Between Waves and Clouds

03 - Second chance

Nuffink was looking at the landscape from one of the countless cliffs on the island. There was nothing more to say than the endless sea, as well as a very few bits of rock on its surface.

New Berk was an isolated island, and its tall shape of abrupt cliffs and waterfalls made it look like a giant fortress, only reachable with wings. By the way, it created some difficulties for fishing, if it wasn't for the many lakes on the top of the island and the inventiveness of the chief. During the first year following the exodus to New Berk, he had crafted a complex system to hoilst the drakkars along the cliffs so they could reach the ocean and catch salt-water fishes.

During his free time when loneliness and bad thoughts would crawl back to him, Nuffink liked to just stare at the landscapes, wondering what was lying beyound the horizon and if, by chance, there were an escape for him out there.

New Berk was a huge island but the Hairy Hooligan clan was quite small. The allied clans were alsmot the same size, save from the Berserker that was a bit larger, and the Wingmaiden that was smaller. He had already searched among them, yet since that story with Avock, he had seized to seek someone. It felt like the Reval son had broken something within him, something precious that couldn't be replaced.

Nuffink remained there, sat on the edge of the cliff, feets hanging, contemplating the view with wandering thoughts. The wind was softly blowing in his blond hair and trying to get into his clothes, thought nothing could pass the scaled armor. He was wearing it more often than before, even when he wasn't at the Academy. He didn't know why, it made him feel secure, as if nothing could pierce it and reach his heart. Or maybe what he liked was wearing the white, greyish scales and black horns of his best friends, making them match.

Said best friend had left for about twenty minutes but Nuffink could still see him downwards, playing and trying to catch the delicious fish there. It amused him. Pouncer had this peaceful effect on him, especially when the viking could see him ineract and play with other dragons. There were other dragons down there, including the third Night Light, Pouncer's brother. This one looked more like Dart but his paws were white to the kness, his belly was white starting from the chest down tot he end of the tail, his nose was black, the horns white, and the eyes green. He was the only with a propre 'viking-like' name, Ruffrunner. Nuffink still didn't know how they had named the Night Lights, that didn't sound like sibling names.

That didn't change the fact that the three dragons were close. Ruffrunner was the youngest of the three and didn't have a rider, so he was the only one to be forgiven for being childish and playing around. The main reason this dragon didn't have a rider was because he was really bad-tempered. He was grumpy, anti-social and could growl to people without any reason.

Even if he didn't get along well with Nuffink, the three dragons were difficult to separate. So, when one of them was spending time somewhere, the others usually follow.

The three were very different from the others. Pouncer was the only white one, Dart was the only blue-eyed one and her white nose used to make the kids laugh, and Ruffrunner had a bad reputation.

These three dragons were the only one of their species since there were crossbreeding from the last Night Fury. The black dragons had gone extinct, leaving only Light Fury behind. These white dragons with claoking camouflage ability were also the only parteners the Night Lights could find, still none of the three had mated yet.

If it was because they weren't interested or because they hadn't find the one yet, no one knew. The three sere still single and were happy about that, they were always stuck together and, year after year, were still playing and acting like hatchlings. Nuffink tended to think it was because they still felt like hatchlings they hadn't mate yet.