Cloud's Journey: Home

Stillness in the Night

Smoke billowed from the embers glowing in the darkness. I watched with half closed eyes as I leaned against Serendipity's warm side. Bluewing snored beside me. I hummed in content and smiled before closing my eyes.

Warmth surrounded me on every side. I grunted, and shifted my shoulders into a more comfortable position. The heaviness of sleep sank onto my eyelids and my body grew limper and limper.

A piece of wood in the fire snapped, sending the image of sparks flying up into the night sky to my mind. Then something clattered to the ground. Dipper and Bluewing growled.

Hmm? I opened my eyes a crack. A second later, they sprang open.

"Egil?" I sat up, backing against Dipper.

"Sshh." He pressed a finger to his lips, drawing a dagger from behind his back.

"Egil, please, I--"

Someone groaned in their sleep and Egil froze. When the person didn't move again, Egil turned back to me.

I opened my mouth.

"One sound, and you'll regret it." He lifted the dagger higher.

"You don't have to--"

The knife plunged toward me.

With a shriek, Bluewing threw himself at Egil's face. Egil gasped and dropped the dagger, which landed centimeters from my hand, making my heart miss a beat.

Dipper roared, turning red, and lunged for Egil, pinning him to the ground. Egil reached for his belt.

"What's going on?!" Hiccup demanded. Toothless roared and bounded over to where the scuffle was taking place. "Egil?"

"How'd he escape again?" Snotlout exclaimed.

"Who was on guard?" Hiccup asked. Fire sparked in the back of Dipper's throat. "Toothless, stop them!"

Toothless fired a plasma blast, causing my attack dragons to stand still.

"I asked who was on watch."

"It wasn't me, or this would have never happened." Snotlout frowned.

"Ruff, Tuff. It was your turn, right?"

"Pfft!" Tuff spat. "We weren't on watch. Fishlegs was."

"FISHLEGS was on watch?!" Snotlout shrieked.

"I know, right?" Tuff rolled his eyes.

"Fishlegs didn't have a shift, you two did." Hiccup glared at the twins. "What do you know about this?"

There was silence.

"Uh, we let him have a turn." Ruff said.

"A TURN? You were supposed to wake me!" Hiccup stormed toward them with his fists clenched at his sides, making them back away.

"We kinda forgot, and, uh,"

"What?"

"Uh, you were asleep... and he wasn't."

"He was supposed to be on the White Cap!"

"Well, he wasn't, so--"

"So where is he? He might be hurt. We need to look for him now!"

Hiccup whirled around, red in the face, then stopped.

"Oh no." He groaned as he dashed forward.

"Where's Egil?" Astrid ran after Hiccup.

I jumped, searching wildly in the shadows. My eyes rested on Dipper, Toothless, and Bluewing. All three of them were laying still on the ground.

"No!" I screamed, running to Serendipity's side. I ran my hand across her smooth shoulders. Why wasn't she moving? She couldn't be dead.

And what about Bluewing? Gasping, I looked over at his small, limp form and pulled it to my chest.

"Oh, Toothless." Hiccup examined the Night Fury's body, rubbing his hands over the smooth hide. He reached under Toothless' chest and pulled something out.

"It's a dart." Astrid said.

"Please don't be poisonous." Hiccup pressed his ear to Toothless' black scales. A moment later, he lifted his head again with a sigh. "He's just sleeping."

Behind us, Dipper groaned, her scales turning blue.

Rivers of tears washed down my face. My chest was tight. I felt if I opened my mouth I would explode into sobs.

"Cloud?" Hiccup asked.

I let silent weeping wrack my body as I held Bluewing's cold form closer. "He's dead."

"Oh no." Someone murmured.

My forehead sank against his lifeless wings. Tears dripped onto and off of his body.

"Cloud I--" Hiccup didn't finish.

"He's dead!" I sobbed. I couldn't hold it back any longer. It hurt SO bad!

Bluewing, I'm sorry. I wasn't even watching, I should have tried to help.

Someone put a hand on my shoulder. I heard Hiccup's prosthetic squeak beside me. He kneeled down and wrapped an arm over my shoulders. I sucked in a shaky breath and quieted my sobbing to sniffles.

When I blinked back the blur, I looked up. Serendipity was on her feet, her scales deep blue, as well as Toothless whose eyes pooled with sadness. I choked at the thought of Bluewing never getting up again.

Astrid was standing between the two dragons, but no other person was in sight.

"Where i-is every w-one?" I sniffled.

"They went to look for Fishlegs and Egil." Hiccup said, gently squeezing my shoulders.

"Why didn't I notice?"

"You were busy." Astrid dropped to her knees and wrapped me in a tight hug. Hiccup joined in, though not as tight.

"Careful." I said. But I didn't bother finishing. Bluewing wasn't alive to get the breath squeezed out of him.

When they let go, I held my breath for a moment before letting it all out.

"I didn't want him to die."

"I didn't either, but sometimes we don't get what we want." Hiccup's eyes reflected how sorry he was.

"It hurts. My heart hurts."

"We'll help you through it." Hiccup comforted.

"And your new dragon." Astrid added.

I didn't look away from the blue Terrible Terror in my arms. Careful not to jostle him, I set him on the ground at my knees so Toothless and Serendipity could pay tribute.

Go fly forever in Valhalla. I will never forget you, Bluewing.