Warrior Cats, Httyd AU

Into the Wild Ch. 1

It was very dark. Rusty could sense something was near. The young dragon's eyes opened wide as he scanned the dense forest. This place was unfamiliar, but the strange scents drew him onward, deeper into the forest. His wings ached, longing to fly. He took off in a run. Running as fast as his four legs could carry his black body. Picking of the salty scent of the sea. Rusty twitched his minor caedyts catching the sounds of trees finding the best path and taking off in that direction.

The sound of waves crashing against rock grew louder and louder as the sea air grew stronger and the trees thinned. He spread his wings slightly getting ready to take off. Fast and fast his paws drummed silently against the ground as he broke through into the clearing. Wind whipped against his face, the salty air stung slightly at his eyes.

With one large leap he spread his wings and dove off the cliff. Air rushing past him and under his wings. At the last second he opened his tail fin and glided just above the water. Looking down at his reflection as he flew past. His bright orange eyes staring up at him. With a few powerful flaps of his wings he rose higher and higher into the sky as the sun rose over the sea. He struggled to climb higher still, to reach the clouds. He felt his wings ache as he started to fall backwards plummeting down towards the sea unable to stop himself. Rusty closed his eyes and waited to hit the hard water.

Quickly he jerked up opening his eyes. The sea had disappeared. He was inside a wooden home. Curled up on his rock bed. The fireplace beside him was cold. He looked to the sleeping child on the bed nearby. They shivered slightly under their blanket. No light shone into the room, everything was boarded up from the cold. Rusty had been dreaming.

He walked towards the viking child's bed and rested his large head on the edge of it. Watching the small being breath slowly. His harness rubbed uncomfortably under his wings. In his dreams he had felt the freedom of flying near the ocean. The air rushing against his smooth scales where the harness usually rubbed raw. Rusty turned away trying to savor the smell of the air, for a few more moments. It was the third time since the full moon that he had that dream. Every time he fell back unable to reach the clouds.

He licked his lips. From upstairs he could smell the bucket from which he was usually fed fish, but he didn't get fed until morning after the fishermen returned. The rancid smell chased away the smell from his dream. His wings still ached he stretched and flapped them a few times. Before turning towards the fireplace and let a small plasma blast relight the wood. Instantly heating up the tiny space. He leaped towards the beams in the ceiling flapping his wings to give him the boost he needed to reach it. Carefully he balanced and walked across the beam towards the window in the roof. Nudging against it slightly it opened and some snow flitted in. Rusty sneezed as the snow itched his nose then quickly slipped out onto the roof. Sliding down and falling to the ground near the hut.

Outside, the moon was bright. It was snowing slightly. Rusty stalked down the rows of houses, following the starlit path the vikings in the village used to go from place to place. The snow crunched slightly under the paw. He wandered up towards the mountains where the village healer's home stood, and past the barn where the other Tamed dragons slept. It would be morning soon he could feel it in the light air. Rusty pressed on climbing as the path began to steepen into large rocks as he reached the mountain side. He made his way towards the abandoned lookout post. Raising his wings he took off half flying half climbing he made his way to the top. It was big enough to hold him and a few small viking children. Or maybe one large dragon. His village didn't use it anymore as they made new posts elsewhere. Rusty liked this spot, he could watch the sun rise and if he looked hard enough he thought he could see the other islands off in the distance.

The snow had stopped. Behind him, the village bathed in moonlight, but beyond this look out toward was the woods. Full of other creatures and even wild dragons. Although most stayed away he longed to see others. Rusty stretched his head forward to take a sniff at the cold air. He was warm but he could feel the snow that rested and slowly melted against his scales.