Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 23 - Ready, Set, Go

*For giving me a heart attack for the gazillionth time!* He retorted, curving upward towards a nearby sea stack. I shifted my weight naturally to match his movements.

*I had it perfectly under control.* I lied, waving him off.

*Oh, sure, that's what it looked like from my perspective.* He snorted, flapping his wings to soften his landing on the grassy, deserted hunk of rock. I glanced over my shoulder at the island we'd left behind, relieved to find no trace of the Rumblehorn. She must've returned to her eggs. If I'd known I was invading on a mother's territory, I would've steered clear. Since I'd sent Toothless off to go fishing for a meal, he hadn't been there to warn me of the scents. The whole fiasco was certainly my fault, but admitting that to my already egotistical dragon hardly seemed like a desirable option.

I hopped out of the saddle, regretting that decision when my knees buckled, my legs feeling like jelly now that the adrenaline was wearing off. With lightning speed, Toothless spun around to catch me before I fell over. He held me up with his head, and I leaned against him, thankful for the support.

*I just need a minute.* I assured him, slowly lowering myself to the ground. I felt like an old man needing to take a rest like this. I'm twelve—I should be much more energetic. To be fair, though, my training was more combat based. I only ran when it was necessary. Why run when you have a flying companion?

Toothless raised a scaly brow, his expression full of mischief. I could read his intentions easily and tried to block his snout as he lunged forward to lick me, but I was much too sluggish to avoid his large tongue.

*Toothless!* I yelped as he pushed me over so I was lying on my back, then turned my head to the side and squeezed my eyes shut as he spread his disgusting slobber all over my face. I placed both hands on his nose and shoved as hard as I could, unable to contain my laugh as his warm breath tickled my ear. *Get off, you useless reptile!* I whined, slapping his cheek lightly. After a few more licks, he finally relented, lying down next to me with a satisfied warble. I wiped desperately at my face, using my sleeve to clean off as much saliva as possible.

Once I was relatively dry, I sat up and reached for the saddlebag. Toothless shifted closer to make it easier, letting out a bored yawn. I pulled out my map and spread it on the ground next to me, flattening out the edges with my palm. It had started as a small sheet of paper, but over the years I'd managed to roam to dozens of islands, each one adding to the size of my map. Not only did I draw out the general shape of the island itself, but I also noted any interesting discoveries or landmarks I came across. One day I hoped to map the entire Archipelago...and maybe even beyond.

I grabbed a pencil from my satchel and went to work on drawing the island we'd just flown away from. My intentions had been to search around for anything worth adding to my map—useful materials or something of the like—but the Rumblehorn had chased me off before I got the chance. For now I'd simply mark down the shape and location of the island, and come back at some other time. Hopefully the Rumblehorn will have moved on by then.

*What's a good name, bud?* I asked, nodding towards the island. He'd been chewing lightly on my foot—teeth retracted—while I drew, but now he followed my gaze, tilting his head in consideration.

*Near Death Island? Oh, but wait! That's every island you've ever been to.* He remarked with hooded lids, resting his head on top of my legs.

I rolled my eyes. *How about Drama Queen Island?* I quipped, shaking my head in exasperation. The corner of his upper lip lifted to show off his teeth as he let out a short growl. He was always a little more snippy when he was hungry. I'm guessing he didn't get to catch anything before I called for his help earlier. I'd make sure he ate on our way home.