Lingering
Toothless warily glanced at Hiccup and Dreamcatcher. She was doing what she almost always did: resting in her barn-den.
"Dreamcatcher? You there?" Hiccup softly asked.
"Yes here me!" she hummed.
Hiccup smiled as he placed the bucket before her.
"Good. We brought you some water."
She stared curiously at the bucket and then knocked it over with a paw before laughing. The bucket was empty, but he laughed along with her until she settled down.
"You thirsty?" he asked.
"Thirsty water want yes..."
He warily placed the second bucket before her. This bucket actually had water in it. She buried her muzzle in it and began drinking.
This was already a very good day for her.
She finished drinking and then knocked the bucket away once it was basically empty.
"Good job! Burning-Star brought you a fish."
Toothless stepped closer and dropped the fish at her paws. She stared at the fish for a few seconds before snatching it up. Then she glanced at Toothless, her ears going up as she purred.
"Growls, is it you yes?"
Toothless blinked and hummed sadly.
"No, I am Burning-Star."
"Oh no sad. He bring fish for me. Where him?" she softly asked after resting her head on her paws.
Hiccup and Toothless glanced at each other. This was one of her regular questions which they hadn't decided how was best to answer. She never seemed to remember whatever they said, so it didn't truly matter. But they still didn't want to cause her any unnecessary suffering.
"He has flown on a special flight," Toothless purred.
"Where where where?" she eagerly asked.
"A long flight."
"Oh good yes he fly here soon yes soon!"
Hiccup nodded.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Are you tired? You look tired to me."
She yawned.
"Tired yes sleepy yes sleep."
They remained beside her until after she had fallen asleep. Her eyes were calm and still as she slept, which meant her sleep was probably dreamless.
It was a terrible irony for her, but maybe not having any dreams at all was its own comfort.
"I still do not understand why you must give Adney a precious thing," Toothless grumbled.
"It's tradition. Think of it as a way of showing her that she's important. If anything happens to her husband, me, she can sell the ring and get some money from it to support herself," Hiccup answered.
"But her pack or kin should do that."
"Sure, but that's not always possible. Maybe the pair lives far from her kin."
"True, that would be a problem."
"Having both of them wear a ring is also a way of showing others that they are married and not for anyone else to pursue."
"I understand. You humans cannot smell pairs like we can."
Hiccup strode into his forge with Toothless behind him. The kiln and crucible were prepared. He had a little copper, a few gold coins, the cast, gloves, tongs, and everything else at the ready.
It's go time!
"How hot?" Toothless asked.
"Not 'melt the forge' hot."
"Very helpful..."
"I try. You shouldn't have a problem with this."
Hiccup dropped the gold coins and the chunk of copper into the crucible. Toothless stepped over to inspect it. Hiccup went to pick up the crucible when he heard something strange.
Toothless was softly growling, his gaze narrowed on the crucible.
"Toothless?"
Toothless snarled, leaning closer to the crucible.
"Mine!"
"Toothless!"
Toothless blinked and stepped back with a bark of surprise.
"Hiccup... I... the gold..."
"What about... not this again."
Toothless collapsed and closed his eyes, so he went over to him and held his neck.
"Are you alright?" he whispered to Toothless.
"No. The gold feels... very precious. I need..."
"Let's go get it!"
They both flew to their feet and dashed for Toothless's barn. Moonbeam was sleeping inside, so Hiccup quickly grabbed the Lorien pendant without waking her.
Toothless relaxed and started purring when the pendant was snug around his neck again.
"That is better," Toothless sighed.
Hiccup started pacing.
"Alright, what just happened? Let's figure this out. That's only a little gold, but it's very tempting now. Why? What changed?"
Toothless grumbled and also started pacing.
"I do not know what changed. The last time I saw any gold was... when we had Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall look at the gold in the Golden-Hall-den."
Hiccup continued pacing with his hands behind his back.
"Right. Did anything happen since then? Sauron was destroyed, for one. Maybe... that did something to you, or to all of you Furies," Hiccup frowned.
They both knew that was a very bad possibility.
"By the skies, I hope not. We should test that," Toothless proposed.
"Good idea."
Far-Flight looked down into the crucible.
"I see gold coins and a rock. Should I see more?"
"Do you... hear anything or feel anything? Is the gold... twisting or warming to see?" Toothless warily asked.
Far-Flight's tail tapped on the ground as he grumbled.
"No. It is only a rock and gold coins. The gold coins might be warm to sit on if there were many and they ate up body-heat."
Toothless nodded as he looked down into the crucible. Just as before, he could see the gold coins that had been so precious. However, this time that pull was very faint and weak. The pendant at his chest felt warming in a very different way.
So, he is the same as Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall. They feel something, but the pull is not as strong as it is with me.
"Thank you, sire."
Far-Flight nudged the crucible with a paw.
"You are helping Hiccup make a precious thing for Adney, true?"
"True."
"Are you two talking about me?" Hiccup shouted from outside the forge.
"No!" he answered.
"Yes, we are," Far-Flight said.
He grinned at his sire.
"We are whispering about Hiccup, not talking about him. Different things."
"Useless dragon!"
Far-Flight snorted in amusement and dashed off, likely to return to Sky-Dancer.
Hiccup then came over to Toothless while frowning at the crucible.
"Alright, so it's not all of you Furies. It's probably only you who is feeling this now. Why only you?"
He had a nibbling suspicion that he did not want to give lift by speaking about it. However, trying to hide from a thought-hunter would not work if he was carrying that badness with him.
"Could it be that I was hurt by the Witch-king? Did his weapon put rot in me?"
Hiccup frowned while staring at his neck.
"His dagger, the Morgul Blade, was cursed. You were hit by a dart. I suppose it's possible, but Gandalf and Aragorn treated you after your fall."
"Maybe they could not get all the rot out."
"You don't feel anything when you have your pendant on, right?"
"Not exactly. The gold-pull is there, but it is very weak. I might need to wear this more, not that I am upset by that."
He sighed and lay down on the ground.
"Will I never be free of this?"
Hiccup sat crosslegged before him.
"I hope you will be, but even if not, you're strong enough to resist. Especially with Galadriel's gift to help you."
"And you are helping me."
"What are brothers for?" Hiccup grinned.
"Teasing each other and twisting tails?"
"That too."
Several dozen horses, including two that were pure white, appeared far out on the golden, southeastern horizon. The alarm was sounded as people ran to the walls.
Toothless saw enough to know who those arrivals must be, so he dove for the ground and stuck his nose into the forge.
"I think they are here!" he shouted.
"Finally! Only took them three months!"
Toothless smirked.
"What? Are you getting impatient?"
"For what?"
"For taking Adney..."
"I can wait! You're not one to talk about... jumping at that fire that too quickly!"
His ears fell at that reminder of his past mistakes.
"Sorry, I didn't meant to be... biting," Hiccup grumbled.
"It is fine. I should not twist your tail about that. Want to go meet them? The Hobbits should all be there."
Hiccup set aside his tools and followed him outside.
"Definitely. It has been so long since we saw them at all."
"Hail, Theoden King!" a chorus of cries went up.
The residents of Edoras went down on their knees in respect as the King rode up at the head of his commanders, including Eomer and Gamling. Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo followed behind them ahead of the King's personal guard.
Hiccup and Toothless stood in the main square while Moonbeam, Mystery, Far-Flight, Sky-Dancer, Breath-Of-Sky, Free-Flight, Storm-Chaser, and Tail-Hunter stood behind them. Everyone else was working or occupied.
Hiccup noticed one conspicuous absence among those who just arrived, though that absence made sense. Aragorn would be King of Gondor now, and he would have other responsibilities to attend to elsewhere.
Theoden dismounted, and Eogar strode forward to meet his King.
"My King, I have maintained your Halls as I was instructed."
"So you have, well done. I am glad to have returned home again."
Theoden then strode forward to meet them. Up close, they saw that he looked weary and a little thinner than before, though he was in good spirits.
"Masters Haddock, Burning-Star, I pray that you are well."
"We are. You should hear about what happened here though," Hiccup answered.
"Pray tell."
"Dreamcatcher is not well. She has gone... crazy or something. Her cub, Tail-Hunter, has been adopted by another pair, by Starlight and Wind-Biter."
"Is Dreamcatcher a threat?"
"No, she is staying in a barn at night or with a packmate during the day. We are all taking turns watching for her. She isn't violent at all."
Toothless hummed softly.
"And the new Night Furies from Mordor have flown away. They and one other from the pack went to the island that Aragorn gave the pack," he explained.
Theoden nodded.
"I understand. I will not pretend that I am not relieved that those others have departed from my lands. But you and your leaders know your own errands. Where are the Alphas?"
"Probably working. Everyone not working has a good reason why they are not working right now," Toothless grinned.
Theoden crossed his arms.
"Why might that be?"
Toothless chuckled, holding himself proudly.
"Because Moonbeam and Sky-Dancer are carrying new cubs. I and Far-Flight are tending to our mates. You did tell me that Rohan needed more cubs!"
Theoden nodded.
"That I did, and I am happy for you. Am I correct that most of the pack will have returned at nightfall?
"Yes, we will. Those of us who are still in Rohan, anyway."
"Good."
Theoden then turned back to all the residents of Edoras and the company that had been traveling with him. Everyone looked to him to hear what he had to say.
"Tonight, we feast and celebrate the fallen and the end of the War!"
Cheers and roars went up from all, humans and dragons alike, gathered in the square. Then everyone began departing, leading horses to stables, speaking and whispering, or embracing loved ones.
Hiccup smiled in relief as he saw Gamling, Adney, and Wynfryth hugging as they reunited.
Everyone who was present from the Fellowship came forth, and he, Toothless, and Moonbeam went to greet them.
Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin looked the same as they always had. Gandalf was wearing his white robes, and he had a wide smile. Legolas and Gimli were still in the same gear they had long worn, though their hair was far neater and better washed than when they had been on the run. Merry and Pippin looked impressive for Hobbits, given that they were wearing the heraldry of Rohan and Gondor.
But at the front of the group were the two Hobbits they most wanted to meet. Frodo and Sam were wearing Lorien cloaks, and the two Hobbits looked much better than the last time he had seen them unconscious in a wagon. Even so, Frodo looked alarmingly thin and very pale, which made sense given that he was probably still recovering from everything that happened.
Hiccup approached them and hugged them without saying anything. Toothless similarly greeted them with a gentle nudge and deep purr.
"Well, you both made it," Hiccup said.
"Yes, Mister Haddock, we went all the way to... that place and back again," Sam answered.
"And you did it. You destroyed Sauron."
Oddly, Frodo and Sam shrank slightly.
"Not us, no. We had help from another who didn't intend it and... can we not talk about what happened?" Sam whispered.
"Sure. I understand. Want to meet everyone?"
"Yes, I would like that," Frodo mildly answered.
Hiccup and Toothless led Frodo and Sam to meet the rest of the gathered Furies.
"Well, here's a sight I've never seen before," Frodo whispered.
Breath-Of-Sky leapt forward to meet them first.
"Hi! I am Breath-Of-Sky! Burning-Star and Hiccup are my brothers!"
Frodo and Sam turned to Hiccup with a look of calm amusement.
"Yeah, I was adopted by Toothless's parents, Far-Flight and Sky-Dancer, over there. Burning-Star is Toothless's real name, by the way," Hiccup explained.
"Amazing," Sam breathed while stroking Breath-Of-Sky's purring neck.
Frodo only had eyes for Toothless's pendant.
"You got that from Lady Galadriel," Frodo softly said.
"I did. It is very warming to my soul-fire," Toothless answered.
"She gave me a similar gift, a small vial, to help me when all other lights went out," Frodo added.
"I understand that," Toothless whispered.
Moonbeam stepped forward and snuggled up against Toothless's side.
Sam smiled widely, and both he and Frodo bowed to her. They had both clearly been told who she was, or they just saw how tenderly she snuggled up to Toothless.
"You are the Hobbits who destroyed the enemy, yes?" she hummed.
"We did," Sam answered.
"Then you did good for all of us, and I thank you," she purred.
Hiccup stepped aside to meet Gandalf while Far-Flight and Sky-Dancer introduced themselves.
"What's going on out there?" he asked.
"Peace and healing in the days of the King. Aragorn has wed Arwen Undomiel, and they are residing in Dol Amroth for the time being. Eowyn is staying in Ithilien because she and Faramir have become quite fond of each other."
"Good for them."
"It is. Faramir is still serving as Steward over Minas Tirith while overseeing Ithilien. They also have a certain pair of dragons who are living nearby."
"Yeah, Snowflame and Windripper wanted to be close to her and take messages."
Gandalf smiled.
"Not only that. The last I saw them Snowflame and Eowyn were flying. Not as fast as you and Burning-Star, mind you, but flying no less."
Hiccup laughed.
"Good! I thought they might be the first to do that. How long are you all going to be here in Edoras?"
"Only for a couple days to meet those we know and obtain provisions. Then we will continue on our own journeys. Gimli and Legolas have adventures to go on together, and the rest of us will return to Rivendell or the Shire."
Hiccup nodded.
"Sounds good. I'll be staying here, obviously. Toothless, Moonbeam, and I flew to Lothlorien a while back, and we saw what happened there. Other Night Furies attacked."
Gandalf frowned, apparently knowing what happened to those woods.
"I am aware. Hopefully with Sauron's fall the will that drove them to attack and to hate might not be driving them anymore."
"Maybe. Flame-In-The-Night said that Dark-Fire is not as angry as he was. Dark-Fire is one of the Furies who went to Tolfalas to be away from humans."
"That is understandable and most prudent."
"Oh, there's more good news. Sky-Dancer and Moonbeam are expecting."
"Are they? Wonderful. The last I heard, you were looking to a certain young woman yourself."
He grinned.
"Well, I need to go talk to her father soon, but yes."
Gandalf put a hand on his shoulder and joined him in observing the Hobbits greeting Toothless, Moonbeam, their family, and the other gathered Furies.
"You are making an incredible world here, Haddock."
He shrugged.
"It's not a dragon-human utopia, but it's our home. And... it's not just me and Toothless making this happen. It's all of us together."
Gandalf nodded with a look of approval in his ancient eyes.
"You have grown."
"Maybe so, but I still have a lot to do. Oh, did you hear about Dreamcatcher?"
"No, what about her?"
"She is driven mad with grief, or something like that. Do you know of anything that can help her?"
Gandalf frowned, leaning on his staff.
"Please take me to her."
Hiccup watched as Gandalf knelt beside Dreamcatcher, sound asleep in her barn. It was strange how this disease of the mind worked. She knew more or less how to speak, was completely non-violent, and knew how to take care of natural needs like everyone else. But she was not always aware of when she was being spoken to, and could not be asked to do anything important. Sometimes she mumbled about searching for her lost mate and daughter, and at other times had gone weeks without saying anything about them. She was occasionally found wandering the plains beyond Edoras, and she needed to be brought food to eat.
Gandalf lay a palm on her forehead and began whispering very softly. This continued for several minutes.
Could the Wizard actually help her just like that and fix whatever was broken in her head or heart? Hopefully so.
Finally, Gandalf stepped back and beckoned him outside. Dreamcatcher still slept undisturbed.
"So?"
Gandalf heavily sighed, leaned on his staff, and looked to the western mountains across the plain.
"Remind me again what happened to her."
"A couple things. She lost her brother years ago to humans. And then her mate, Growls-At-His-Shadow, died at the battle for Minas Tirith."
"That is a most tragic situation, and it explains the mix of despair, anger turned inward, and shame I felt in her," Gandalf softly said.
"She said, before this happened, that she tried to stop him from going with everyone else. It's like she blamed herself for his death."
"When did this happen to her?" Gandalf grumbled.
"She was fine, almost, when I and Toothless went to talk to her after we got back to Edoras. The talk didn't go so well. It was like she... snapped. She tried to attack me, was stopped, and... she ended up like this."
"I see."
"Is there hope for her? Did you help her?"
Gandalf paused before answering.
"She is still there somewhere under all the pain and grief. Yet I fear she is beyond our aid, any normal aid at least."
"So there is something you can do?" he eagerly asked.
"Perhaps, though it cannot happen immediately. I would need to make preparations that could take years."
Years? That was a long time, but it was better than nothing.
"Well, I can speak for the pack on this. We want that help for her, whatever it is. She doesn't deserve to live like this."
Gandalf grimly nodded.
"Then I shall make preparations. I only ask that you leave this matter to me and not inform anyone other than the leaders of the pack, who I shall tell in time."
That was entirely fair. He could trust Gandalf to know what to do and to tell him what he needed to know.
Preparations were continuing for the feast. Hearths were fired to bake breads, wheels of cheese and barrels of ale were brought from storage, and meats were set to roast over open fires.
Hiccup and Toothless were up in the Golden Hall alongside the Hobbits as they recounted where they had been.
"You should have seen it: the massive towers almost like at Minas Tirith, the cliffs on the shore, and the boats," Merry sighed and took a sip of ale
"You're forgetting the best part! The food was really good," Pippin said.
"You lot are just spoiled on feasts," Sam cheerfully complained.
Toothless stuck his nose into the talk.
"Sam, what was this I heard about you fighting a spider?"
Sam shivered while Frodo stared into the distance.
"Shelob. Think about a spider bigger than you. I stuck it with Sting and made that beast crawl away in pain. Hopefully it's dead," Sam declared.
"You are a fighter! You have fire in your belly! Good for you!" Toothless happily growled.
"Yes, sir. You know what I'm going to do when we get back to the Shire? I'm going to go straight to Rosie Cotton, I'm going to kiss her, I'm going to ask her to marry me, she's going to say yes, and we're going to have twelve children!"
The other Hobbits slowly faced him.
"Oh, are you?" "I'll believe it when I see it." "You should, Sam."
"Useless Hobbits," Sam gently punched Merry's and Pippin's shoulders.
Then Sam turned to Hiccup and Toothless.
"What about you two, Mister Haddock, Toothless? From what I hear you are not alone," Sam wondered.
Toothless purred.
"Yes, my life-mate is Moonbeam. She has a new cub inside too."
Hobbit eyebrows lifted along the table until Sam, Merry, and Pippin chuckled and grinned.
"Well done! Maybe I should think about that too once we get back to the Shire," Pippin sighed.
"As if you could find a Hobbit lass who would want... all this," Merry teased.
"Hey! I'm a knight of Gondor. That's got to count for something even back in the Shire. Ah, the Shire."
The Hobbits all sighed as one, lost in their wondering. Frodo then faced Hiccup and Toothless.
"You will both be staying here in Rohan," he said.
What was unspoken was very clear. This visit would be the last time any of them would meet for a long time.
"Yes, we will. This is our place now," Hiccup answered.
Toothless sadly hummed.
"The Shire is a good place, yes, but all our kin are here," he added.
Frodo sighed and nodded.
"I understand. I always thought that the Shire was a little small for a dragon. You should feel free to come visit whenever you want to. I'll keep that barn ready for guests. Maybe even put up another."
Toothless nodded once.
"Thank you. But I do not know if we can visit any time soon. With Moonbeam and my dam having new cubs inside, we will not have much time to fly far."
"That's fair. Just know that you have a standing offer."
Sam leaned forward.
"So where did you two find the other dragons?"
Hiccup answered.
"They were up in the Forodwaith, the Northern Waste. We were with them for a couple months, helping them come to trust us and us getting to know them."
"Some better than others," Toothless muttered.
Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"No kidding. Anyway, we convinced them to fly back with us and fight in the war. The first we showed ourselves was at Helm's Deep where we helped defend Rohan. King Theoden invited us to live in peace here in Rohan after that, and we've been here ever since. Well, except for our going to help out at Minas Tirith."
Sam sighed and frowned.
"A real shame that so fine a city has to be abandoned for now."
Pippin nodded.
"It is, but Gimli already said that he would bring down some of his kin from Erebor to help rebuild. I'm not sure when, but there are no better masons than the Dwarves."
"I believe it," Hiccup said, "Toothless and I got to see Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, Dale, and Laketown. Those Dwarves can work wonders. They could probably hit their heads into rock and make the rock split in two!"
Toothless snorted in amusement.
"They probably could. Hiccup also might. He has rock-head stubbornness problems."
"Really, bro?"
Pippin leaned forward with interest.
"So, have you done anything yet with Adney?"
"Done anything?" Hiccup warily asked.
"You know... asked her what she wants or talked to her?"
"Yes, I have done both. Talking to her like a normal person helps! I just need her father's permission to marry her, and then I will give her this."
He pulled out of his pocket a plain golden ring which he set on the table for the Hobbits to see.
Frodo quickly picked up the ring and eagerly inspected it.
"Toothless helped me make a couple by melting down a few gold coins I had left over," Hiccup explained.
Frodo held out his left hand, as if to try on the ring, but he froze.
Hiccup stared in surprise and confusion. The hand was missing the ring finger.
Wait, why is he missing a finger?
Frodo blinked, put away his hand, and hastily placed the ring back down on the table.
"That's... not... no. You forged it yourself, you and Toothless together, right?" Frodo whispered.
"Yeah, we did."
Merry nudged Sam's side.
"Are you going to make something for Rosie?"
"Well, I don't have much, but neither does her family," Sam grumbled.
Frodo patted Sam's shoulder.
"Don't you worry about that, Sam. I'll help you out however you need."
"You don't have to do that for me, Mister Frodo."
"Yes, Sam. I think I do."
The jovial conversation continued throughout the afternoon. Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf joined in as evening fell and the feast drew nearer.
Hiccup noticed Frodo slip away from the table and leave the Hall, so he followed him. Frodo walked around the side of the Hall and stood on the southeastern slope upon which he then stared into the distance.
What's he doing?
He walked up to him and joined him, hearing part of Frodo's song that he was singing to himself.
"Then world behind and home ahead. We'll wander back to home and bed. Mist and twilight, cloud and shade. Away shall fade! Away shall fade! Fire and lamp and meat and bread. And then to bed! And then to bed!"
Frodo glanced at him and then resumed staring into the twilight distance.
"Are you okay?" he asked Frodo.
Frodo slumped slightly without looking over at him.
"It's gone."
"What?"
"The Ring."
"Good thing too."
Frodo shook his head and spoke in a whisper.
"You don't understand. We made it to the mountain of fire, we went inside, and I had the chance to destroy the evil forever. But... I couldn't... I wouldn't do it. The Ring is precious to me."
He started in shock that Frodo would say something like that.
"What? Why?"
"I carried it for so long. Suffered so much because of it. Stab, grief, long burden, stab, and bite. My burden to bear, no other's duty. How do you destroy something that has become such a deep part of yourself?"
Frodo paused as the wind whipped around them.
"How do you let it go? You can't... not without also destroying yourself."
Hiccup frowned.
"I don't know about that. Toothless is tempted by gold, but he fights that all the time. Even I learned some things about myself that I didn't like, but I changed. You just have to see that..."
He paused and realized something ominous and very sad, if it were true.
"Wait, is that why you... with the ring I made?"
Frodo nodded without looking at him.
"I thought it was the precious. I miss it. I want it. It's mine. My own. My precious."
Oh Frodo...
He lay a hand on Frodo's shoulder while wondering what to say to him. He had no idea what words of wisdom would help with this.
"You'll find a way to move on and let go. You're strong."
"I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't let it go. No one could be ready for that."
Gods, he's not feeling well. He really doubts himself now, but so did I.
"Let's go back inside. The feast is about to begin. Food always helps," he proposed.
Frodo shrugged and whispered.
"If you think I should, then I shall."
Everyone was gathered in the Golden Hall or outside in the square once again. Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall proudly stood near the front of the Hall. Theoden, wearing his crown and his finest robes, sat in his throne. The members of the Fellowship claimed a table together beside which Hiccup, Toothless, Moonbeam, and family stood. The tables were covered in food and drink, much like another feast many months ago.
King Theoden slowly stood up, ending all the muttering and conversation. He lifted his chalice and raised his voice.
"This evening, all across the Folds, we men and women of Rohan drink and feast together! We remember and celebrate all the victorious dead in the war against the shadow! Hail!"
"Hail!" everyone roared.
All drank from their cups.
Theoden then lifted his chalice high.
"There is a King restored in Gondor! A new age of peace dawns! You deserve a King who is young and hale!"
Everyone started in surprise as Theoden turned to Eomer.
"Eomer, come forth!"
Eomer did so and stood before Theoden, who embraced him.
"Sister-son, long have you faithfully served your King. Would you take on one more charge from him?"
"Anything, my King."
"So be it."
Theoden removed his crown, set it upon Eomer's brow, and stepped back.
"Hail Eomer King!" Theoden shouted.
All the gathered Rohirrim, including Theoden, went down on their knees. Eomer immediately helped him back up.
"You do not bow to me, uncle-father. I shall hear your council as long as you wish to give it."
Eomer then strode over to Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall.
"For my first act as Lord of the Mark, I will speak again the oath to your pack that we shall never forget your deeds at Helm's Deep or upon the Pelennor. We shall be allies for all time, and you are welcome with us however long you so wish."
"We hear and know you as the Rohan King-Alpha!" Snowfall cried.
Satisfied, Eomer strode back to the throne and lifted the chalice high.
"Let the feast begin!"
The feast continued long into the night. Eomer did not sit in the throne; rather, he walked among the people, greeting them and drinking with them like the commander he had always been. Theoden joined the gathered Fellowship.
"King Theoden?" Pippin piped up.
"I am Theoden now, a King no longer," he calmly answered.
"Theoden, why did you give Eomer the kingship?" Pippin asked.
Theoden sighed and slumped in his chair.
"Because I am too old to be leading as I once did. The weight of so many of my kinsfolk fallen at my command is also a heavy burden upon my heart. Eomer is young and strong; he can lead Rohan better now than I can."
Hiccup agreed with all of Theoden's reasoning. Passing on the crown as he did made succession easy and uncomplicated. Such matters could be very bloody back on Berk and in the Viking tribes.
Theoden then turned to him and clasped his shoulder.
"Master Haddock, King Eomer and I were speaking of something that concerns the dragon pack. You were planning to construct a Great Hall for them here in Edoras, correct?"
"Yes, sir. The plans are difficult to get to work with how much lumber and stone is needed."
Theoden nodded.
"That is what we foresaw. We have another offer for the pack. Do you know of the Glittering Caves?"
"Those are at Helm's Deep, right?"
"Yes, they are a massive system of caves so great that they are as immeasurable halls filled with an everlasting music of water that drips into pure pools. Gems and crystals line the walls and glitter with light throughout the fathomless passages."
"That sounds very beautiful."
Theoden nodded toward Flame-In-The-Night and Snowfall.
"The Alphas told me that some of the pack's members have lived underground before in massive caverns filled with light, and also that the pack has in the past taken refuge underground. The Glittering Caves are large enough for dragons to fly freely within."
Hiccup realized what the offer was going to be.
"You want to give the pack those caves to be theirs?"
"Yes," Theoden nodded, "it is only twenty leagues from here. A dragon could fly that in not even half of a morning. The caves would be theirs only to guard and keep always. Rohan has used those caves as a place of refuge in the past. We would trust that the pack would shelter us within if there were a future need."
The plan sounded better the more he thought about it. The caves were already there and did not need construction. The pack would not be trapped underground since they could come and go at will. Further, this might help reinforce that the Furies and Rohan were different groups and were allies nevertheless.
It was only a minor disappointment that he would not need to build a Fury-only Great Hall. This natural option was far more practical.
"Have you talked to the Alphas about this yet?"
"Not yet. We wanted to hear your thoughts on it first."
"I haven't seen the place, but I like it already. How about I go there with the Alphas in a few days. Then we can let you know."
Theoden nodded.
"Very well."
While Hiccup sat at the table, overhearing conversation among the Fellowship and drinking his ale, he thought about the various stories he had heard from the pack about a hidden world some of them had lived in under the ground. That place had been one of hiding where dragons could go to escape humans. This one would not be an escape, but rather a realm of their own to keep, protect, be safe in, and be proud of.
Various Rohirrim came over to greet the members of the Fellowship throughout the feast. Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin were known to them all and eagerly joined in on the conversation.
But Hiccup noticed that Frodo and Sam were more reserved, keeping to themselves and not seeking out company.
It struck him that he had no idea how much they had truly been through. It also felt wrong to ask since doing so might mean making them relive those events in a way. He would hopefully learn their story in due time.
Toothless and Moonbeam were resting against each other at the side of the Hall after a large meal. They also had Breath-Of-Sky and Mystery strewn about on top of them, which was a source of amusement throughout the Hall.
Then the dancing started. There was no clear rhythm to the dancing or any regular music. Rather, everyone danced however they wished according to skill and how much they had to drink.
Someone nudged his shoulder.
It was Adney.
She was wearing a flowing green dress that left her shoulders bare. Her hair was tied up in a bun.
"Good evening, Haddock," she smiled.
"Good evening, Adney."
"The dancing looks fun," she gestured at everyone.
"Yeah, too bad I don't know how to dance."
She shrugged.
"Neither do I."
"Are you saying that you're terrible?"
"Yes, I am."
"Perfect. I'm horrendous."
He got up, stepped over to her, took her hand, and guided her out into the center of the Hall with the other dancers.
They took the dancing slowly, given that having a prosthetic was a slight inconvenience. Spins, stomps, twirls, clapping hands, laughing at missteps, staring into each other's eyes, and observing everyone gathered around in the audience followed. Most of the Fellowship were clapping and smiling at him when he caught their eye. He even distinctly noticed her father, Gamling, smiling at them. Gamling had to know what was going on, which meant that his smiling was very likely a good sign.
There was a talk that had to happen very soon, likely after the Fellowship departed for home. But for now there was nowhere he would rather be than here and trying to dance with her.
Gandalf and the Hobbits stood in the central square just after dawn. They had backpacks of supplies which they were loading onto their horses. Theirs would be a journey of several weeks before they were home.
They also wanted to leave without much ceremony. Legolas and Gimli had already departed on their own adventures.
Merry and Pippin came forth first to embrace Hiccup and Toothless.
"Moonbeam, I want to see your cub at some point!" Merry said.
"Yeah, you would like the Shire too. Feel free to come visit!" Pippin added.
"Maybe we will," she purred.
Hiccup and Toothless then went to embrace Frodo and Sam. Sam stepped back and sighed, looking up into the sky at one of the Fury families on a morning flight.
"This place is amazing, Mister Haddock. I hope that you and your family can visit us in the Shire too," Sam said.
"Just keep the barn ready for us."
"We will."
Frodo stepped over to Toothless and held his head.
"It was good to see you again, Toothless," he whispered.
"And you also, Frodo. You helped all of us dragons by destroying Sauron."
Frodo nodded, stepped back, and was helped up onto his pony, as were the other Hobbits.
Gandalf, his white robes fluttering, approached and regarded them.
"You have both changed the world through your deeds. A small spark that is growing into a fire, though your work is not finished. It is never finished."
"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked.
Gandalf only cryptically smiled.
"I wish you the very best as you both go down the road that so many have trod before. Until our next meeting."
Gandalf spun away and vaulted onto Shadowfax's back, leading the procession toward Edoras's front gate. Frodo was the last to leave while humming a familiar, but slightly different, song.
"The Road goes ever on and on... Out from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone... Let others follow it who can! Let them a journey new begin... But I at last with weary feet... Will turn towards the lighted inn... My evening-rest and sleep to meet."
Hiccup and Toothless watched the procession as Gandalf and theHobbits left Edoras and started for the northwest on their long journey.
Toothless purred and nudged Hiccup's shoulder.
"That was good to see them again."
"It was. And to think that they are the reason we won the war."
Toothless purred.
"Not only them. Everyone who fought is the reason we won."
"Good point. Frodo and Sam couldn't have gone to Mount Doom without everything that happened outside Mordor. We all did this together. I hope they'll be okay."
Toothless huffed.
"They are going with a Wizard. They will be fine."
"Yeah, but it's not the journey home that might be a problem."
"What do you mean?" Toothless warbled.
"I mean Frodo is hurt inside. He's a little like you and gold. Part of him still wants the Ring even now."
Toothless blinked in surprise and stared at him.
"That is the chill I felt around him. I wondered why he was not laughing or smiling."
Hiccup put a hand on Toothless's neck as they watched the distant shapes departing across the golden plain.
"He has Gandalf and his family and friends with him. He'll be fine.