-- That is you what you looking for? -- Leffie asked point her head, Tarch turned his body, yes, that was the isle he was looking for. The boat after some minutes reached the coast, Tarch jumped in the water and pulled the boat to the sand. He opened his satchel and took out something strange, it was like a paper, but more heavier and reflect Tarch in it like a shield, Leffie never saw something like that. -- What is it?
-- It's what gonna help me bond with my dragon. -- answered Tarch very happy. -- I made it.
-- But, what's it?
-- You know, Le, when a Gronckle eat a sandstone and you try make a Gronckle iron from his lava we create a such incredible breakable and weird thing. If you take that such incredible breakable and weird thing and spread molten silver over it, you create this reflecting thing. -- Tarch was so happy with his own creation.
Leffie kept her body inside the boat understanding nothing. It's terrifying how weird our friends are, more terrifying is we chose them.
-- What it does?
-- Creates reflection.
-- And?
-- It only does that. Do you wanna see your beautiful reflection in it? -- Tarched asked giving the thing to her.
-- Well it's interesting... -- Leffie looked at herself in that thing -- Look at my hair!
-- You hair is fine.
-- I know, right. -- she gave it back to him -- How you gonna name it?
-- Falsiano, it´s my grandfather middle name -- Tarch looked at that thing for awhile and imagined people all around saying " Look at me on the falsiano. " -- I still don't know. Maybe my grandmother middle name.
-- What's her middle name?
-- Mirror.
-- Better.
-- Do you gonna stay on the boat or are you coming? -- Tarch put the thing named mirror in his satchel and looked at Leffie who was turning her head side to side looking for something --What's wrong?
-- So, you came here to bond with a dragon, right? -- Leffie asked standing up on the boat.
-- Right. I told you to go back swimming.
--Tarch, there's no dragon here, look around! -- Leffie started freaking out. -- There is no sign of any dragon. Please, tell me you not searching for a Changewing.
-- I'm not searching for a Changewing. You think I'm crazy? I would have to spend my whole life trying to find it after bond with it. -- Tarch started walking leaving footprints in the sand.
-- What kind of dragon you think you gonna catch with the weird thing ? -- Leffie asked while getting out of the boat , she kept her boots on the sand watching the boy moving -- Hofferson!
Tarch stopped.
-- A Whispering Death.
Leffie eyes almost fell off.
-- A what, your idiot ?! -- Leffie ran towards the boy and shoved him, Tarch with the thump turned to her, she could not believe her ears -- Oh, I am Tarch, I have free time, so what about getting dead?
-- At least, I am getting a dragon, because I do what I have to do. -- Tarch turned his back to her. -- I always wanted a Whispering Death, Le. I feel that's the dragon meant to be for me. My mind keeps saying to me: "Whispering Death is the right dragon for you."
-- ARE YOU NUTS? -- Leffie screamed as loud as she could.
-- Oh, don't worry -- Tarch said playful -- I am a Hofferson, the fun part of living are the scars. -- He stopped walking and turn to her -- Are the Jorgenson any different?
-- Oh, you know us Jorgensons. -- She kept a straght face -- We are good at losing limbs. -- she turned herself back to the boat -- But, anyways, I am leaving. You come back to Berk on the back of your dragon.
-- Le, better you wait. -- Tarch looked around -- You know if I can not train my dragon I have to come back home somehow.
-- Tarch, if you fail I don't think your parents will want your pieces.
-- Okay, then, bye.
-- What? -- Leffie could not believe that stupid boy, Tarch kept walking without turn his back -- How you gonna fly with a Whispering Death in the summer ?
-- Are you kidding me? There's no summer in Berk.
And Tarch did not look back, only stopped when he came near a tunnel dug by a Whispering Death on a large rock. He gave his life to Thor and started climbing up to the mouth of the tunnel. He thought of the dragon riders that were Berk's pride, if they had given up on a Whispering Death they would never have broken limits and meridians, would not be living in the great beyond. When Tarch stepped inside the tunnel and the light was gone, he thought of running away and not looking back, but running back down the path that came would not bring him anything new.
He crept through the darkness with endless tunnel options to choose from, but he just kept walking straight. With all the noise he was making with his soaked boots, it was strange no Whispering Death had appeared. He began to clap, he would surely call for some dragon that was there. And if Leffie was right that was an island inhabited by Changewings and he missed the maritime coordinates. He heard a noise behind him, quickly picked up the mirror inside the satchel and turned as if the object was a shield in spite of being the size of a parchment. The image of Leffie was reflected in the object.
-- Hey, the courage in you can be seen from here. -- Leffie joked.
-- I thought you were leaving. -- Tarch felt relieved.
-- Best friends do not leave each other. Where's the dragon your sick mind wants you to have? -- Leffie asked looking at all those tunnels.
From the ground between them came a Whispering Death, making the walls of the rock tremble. Leffie shouted, but Tarch screamed louder.
The boy's heart struck heavily, all his sweat dried in a second, and the cold took over his body. The dragon kept it white eyes fixed on him, the boy did not look at the creature directly, watching it reflection in the mirror he held, he saw as the Whispering Death opened the huge mouth, that mortiferous jaw with six rows of rotating teeth in its mouth.
But suddenly that creature was not that scary, but it was exuberantly inscrutable by the reflection, and Tarch felt himself holding one of his scrolls, trying for hours to reproduce that dragon. No one understood how to think that mortal creature was beautiful, perhaps because people only saw it from the outside.
Tarch stopped shaking and raised the mirror at the height of the face the object reflected to the image of the dragon that assumed a different posture before the reflection itself.
With the mirror covering his face Tarch extended his arm with his hand open, asking Odin for the dragon not to pluck his body limb out. He closed his eyes so hard that his head ached.The Whispering death leaned it head on tarch's hand in a sign of confidence.
Leffie stopped screaming.
-- Look, it bond with you.
The dragon on hearing the girl's voice turned toward her with the jaw open. Leffie shouted.
-- No, no! -- Tarch ran and stayed between the creature and Leffie -- She's friend. She's friend. Do not worry. -- the boy ran his hand over it's head full of dragon spikes. -- How should I call you? Hmm? Ah, I will not act like I have not lost nights of sleep thinking about the name I would give you. Draftframe.
The Whispering Death closed his eyes as Tarch scratched his chin. The dragon opened it mouth leaving the teeth showing which made him remember a smile.
- She's amazing, is not she? -- Tarch turned to Leffie. -- Seriously, you can stop yelling now.
But Leffie just stopped screaming when they were on the boat halfway to Berk.