So, I got a lot of comments about the rushed feel of last chapter, and yes, guilty as charged, I've listened and hope this chapter takes the slower pace many of you wish, if not shout at me again in the reviews! Also huge thanks to all who reviewed, followed, or favourited this story and to those who did 2 or 3 of them you guys are all awesome!

Also expect maybe 1 or 2 more updates before they are slowed into a 2 weekly regime.

Review responses. (I will answer all reviews for a update at the start of the next chap, unless for what ever reason a more personal message is needed!)

MCPO Mark-061

Glad you liked it! Enjoy this chap!

Jeff20

Cheers!

ForteEXEMaster

Cheers for your review and pointing out my errors so I can sort 'em out, it's really appreciated! As for my pace I do agree it was a bit speedy last chapter as I tried to give you guys a sense of where the story is going, but fear not, things are going to slow down! As for Astrid, I'm not just going to kill her off... yet.

Colonel Pepper

Thanks for taking the time to tell me what I need to improve on, I'm still going through chapter 1 and trying to spot / correct all the stuff but I'm pretty hopeless at it, hopefully as time goes on I'll get better. Also I'm not from the US so Astrid being a 'New Yorker'? I'm but I have no idea what this means.

WordSmyth

I hope to have solved the rushed feel this chapter, hope you like it.

Guest

Cheers, hope you like the pacing more this chap.

Yumikana

Good to hear, hope you enjoy this update!

Elsa placed her hands on her lap as she assumed the role of Queen and negotiator. "I was hoping you could train my men on how to navigate your waters."

Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry but my answer is no." The queen was about to argue with him but he stopped her by simply holding up a open palm. "Our best defence is the fact our enemies have to transverse these dangerous waters, if the safe routes became common knowledge then we are exposed, I am sure as a Queen you must understand my reluctance to reveal such dangerous information." Elsa wanted nothing more then to complain with the man but as a Queen she understood Hiccups refusal to comply with her request. "However, this is not to say I am going to leave you to your own devices in our sea's, should you head south and out of our territory I will assign a dragon rider to help you navigate, but go North and Berk will provide you with no more than the necessities you may be lacking."

The Queen swallowed as she thought furiously for an argument which could convince the chief to help her expedition. "Why not North?" She eventually asked hoping it would give her more time to form an argument.

"Why not North?" Repeated Hiccup before turning to find Mulch sat at a near by table, he reached over and quickly stole the man's drink resulting in the large burly Viking giving him a death glare, after a quick apology Hiccup turned back to the queen. "Berk has many enemies and I will not risk my people by sending them through unsafe territory."

"There must be some way? A trade agreement for a guide, or gold and resources."

Hiccup licked his lips to clear away any of the mead that failed to go in his mouth, Elsa cringed at the idea the man was happy to drink out of a mug just moments ago used by someone else. "As you have seen we are simple people Queen Elsa, so tell me, what do you have that we need?"

Elsa noticed Hiccups use of 'we' instead of the 'I' her lords would use when talking about needs, but she couldn't ponder on it too much at this moment in time. "You mentioned you couldn't risk the loss of a fisherman for lack of food, Arendelle can provide two and a half metric tonnes of mixed food for each day a guide helps us travel north."

Hiccup leaned back again in thought, the offer was more than he ever expected even if this two and a half tonnes turns out to be a mix of wheat and corn with no meat, but Hiccup is not a man who simply accepts offers on the spot without thinking it over. "You will understand if I need to think about this."

The Queen allowed herself to hope if ever so slightly as realised she had the man interested. "Of course, I did not immediately expect a yes no answer."

The Chief of Berk took a deep breath before leaning forward again. "Say, you have seen my town and know its location..." A loud roar from outside the great hall drew Hiccups attention before he could finish saying what he wanted to say. "Well, I am sorry to cut our conversation short but my right hand dragon calls, Queen Elsa, you and your men are welcome to stay in our town, food will be served here in a hour or so where I hope you can join me, and a man called Fishlegs will be available to give you a tour and answer any other questions you may have, if you require accommodation for your duration on our island talk to Astrid, now if I don't run we will have a very angry Night Fury tearing this place up so I must take my leave." The man stood and give her a brief nod before walking off, making sure to return his borrowed stein as he passed Mulch.

As Elsa watched the man leave she wondered how he lost his leg but she was not sure as to if she should ask, after all Astrid had warned her not to stare so it was probably a sensitive subject for the chief, maybe this Fishlegs character would be able to give her an answer, as she stood from the table to find this Fishlegs a small boy appeared from out of the darkness of the Great Hall and approached her. "Queen Elsa, I am Vomit, son of Spinehard the Stubborn, I have been instructed to help guide you around our town."

Elsa raised a brow, these Vikings had odd names. "Very well Vomit, could you please take me to Fishlegs."

"Sure thing, this way." The boy led her to the opposite side of the great hall where a man as wide as he is tall held up a small object in front of a table occupied by small children. "And this one?" He asked them.

"Oh... oh! Ask me." The large man ignored the lanky blonde who was watching in on the class. "I know this one, Sis, I know it!" The blonde's obviously non-identical twin scowled before pouncing on the man and beginning to exchange rather heavy looking blows.

"As I was saying children, this scale belongs to which species of dragon?" Called the teacher to regain his classes attention.

A child who looked nearly identical to the teacher in every aspect other than age and size was the one to answer. "Hideous Zipple Back, speed 10, attack 12, armour 10, two heads twice the danger."

"Correct, and excellent knowledge of the dragon manual." The teacher dropped the scale into a bag before producing another one. "And this?" All the children seemed drawn to the scale and held their hands up as if their life depended on it. "Yes Tromso?"

"Toothless! The unholy offspring of lightning and death it's self." The Queen perked up at hearing the black dragons name, how did these children know that this specific scale was from Toothless? And why was Toothless supposedly the unholy offspring of lightning and death it's self? After all the dragon seemed friendly enough during their brief encounter.

"Species name?"

"Aww come on." Retorted the child. "Toothless is the only one known to exist."

"That is not the point Tromso, species name?"

The child huffed before giving the large man a response. "Night Fury."

The class continued for another five minutes around the large candle lit table before it was dismissed, Elsa approached the large man named Fishlegs as soon as she could. "Are you Fishlegs?"

The Viking adjusted his horned helmet so that it stood straight on his head. "I am, and you must be?"

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Chief Hiccup has assured me you can give me a tour of this town and answer any questions I may have." The man give a genuine smile but before he could give a response a loud cheer was heard from behind, Elsa turned to see that the twins had now gained a sizeable crowd and were still going hard at one another, not being particularly fond of the scene she turned back to the large man. "Do you mind if we go somewhere quieter to talk?"

Fishlegs smiled. "Sure, follow me." He led her back to the table that she had previously talked to Hiccup on. "Now, what do you wish to talk about?"

"A few things, first of all how sensitive is Chief Hiccup regarding his leg?." Replied Elsa.

The Ingerman smiled and brought his hands together on the table to intertwine his fingers. "Let me guess, Astrid told you not to stare?"

"That would be correct."

Fishlegs shook his head and give a slight chuckle. "She is too protective of that man, the answer is he isn't, she is just trying to spare him the awkwardness of a strangers stare."

"Oh, so is Astrid and Hiccup a couple?"

Fishlegs shook his head again. "No, they agreed a long time ago to just be good friends after a small... incident, it's a long story that I am not sure Hiccup or Astrid would like me telling."

"So does Hiccup have a woman in his life?" Elsa wasn't sure why she wanted to know, maybe it was the need for information about the chief, or maybe she was just curious.

"No, many have tried woo him with contracts but he has never shown interest."

Elsa could relate to being uninterested in marriage contracts, as Queen of a prosperous kingdom she had contract after contract sent her way for hand in marriage, and never once had a contract spiked her interest in someone. "Ah, I see. Next question, why is Hiccups dragon so special? I mean when you held up the scales of the Gronkle, or the Heneous Zipple-back..."

Fishlegs couldn't stop himself from correcting the queen. "Hideous Zipple-back Queen Elsa."

"Well, every dragon scale you showed seemed to bore the children, except one, and they even claimed it was from the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."

"Ah, well to understand that you need to know a little about our history." Begun the giant man. "You see for 7 generations we were at war with the Dragons, they would burn our houses to the ground and raid our food supplies, so in return we would raid their nesting grounds, it was brutal and it was bloody with countless deaths on both side, and when we had fierce warriors like Stoick the Vast the dragons had their Night Fury, in fact I can show you as to how dangerous this dragon was thought to be, stay here for a moment." Fishlegs disappeared for a minute before returning with an old and dusty book to push at Elsa. "Please read what I tell you."

Elsa opened the first page of the book passed to her, despite the language being slightly different she still managed to mostly understand the text, the first page was regarding dragon classes, apparently there was three, them being Strike Class, Fear Class, Mystery Class. "Please turn over." The Queen did as instructed. "That is a Thunderdrum, notice the comment at the end of the page."

"Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

The man nodded. "Yes, turn page."

"Timberjack, Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

The man nodded again. "Yes, please turn again."

"Scoldron, oh this is the one that has been attacking my ships." Elsa took note of a few things mentioned. "And as predicted they are extremely dangerous, kill on sight." The queen anticipated the request to flip page so she did so before told. "Change wing, extremely dangerous, kill on sight." She did this a few more times till Fishlegs stopped her.

"This was our dragon manual 9 years ago before Hiccup showed us Dragons could be befriended, flip 32 pages." Elsa flipped to the required page and was unsurprised to find it was about the Night Fury, but she was not expecting such little information on the page. "Please, read from the top."

Elsa cleared her throat before doing as asked. "Night Fury. Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, never engage this dragon, your only chance is to hide and prey it does not find you."

Fishlegs nodded along with the text. "When Toothless attacks he never misses, he strikes with the power of Mjolnir, he fires a streak of blue that appears to be lightning, he is as cunning as Loki and there is much more such as the fact he is our islands Alpha dragon, he is the rarest dragon we know of, and he has helped save our town numerous times, so when you ask why the children are drawn to him its because the children see him as a hero that's bigger than life just as much as they see Hiccup as a hero."

The queen frowned, first of all how can a dragon be as cunning as the Norse God Loki? and Hiccup is a Hero? First question first. "So Toothless is intelligent."

Fishlegs chuckled again. "Queen Elsa, the biggest mistake you could ever make is to underestimate the intelligence of Toothless, I swear that dragon understands Norse and more than that I swear he is just as intelligent as Hiccup is in his own way."

"So that would explain the strong relationship between the two when compared to other dragons and riders I've seen."

"Possibly." Started Fishlegs. "But there is more to it than that, it all started 9 years ago when Hiccup shot the dragon down..." And so Fishlegs started to tell Elsa the fascinating tale of Hiccup.

/.../

1 hours time

"A little higher for me would you bud?" Hiccups most trusted friend whined and tilted his head slightly so he could see his rider. "I know, I know, just for a short time?" The dragon huffed and give a powerful flap of its wings, taking them to its maximum altitude. "And you just earned yourself some fresh Kipper." As he spoke he leaned forward and scratched Toothless just where he knew the dragon liked it, this combined with the news of fresh kipper earned Hiccup a happy croon. "So, what do you think I need to do bud? With thanks to the harsh spring and non existent summer we don't have enough food for winter, but accepting this deal? We would have more than ample." The dragon give another response as if he understood his rider. "I know, but if I send someone North and they are discovered by Umea were at war." Toothless give a small growl. "Agreed, his name leaves a foul taste on my tongue too."

The two friends flew together for a few more minutes before Hiccup nudged Toothless in a specific spot which means 'take me home', the dragon complied and slowly banked to turn back to berk and with thanks to the non existent cloud cover all of Berk and her daughter islands are visible for the return journey, although from this vast height not much detail could be seen with out a spy glass. "Look at her bud, isn't she beautiful?" Toothless give an approving whine. "How can I possibly think of taking us to war when I see our town like this?" As if answered by the gods Hiccups belly give a loud grumble. "But how can I also think of possibly allowing ourselves to starve simply because some lunatic wants my head? ARGH!" Toothless spat a plasma ball with his human brothers cry of anguish, this distracted Hiccup from his problems as attempted to avoid the inevitable soot that would cover his face should he fly through the plasma blast.

When the duo recovered from their emergency manoeuvres to dodge the soot of Toothless blast Hiccup resumed the previous conversation. "And if I do allow someone to go North who? Astrid? She is good but hot headed and has too short of a patience to live on a boat for a week or two, Snotlout?" Toothless give a loud warble. " I agree, Lulea would have my life this shortly after the marriage, Fishlegs?" Hiccup caught his black and scaly friends eye roll. "Yeah, first sign of trouble and he would freeze up without us, should I even think about the twins?" Toothless give what could be best described as a dragon laugh. "Yes, lets not go there, so who else do we have? Gustav?" Hiccup chuckled at the thought, Gustav was a good guy but his lack of caution had gotten him captured more times than most Vikings could count, and on this journey caution was not something to be easily forgotten. "Well, I'm not sending mom North, if Umea gets her... well I don't want to think what will happen." Toothless shot Hiccup a look. "Yeah bud, if he gets any one else I don't want to think what will happen too, but my mother? I would do something stupid, and not my normal type of stupid, so swiftly moving on How about Eret?... No, he knows the waters better than anyone else but still struggles with calming the dragons"

Hiccup sighed as he started to realise there was only one person left. "So what about me? I may not know the water as well as Eret or the dragon manual like Fishlegs, but if Umea gets me? Then I lose my head and hopefully he will be satisfied enough with that not to declare war on Berk." Hiccup noticed a 'funny' look his dragon give him. "What? You really think I would allow us to get caught?" Toothless snorted as he distinctively remembered Hiccup giving themselves up to Eret... and Alvin... and the Romans... and "Hey!" Hiccup swatted his dragons head. "I know what your thinking! I don't do that tactic anymore." Toothless snorted, he would believe it when he saw it.

By the time Hiccup had returned to Berk the sun had fallen below the horizon and the night lamps had been lit to illuminate the paths, he had barely slid off Toothless when he heard his mothers voice. "You look troubled."

Hiccup had learned very quickly that he could hide very little from his mother, so there was little point in not telling her what was on his mind. "I've got to chose, face certain starvation or accept a deal which could lead us to war."

"How so?"

"Well, Queen Elsa of Arendelle has offered a two and a half tonnes of mixed food for each day a guide helps her ships navigate north... and through Umea's waters."

Valka sighed and sat down on a near by rock. "Between me and you I believe it would do many good to cut down the food." She tried to joke to make light of the situation but she quickly realised Hiccup wasn't his usual sarcastic self when he didn't immediately agree. "But, if she delivers then it would certainly end our food shortage."

Hiccup nodded as he started to unclip Toothless's saddle. "In just one week we could double our winter stock, with two we would have enough food to be comfortable all winter, and if three weeks come and go I could actually permit a feast for Snoggletog." With all the required clips and latches on Toothless saddle removed or unlinked Hiccup slid the leather seat from his dragon. "But is it worth it? If Umea discovers a Berkian in his waters Thor knows he will declare war."

"Then you will just have to make sure you aren't discovered in his waters."

"Easier said than done." Replied Hiccup. "And why do you think I was going to go."

"Hiccup?" Valka waited for her son to look her way after storing his saddle. "I am your mother and know you better than you know yourself, and I agree with why you think you must be the one to go."

Hiccup sighed and took a seat next to his mother on the rock. "So, who should I leave in charge here? I was thinking Gobber and Astrid, Gobb..."

Valka spoke over Hiccup to cut him off. "They are both excellent choices, truth be told I would have chosen the same."

"That is oddly reassuring."

"I know, now food is out and the vultures will be circling around what's not yet eaten, so unless you fancy starving early I suggest we get going." Hiccup smiled at the thought of Vikings being compared to vultures in such a manner and give a nod as he stood.

/.../

Elsa paused and took a deep breath the moment she climbed off her ship and onto the Viking dock after changing into clothes suitable for a feast, despite all of her travel mates being invited to the meal she had decided to only invite five people so that it did not appear like she was taking advantage of the Vikings, those she invited were the Captain and second officer of her yacht, the commander of her royal guard and his second officer, and the last being a servant she had become friendly with over the course of this trip.

"My Queen?" Leffe, the Commander of the Royal Guard approached her from behind.

The Queen of Arendelle started to walk again after glancing at the man. "I'm fine, just wondering what Anna would have thought about this place." Anna had protested Elsa's decision to stop her from joining the expedition to find their parents ship wreck till the last hour before she set sail, what changed her sisters mind in that last hour she would never know.

"I am sure Princess Anna would have found it different my Majesty."

"Just different?" Questioned Elsa as she slowly led them towards the great hall.

"I believe she would have disliked the slower pace of life here Queen Elsa."

"Hmm, maybe, but these Vikings seem more open, I am sure she would have loved to get among them and find out all the gossip."

"That I am certain of Ma'am."

Elsa smirked at how the man ended every comment to her with recognition about her status. "Tell me Leffe, how many different ways can you end a comment to me?"

"Not Enough your Royal Highness."

Elsa chuckled and shook her head. "Well, I personally give you permission to drop some of the formalities for tonight's meal, I do not believe these Vikings would appreciate every sentence you speak to end with some comment regarding status."

"As you wish... my liege." Elsa rolled her eyes in amusement.

Stopping just outside of the great hall she stopped her small group to address them. "Before we enter I wish to make one thing clear, these Vikings are not as formal as ourselves, do not be surprised if this meal is by our standards informal, but I do not expect yourselves to stoop to their level, you are to treat and act like this is a formal event held by myself understood?"

After a chorus of 'Yes Ma'am's' she pushed the doors to the great hall open and looked inside, as expected the meal was as informal as one could get, Vikings were all talking or laughing over their meals, drinking mead like it was going out of fashion and acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. With a small gulp she pushed past her disgust at the way many were acting and entered.

"Queen Elsa!" A voice over the loud rabble of Vikings eating their meals could just be heard, turning she spotted the Chief sat at a table near the top of the hall, as she approached Hiccup stood up. "It's good that you could join us, I was starting to fear you would not come." Hiccup looked the small group over. "Is this all?"

"Well I am glad I did not disappoint and also yes, I did not want to exploit your offer."

"None-sense, I offered for your entire comrades to come and feast so you would not have exploited my offer, now take a seat and I'll be back in a minute." With Hiccups words a few Vikings sat nearby stood and moved to a different table leaving just Astrid, an older woman and Fishlegs on the table. When Hiccup returned a few moments later it was with a trolley holding six plates and six mugs filled with mead, the trolley being one of his own inventions, to get everyone a plate he was forced to do two runs and he was the last to receive a plate with Elsa being the first. Elsa was surprised that the other Vikings on the table dug into their food before the chief had even put a plate down for himself but she was glad none of her group did the same. "Dig in guys, no need to wait on me." Commented Hiccup as he eventually sat down to his own food.

"To do so would not be proper of my people." Informed Elsa.

Hiccup shrugged as he grabbed what were in Elsa's mind crude cutlery. "Your in the land of Vikings and Dragons now Queen Elsa, we don't care much for formalities or the likes, now please, I insist you guys all dig in." With a nod from Elsa her group begun to dig into the surprisingly tasty food.

"Hey Hiccup, you going to eat that?" Asked Fishlegs after a few moments of silence.

"Nah." Responded the chief. "You take it."

"Don't mind if I do." Fishlegs reached over the table and scraped some food off Hiccup's plate, Elsa nearly had to suppress her gag reflex at the thought of sharing food.

After another silence, well, with thanks to all the open mouth eating of the Vikings there wasn't much silence but more lack of speech, Hiccup spoke again. "Say Queen Elsa, I've been thinking over your offer."

Elsa made sure to swallow her food before replying. "And?"

"Could you please define mixed food." After speaking another forkful of food was shovelled into the chiefs awaiting mouth.

Elsa made sure to speak with a empty mouth once more. "500kg of mixed meat, that being lamb, beef and chicken, 500kg flour, 500kg wheat, 1000kg of mixed vegetables."

The chief give a nod as he continued to eat and once more it was not for a timely silence till he spoke again. "And could I have an assurance that your guide would be allowed their dragon comrade? And the dragon would be treated with respect."

"I can assure you that any guide and dragon assigned to my vessel would be treated as a foreign dignitary."

"Excellent." Replied Hiccup. "Then my last question, to reach Andlat you will need to travel through waters that are hostile to my people, do you accept the fact that if you are caught with a Berkian or dragon rider in those waters your lives are at danger."

Elsa swallowed as she thought the question over, she would prefer not to accept that fact but what choice did she have? She could either return home without anything to show for her trip, venture north on her own without a guide and likely suffer more casualties from the beasts that roam these lands and seas, or she could take a guide and make sure to avoid those hostile to Berk, Elsa did not think about it for long, after all the ocean is a large place and what's the likely hood of meeting those hostile to Berk? "I accept this hazard."

Hiccup shared a quick glance with Valka before turning back to Elsa. "Then you have your guide, we leave when your ready."

Despite being ecstatic that Hiccup was giving her a guide she frowned. "Sorry, you say 'we'?"

"Yes, I will be your guide."

So, is the pace slow enough? Or do I need to slow it some more? Let me know what you think!

Also cheers for reading!