It Slips Away {Open}

[ryuzaki]

The air was filled with a slow stirring white grey mist that swirled and whipped casting a veil of partial light over the port. A light breeze shifted the sails that hung to the masts of the ships as though trying to tempt them out to sea and into the rough waters that could be heard crashing against the distant cliffs. Jutting out over the waters a low cliff overhung the waves and sloped down and joined the land and slightly futher into the island the faded silhouettes of the tree line could be seen through the low morning mist. Haki sat alone on the edge of the low cliff, his long dark hair was tied back with a small length of string but the breeze had teased free several stray hairs from the group and whipped them around in a steady motion of rising and falling and twirling.

It was a lonely time and his gaze was fixed down upon the waters that stretched out in front of him, just the whistle of the wind in his ears and the distant sound of sails flapping against the air. He sighed softly looking out in the direction of Hysteria and wondering, yet again, about his father. Many times now, certainly recently since he had been spending so much time alone, he had thought of his father and wondered about him, about how he was and what he was doing. Had they defeated the dragons in the great battle that Haki had run from?

From the tree line behind him came a new faded, shadow shape, the great dark form of a dragon approaching with it's head low and it's nostrals flaring at Haki, taking in the human scent and creating low growl like sounds. Haki heard but did not look behind him as the dragon drew closer, growling in a low almost inaudible way as it crept forward, the creature stopped just paces from Haki, so close it could have stretched it's neck out and grabbed him. The great dark scales shifted silently as the beast placed it's weight onto it's hind legs and lifted it's forepaws up, tucking them slightly into his chest and his wings stretched out to near full extension. It drew in a great breath and seemed to be preparing to produce flames. "Don't even think about it." The beast stopped and dropped it's weight back down onto all fours, his wings withdrew back to it's sides and the dragon cooned and stepped forward, nudging Haki's elbow as though entirely innocent of all accusations.

Haki's gaze tore from the ocean and he looked down into the golden amber eyes of the night fury and placed a hand lightly on the scaly head, rubbing softly against the little bumps that existed there like markings. "Where have you been then Fari? Not causing trouble again I hope?" The question was posed with a slight smirk as though Haki knew that it were true but the dragon growled and pretended to look innocent and affronted by the idea that he would ever cause trouble. Haki just laughed and him and looked back towards the sea and out in the direction of Hysteria. "My father would kill me himself if he could see me now," he muttered to the dragon at his side, who didn't really seem to understand the concept of what was being said and simply shifted to curl his body around the spot where Haki sat and looked out in the same direction as though expecting they would see something appear there.

[wolfheart]

Wolf watched carefully as Haki and Svadlifari curled up together. For some reason, she felt jealous. Oh, shut up. This is an outlaw. she told herself. She had to grab him. She turned to her silver Nightmare, Nayrol.
"Alright Nai, you creep up from behind and pounce on his dragon, while I attack Haki!" she whispered to him in Dragonese. Nai nodded once and slithered off silently. Wolf breathed out slowly, then charged forward, holding her Axe aloft. She ran, looking into his face. A memory flickered in her head- the volcano! He had been there. She slowed down, dropping her axe and dragging it behind her. She hissed almost silently, but Nai got the message. He had already jumped, but with a quick flap of his wings he was high in the air, almost invisible in the silvery mist. Wolf stopped. She couldn't do it. Why she couldn't, she didn't know. But she looked at him and sighed. She dropped her axe on the floor.

[ryuzaki]

Haki's eyes remained fixed out on the wates that rocked back and forth on the horizon. Svadilfari at his side looked up at him, but Haki did not look down on the dragon, he simply continued to look ahead in the direction of Hysteria, remenicing on the memories that had long since been disposed to some distant part of his mind. The air had taken a bitter turn and the wind was blowing in from the ocean with a salty taste and small to it that agitated Haki's senses, but Fari apparently rather liked it, for the dragon had lifted his head and flared his nostrals to catch every bit of the breeze that he could.

The was suddenly a sound that Haki could not hear, but he knew that there was a sound because of Fari. The night fury suddenly dropped his head and his ears flicked upright and turned to catch the sounds that came from behind them. As one the pair turned slowly to look behind them and there stood the slim, familiar pale faced female, Wolf. Fari barely reacted at all, but rather looked up as though searching for something he hoped to see, Haki knew that he was looking for Wolf's dragon, but Haki couldn't help himself, he jumped to his feet and touched his chest where the string of his bow crossed as though to ensure it were there.

He felt safe only in the knowledge of a few things. Firstly Wolf's dragon was not at her side, but it remained unlikely that it had gone far, so if she needed it it would probably show up, but he had Svadilfari, and the night fury was close by, obviously he had the upper hand there. He had his bow and his quiver of arrows and felt even more secure by the feeling of his knife in his boot, he had the weapons to defend himself if it came down to it. Finally he knew Wolf, she had met Haki before and he had escaped with his life, obviously, but she had always seemed to think of him as an outcast, and as such there was always the danger that she might attempt to capture, if not kill, him.

[wolfheart]

Wolf threw her axe on the ground. She looked shocked. "I can't kill you... why can't I kill you?" Nai landed by her side, staring at her. She ignored this. Then, without warning, she drew her sword. "Why haven't you moved? Why didn't you attack me on sight?" Wolf kept her sword up, but her arms were shaking and even Nai could tell she wasn't going to attack.

Nayrol stopped growling and hissed playfully at Fari. He took to the skies, relishing the cool air whipping through his scales. Wolf barely noticed. She was still staring at Haki.

[ryuzaki]

It took little, if any, effort at all for Haki to understand that Wolf was not about to kill him. True enough he was overstepping the bounds, an outcast who dared to come to the lands belonging to the people of Berk. To actually sit without fear on the outskirts of their village, it was daring and a little stupid, she had every right to kill him, but she wouldn't. She had the fearful look of a hunter defeated by their prey, and Haki simply stood and watched her, unflinching. Her arms shook and she discarded her axe, a look of fury and confusion in her features that he couldn't fathom reasoning for. Questions spat from her lips and her sword was drawn, still Haki remained where he stood, his gaze on her and with a distinct look of pity and understanding.

She held up her sword in a threatening position that obviously unsettled Svadilfari who didn't understand that the female's display was flase and was confused. The dragon looked at the female human's aggressive attack display, and then at Haki's relaxed and even forgiving posture and expression, the poor creature couldn't quite get it through his mind that while the female was in attack mode, she would not actually harm Haki. Nayrol, the female's companion dragon hissed at Fari playfully then lifted his form into the sky with the graceful beating of his wings. Svadilfari froze for a moment, examined the human confrontation a moment longer and then decided he was not needed. He had learned some time ago not to interfere in what he did not understand, like the human way of hunting and creating fires and the odd little pelt caves that they slept in. Generally it made Haki angry if he messed about with the thing that he did not fully understand anyway, so he stayed out of it now and felt that Haki could handle it, so he pushed his wings out and took off after Nayrol, looking forward to a game.

Haki stepped forward a single step, closing the distance between himself and Wolf a little, but not enough to be in range of her sword. He smiled as though he knew something she did not and shrugged, giving an understanding nod. "You can kill me, but you wont'," he spoke as softly as his roughly deep tones would allow and the smile faded into a distant cold look, nuetral and yet somehow hostile. He stepped a little closer, obviously wary, something almost anamilistic in his cautious movements. He did not fear her, he was fairly certain that if it came down to fighting for his life her could at the very least escape, afterall a night fury was one of the fastest and most dangerous dragons, if Svadilfari couldn't help him escape the possible dangers here nothing could.

He stood up straighter, now only narrowly out of range of her sword and looked at her with focused, curious eyes, the smile still missing from his lips but a definate look of interest had been encased in his gaze. "So, why won't you kill me?" There was a strangely indifferent tone to the deep, rough voice that no doubt she had become accustomed to by now. What she he care the reasons? The point here was that she was doing something different, a dangerous thing to do in the world of men, it was the reason he was outcast, but also the reason that Hiccup had failed to kill the first ridden dragon, and the reason that the allegiance between dragon and viking existed within the select groups today.

[wolfheart]

Nai soared into the air, delighted Fari wanted to play. He flew about 100 feet up, then, after a pause, folded his wings around him and dropped like a stone, eyes fixed on the sea. He splashed into the water and emerged, a few moments later, carrying a large fish in his jaws. He glided back to where Wolf and Haki were and landed nearby, dropping the fish and turning to smile boastfully at Fari, as if daring him to do better.

Wolf flinched at his question. "You know why," she spat. She threw down her sword, kicking it to one side. "There. Now you are armed and I'm not. So you can kill me." Wolf looked at her dragon. She hissed at Nai, who turned to look at her pleadingly. She shook her head and he dragged his fish a little further away, casting a worried look back at her. She is standing there with no weapons and she expects me to not interfere! he thought. He turned back to Fari. He had to keep his word.

[ryuzaki]

Haki stood, motionless and facing the girl. She seemed so strange all of a sudden, not that she hadn't been strange before, but it seemed more hightened, obvious now, and he couldn't help but to frown at her. Did he know why? Was it something to do with when they had met previously? The occassion was engraved clearly on his mind and he would never forget it, that much was certain, but then why all this? She comes first as if trying to kill him then disarms herself and offers herself up to be killed.

Svadilfari had followed Nai into the air, but not the full hundred feet that the monstrous nightmare had flown, he hung about at around fifty feet and watched as the silver dragon turned, folding in his wings and dropping, the skill and precision as he did so had to be applauded and Fari watched it closely as the nightmare vanished beneath the surface of the sea only to emerge a short while later, a large fish captured in his jaws and crushed between his teeth. Svadilfari could smell the sweet, raw scent of it and followed Nai to the shore, they both landed not far from their human companions and Fari watched Nai's actions as though they dared him to find a bigger fish and fetch it ashore.

Fari had turned to the sea once more and was about to take flight when there was the clatter of a blade striking the earth. He spun about, his ears pulled back and teeth exposed in obvious dislike of the sound, but in the instant he took in the scene the dragon's expression changed. His jaw closed and his ears shot forward, pupils grew wider and he leaned towards the humans a little, a new found rampt interest in the situation. Was the female submitting to him? Or perhaps were they choosing to fight without weapons? No, of course not, Haki had not disposed of his flying claws.

Haki stood for a moment looking affronted by her words, his jaw had dropped and his eyes widened. Suddenly his expression changed too, with almost the same sudden and extreme change as that of Svadilfari's expression. Haki's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows dropped and pushed together in an angered scowl, his lips pursing as he ground his teeth within his mouth. It took a moment but he calmed himself and sighed, all of this human interaction was beginning to feel unnatural and difficult, especially with someone as confusing as Wolf. "Is that really what you think of me now? Haki, the outcast, the murderer?" The bitter coldness that had almost always been used on other humans when they crossed his path was finally used here, "I'm not killing anyone." His words had almost become growls and he stepped back from her a few paces.

[wolfheart]

Nai had tried to ignore the humans conversation, but at the strange noises Haki was making he spun round. Haki looked angry. Nai sliced the fish in half and picked up one piece, nibbling as he watched the show in front of him.

Wolf didn't blink at his harsh words. But what he said next made her jump. "I'm not going to kill you. You saved my life!" she retorted, her eyes narrowing. "And you, a murderer? Who did you kill?" the question slipped from her lips before she could stop herself. Even after reading all the wanted posters, she did not believe it was true. She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't lose his head and kill her there and then. Yet, somewhere in her mind, she knew he would not hurt her.

[ryuzaki]

Haki looked at her as though he didn't believe what he had heard. She acknowledged that she owed him her life, something he cared nothing for, it was something he had done for the sake of it, not because he cared as she might have been lead to believe, for this reason he did not desire to persue that topic any further. Instead he planned on asking her why she had come there, telling her to go away or even leaving for himself, but instead she asked a question that he could not ignore. He had turned to leave and Fari had seen it and moved to walk towards Haki and mount when she asked her question and the young man suddenly swung around to face her, he looked completely in disbelief, incredulous as to what she had just asked him.

Svadilfari knew the look, it happened when he overstepped his bounds, when he crossed the line and greatly upset his human companion, but for once it was not directed at him, but the girl. Fari stepped back and sat on the overhang that slumped over the lazy waters of the sea, his tail hanging down to that the waves brushed them when the rose up in their feeble attempt to climb ashore, like a million limbs that scrambled at the sand, attempting to drag it's great body up from the pit in which it was damned, but never able to grib enough. His ears forward and his limbs tight the night fury watched uncertainly and cast a momentary uncertain glance towards Nai.

Haki stepped back towards Wolf. He had seen the posters, heard the stories, it had always been accused and for reasons he had never actually known. When he had first appeared around Berk, when he made his first visits to the lands of the people who kept dragons as pets, he had been outcast. He had never known why, he had never commit crime to these people, short of coming from Hysteria that is, and yet in his first days rumour was spread that he was a murderer, wanted and dangerous. Tales were told of a cruel and evil young man who survived on brutality and hated any who crossed his path, willing to kill them.

"You believe everything you're told? Everything you read?" His voice seemed to have calmed considerably, perhaps he had been wrong about her, he had supposed she was different, not like the other people, that she would know better. But he had been wrong before, she was just like the others and there was no point in putting any emotion into how he dealt with that, yet he felt the need to set her straight. "So, you truly believe that I could murder? That I would actually kill someone, do you?"

[wolfheart]

Nai saw Fari look at him in confusion. He swallowed his half of the fish in one gulp, looking nervous but not moving. He knew Wolf had shocked Haki, but he did not know why, and he was sure he shouldn't interfere.

Wolf could tell her question had shocked Haki; she wondered what he would do. She wasn't expecting a calm answer. She thought about his words for a while.
"I guess I used to believe the stories," she said eventually, "But now I don't know." She chose her next words carefully. "You look as if you could murder. But I don't think you would, unless you had no choice." She had no idea what he would make of this and stepped back uneasily.

[ryuzaki]

Haki was quite obviously unhappy with what she said, but he decided this was as good a time as any to let the truth be known. He let out a long jagged breath and suckled in a fresh one, she was nervous, that could work to his advantage, sometimes fear was the best way to ensure a message was understood as clearly as possible, but then again, too fearful and she might make her own stories, as others had done in his past. Fari moved forward a little, the female was in a vulnerable position now, surely she was considered a friend by now though, Haki had insisted that they save her life that day at the volcano, he had carried her back to the human island. There was no way that he had saved her life simply so that he could take it now, was there?

Haki had dropped into a crouch, his eyes remained on Wolf, and his hand slilpped into his boot, pulling out a knife. He jumped back to his feet standing upright and looked at her, a new look of calm had spread itself over his features and into his posture, but there remained the slightly animalistic look, the way he crouched slightly holding the dagger hilt loosely in his talon like fingers. "Do you want to finally hear truth?" he snarled at her, but he left no space for her to answer, it didn't matter whether she wanted to know the truth or not, she was going to listen to it.

"I came to this land years ago. This knife," he held up the dagger slightly, "belonged to my father. Leader of Hysteria." He hesitated a little and glanced back at the night fury, Svadilfari showed interest in every way to what was being said, the dragon's tail had stopped moving and his head was tilted to the side. This was sure to be one of those times where Fari just inately understood what was being said and Haki sighed at the thought. "They kill dragons there," he said turning sharply back to Wolf, "but I'm sure you already know that. I couldn't, I was never able to kill a dragon, I fled my own people, I came here wanting to join a world that I had envied all my childhood. As you probably know I was not welcomed here, story quickly spread of a stranger that came from Hysteria, to kill the people of Berk and there dragons." He stopped and looked at her meaningfully for a moment, "a flase story."

The hand holding his dagger had relaxed and it was held at his side in a light grip, Fari stood behind lookoing hurt and confused. Not his Haki, he could never have killed a dragon. Fari told himself this firmly, Haki may have come from that brutal world, but that was not who he was, Fari knew him better than that, but apparently the female did not, or Haki wouldn't have to explain himself.

"So, I grew up alone in the forests here. Imagine that, growing up on your own and with a price on your head simply because they don't understand you?" He laughed bitterly and glared at her. "Every man and woman who came to make a name for themselves my killing this terrible little outcast, I could have killed, but they all returned to your village alive, unharmed. If I were to fight for my life and kill my opponent I would have killed many by now," a look of pure mistrust had crept upon his features. She was a viking in training, the sort that needed to prove themselves worthy of the title viking, she came from the village and knew him only as the legend they had created. He could not trust her. "I was thirteen when I first came here and first fled from the axes and arrows your people threw, when I was sixteen, two years ago, I met Svadilfari. He has been helping me escape you people reguarly ever since."

Haki stopped, he had told his side of the story, whether she believed it or not was another matter. He stepped forward and offered the dagger out to her, "Well then, you know the truth. Do you wish to kill the outlaw now?" His hand remained remakably steady as he continued to hold the dagger out for her, awaiting her reaction patiently and ignoring Fari's concerned sounds behind him.

[wolfheart]

Wolf listened to Haki's story silently. She had no idea what he had been through. She was annoyed when he said 'you people'. She couldn't kill a thing. When he handed her his dagger, she smiled, held it up, and threw it...

...over his head. Nai swiftly caught it and dropped it at Haki's feet without a word. He didn't even complain when he looked at his wing and saw a scarlet stain. The blade had caught his wing and dug in when he landed. He stumbled over to Fari, before sitting down heavily and licking his wound.

"I should kill you. But you know I won't." Wolf said softly. "You saved my life. And you did nothing wrong. I hate unfair judgment. I hate these people for doing this to you." she was spitting out the words, picking up her sword and throwing it into the ground.

[ryuzaki]

Haki watched her carefully. She took the knife and the moment she did so he dropped his hands to his sides and stepped back a little. She threw it and he watched, unflinching, part of him expected the knife to thud into his chest. Time seemed to slow, he heard the rubbing of scales behind him, Svadilfari had seen it and was moving forward, angered by the action taken by Wolf; was she really about to kill Haki? Haki had trusted her, allowed her to get close, to take his weapon and she didn't even seem to stop and think before hurling it at the helpless young man, who neither had time to arm his bow nor reach for an arrow. Haki just stood there, why should he care if the dagger did strike him? It was one less life for the world to be concerned with, and he might finally get some peace, no more running, he was sick of running.

Almost to his dissapointment however the knife did not thud into his chest and end his miserable existance, nor did it strike any other part of his anatomy, but sped over his head. He stood there a moment longer, closing his eyes and exhaling a breath before suckling in another. He turned slowly to look behind him, Nayrol had the dagger, there was a spatter of blood and small wound in the dragon's wing, the blood staining the perfect silver shine of his scales, tainting them as it were. Nayrol dropped the dagger at Haki's feet, then went back to Fari, who was stood looking at the human female with a disgusted glare. She had first thrown the claw weapon as though to kill Haki, but had instead injured her dragon companion, and not just anywhere, she had injured his delicate and beuatiful wings, a dragon's most precious appendage and neither seemed to think anything of it. This female, and her behaviour confused Svadilfari greatly.

Haki swooped down to ground level, grabbing the hild of his knife briskly and pushing himself back upright to spin on one foot and face Wolf once more. He looked down at the knife, at the blood spattered there, the dragon's blood, it made him feel cold, angered beyond words, but as he knew he must, he contained himself and wiped the blood against his jerkin before tucking the knife back into his boot and looking up at Wolf. He couldn't help but glare at her as she began to send a string of words from her lips. He couldn't believe it, until he had told her the story of her life she had been like the rest of her people, and now she knew the truth it was suddenly supposed to be different? Like the others of her village she had acted with the intention of killing him, he had saved her life and still she thought of him as outlaw and murderer first, saver of human life and friend of dragons second.

And now she claimed that those people were different to her, not in so many words, but through the use of the phrase 'those people'. He stepped back from her further and shook his head. His mind was in turmoil, part of him wanted to whistle to Svadilfari, leap onto the dragon's back and flee, as he would normally do, but part of his mind wanted to give Wolf a chance, to stay and allow her to understand him while a distant part of his mind screamed at him 'Lies! Deciet! Flase girl!' He frowned and put his fingers to his skull trying to soothe the dull ache that was developing there and agonizing his mind.

[wolfheart]

As Haki rubbed his skull, Wolf turned and saw Nai licking his scarlet wing. She ran toward him and rubbed his neck. "Oh Nai, I'm so sorry." Nai looked angry for a moment, then licked her watery eyes. She had not asked him to grab it, he had done it on his own will, it was his fault.

After a few moments, Wolf had wrapped his injury in leaves and cobwebs that she had found under a rock. Nai sniffed gratefully. He looked at Svadilfari, begging him not to attack. Only then did Wolf turn back to Haki.

"You looked surprised when I said 'these people'. You see, I am not from Berk. I was from Raven's Peak. I left when my brother's dragon killed it's brother. Nai. But I rescued it and Gideon tried to kill me. So I ran away." She slowly walked back toward him. "If I ever go back, I'm dead meat. But I am not truly welcome here. I never will be." she was almost talking to herself, explaining why she would never hurt him.

"Sometimes I wish I was an outlaw."