It was only moments after the fight. Alpha Toothless had defended his home, his rider, against those who sought to destroy them. Hiccup, having been given no time to prepare, was almost immediately made chief, the second Gothi could compose herself after all that battling. The Berkian tribe was ecstatic, and celebrations erupted from anywhere, everywhere there was space there was a Viking and their dragon. Even children were leaping and bounding onto their newly save Gronkle, or teasing their Deadly Nadders. Not that Hiccup really noticed it, he was celebrating in his own way.
Astrid leaned close with her arms around his waist nibbling at his lips, Hiccup picked her up and dipped her, causing her to let go, and while Hiccup was indeed stronger than he once had been, he was still weak.
"ah!, oh gods, Astrid I'm sorry" he exclaimed as he overzealously dipped and dropped her on the ground.
The Vikings around them laughed. Same old Hiccup.
Gobber and Valka had started moving everyone up to the great hall, the party would need a little atmosphere after all, and the hall did have the greatest acoustics. Even that wouldn't help Gobber's singing get any better though. Hiccup laughed to himself. What a week this had been. It was almost as if the Gods couldn't bare him having more than one parent. But he knew Stoick would be smiling down on him from Valhalla. A man like him? It was obvious he'd been dinning in the great hall.
Hiccup was drawn out of his thoughts by the nuzzling of his dragon. Toothless. Hiccup couldn't be happier to see him. with everything that was going on, he'd almost forgotten his new Alpha status. The dragons nostrils flared impatiently.
Hiccup looked over to Astrid sympathetically, rasing his shoulders like usual. She laughed slightly. "Go on".
Within moment Hiccup was hooting as his dragon and he climbed to the highest peak of Berk.
The air was deathly cold, but he couldn't fee it. He just felt the overwhelming sensation of achievement. He felt free. The wind tore through his tousled hair, pulling at the little braids on his right. The strands of copper were almost slick back against his head as the two of them dove back towards the ocean. Just a slightly moment of his heel and they spun like a corkscrew, twirling round and round and round. It was almost enough to make you sick, but that was just the excitement.
It wasn't too long before another dragon and it's rider approached. For a brief moment, Hiccup saw his father, and the sudden twang of pain returned.
"Eret? why aren't you enjoying the festival?" he called out, laughing at the riders visible uncertainty on the back of Skull-Crusher.
"Ah, well, you see." He started, still trying to keep himself from looking down. And failing miserably. "I was wondering, if you might grant me refuge on your island. I don't exactly have a home anymore"
It was an odd feeling. Hiccup was chief, this was now his job, to make decisions for the well-being of the tribe. Seems his first one would be simple enough though.
"Of course, Eret, Son of Eret" he said, slightly mocking their first introduction. The two of the laughed. Briefly, as Eret slid on Skull Crusher and panicked. "you get the hang of him soon" Hiccup called, as he flew down through the stacks by the port.
It'd been so long since he'd been home. Properly home. He'd flown in time to time, only ever stopping for a little while to earn a little more gold for his travels. Gobber was always welcome to let him work in the forge, so long as he wasn't late.
"Hiccup, sir, I was thinking" Eret gasped after they'd managed to catch them up, much to his discomfort still. "would you be so kind as to teach me?" He laughed, softly.
The two of them came to land just by Toothless' cove as the sun was beginning to set. Where had the time even gone? Hiccup thought as he looked at the sky. They began with the basics, funnily enough Hiccup wasn't too fond of the 'Learn on the job' style Gobber was known for using. He'd kept a whole sketchbook full of flight basics, correct hand work, the proper feet positions, and where not to touch the dragon while flying.
While not his best, Eret was definitely not his worst pupil, the twins and Snotlout drew for that title. But as you can imagine all those years as a trapper did pay off slightly. He knew the weak spots to look out for, and Hiccup showed him ways to combat and hide the weaknesses, he knew the speeds and strengths of dragons. Actually, aside from the muscle and athleticism, he was rather like Fishlegs, smart and eager.
Of course, just talking about things wasn't going to teach him everything, but by the time Hiccup had finished the first few pages, night had fallen, and the dragons were getting sleepy.
" 'suppose we should be heading back sir, gettin' dark out here now"
Hiccup laughed at the use of sir, although, he guessed it was appropriate now, him being chief and all.
"We could camp here tonight, either that or walk" he paused looking over the dragons barely keeping their eyes open, "they won't be taking us anywhere".
The two decided on walking, it gave Eret a chance to actually see the island. Well, atleast not from the air. On their walk they talked about Berk and it's history. Eret laughed at the "stubbornness issues" that Hiccup described, known all to well what Vikings were like. They'd left the two dragons at the cove for the night, the two of them would be safe there, since barely anyone knew of it, or could even find it. So the two of them walked, talking like brothers, sharing a few knocks her and there.
"So Astrid?" Eret smiled, raising his eyebrow at the young chief. He didn't have to say any more before Hiccup groaned.
"Ah come on, we're just...you know", he paused.
"Just what? Together?"
Eret laughed, it seemed now it was Hiccups turn to be out of his depth and uncomfortable.
"Nothing's really been written in stone, you know?" Hiccup said. Despite being together since they founded The Edge, nothing had really become of their relationship.
"So you haven broken the seal yet?"
Hiccup stumbled, stuttering and shaking as he fell into a tree in shock. "Uhh I mean, that would be.."
Eret held his palms to the chief. "I know I know, none of my business" he laughed.
They were men. These were the kinds of things men talked about, wasn't it? Hiccup and his dad and never...uh...had the talk. But Stoick had become convinced that Astrid and Hiccup would one day be betrothed. If her father could have actually agreed on anything.
"She's not a bad lass," Eret interrupted his thoughts, "if she wasn't already spoken for, I might've tried courting her myself".
And why wouldn't he? Everyone else wanted to. She was Astrid of course, fearless Dragon Rider, shield maiden, and feared warrior. For a moment Hiccup actually wondered why in Thor's name she'd settled for him. For now atleast. Lost in thought he barely noticed the arrival of said Rider.
"Hiccup, you have to come quick!", she called down from Stormfly, hovering just barely above the trees. "it's your mother".