Of the Northmost Winds and Skies

Chapter 25: Jack very nearly murders Hiccup

"Woah," Jamie said, which Jack was sure summed up what they were all thinking.

They'd walked for a long time. Half an hour, maybe, but it was hard to tell. The Moon lit up the darkness, casting the valley below them in a ghostly light. And there, at the bottom, was a circle of huge stones propped upright.

"Like Stonehenge," Jamie said, and Jack had a vague idea of what he was talking about. Jack might be old, but he didn't know much about what people named their prehistoric sites.

Hiccup shifted uneasily. "If anything is magic, then that would be it, I guess," he muttered.

"Come on," Jack said.

They shuffled down the hill, careful not to slip on the dewy grass. As they approached the circle, Jack brought out the crystals and picked out the newest one. It was slightly bigger than the others, with a sharp edge that he was careful not to touch. He turned to Hiccup.

"Do you feel anything?"

Hiccup looked like he wanted to laugh. "So many things. But not... nothing like that. Nothing martial arts-connected."

"You can say magic when we're alone," Jamie informed him.

"I think I prefer martial arts."

Jack walked into the circle, ignoring the choked protest Hiccup tried to make. Nothing happened. The crystal lay still in Jack's palm, casting a pale blue across his skin.

"Are you sure this is it, Baby Tooth?"

Baby Tooth was looking at the Moon. It was almost directly above them now.

"He's not around," Jack murmured. "Or maybe he is. He doesn't talk anyway."

Baby Tooth sent him a sympathetic look, which Jack quietly resented. She chirped at him, and Jack sighed. He walked into the center of the ring and studied the surrounding stones. The only thing special about them was how they were propped up like that, but they didn't have any Runes or other symbols etched into them. The grass inside the circle was trampled; people must be visiting this place a lot.

Jack looked up at the Moon. "Wanna lend a hand?" he asked loudly, then added quietly, "for once."

Hiccup was looking at him with a puzzled but thoughtful expression. After all, it wasn't the first time he'd seen Jack talk to the Moon. With tentative steps, he and Jamie walked into the circle as well. Jack waited, but he didn't know what he was waiting for. The Moon – for the millionth time – was unresponsive.

He clicked his tongue. "You ever talk to him, Baby Tooth?" he asked. "Does he answer?"

Baby Tooth shook her head, and Jack didn't know which of the questions she was replying to.

Jack had to lean his head back, looking straight upwards, to see the Moon. He held the crystal up. Moonbeams shone through it, shimmering gently into Jack's eyes.

"Now would be the best time," Jack prompted halfheartedly.

And then, the light shone brighter for just a moment. Jack felt himself gasp, and his eyes slid shut.

He woke up to the sound of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band playing in the distance. He sat up, for a moment struggling to remember what was going on. He sat by the edge of his pond, but it wasn't frozen over. It was barely winter at all, the temperature feeling like it was hovering just above 30 degrees.

"Burgess?"

Jack jumped at Jamie's voice, and turned to see that he'd appeared behind him. Baby Tooth hovered at his side, a frown on her tiny face.