[ To her credit, the rocket takeoff only gets a meep out of Gray along with a death grip on Hiccup -- but she manages not to fly off like a grocery bag in the wind, which she'll consider a victory. She's no stranger to sudden leaps and bounds or tall heights, but there is something more immediately unnerving about submitting herself to those things while at the complete mercy of other people.
But she's able to adapt surprisingly quickly; after a few minutes of burying her face into Hiccup's back, the powerful beating of Toothless's wings and his smooth, serpentine glide through the air begins to feel comfortable and confident, and her own body begins to adapt to his movements. Slowly, she pulls her face back from Hiccup and chances a look around.
He may be able to hear her surprised intake of breath as the view opens up around her. Her eyes are wide as she realizes how much life there is around them: tiny dragons, fat dragons, air dragons, water dragons. Her meager imagination had only ever conceived of a narrow image of dragons, and to have her preconceptions blown wide all at once is a minor shock. But she can feel how calm Hiccup and Toothless are, so she feels herself calming as well, molding to the wonderful coexistence of so many kinds of creatures.
It doesn't take long for her to find herself enjoying the ride. Toothless's assured flying up, down, and around the seastacks is impossible not to be thrilled by. For the first time since she can remember, she begins to laugh. It's small and modest, much like her usual tone of voice, but after a particularly daring drop, laughter bubbles out of her as if the force of flight were pressing it out of her. She's so absorbed in her delight that she doesn't notice how her hood has blown back, standing no chance against their speed and torque.
The motley village that rears up in front of them is almost just another extraordinary sight in a series of many, but it's especially breathtaking to think that people live there in that organized chaos. ]
It looks like an amazing place. All of this... feels amazing.
[ She isn't eloquent enough to express herself better than that. But she can see why Hiccup would retreat to this place, and subsequently why his aura felt so different back in Horos. The static earth must be a bleak place to return to.
... But return he must. ]
Mr. Hiccup... Thank you for showing me all of this.
[ He's shown her something personal and wonderful, which makes her next task all the more difficult. But she steels herself -- and draws the sword at his side from behind. With her free hand, she braces him at the shoulder, and with the other she drives the sword deep through his torso at an angle, deep enough to pin him to Toothless beneath them. ]
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But she's able to adapt surprisingly quickly; after a few minutes of burying her face into Hiccup's back, the powerful beating of Toothless's wings and his smooth, serpentine glide through the air begins to feel comfortable and confident, and her own body begins to adapt to his movements. Slowly, she pulls her face back from Hiccup and chances a look around.
He may be able to hear her surprised intake of breath as the view opens up around her. Her eyes are wide as she realizes how much life there is around them: tiny dragons, fat dragons, air dragons, water dragons. Her meager imagination had only ever conceived of a narrow image of dragons, and to have her preconceptions blown wide all at once is a minor shock. But she can feel how calm Hiccup and Toothless are, so she feels herself calming as well, molding to the wonderful coexistence of so many kinds of creatures.
It doesn't take long for her to find herself enjoying the ride. Toothless's assured flying up, down, and around the seastacks is impossible not to be thrilled by. For the first time since she can remember, she begins to laugh. It's small and modest, much like her usual tone of voice, but after a particularly daring drop, laughter bubbles out of her as if the force of flight were pressing it out of her. She's so absorbed in her delight that she doesn't notice how her hood has blown back, standing no chance against their speed and torque.
The motley village that rears up in front of them is almost just another extraordinary sight in a series of many, but it's especially breathtaking to think that people live there in that organized chaos. ]
It looks like an amazing place. All of this... feels amazing.
[ She isn't eloquent enough to express herself better than that. But she can see why Hiccup would retreat to this place, and subsequently why his aura felt so different back in Horos. The static earth must be a bleak place to return to.
... But return he must. ]
Mr. Hiccup... Thank you for showing me all of this.
[ He's shown her something personal and wonderful, which makes her next task all the more difficult. But she steels herself -- and draws the sword at his side from behind. With her free hand, she braces him at the shoulder, and with the other she drives the sword deep through his torso at an angle, deep enough to pin him to Toothless beneath them. ]