Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 28 - Peas In A Pod

"Hiccup," my mom called out, trailing off with an uncertain frown. I sent her my best reassuring smile, walking over and hugging her tightly. She returned the embrace, resting her chin on top of my head. For a moment I felt five years old again.

"You'll look after the nest?" I murmured.

"Of course. As long as you look after yourself," she added.

I pulled back with a half-hearted smirk. "Don't I always?"

She snorted, ruffling my hair. "No," she answered bluntly.

*Okay, okay, can we go now?* Toothless whined impatiently, stretching out his wings. He sauntered up behind me, ducking his head between my legs and launching me onto his back. I grunted with the sudden impact, adjusting my position so I rested comfortably in the saddle.

My mom laughed quietly, patting my leg. "Better leave before he throws a tantrum," she advised with a grin.

"Good idea," I agreed, hooking my feet into the stirrups. Some of the dragons took flight, hovering around us in preparation to escort us out. I waved at the ones who remained grounded. *Bye everyone!* They roared and squawked. *Bye Alpha!* He blew cold wind into my face, causing my hair to whip against my cheeks. As Toothless bunched his muscles, about to leap, I sent one final glance towards my mom.

'You got this,' she mouthed, giving me two thumbs up. I relaxed, letting her words of encouragement wash over me, and the next moment we were airborne. Toothless shot up towards the icy ceiling faster than any of the other dragons could keep up with, releasing his own farewell roar that echoed throughout the nest. I stayed low to allow for faster speed, watching all the dragons follow behind us at a distance. As we made our way through the entrance tunnel, their shapes grew smaller and smaller, and eventually I lost sight of them altogether. I faced forward, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I soaked in the feeling of the sun on my face and the stinging wind. There was no place I felt more alive than on the back of my dragon. Up here, we were one. Up here, we were free. We could go anywhere, do anything.

*It's you and me, bud.* I declared. Toothless met my gaze briefly, his bright green orbs sparkling with excitement.

*Always.* He confirmed, thrusting forward in a burst of speed.

This trip might be dangerous, but it most certainly promised quite a bit of adventure as well.

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I woke abruptly, my first sensations being warmth and comfort. I'd been in a deep and peaceful slumber, dreaming of blue skies and clouds, but now my mind was adjusting to the present moment. It didn't take me long to realize what had shaken me from sleep. Though it was pitch black, courtesy of being enveloped within Toothless' wings, I could feel the tension in his muscles as well as the vibrations of the guttural hiss that was growing louder by the second. Instinctively, I remained still, listening for what had my dragon on edge. He didn't speak, his entire focus on whatever threat he had detected.

My first guess was another dragon. The island we'd landed on for rest was small, closer to the size of a sea stack, but we hadn't done a thorough check for other dragons when we'd arrived. Both of us had been exhausted from flying for hours on end with very few breaks in between, so we'd simply found a safe place to lay down and I'd passed out pretty quickly after that. I was regretting that decision now.

I froze in shock when a soft, female, human voice cut through the silence. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," she soothed. I assumed she was talking to Toothless, who merely growled even louder at her words.