trembling form, hugging him close to his midnight scales as the boy whispered apologies in every form. Toothless crooned gently, and Hiccup looked into the Night Fury's luminous eyes.

"You must hate me." Toothless shook his head. "How?! I would hate me." Toothless again shook his head. "I'm sorry bud, I—" Toothless cut him off by licking his face, bored of the depressing conversation.

"Really bud?" Hiccup asked in exasperation, but he began to smile. "That's disgusting, and I have a terrible feeling it probably doesn't wash out, huh?"

Toothless looked away innocently, and Hiccup laughed, a small laugh, but a real one – filled with joy.

"I'm guessing we're going to stay here tonight?" Toothless nodded. "Okay then, we should eat something."

They ate a dinner of fish – raw for Toothless and cooked with dragon fire for Hiccup – before settling down to go to sleep. Toothless heated the ground with a burst of flame and, seeing Hiccup uncomfortably laying against a nearby rock, grabbed the boy's leg in his gums and dragged him into the safety of his wings. The boy struggled a little, startled by his leg being in a dragon's mouth, before realising what Toothless was doing and snuggling closer to the Night Fury's warm scales, muttering a thank-you in a sleepy voice.

Toothless encircled the teen with his wings as a mother dragon would her young – his wings a barrier against the elements for Hiccup, his friend and (he decided) adopted hatchling.

**********

Berk was silent, everyone was mourning the loss of the newly-dubbed 'Hiccup the Promising'.

Some took it harder than others, for example the Chief and the Blacksmith. One mourned a son, the other the closest thing they had to one.

The teenagers who had trained with the boy all mourned him for different reasons.

The twins realised that they would not be able to talk to him about pranks and mischief anymore. He would not be able to help with loopholes in laws so that they got in less trouble anymore.

Snotlout regretted treating his cousin so horribly, especially since the boy had never done anything to him. Hiccup had always found ways to help him, even when he didn't realise it.

Fishlegs mourned a friend who had always let him spout trivia about dragons, even when he was busy. He mourned the boy who listened and understood having a love for knowledge.

Astrid suffered most of all. She regretted ignoring the boy for so long, when she was too focused on becoming the strongest Viking she could. She wished that she could tell him how she felt.

The Berkians met at the shore with bows and arrows, where a small boat waited in the shallows. A fire pit dug into the ground was alight and the tongues of flame danced within. The boat was nudged out into the sea by the Chief. Nobody heard him whisper a final goodbye to his son and heir, no one saw the tear that dropped into the small boat.

Stoick waded back to shore and accepted the bow and arrow that his brother, Spitelout, offered. He lit the arrow and shot it at the boat, it hit exactly where a small body would have laid – had it been found. Taking their cue, the other archers (the teens, Gobber, Gothi and Spitelout) fired their flaming arrows. The proper funeral rites could be heard, but no one was really listening. Everyone was watching the boat burn, sending prayers of safe travels to Valhalla for the boy, prayers that he would meet his mother at the gates and that she would take his hand and lead him through those gates, and that he would watch over them all.

**********

The boat continued on its journey over the ocean, the flames died soon after it disappeared from Berk's view. Upon it lay a small toy, shaped like a Deadly Nadder. The toy was unharmed from the fire, and storms did nothing to it. The boat became battered, and years later, the toy floated only on a single piece of wood that was scorched and battered and destroyed. It drifted onto an island where many dragons roamed, and was discovered by a particularly curious Terrible Terror. This dragon picked it up in its talons, then flew up and into a great cavern of ice. He bowed before the King and presented his treasure. The King roared and a dragon with two sets of wings flew down. A slender, armoured figure dismounted and both they and the Stormcutter bowed. The King indicated the Terror before him, and the figure spoke with a feminine and motherly tone.
"Sharpshot, what have you found?"
Sharpshot trilled, flew up – the toy still firmly clenched in his claws – and dropped it before her. She reached down, picked it up, and gasped.
"Hiccup..."

AN: I do not have an update schedule yet, I am really sorry. I hope you're enjoying the story! I am not sorry about the cliffhanger though, I should update again soon.
OMG it's 1am, why am I still awake? I'll be fine, I'll just drink coffee tomorrow (not that I don't do that anyway).
Bye everybody, see you next time!