Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 19 - Reunion

"Did she see you?" I asked, already suspecting the answer but wanting to hear it from her.

"No, thank the gods." She let out a deep breath.

I stared down at my feet, a wide range of emotions going through me. "We have to leave, don't we?" I guessed, my voice a bit subdued. As much as I hated being around so many humans, I'd wanted to spend a little more time with Camicazi. The girl was intriguing, and it was nice to talk to a human my own age.

"I'm sorry, buddy," my mom answered quietly. "It's not as safe as I thought. I can't risk being seen." That much was obvious, even to me. If Stoick found out she was alive and went searching, he could find the nest. Then we'd have a war on our hands.

"I get it, really," I assured her. "I need to say goodbye to Cami, though. I owe her money, and I'm afraid she'd hunt me across the Archipelago if I left without paying her back." I shuddered at the idea, believing it completely.

My mom cracked a smile, nudging me with her shoulder. "Cami, huh? The girl you ran off with today?" She teased. I scowled, attempting to hide my blush.

"Camicazi, yes. She's...interesting," I replied vaguely.

"I'm proud of you, Hiccup. You ventured outside your comfort zone. You'll be excellent on missions, I can already tell," she praised, ruffling my hair. My chest puffed up and I couldn't hold back my grin.

The rest of our journey was quiet. I'd started listening intently for any movement, my gaze scouring the trees for my favorite pair of bright green eyes. We were nearing the cliff, so they must be close by. If I had to guess, my dragon was hiding somewhere in the darkness, waiting to pounce. I was almost as well-adapted to seeing in the dark as my flock mates, but Night-wings were impossible to spot in the shadows unless they wanted to be seen.

As if on cue, I detected a slight whoosh of the air behind me and quickly ducked down. Toothless' body sailed right over me, his tail brushing the tips of my hair. He landed hard in the dirt, extending his wings to slow his momentum so he didn't go tumbling over the cliff. My mom laughed at his clumsy attack, but I was already running forwards to meet him. Just as he got his bearings and turned around with a disappointed scowl, I crashed into his chest, wrapping my arms around his thick neck.

*I missed you, bud!* I exclaimed, overwhelmed with happiness to finally be by his side again.

Toothless let out a joyful warble, pulling me against him with his paws and falling onto his back so I landed on top of him. He playfully tossed me into the air a few times, causing me to laugh and grin like a fool. After a minute, he let me lie on top of him so he could nuzzle my cheek affectionately, simultaneously marking me with his scent that had probably faded slightly during our time apart.

*Please don't ever leave me again!* He wailed dramatically. *Cloudjumper is absolutely no fun!*

*You're just an overly-energetic hatchling.* A familiar voice grumbled in return, then Cloud's large form crawled over the cliff edge into sight. He immediately went to my mom, who greeted him with a coo and a pet to the snout. He preened at the attention, his nose flaps fluttering.

Toothless rolled over so he could stand up, and I hurriedly jumped off of him to avoid getting squished. He ignored the other dragon's retort, opting instead to sniff me from head to toe. His nose wrinkled as he inhaled a multitude of scents. I ran my hand over his scales as he circled me, not realizing how much I missed their smooth texture.

*You've had an adventurous day.* He observed.

*You have no idea.* I muttered, thinking back to when Cami and I stole the axe. She'd left it on the field after the competition, claiming "it's not worth keeping, and it's not like we paid for it anyway." Seems like a waste to me, but I suppose the axes used on her island are of a better standard. *What about you?* I asked, changing the subject. *Do anything exciting?*