Howling Echoes - A How to Train Your Dragon Story, The Echoes, Book 1

Chapter 83: Try

   Hiccup and the other Dragon Riders were settling all the dragons we rescued from the Trappers in Berk.

   I was on the clifftops.  Again.

   I really needed to stop doing this, but it kind of felt like all I could do.

   "Hey K, how's it been?"  Dagur asked from behind me.  Right, I forgot that that was also a thing.  

   "Ok."  A silence.  "Thanks,"  I finally said when I couldn't stand it any longer.  "Hm?"  Dagur asked.  "For saving me back there,"  I said.  "Oh..."  Dagur turned away, but not before I caught the slight blush on his cheeks.  "It was nothing."

   I snorted softly, amused.  "And yet I wouldn't be standing here now without it."  I hesitated.  This was getting awkward.  I had figured it out by now; Dagur had a crush on me, but seemed too hesitant to tell me (most likely because of my previous rejections) and...and I had one on him, too.

   I kicked his legs out of from under him.  The best sign that somebody like me likes you.  Then I turned into a dragon and left.

   When I went into the stables, Dagur was already there.  I turned into a human again so that he could understand me.  "Wha - wait - what the - but - HOW!?"  He waved a scale - one of MY scales! - in the air.  "I grabbed your tail when you took off."  He grinned.  I growled, turning back into a dragon, and smacked him in the face with said tail.

   "Hey, ow!  Well, that was rude."  Dagur commented, rubbing his eye.  "Ya don't say?"  I muttered, turning to look out across the ocean at the sunrise.  I felt exhausted, my eyes were heavy, and all I wanted to do was land on the grass and not move.  But I couldn't.  So I sat there, eyes sharp, as I watched the horizon.

   "She'll be back, you know,"  Dagur said suddenly, patting my neck as though he was reading my thoughts.  I pulled back slightly, and he drew his hand away.  "If she's anything like you, I know she will."  He added with a maniacal laugh.  I hit him on the head with my tail.

   "Hey, ouch, again,"  Dagur said, rubbing the top, then the back, of his head.  I got up suddenly, feeling a rush of energy.  I dove off of the cliffs, the water rushing toward me as adrenaline pulsed through my veins.  I felt ocean water barely smacked my nose as I flung my wings out and twisted to the side and upwards.

   I flapped upwards above the cliff, glancing down.

   Ever wonder what he's doing?

   The thought struck me by surprise.  I hadn't heard this song since...well.  Since Whiplash had fallen.

   It was a song that Whiplash had used to comfort me about Viggo, and it had almost made me feel better.  But now it was different; it was more about him...and a little bit about Dagur.  Not at all a song of pushing past the fact that he was my father and not letting it blind me, but more a song of remembrance for him.  And maybe a little bit of a small crush turning a bit bigger.

   How it's all turned to lies.

   I glanced down at Dagur, thinking of all he did.  Then he just...changed.  If you had told me that that would happen 5 years ago, I would've laughed in your face.  But now...it seemed impossible for it to turn out any other way.

   "Sometimes I think that it's better..."  I murmured.  "To never ask why."  I looked up at the lightening sun.  

   "Where there is a desire, there is gonna be a flame.   Where there is a flame someone's bound to get burnt.  But just because your burnt doesn't mean you're gonna die, you gotta get up, and try, and try, and try!  You gotta get up, and try, and try, and try."  I sang.

   I closed my eyes.  "Sometimes it's hard to imagine..."  I murmured.  "A world without you by my side."  I glanced next to me.  Almost two years later now and I still expected his warm gaze to meet mine.  "But when my world keeps on crashin'...I remember why you died."

  "Where there is a desire, there is gonna be a flame. Where there is a flame someone's bound to get burnt. But just because your burnt doesn't mean you're gonna die, you gotta get up, and try, and try, and try! You gotta get up, and try, and try, and try."  I roared.

   "Ever wonder why it's so hard..."  I murmured.  "To find your true identity?  Because when I find you all...I can see is me."

    "Where there is a desire, there is gonna be a flame. Where there is a flame someone's bound to get burnt. But just because your burnt doesn't mean you're gonna die, you gotta get up, and try, and try, and try! You gotta get up, and try, and try, and try."  I started front flipping with every 'try'.

"You gotta get up and try, and try, and try.

You gotta get up and try, and try, and try.

You gotta get up and try, and try, and try.

You gotta get up and try, and try, and try.

You gotta get up and try, and try, and try.

Gotta get up and try, and try, and try."  I exhaled.  Why was I in such a singing mood lately?

   I sighed and landed, finally remembering something that I had buried in my thoughts for so long.  I turned into a person again.  "Ok, Dagur,"  I said carefully.  A small smile lit up his face.  "Let's give it a try."

   (P.S.  Half the song (most of the song) isn't mine, and the song at the top is definitely not mine.  I wish I could make songs that good XD.)

   (Also, as you may or may not have noticed, there's been quite a bit happening behind the scenes between Kiara and Dagur that I've kind of been keeping quiet about for a while, but...HTTYD 3 is coming up at some point soon in the story, I'll give you that much, and...well, I thought now would be a perfect time to build up their relationship a teensy bit more!)