Dancing Scales

Chapter Five

Toothless's P.O.V:

I looked at Hiccup, and then back at the door. I would have done anything to go out and search for Dancer.

"No, bud," he said. "I'm not going to take you outside until you're in better shape."

I narrowed my eyes. We had gone on like that for days, but I wasn't going to change my resolve. I would do things my way, if I didn't, the chance of Dancer having already left would have just risen.

A thought went through my mind, and I considered it for a moment. It could work, though I would have had to gain more strength. Usually, I would have been able to do it easily, but I had been loosing a lot of weight and muscle mass from not eating.

With those thoughts in mind, I gave in to Hiccup, and ate the fish he was holding in one bite.

I grinned inside, thinking. 'Maybe I can get him to eat raw fish again....'

~~}•{~~

Dancer's P.O.V (this happened before the passage above):

I returned to the place where I had first alighted on the island, my small walk done, and started to look around for Showman. It was sunset, he should have been back soon.

I decided to practice acrobatics while waiting. He hadn't fired a signal shot, so I knew that he was fine.

I stood on all fours and scrunched up my back legs in preparation. With one, fluid motion, I launched them up, tightening my core to hold the pose.

I was standing on my front legs, wings fanned out for balance, and tail arching over my head. I pointed my head out forward, tucking it wouldn't work for someone with a fury's long neck.

Slowly, I lifted one paw, balancing myself accordingly. Very few dragons could ever hope to achieve this level of balance and coordination, I guessed that furies had a higher chance, though. Those of strike class were generally more intelligent.

With a shift of my shoulders and a tilt wings, I tucked my tail back and spun to the ground in a roll. My head would have gotten in the way, had I not learned to tuck it quick enough and give a little jump. It wasn't as neat as things that bipeds could do, but it was good for a dragon.

I stood up and shook the little dirt I had gotten on myself off, then went for a few more repetitions of the move. The roll always helped to stretch my back, and better than almost any other kind of movement, so it was a good thing to do after long flights.

I stood up on my back paws and tipped backwards. When I fell, I tucked my head as best I could and reached out with my arms. It had taken an insane amount of time to get the landing down right, what with the stubby night fury legs and all, but, eventually, the movement stuck.

I inched my claws closer to each other. Recently, I had thought of a way to use it, but was yet to have been able to do the entire move in one, smooth motion. The next second, my feet were close enough, and I kicked the back ones over. The immense core strength of my dragon body came in handy at this part.

In another moment, I was standing normally, only very far from my starting point. If I had to back up while grounded quicker than my feet could shuffle me, for whatever reason, a trick like that would have come in handy. I had only to learn it in reverse, and I could call myself a true acrobat. Sadly, a tail got in the way of that, so it was tricky.