Echoed Songs

A Sequel to I Hear Him Scream

Chapter 1

Toothless

The peace was the strangest part of it all.

It was a soothing, enveloping thing; a warming fire that heals in the most frigid depths of winter. In its unexpected embrace, the very world seemed to be more full of life. The air was crisp and clean, no longer smoggy and choking with the smoke of war-fire. Every creature, from lowly sheep to proud dragon, seemed to move with more of a bounce in their step. Nature itself seemed to have blossomed, pouring into the earth vibrant colors and rich smells, the spring song of birds and insects seemingly ever-present.

Yet it was also a looming threat, a feeling of being watched by something lurking in the darkness. A sinking stone seemed to have plunged into the stomachs of every creature that had taken note of this change. It was almost as if every breath needed to be held in anticipation, waiting for tensions to finally snap. It was a piece of driftwood flung among a crashing ocean, seconds from being overtaken and swept away, leaving no trace behind. It had to be temporary. It simply couldn't hold.

Because dragons and humans, after hundreds of years, had found a way to coexist.

It was still impossible to believe. The world had radically shifted underfoot, forcing even the sturdiest to trip over themselves. It had happened fast—so, so fast—and yet, unlike most sudden changes, this was not necessarily something to be resented. The north, once a blazing inferno of war and fear and agony, almost seemed calm.

It had been a little over a full turning of the moon since the fall of the Queen and Hiccup's reversion back into a human.

I had no idea what to make of this new world.

o.O.o

Of all the problems that Hiccup and I had faced since being permanently grounded, a loss of stealth was not one of them.

"Not that I don't love elaborate games of hide-and-seek, Toothless, but…I think we've actually got to deal with this one."

I shot a look over my shoulder at Hiccup, who was lying on my back and staring up at the stars. "But we just got here," I complained, even though that wasn't exactly true. For some time, we had been resting on one of the tallest tree-caves in the nest, nestled just below a huge metal thing that Hiccup called a "bell".

Hiccup twisted around and sat up so that he could grasp onto my neck. His eyes flicked up to the moon to check the time. "I've been trying to think of a way around this—but I don't think we're gonna win this one. Not like this." He looked down, face cast in shadow. "I mean, not that we would ever win anything like this."

I hummed in reluctant agreement and looked out over our nest. The moonlight painted everything in a dark blue, making the island almost appear to be ocean waves. Dragons were settling down, huddled together for warmth on just about any elevated surface they could. Small orange specks dotting the landscape were the only indications that humans were present. Even for Vikings, it was far too cold to stay outside without there being a dire need.

"Can't we stay here until morning?" I whined. I was quite content here, where it was nice and calm and humans weren't around to force us into ridiculous situations that had no benefit at all.

Hiccup leaned over and batted at my nose. "Come on, Toothless," he said. "Let's just get this over with."

With a sigh, I gathered my legs underneath me and stood up. Taking a quick moment to look below, I crouched, waited for Hiccup to brace himself, and then launched us towards the earth. There were a few seconds of glorious freefall—then I opened my wings right before we landed to soften the impact. I hit the ground light on my paws and slid into a light jog. Hiccup shifted his weight accordingly, holding tight onto my neck with his legs and front paws.

The moon was high enough above that we were forced to stay low, ducking from shadow to shadow. The tree-caves seemed to close in, giant towers leering down at us. Hiccup made himself small on my back as I darted through the maze of the Viking nest, wary of firelight that signaled humans nearby. Dragons roosting among the tree-caves peered down at us with a curiosity and amusement, but did their best not to draw attention to us.

Hiccup gave a small hiss and shifted his weight to the side. I swung my tail and scampered in the direction he'd leaned towards, pinning my ears to listen to who he had seen.

"…not really sure, sorry. Maybe try where the dragons are flocking? Or maybe…"

We swerved between several more tree-caves, keeping close to their edges so as not to be in the open. As we went I passed by an inconsistency—a small tunnel between two of them. I halted, drawing a surprised yelp from Hiccup, and backed up to look into it. At its outlet were trees; it was the forest that bordered the Viking nest named "Berk".

Perfect! We could finally get out of this gods-forsaken nest! More than happy to escape into some sort of refuge, I snapped forward—

—and immediately felt the wood-caves clamp down on my wings and shoulders, forcing me to a sudden and painful stop.

Hiccup fell forward and sprawled head over tail across the ground. Rolling on his back, he groaned, "Toothless!"

"Sorry," I grunted. I tried to brace my front paws, but I could barely move. My shoulders and wings remained lodged between the tree-nests.

Hiccup sat up, setting all four of his paws against the ground. He hesitated and then rose to his hind legs, still just a little wobbly with his metal leg. As he stood, he held his arms out like they were wings, almost moving about as a crippled Two-Walker does. He blinked at me for a second, and then a grin split across his face as realization set in.

I shot him a look. "Don't even—" I tried again to yank myself out of the wedge, failing just as much as before. "—start with—" Pushing my weight into my hind legs, I strained backwards as hard as I could, tail thrashing. "—that!"

Hiccup collapsed with laughter. I moaned and dropped my head.

"So much for stealth," Hiccup teased, hobbling forward in an unsteady gait and grabbing my neck in his little paws. He squared his feet and pulled into the tunnel as hard as he could, which wasn't much. I stopped and then pushed forward myself, digging my claws into the soil.

Besides some useless scrabbling, nothing changed.

Hiccup let up and managed to hold back another laugh. "I guess you live here now," he snickered, placing his paws on his hips.

"Oh, wonderful," I said, rolling my eyes. "Will you at least bring me some sauce to brighten my day?"

A little bit of the light in his eyes dimmed, accentuating the bruise-like bags underneath his eyes. "Hm," Hiccup said, forcing his smile now. Too quick for me to do anything, he stepped around my head and scrabbled across my back. "Let's try this instead. You know," he grunted as he began pushing at my rump, "I really could say something about how you earned this from pinning me with your fat butt all the time."

"Oh, like all those times weren't your fault!" I said, gouging clawmarks into the dirt. I couldn't help but cast a furtive glance above us. If our nestmates saw us like this...their Kings, defeated by a small passage! I drooped with embarrassment at the thought.

"Mhm." Hiccup groaned as he did his best—even though it didn't do much, the gods bless him. "You know, I could probably get someone to help us…"

"No!" I gasped, redoubling my efforts. It didn't work—my front legs were too constricted to be of any use, and my shoulders and wings were jammed in fairly well.

"Well okay then, Mr. Hard Way," Hiccup drawled. "Maybe I could get some oil somewhere, or maybe we can try and get your wings dislodged, or I'll bet that oh hi Dad!"

I jolted upright, ears raised. Hiccup at first clamped his paws down like he was going to climb up onto my back. Then his grip loosened and he moved his paws away, effectively disappearing and leaving me alone. My chest tightened and my heart began to hammer.

I grew very still.

"Hiccup," the King sighed, far closer than I'd ever expected.

There was a long, horrible silence. Hiccup leaned into me.

"Um, hey Dad, uh, nothing like a nice midnight stroll, right?"

The King lost his patience. "Hiccup, you can't keep doing this!" He snapped. "Both of you, disappearing the moment—"

He suddenly stopped, taking in a deep breath.

I felt his eyes searing into my back. Hiccup leaned further into me.

"Is he stuck?"

"U-uh…yeah."

Two paws wrapped around my midsection. My heart leapt into my throat. I gasped and tried to wrench away, tail swinging.

With a heave, the King all but flung me backwards, ripping me free.

I stumbled and shook myself, hissing at the soreness left behind in my shoulders. Hiccup rushed to my side, eyes wide as he worried over my wings with gentle pokes and prods. I leaned forward with a comforting purr, pressing my cheek against his.

A noise off to my right—and I whipped around towards the King. The moon was behind him, casting him in shadow. Behind him, dragons were poking their heads over wood-caves, eyes narrowed and wings half-opened. The King met my eyes, and I made sure to keep my head high and my gaze steady.

I was a King, too. We were Kings, and we could walk wherever or whenever we pleased in our territory.

…even if the circumstances were, admittedly, not for leisurely "midnight strolls". As cowardly and immature as it was, we had spent all day and night playing an endless game of "extreme hide-and-seek" with the King.

The King started to speak, only to stop himself. He looked conflicted and guilty, like he was only here because he knew he had to even though he felt wholly unwelcome. I truly wanted to be proud that we made him just as uncomfortable as he made us.

Instead, it just made me feel disappointed and sullen, like digging up something that smelled nice only for it to be inedible. It was so aggravating. But everything wasn't black and white, no matter how hard I wanted it to be.

"…we're fairly close to home," the King finally said. "Let's speak on the way there."

Hiccup and I exchanged a glance. Hiccup was cringing in the way fledglings did when they knew they'd been caught troublemaking, but there was also something else in his eyes. Not quite fear, but that intimidated look he'd used to give me what felt like eons ago, when we were trapped in the cove and I had been spending the better part of my time being a complete asshole towards him.

"We could still run," I whispered to him, but did not gesture under the King's keen eye.

Hiccup didn't respond. He couldn't respond.

The King gently patted Hiccup on the shoulder to get him to move. Hiccup flinched away from his paw and closer to me, and the King turned his head to hide a grimace.

As we began to walk, a pit opened in my heart, and I leaned heavily into Hiccup's shoulder. I tried to look calm and collected.

"Don't worry," Hiccup murmured when we were halfway there, "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

It had been enough for us to avoid the King since sunrise…although I appreciated the optimism.

Yet that wasn't what had me on edge. I forced a smile for Hiccup, finding it difficult not to urge him onto my back just so I knew he was safe.

The King was the least of my worries.

o.O.o

Hiccup

"Well would ya look who it is! And here I was thinkin' ya pulled one of yer famous vanishin' acts again!"

Toothless huffed in that really loud, exaggerated way that meant I told you so.

Dad kept a firm grip around my arm, dragging me right along into the forge. "No, he will not be doing that today. Make sure he actually stays put this time, Gobber."

I shuddered at the scent of metal and coal and not-so-subtly tried to pry his fingers off of me. Toothless gave a soft hiss behind us.

My longtime mentor set down the axe he'd been sharpening, flipped up the flimsy eye guard he used when he actually decided to follow basic safety protocol, and sauntered forward with a grin. "You say that like I'm bad at it," he said. "What's the worst that could happen? He runs off and gets turned into a dragon again?"

I grimaced and sneaked a peek up at Dad. He looked just about as unamused by the joke as I expected him to be...not that Gobber cared at all about inappropriate jokes. The firelight glinting off of his eyes only served to make his trademark "disappointed scowl" all the more disappointed-y and scowl-like.

"Welp, I guess I should, uh, get to work?" I interjected before Gobber could open his mouth and make the already-bad situation worse. "Thanks for the...escort, Dad."

Dad finally let go of my arm and faced me. His eyes softened, and he took on that gentle tone of voice that I still hadn't gotten used to. "Just try, Hiccup. I know you've been having trouble with…this," he gestured at all of me, "but it's time that we try to get some sense of normalcy back. Nothing will get better if we don't."

"And I've been up to my hook in overdue work!" Gobber said. Suddenly his arm snapped out and grabbed me, pulling me towards the interior.

Panic shot through my body. I yelped, ripping away, my fingers bending like claws. Toothless growled.

Gobber paused for just a second, his cool demeanor breaking.

He let go and went on anyways, "We've got some serious catchin' up to do, so don't you worry about anythin', Stoick. I'm yer top man!"

Dad's eyes lingered on mine for a few more seconds before he nodded. "Right—I'll be off then. I'll see you tonight, Hiccup. Work hard."

I just wanted to leave, to stop this constant game of "pretend everything is fine" even as everything got more and more not fine.

"You know it," I sighed instead, looking away and reaching out to Toothless. He put his nose to my hand and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me, casting furtive glances around the soot-filled smithy. I tried to scent the air, only to frown when I remembered that it didn't do me as much good as it used to.

Dad gave a terse nod. He turned and walked away, off to do his Chiefly duties. He'd been speaking about a fishing expedition earlier, so I knew he'd be heading down to the docks. Watching him go was so strange; I was both relieved and disappointed. Although I guess that could sum up how I felt about my entire life.

"Alright, right to it!" Gobber said, snapping me back to the present. He threw me a pair of "safety goggles" that consisted of some metal with slits in it and a leather strap. I tried to grab it the wrong way by leaning forward, opening my mouth, and pawing at it. The result was me batting it away.

Toothless lunged for it, grabbed it in his teeth, and then handed it to me. I grasped at it with clumsy hands, staring down at my fingers.

The entire incident went right over Gobber's head, who had produced a comically-long scroll and was currently rattling off all the work that needed to be done. Catapults needed realigning, swords needed sharpening, metal needed treating, axes needed rebalancing, arrowheads needed refining, lunch needed making, helmets needed shining, kitchen cookware needed molding. On top of all of that, nails and bolts needed forging and the carpenters needed help as well. Our nestmates had been accidentally breaking things all over the place, so much so that even Gobber had to help out.

Toothless made a surprised noise, nudging me and grinning in amusement. I couldn't tell if he was making fun of me for all the work I had to do while he got to sit back and watch, or if he was impressed that I could do—or used to be able to do—all the things on the list. His presence put me at ease, and I risked a small, quiet purr and pressed my cheek against his—a gesture he readily returned.

"What are ya doin'?" Gobber exclaimed, stopping short on his list. "If ya have time ta cuddle, ya have time to work!" He strode over, grabbed the "eye safety gear" from my hands, and shoved it onto my face.

The world was cast in shadow.

"Sharpen. Now."

"What—"

Something heavy and metal was dropped in my arms, so unexpected that I nearly toppled forward. The eye gear barely let any light through, but I still saw it—I still saw the dull light glinting off of it, I still felt its cold sharpness.

I bared my teeth and hissed, tearing away from the sword and ripping the gear off. Chills raced down my spine, and I backpedaled until my back hit a wall. The sword and gear clattered to the floor.

Toothless snarled and smacked them away. He made the high-pitched croon he used when he was concerned, sniffing me up and down to check for injuries.

"I'm alright," I whispered to him, shaking as fear and revulsion lunged from the darkness and clamped tight on my heart.

Immediately regret set in. I forced myself to take a few calming breaths. I waited until my the ache of my rushing heart dimmed, and stuttered to a surprised Gobber, "Sorry, it's not…"

Gobber frowned down at me, worry creases lining his face. After a moment, he pulled a grin and pushed me towards the forge. "Eh, don't worry about it—you do enough of that to give me an ulcer," he said. His voice became serious, but warm. "I'm just glad to have ya back, Hiccup. We all are."

The panic faded at the familiarity of speaking with him, even as part of me hissed that nothing was like it used to be. I ducked my head with a small smile. "Thanks, Gobber. I really appreciate that."

"Ya better be, because ya won't be feelin' so sentimental when I get ya to work!" He said, slapping down a huge list of work orders before me. "Now get to it!"

o.O.o

I learned very quickly that "getting to it" was really hard when I could barely even manage to catch things anymore.

It had only been a few weeks since…everything happened. Even now, my biggest problem in Berk—besides the people—was adjustingto my new…old?...body.

Working as the blacksmith's apprentice required a lot of fine motor skill—all of which I had lost.

I was only now redeveloping the dexterity to draw and write, having just graduated from "chicken scratch" to "toddler scribbles". I constantly forgot the wider range of movement my arms and legs had. I still had problems walking in a straight line without the balance I once had from my tail. I occasionally found myself swiveling my head back and forth to make up for the loss of bigger ears.

Writing notes and schematics down for Gobber was difficult and time-consuming, but he didn't breathe down my neck as much as he normally would have. Jobs that involved detailed handiwork were completely out of the question. Sewing, using small tools, and adjustments were too difficult with my clumsy hands. For most orders, I was stuck handing Gobber things or holding tools for him.

It was so frustrating and disheartening, that yet another thing that had once been part of me was now gone. Part of me was devastated that my hands were almost as useless to me now as I had once been to the village. They were what made me unique, that gave me a sense of identity, in a Berk that had ridiculed my every step. I had once been able to draw, to build, to invent. Now I couldn't even hold a needle.

Yet working in the smithy seemed almost unnatural—like it was a foreign place to me now. I hadn't needed to use hands for over a year because I didn't have them. Now that part of me was the one I relied the most on. That part of me screamed that there was something horribly wrong and alien with my new paws in the same way that I used to reject my tail and wings.

I was being tugged two ways, by two parts of me long-since lost to the past. It set me ill at ease, leaving a hole in my chest that sucked away at me.

By midday I was exhausted, physically andmentally. I'd been lifting and carrying things back and forth since the sun had risen and my hands were sore after their sudden, strenuous use. I felt like I'd flown for miles and just needed some rest. Toothless was even worse, pawing at his head and clenching his eyes shut. The sounds of the forge were already unbearably loud for me; I hated to think about how much pain they caused him, no matter how well he pretended that they didn't bother him.

"Now I won't say anythin' if you don't," Gobber was saying as I handed him supplies for a clasp on a basket, "but if ya need a little break, then feel free ta."

"Wait, you're letting me have a break?" I exclaimed. I dropped the metal pieces, and the high ringing made Toothless flinch away with pinned ears. I took a second to make sure he was okay, and then I asked, "And what brought this momentous act of generosity on?"

Gobber gave me an unimpressed look. "Ya look like yer gonna pass out."

That was completely…actually, it wasn't too far from the mark. I did feel a little lightheaded, but that was likely from the heat from the forge and the stress of the working all day. It was just as hot and crowded and dark and noisy as the nest, which I'd never grown accustomed to and…

I stammered an excuse even I knew made no sense at Gobber, and he lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Mhm. I would rather not have yer father go madder than a Terror at me for lettin' ya get hurt. Be back in three minutes."

…alright, so maybe not as generous as I thought.

Toothless was practically whining at this point, yanking on my shirt so hard that I thought it would rip. I started and looked down at him, ducking my head guiltily. I couldn't force him to be in here any longer.

With a nod at Gobber, we hurried outside. I sat down just outside the door as Toothless curled up around me, careful to keep his tail out of the busy street. Our nestmates lounging on the rooftops gave happy greeting calls. On the other hand, many Vikings jumped away from us in alarm, forming a bubble of empty space around us.

The moment I sat down, exhaustion overcame me. I slumped against Toothless and closed my eyes, pretending not to feel the stares of all of the passersby.

"Hiccup?" Toothless asked, one of the very few words I could recognize. He made his concerned noise and poked at me.

"Power nap," I mumbled. The sound of the hustle and bustle of Berk swelled up around me. A huge pressure pinned my arms and legs, pushing me further and further away. Curling closer to Toothless, I allowed my tense muscles to relax.

Even through the foggy haze of my thoughts, I noted with surprise just how wound up I had been in there. With Gobber yammering on and on, it had almost felt…normal. Even though it couldn't be further from that, not even with all of Dad's efforts into making it seem like it.

For what felt like many, many hours, I drifted in and out of unconsciousness as people chattered and dragons chirped and squawked at each other.

All it took was Toothless growling to draw me out of it.

I snapped upright, whipping my head around to try and find the threat. My eyes settled on a man standing before us, hand on the hilt of his sword and eyes blazing. He was huge and looming tall above us, leering down his nose at me. He stepped forward with clear, malicious intent.

My heart began to race. Toothless raised his wings and hissed a warning, one repeated by our observing nestmates above.

"What are you doing near our weapons?" The man spat. He drew even closer, almost within striking distance.

"I—" I began, my mouth dry.

He drew his sword.

Berk warped around me.

The storage shed clamped down, locking me in darkness as my stomach crumpled from hunger, the fishing net tangled in my claws, and Dad charged me with a sword of his own.

No—he couldn't—not again—!

I bolted to my feet, scurrying away from my father as my heart burst out of my chest. Toothless cried out to me, but he was so far away. Dad was begging me to prove that I was still me. People were shouting. Weapons were drawn. Dragons were snarling and scrabbling around. Dad was screaming at me that he would kill me if he ever saw me again.

The crowd moved away. The shed closed in. My heart burned. Dragons descended.

It's not real, I told myself again. It's not real, it's not real, it's not real!

I felt myself lifted up. My body shifted on its own will, holding on as tight as possible as wind raced past me. I couldn't breathe—I was choking! I tried to suck in air that was too thin, like I'd flown up too high and was close to fainting. My stomach roiled and my limbs rattled as everything spun and spun out of control.

It's not real!

But I couldn't breathe!

Something else was controlling me, wrenching me around like a ragdoll. It buried my face into Toothless' neck, digging my claws into his ears and side-frills. My heart thrashed about in my chest, shooting pain through me with each and every frantic beat. It was as if it was sending poison through my veins, ripping me up from the inside, tearing me apart!

I cowered and listened helplessly as a search party set out after me. I heard my father, directing them like he would a hunt for game, trying to sound in-control but voice tight with loss.

It's not real, it's not real, it's not—

"HICCUP!"

I flinched away, curling into a ball and covering my ears as they rang. My arms were pushed away from my head. A second later something huge and slimy and wet was drawn across my face.

Disgust hit me first—and then awareness. My chest was stinging with every shallow, frantic breath. I was trembling all over. The grass I was lying on was soft, but still prickling me wherever skin was exposed. The sun above was blocked by a dappling of pine leaves, casting green light below.

I was also soaked with dragon saliva.

Wheezing, I looked up and blinked at Toothless hovering over me. The only sounds were our rapid breathing and the birds chirping above.

It took me a second to take him in. His wide eyes, pupils thin lines with terror. The way his ears and side-frills were pinned, his spine arched, his legs rattling, his wings opened as if he could take off right where he stood and carry me to a medicine dragon.

He made a high-pitched sound, a shrill squeal that cut off short. My breath hitched. I had never, never, heard him make that noise before.

It just screamed with every ounce of horror and helplessness he felt: Please tell me what's wrong!

"M'sorry," I croaked, blinking rapidly as I tried to keep him—me—in the present.

Toothless drooped in relief. He lied down, curled his tail around, and covered me with a wing, blocking out the sun and the noise of…wherever we were. Just to be sure, he ran his tongue over my hair again and settled his head down besides mine, rumbling with a comforting purr. He clutched me close and murmured to me, still shaking, still unable to keep the fear from his voice.

I grabbed his broken tail, holding it to my chest as the panicked thuds of my heart calmed.

For a long time, nothing was said.

Then, in a quiet, meek voice:

"Thank you, Toothless."