It was the sort of excitement that he liked to see in other people- flying was something special and now that Ava was older they could really go for some long ones. Normally there would be some concerns over his duties but after that celebration last night no one would be doing much of anything today. “Of course but first I need to go fit Toothless’ saddle.” HIccup patted the black dragon as he got up, encouraging him to follow him out. “Should only take a bit.” He’d already done most of the work during the night so had just the final adjustments left to do.

Toothless was enthralled by the idea of a flight so soon after his rider had to slice off his saddle. He should have guessed that was what he was doing late last night- still so much like the younger boy he use to be. Disregarding the all important need for sleep. Which was only second to flying… If not for the promise of open skies Toothless would scorn the human. What could he say? Sometimes he was easily distracted. He followed Hiccup to the forge- glad the doors had been wider since the dragons began to live with them. 

The large stumpy man with the leg of a tree was asleep in a chair that hardly looked sturdy enough for his weight. At his feet was his slug of a gronkle and behind him was the wall. Toothless predicted all the hilarious ways this could end badly but Hiccup crept silently past him with only the muffled metal clunk of his prosthetic echoing off the floor. He took the familiar saddle from a post on the wall- all new leather, pressed and treated, so delicately made with those human fingers. Toothless gave his rider a hard time though, springing away so Hiccup turned over a table trying to catch his balance. The man winced as the heavy metal instruments fell to the floor but both Goober and gronkle slept on. Hiccup gave him a stern look and then took to fastening the saddle. 

It took somewhere around fifteen minutes for Hiccup to come back. Blizzard had returned to his normal form and gone rolling in the snow, kicking up odd patterns in the white before turning to chase off some terrors that landed about the lawn. He knew eating regurgitated fish bothered the humans of this house hold but hadn’t quite yet really figured out ’why’. It was on his list of things humans didn’t like though and he had gone outside to let their stomachs settle. He wanted Ava to eat. Hiccup went past him- leaving the nightfury standing near the front steps. Blizzard regarded his father with his false tailfin and complicated mechanism leading to the saddle before going back to kicking up the fluff. He was glad he could fly on his own without any of that stuff- he’d feel weird relying on anyone.

Hiccup shook off the snow in the threshold and found the others already dressed for the weather once more. “Ready? Toothless wouldn’t have been able to wait a single moment longer, I’m sure.”