686Chapter 20: Many Partings
Many Partings
Hiccup woke up before dawn and went outside to stand on the balcony as the sun rose beyond the valley. He was not tired at all, and his eagerness to find out what Gandalf and Elrond had planned for him and Toothless kept him from going back to bed. Parting from the Hobbits, Strider-Aragorn, and Gandalf was going to be sad, but at least he would have Toothless with him for... whatever happened next.
I'll miss them all a lot. We both will.
He stood there alone, looking out over the peace of Rivendell while Toothless slept. His thoughts kept drifting to the unknown adventure that lay ahead. Finally, he noticed motion as Lord Elrond, clad in purple and golden robes, strode up toward his guest house along a set of stairs.
Alright, time to find out what's going on.
He went outside his guest house to meet with the Elf Lord.
"Master Haddock, may the grace of the Eldar be upon you," Elrond politely greeted him.
"Good morning, Lord Elrond."
Elrond gestured toward the path that led to the gardens.
"Would you please join me on a brief walk?"
"Certainly."
He joined him on a stroll through the upper level of Rivendell until they arrived at the verdant gardens. The grass was still wet with the morning dew.
"What were your impressions of the Council?" Elrond asked.
"It reminded me a lot of home. Lots of brash people shouting at each other, everyone thinking that they know best and trying to show it by being the loudest."
Elrond gave one of his rare grins, even if he also looked exasperated.
"They are all good people at heart, though they are very headstrong and do not always agree."
Yeah, I suppose that everyone at home is too...
They continued up onto a balcony that overlooked the entire verdant valley. It was only the two of them in hearing.
"I'm not surprised that they didn't like Toothless very much," Hiccup muttered.
"That should not be a surprise. Many of them are trained warriors or leaders who heard stories of or remember pain at the claws and flame of dragons. It will take time for them to learn to trust him," Elrond answered.
"That sounds about right."
Elrond then faced him.
"I saw what happened with you and the Ring."
Hiccup shivered at the memory of that accident. Even now the thought of the Ring safely in his palm had a faint appeal. It felt like the Ring was meant to be there.
"What happened? How did that... happen to me?"
Elrond leaned against the railing and looked out over Rivendell.
"The Ring of power has a will of its own, as I am sure you knew. It used that opportunity to try to escape us, probably by getting you to claim it and escape on Toothless, though you could not have done so. But you resisted it, and that is no small deed. May I ask why you rejected it?"
Had he truly rejected the precious? It felt like he shouldn't have if he did. He had lost an opportunity to become something greater and more powerful.
Wait, what am I thinking?
"I don't know. It whispered some things that didn't seem true."
But he knew that was not entirely accurate. It felt like there was some truth in what the Ring had said or whispered or made him think.
Elrond nodded at his words.
"I see. You must have exceptional strength to willingly give up the Ring, even if you only held it for a few seconds."
Strength? Maybe I just don't deserve it because I'm weak on my own...
"Have you and Toothless given thought to whether you want to involve yourselves in the war?"
Hiccup took a deep breath, knowing that this was definitely going to mean something important for himself and Toothless.
"Yes. We can't go back to the Shire or stay here in Rivendell and do nothing. We won't do that. We want to help however we can."
Elrond gave him an approving, grim smile.
"We are glad that you agree. There is no oath or bond we can lay over you two. You are your own powers in Middle-earth. Where is Master Toothless right now?"
"Ugh, not that again... He is probably resting still. Laziest dragon I know. Well, he is the only dragon I know, so he gets that title by default," Hiccup chuckled.
"That he would. I wish to speak with you both," Elrond then formally said.
They made their way back across Rivendell to the guest house. Toothless was indeed still asleep, so Hiccup woke Toothless from his rest. Toothless grumbled and covered his eyes with his paws.
"Toothless, Lord Elrond is here with us..."
Toothless got to his feet and blinked away his sleepiness while Elrond sat down in a chair.
"Good morning, Elf Lord," Toothless yawned widely.
"Good morning, Master Toothless. I am glad that you two decided to involve yourselves in this War of the Ring, as it may be called. I wish to tell you what I and Gandalf would have you do, if you both agree to it."
They nodded, eager to hear what he would suggest.
"I would first have you fly to Lothlorien," Elrond said.
"That is across the Misty Mountains, yes?" Hiccup clarified.
"And to the south, correct. There, you would meet with Celeborn and Galadriel. They are the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. Lady Galadriel gives great council, is wise, and is very powerful. She much desires to speak with both of you. From there we would suggest a long journey for you."
"A journey? Where and why?" Toothless wondered.
"Are either of you familiar with the Withered Heath or the Northern Waste?"
Hiccup frowned, thinking back to old talks and maps he had seen. There was not much to go on since those places were extremely remote, inhospitable, and not mapped very well.
"Vaguely. No one lives there because those places are very far north. Was the Withered Heath a place where dragons lived long ago?"
"Correct, Master Haddock. The great dragons of prior ages bred there, but those dragons are gone now, as far as we know. Smaug was probably the last one. The Northern Waste is what it sounds like: frozen tundra, dirt and short grass as far as the eye can see, barren of any civilization, and mostly unmapped. No one lives up there, though there may be herds of beasts."
Elrond then leaned forward and considered Toothless.
"How well do you endure the cold, Master Toothless?"
"Very well. My soul-fire keeps me warm," Toothless purred.
"And if you can fly in the skies around Berk you can fly in anything," Hiccup added.
Then he paused and realized the obvious.
"Wait, you want me and Toothless to fly up there into the wild?"
"Yes. We do."
"Why? You just said there's nothing up there."
Elrond slowly nodded.
"Gandalf and I were speaking about how you two came to be in our world. How you heard a call and flew a 'narrow path' through which you emerged in the North. It is possible that you may not be alone in having flown from your world into Middle-earth."
A brief moment of thought followed before they gasped at what was implied.
"Are you sure?" Toothless breathlessly whispered.
Elrond frowned and shook his head.
"No, I am not sure. I have not even heard whispers of other dragons like you, Master Toothless. But we are sure that there are none in any of the worlds of Men, Elves, and Dwarves. The Enemy has his fellbeasts, which may have been dragons once, but they are not like you. If there are any more of your kind or any other benevolent dragons in this world, they will likely have fled to the far corners of Middle-earth to live in hiding away from any Men, Elves, or Dwarves, true?"
Toothless, still breathless, eagerly nodded.
"Yes, they would have."
"So, you want us to go look for them and find out if there are any good dragons up there in hiding?" Hiccup asked.
Elrond nodded.
"Yes. If they are truly like you, Master Toothless, and remember a time when they were completely free of the Enemy, they should want to be free of Sauron just as you do. Part of why Gandalf had Smaug killed in Erebor was that Sauron would have likely tried to recruit the fire drake to his side. Would Smaug have joined him? I do not know for certain, but it is very likely. A grown dragon of Smaug's size aiding the Enemy would have been terrifying and could probably have razed a city like Minas Tirith on its own. I am certain that Sauron would eventually send his servants to recruit any living dragons to his side. This would happen even if those dragons are hiding far north of our lands."
Hiccup, still stunned and amazed at the thought of other familiar or possibly friendly dragons, put a hand on Toothless's shoulder.
"What do you think, bud?"
"We should fly this flight," Toothless immediately answered.
"Definitely. We have to take any chance of finding other Night Furies or even any other types of dragons that we know."
Then Hiccup frowned.
"Even if we do find some, what happens then? Can they talk like you? They probably won't want to leave wherever they are."
Toothless hummed in thought with his tail swaying.
"They would talk like me if what happened to me happened to them also. They would have words just from being in this world and around the... soul-fire that touched me before the Ring. True, they might want to stay in the wild because they think it is safer."
"I hope," Elrond interjected, "that you two could convince them to join the war and fight for our freedom and for theirs also. One dragon like you, Master Toothless, would not change as much as would a number of your kind on our side."
Hiccup gave a nervous chuckle while secretly hoping that fighting would not be needed. Showing off the violent and dangerous side of dragons was not something he particularly liked.
"I don't know about that. You have no idea how annoying this guy was in the old raids..."
Toothless gave a guilty, toothless half-smile.
"What happens if you do bring any of them back on our side remains to be seen. We will, how do you say it, fly those skies when we get to them," Elrond mused.
Shared laughter followed while Elrond almost cracked a grin. Then he glanced away to the main gates.
"I must attend to the Fellowship. They will depart in an hour," Elrond nodded to them and ducked out of the room.
Toothless wandered over to the balcony and hung his head after Elrond's departure. Hiccup went over to him and heard the Fury grumbling to himself.
"What's wrong? Something nibbling your tail? You were so excited just a moment ago."
"I do not want to think about there being other Night Furies. I want there to be, yes, but what if there are none?"
Toothless sighed and looked up to the clouds.
"What if I fly my hopes very high and they fall from the sky?"
"Would you feel better if they are there and you don't find them because you never looked?" Hiccup objected.
"No, that would be worse..."
"We have to take the risk. You know what the worst part of it will be?"
"What?"
"The cold. It'll be like being back on Berk..."
Toothless chuckled deeply at that.
"I can help with that. Anything who thinks Night Furies cannot live in the cold is being tail-twisted and does not truly know us!"
"Yeah, I believe it."
Even as Hiccup stood there with Toothless, lost in his thoughts about this new mission he and Toothless were going to go on, he realized or appreciated something wonderful and good about it. While there was likely going to be some need to bring the Furies, or any other friendly dragons, back to fight in the war, there was also the possibility of helping them integrate into the human, Elf, and Dwarf lands in peace afterwards.
He might get to help change the world after all.
The Fellowship was entirely assembled in all of its glory: the four Hobbits, one Wizard, two Men, an Elf, a Dwarf, and one pony as the beast of burden.
All were gathered in the courtyard inside the main gate and awaiting the formal departure.
Hiccup and Toothless strode up to them. The Dwarf, Gimli, and the Gondorian, Boromir, were none too thrilled about their presence, though not afraid either. Boromir kept his very suspicious gaze on them. The Elf, Legolas, was wary but also curious.
The Hobbits, on the other hand, were both eager and sad at the inevitable parting.
Frodo walked up to them first; the Hobbit was at a loss for words as he stood before them. They also did not know what to say to the one who was most responsible for helping them be accepted in the Shire.
"I'll miss you, Toothless, Hiccup," Frodo finally whispered.
Toothless stepped closer with a soft purr and put a forearm over Frodo's shoulder in a half-hug. He would have hugged longer except he heard and felt the hated, twisted whispering and pull from the Ring so close to him.
He grumbled softly as he stepped back and shook his head of the twisted thinking and whispers.
Hiccup also took the opportunity to embrace Frodo.
"Thank you for putting us up as you did, Frodo. It was very kind of you. You stay safe out there."
"I will. My Uncle Bilbo gave me some things to help with that."
Frodo showed them a new short sword that he now carried at his waist.
"Do you know how to use it?" Toothless chuckled.
"Not yet, but I'll have time to learn," Frodo answered.
Satisfied, Toothless stepped back and turned to Sam.
"You stay close to him, Samwise."
Sam gave a very serious, grim frown, and his eyes blazed with determination as he patted the short blade at his hip.
"I will. I know we are going to take a very long road into darkness, but I know I can't turn back. There's something I have to do before the end, and it lies ahead. I made a promise!"
Toothless huffed in satisfaction, and then he turned to the other two remaining Hobbits.
"And you two, crazy ones..."
"Who is that?" Merry wondered.
"No idea who he's talking about..." Pippin added.
Toothless deeply chuckled at them.
"Stay crazy and as safe as you can."
"Oh, we'll be fine... nothing's going to carry us off..." Merry answered.
"Yeah, won't make any mistakes like missing meals. Can't have that happening, can we?" Pippin cheerfully replied.
"It would be a disaster..." Merry groaned.
Hiccup laughed freely at their pure silliness and innocence. Their cheer was very heartwarming in a way. On the other hand, it still felt troubling to think that these Hobbits were heading out into the wide world.
Then he had an idea. He was going to have Toothless with him to protect him, so he didn't actually need a weapon of his own. Nothing like a sword or a dagger anyway. Sam still had his short blade, and Bilbo had given Frodo his old sword, an Elven blade named Sting. But these two Hobbits didn't appear to have anything in the way of proper weapons. The short blades Aragorn had given them had been lost at some point, probably up on Weathertop.
He didn't want to think about these kind, innocent Hobbits being defenseless on the journey.
"Merry, Pippin, here... take these..."
He went over to the saddlepack on Toothless's side, and he retrieved the pair of small daggers he had taken from the Barrow-downs. Then he handed one each to Merry and Pippin.
"What are these?" Merry wondered.
"I got them from the Barrow-downs after Toothless killed the wight."
"And you're giving them to us? Why?" Pippin took one of the small blades.
"Just something extra to help keep you safer. They should be like small swords for you. I'm going to have Toothless with me, so I feel good about my chances."
"Ah, but we have the Grey Wizard! That's got to count for something," Merry countered.
"Yeah, he can take out anything!" Pippin added.
"But anyway, thanks for these! Boromir said he might want to help train us in fighting, but we didn't have anything in our size," Merry continued.
"Yeah, it'll be how to train your Hobbit!" Pippin chuckled.
Hiccup and Toothless groaned softly in amusement and then continued on to the final two members of the Fellowship, both of whom they knew well.
Aragorn stepped forward to greet them. The man a very grim and troubled look about him.
"Aragorn, are you okay?" Hiccup kindly asked.
"Yes, I am. It is difficult to do what must be done for one... who is loved. To let them go when it is for their own good."
Aragorn gazed into the distance before looking back at them.
"But that is not your burden to bear. Masters Haddock and Toothless, it is my honor to have met you both."
Aragorn then wryly grinned at Toothless.
"I never imagined that I would meet so friendly a fire drake."
Toothless chuffed and rolled his eyes.
"I did not think I would meet a good human Alpha with a big sword."
"Alpha?" Aragorn questioned.
"Chief? Leader? King? Which of those is most true, Hiccup?"
Aragorn's gaze fell away as his thoughts went somewhere else. Hiccup thought he understood why.
"Probably leader for now," Hiccup softly answered.
Aragorn took the opportunity to bow slightly and step back to attend to last-minute packing.
That left only Gandalf, leaning on his staff as he frequently did. The Wizard was fully clad in his grey robes as usual, but he had forgone his pointy hat.
"So, here at the front gates of Rivendell, we part ways again. Lord Elrond shared with you our plan for you both, yes?" Gandalf asked.
They nodded.
"If you would both hear some words of wisdom from an... old man, if you do find any dragons that are from Middle-earth... do not trust them. They are cunning, treacherous, and cruel, as you have surely heard that Smaug was. You do not even want to know what Glaurung did out of spite. Please give Lady Galadriel my regards when you get to Lothlorien. You might hear her call to you before you even arrive."
Hiccup was confused by that, but he didn't ask because he saw a sad and weary look in the Wizard's ancient eyes.
Gandalf continued.
"And if your journeys take you past Erebor and Laketown, you will be flying past Smaug's resting place."
"He fell into the lake, true?" Toothless asked.
"And destroyed much of Laketown when he fell, yes, but that city and Dale have been rebuilt with riches from his hoard. You might consider stopping in Dale and speaking with King Brand, son of Bain, son of Bard, the true slayer of Smaug."
"Wait, a man killed Smaug? I thought you did," Hiccup exclaimed in surprise.
Gandalf looked very guilty.
"Well, I... was barely involved in that. I might have set events in motion that brought about Smaug's demise. As for the actual striking of the blow, no, that was Bard the Dragonslayer. A very precise shot it must have been to so precisely hit an attacking dragon in the night."
Hiccup winced and imagined a terrible image that he did not want to dwell on at all.
Then Gandalf smiled again as he looked between them.
"I will truly miss you both. My heart tells me that you will make a difference in the world. You might even change it forever."
Gandalf stepped forward and lowered his voice.
"Hiccup, you should not doubt yourself. You will find your purpose in this world soon enough. Toothless, you should not doubt yourself either. You are free to choose what you will be, good or evil, even if there are some... shadows in what you are that you do not like or want to have."
Toothless stepped closer while humming softly.
"When will we see you again?" he sadly asked.
"That I do not know. Maybe after we have fulfilled the mission or maybe our errands will meet before then. And whither then, I cannot say," Gandalf chuckled.
"Do not run into any dragons on your journey. Leave that to us," Hiccup grinned.
"Oh, you do not need to worry about me, Master Haddock. It takes more than a little fire to get rid of me!" Gandalf laughed freely.
Toothless grumbled and then smiled with a toothless grin.
"How did you do that? How did you block my fire with your stick-staff?"
"How? By being a Wizard, that is how!"
One of Toothless's eyeridges lifted.
"And it is time for us to depart!" Gandalf winked.
There were indeed a number of Elves who were arriving and filtering down to the lowest level to see the Fellowship off. Elrond, clad in his finest robes, was at the head of the procession. Arwen, looking very solemn, stood a short distance away and only had eyes for Aragorn.
Then Elrond stepped forth from the procession and held his arms wide toward the Fellowship.
"The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest to Mount Doom. On all of you no oath or bond is laid to go further than you will. Only upon the Ringbearer is any oath laid: to not cast away the Ring along the journey or to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy. Farewell and hold to your purpose. Go now with the blessings of Elves, Men, and all free folk. May the stars shine upon your journey," Elrond solemnly stated.
Toothless took the following silence as an opportunity to stand tall, spread his wings to their fullest, and bow his head slightly as a sign of respect.
Most of the Fellowship also bent their heads toward him out of respect.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer!" Gandalf formally declared.
Frodo slowly turned his gaze away from Rivendell, gave one final and solemn nod to Hiccup and Toothless, and then proceeded out the main gate with Gandalf at his side. Aragorn was the last to leave, though he did so reluctantly and with a pained glance toward the gathered Elves.
The entire Fellowship made its way out across the bridge and took the left-hand path to follow after Frodo and Gandalf at the lead of the party.
Toothless again stood tall on his hind legs with his wings spread wide. Then he roared aloud, his cry echoing off the slopes and prompting several in the Fellowship to turn and wave at him from across the bridge.
"I wonder when we will see them again..." Hiccup sighed and wiped away a tear from his cheek.
It was a bittersweet parting to again need to leave the people he had come to care for.
"Not too long from now, I hope," Toothless sadly purred after settling down on all fours.
"Yep, still I have a feeling that something is going to go wrong..."
Toothless huffed.
"They have Gandalf. They will be safe. If my fire cannot hurt him, nothing can!"
"Yeah, I believe that."
The Elves began to disperse after the Fellowship's departure, but Elrond and another Elf, Lindr, approached them.
"Master Haddock, Master Toothless, I would advise that you set out on your journey soon also," Elrond said.
"We will," Hiccup answered, thinking to himself that Lothlorien sounded like a very beautiful place from the limited description he had heard of it.
Even so, it would be good to make some final preparations before leaving.
"Before you depart, I would ask that you both go meet with Bilbo. He would much like to meet with you two again. Master Haddock, would you also go with Lindr to the armory?"
"Sure, why?"
"Because I would like for you to take a bow with you and learn how to use it, if you do not already know."
Hiccup stared in surprise.
Me get an Elven bow?
It was an interesting idea. He hadn't practiced with a bow since his hunting lessons in Berk's woods years ago. But he was a decent enough shot from past experience.
"You do not seem very enthusiastic..." Elrond observed.
"Well, it's just that... I'm not good with most weapons. And I haven't practiced with a bow in a long time..."
"Master Haddock, it is my understanding that being able to hit a moving target once before in your life turned out very well for you and for someone else you care about."
"Well, when you put it that way..."
Then Toothless nudged him from behind.
"You should learn. It is good to have claws and teeth of your own."
"Alright, bud. I will."
The Elven store of weapons was truly impressive. Elegance was the common feature of all the armaments; from the inlay on the brass shields, to the gems in the pommels of the flowing swords, to the long spears, and even weapons Lindr called glaives.
Wow, I could see those being neat to learn how to use...
Then they came across the bows. Some of them were taller than he was. Most of them were carved from wood.
If weapons could be said to be beautiful, these certainly were, being a mix of functional and works of art.
Berk never really cared for beauty in its weapons. Practicality was all that mattered.
"Try this one please, Master Haddock," Lindr offered him a smaller bow.
He took the bow from Lindr and struggled to string it, but he eventually managed to do so. The bow was made of a single whole piece of wood, but it was very lightweight. It felt like he was holding a small stick instead of a noble weapon.
"This is Pengnaur. It has been used for training young Elves in hunting through the ages. It has not been used in many years," Lindr solemnly explained.
"It's so light," Hiccup breathed in awe as he held it.
"Yes, it is carved from Mallorn heartwood. Do you know proper bow-care, Master Haddock?"
"I do. Don't leave it strung without need. Don't leave it out in the rain. Look for signs of stress or strain on the bow and the string. Is there anything else I should know?"
Lindr handed him a quiver filled with arrows.
"Only this: Elf-weapons will not easily fail you, so long as your purpose is pure. You might find that you are a better shot than you think. Practice daily, and you will be the match of any Man. And, seeing as this is to be yours now, you might think about giving it a new name if you so wish."
As Hiccup left the armory with a fine Elven bow and quiver in hand, he grinned widely while again admiring the craftsmanship of the weapon. Then he slid the bow into its protective cloth covering and slung it over his back.
If I practice enough I will never miss a shot either. That seems appropriate.
"Master Hiccup Haddock... Master Toothless... so good to see you two again," Bilbo grumbled while shuffling toward them.
Hiccup briefly embraced the elderly Hobbit while Toothless sat down and purred to him.
"I hear that you two will be... leaving us soon... as my lad Frodo did..."
"Yes, we are flying to Lothlorien," Toothless said.
Bilbo shuffled back to his chair by a desk and then sat down.
"Lothlorien, now that is an amazing realm. The trees, Mallorns, that grow as if leagues into the sky, the winding paths grown into the trees themselves, the pale lights, that will be something special... I hoped that maybe I could... ah, nevermind me..."
"We are also going to fly to Erebor and beyond," Hiccup added.
"Erebor! Good heavens, whatever are you going up there for?" Bilbo exclaimed in surprise.
"Elrond wanted us to go search up north for any other dragons like Toothless."
Bilbo looked over at Toothless and pointed a wrinkled finger at him.
"More dragons like him? That would be good. I like riddling games with dragons who... do not want to eat me or flame me..."
Toothless chuckled softly at that while Bilbo turned back to Hiccup.
"Say, Master Hiccup Haddock, I gave Frodo a sword and some armor to help keep him safe."
"Where did you get those? They seem like odd things for a Hobbit to have."
"I acquired them during my adventure long ago. The armor was... a gift from a... dear friend. The sword was found in a troll hoard."
"Trolls have hoards?" Hiccup gasped.
"Oh yes, amazing things you can find in a troll hoard, if you can endure the stench of troll-filth. You can find swords, armor, gold, bones, socks..."
Hiccup stared in life-changing shock.
Oh. My. Gods. Was Gobber telling the truth all that time?
"Were they left socks?" he asked.
Bilbo looked very confused.
"Left socks? How would I tell them apart?"
Hiccup rolled his eyes, realizing that he overlooked something so obvious.
"Good point. Yeah, left versus right... yeah. What about that armor and the sword?"
"Yes, I certainly had no use for the sword. Not even that old mail now, even if it is worth a small fortune."
Bilbo leaned in conspiratorially.
"Gandalf never told me its worth, but I figured out eventually. Bah, wealth doesn't matter much when you get to be my age."
Bilbo sighed and then gestured to a small notebook on the table.
"I know it's not much, but please take this..."
"What is it?"
"That is what it is wisest to start every journey with... a map: a map of Middle-earth to be precise."
Hiccup gently opened the notebook and unfolded the map. It was indeed an ornate map with finely-written names for the major cities, rivers, mountains, and regions.
Even better, he had learned enough of these runes in his time in Rivendell, having not much else to do except study with that time, that he could mostly read the names given enough time to decipher the runes.
"Thank you, Mister Baggins. This is very kind of you, and it will help a lot."
"Oh, don't mention it. Just like my sword and that old armor, I have no need for that copy of the map anymore. Only one more journey awaits me. The grey ships are calling..."
Then Bilbo glanced outside with a heavy sigh.
"My, my, would you look at the time? It is time for tea and my afternoon nap!"
"I approve of this idea," Toothless nodded.
Bilbo got to his feet; however, he did not start for his bed. Instead, he shuffled over to Toothless and rested a tiny, wrinkled hand on the Fury's forehead. The old Hobbit smiled a very young and eager smile.
"Toothless, you better come back here eventually so I can show you what I wrote and plan to write about you. I've got a few pictures I've already drawn of you from memory."
"I will. We will," Toothless answered.
"In the meantime, I will think up more riddles for you."
"So will I," he purred.
Hiccup then had an idea and retrieved a precious object from the saddlepack. It made a lot more sense to leave this item here than to take it into the wild again.
"Mister Baggins, would you please hold onto this for me?"
He handed Bilbo his journal, complete with most of the early drawings he had made of Toothless and had taken with him.
"What is this?" Bilbo asked.
"My journal. You definitely can't read any of the runes, but you can see the pictures of Toothless. Think you can keep it safe until we come back?"
Bilbo paged through the journal, his gaze settling on the many drawings of Toothless. Then he held the journal close to his chest in a hug.
"I will, Master Haddock. Go now on an adventure there and back again to change the world."
Hiccup and Toothless got up to leave, but they paused outside his house when Bilbo started singing softly to himself.
"Let them a journey new begin, but I at last with weary feet will turn toward the lighted inn. My evening rest and sleep to meet..."
Many of the Rivendell Elves were gathered up on the highest level of the city with them just after midday. All the Elves were clad in their long robes that flowed in the breeze.
Hiccup was also wearing the same robes because he had become quite comfortable in such soft, flowing attire.
Alright, riding gear is in good order. Tailfin and rig passed inspection. Everything packed... clothes, food, water, map, new amazing very rare special Elven bow and arrows... check.
Toothless started pacing, impatient to get to the flight.
"What's the matter, bud?"
"I will miss this place. It is a place of peace, like the Shire but different."
A silent moment passed as they watched the nearest sparkling waterfall and rainbow spray.
"Yeah, I will too. Who knows what else we will see soon? This Lothlorien place sounds beautiful also."
Elrond arrived shortly afterwards.
"What more do I need to say to you both? It has been my privilege to have you as my guests in Imladris."
"We thank you hosting us. You've been very kind to us," Hiccup answered with a slight bow.
Toothless stepped forward and bent his head slightly.
"You have my thanks also for the many fish."
Elrond gave him a look of mock exasperation.
"And I thank you for not completely emptying the river of fish."
"I want to be able to fly back here in the future!"
"You are both most welcome here always. We will have better provisions for you when you return to us. Just as all in the Fellowship did, it is no small thing to answer the call for the good of others. I would say only this last reminder before your departure: if you do meet any true dragons from Middle-earth, do not trust them. They have unnatural, magical powers."
"What magical powers? I've heard of the... not looking in their eyes rule before," Hiccup wondered.
"That is the main threat they pose. They can take your memories from you and change your very self. They know when they are being deceived and are also most cunning. Do not underestimate them."
Toothless snarled and thrashed his tail.
"Bilbo told me what Smaug was like. I understand and will keep us both safe."
"I am sure that you will. I hope that your search goes well. Go now with the grace of the Eldar upon you," Elrond stepped back with a slight flourish.
It was time.
Hiccup took his place in the saddle, and Toothless walked over to the clearing where he then spread his wings. They took to the sky without a backward glance, at least not until they were well aloft and pulling out of the verdant valley itself.
By then the figures in Rivendell were indistinguishable from each other.
Toothless roared aloud a cry that echoed off the cliffs on both sides of the hidden vale.
Hiccup blinked away the tears, whether formed by the wind or the odd feeling in his heart, he could not say which.
Forced by necessity from Berk and all he knew to protect his best friend.
Having fled the Shire to keep safe new friends.
Now flying to unknown lands on a mission with no certainty of success.
It felt like he ended up being forced from any place he ever started to get attached to.
Never able to settle down in one place for long.
Never to really have a home and enjoy lasting peace.
He lay flat on Toothless's back and gave him a neck-rub once they leveled out into a stable flight. Toothless always liked that little bit of attention, and he liked giving the Fury that attention.
True, I had to give up those places: Berk, the Shire, and Rivendell, so that I could do what I had to do. But I'm not alone.
"Bud, I'm glad you're with me."
Toothless glanced back over his shoulder, an eyeridge and his ears lifted in amusement.
"Where else would I be? We are going on an adventure!"
"Yep, it's you and me, bud. Always."
They continued on in a silent, eager flight into the southeast. The skies were clear, and the sun and winds were warm as they flew over the lush forest and rivers and onward toward the massive Misty Mountains that loomed in the distance.