Between Waves and Clouds

04 - A new anchor

His senses awoke slowly, bringing him back to the harsh reality and reminded him there was something around him, not just darkness. The landscape of the cliffs was now painted in orange, purple and red because of the sunset. Nuffink hadn't even noticed that Pouncer had found him and was now laying against him.

He knew his best friend enough to say that the dragon wouldn't give up easily, so how many hours did the dragon had spent trying to comfort him ?

He could feel his warm and scaly back against his, et recognize the sail above him as the dragon's wing. Calming down his breathing, he could hear his friend's, slow and steady but slightly hoarse. Pouncer was snoring. His only presence already helped the viking feel better. His warmth comforted him, reminding him he was not all alone, reminding him that his life was not empty, just uncomplete.

Nuffink sniffed and felt a serious headache and dry throat, his face seemed dry where the tears had been shed, his whole body felt limp and weak, and he had slight but painful hiccups. Crying that much for that long had relieved his mind, but certainly not his body.

The young viking tried to put his thoughts in order, trying to fin the will to stand up. He wouldn't have the time to hide erase any trace left by his tears before going back home, he knew his family would know something was wrong. What could he tell them ? Maybe he had to stop repressing and suffering by himself ? His feelings and questions were poisonous, he had to let them out. And if he could not share them with his own family, to whom could he ?

He sniffed again and realisez he was laying on the ground, on a dirty and soft earth that looked almost like sand. His tears had left dark and salty strains in it, just under his cheek.

Intrigued and thoughtful, he stretched out an arm and put a finger on the earth. Without thinking, he draw a line. A long line, as straigth as he could. Life. His life. It seemed empty and aimless. Un single tear rolled down his cheek, making a soft muffled sound as it landed on the ground.

He frowned. He refused his life to be like this. With a determined gesture, he traced a short vertical line on the left, at the begining of the life-line. It was the begining, suggesting there was nothing beforehand. He emphasized this by adding a second line, a bit thinner, then started his journey through the main line.

He thought about the important moments of his life, and began to draw other strokes. Un small vertical line pointed the moment when he had his first crush on Birdlegs. A bow circling this line represented the hope of love. Just after that, he added another vertical line, as big as the one on the beginning because it was as important as his birth. It was the realization he had as teenager, his sexuality.

Another line, the same size as his crush for Birdlegs, represented Avock. Nuffink may hated remembering him and their relationship based on lies and ignorance, he knew he wouldn't be right here, right now, if it hadn't happen. It was an important moment of his history.

He frowned again and went farther on the main line, drawing a little arrow going rightside. He added a second one. He knew what it meant, he just wasn't sure it was the better way to represent it. Or maybe it was ? How could he represent that ongoing depression he was facing since the break-up ?

So he decided to keep the arrows and make the second one a bit bigger, to show it was getting more and more difficult. Then he went farther on the main line and added a third one even bigger, so big it conveyed a feeling of emergency. He sighed after tracing it, as if representing it had made him feel better.

Then he thought back to what had happened with Igvid. He thought about this for a few seconds, then decided to add it to the sketch. He drew two dots on each side of the main line, representing Igvid and himself who had been dragged together but been separated by life itself, or rather the lack of life within himself.