Settling into the rather large stable that they gave him for Toothless, Hiccup sighed as he sat on the large stack of hay. "Well what do you think? I know it aint your stone, but you can't heat it up like you do that." When all he got was a gurgled rumble as he flopped over and rolled in the hay, Hiccup couldn't help but laugh. "Well then looks like that won't be a problem."

"Hiccup."

Looking up to see Fergus standing here, Hiccup up stood up as he walked toward him. "She isn't happy about me being here is she?"

"Not particularly." Fergus stopped at the boy and looked at the dragon and how he did seem to act more like a dog than a dragon. "I do want to ask you about him….."

Seeing his eyes, Hiccup laughed. "He won't hurt her. Not in any way shape or form. The Night Fury is known the offspring of Lightning and Death. But he is just a big goofball most of the time. But he wouldn't hurt her."

"That's good." Fergus then sighed as the dragon just rolled over on its back and let it's tongue flop out of its mouth as he fell asleep. "Just like me dogs. And the other Clans were spotted on the horizon. By tomorrow night all the other Clans will be here, so first thing the following morning will be the presentation of the suitors. Seeing as you are here on your own, you will have to do your own presentation for yourself."

Laughing, Hiccup sat back down on the hay and smiled. "I can do that not a problem."

X

Watching from the shadow as her father left the stable, Merida took a deep breath as she snuck in herself and went into Angus's stable. Standing and looking over she smiled. "He really sleeps like that?"

Looking up to see Merida looking down at him Hiccup laughed. "Not normally no actually. Back home he has a heat stone that he heats up with his fire and then lays on his belly with it." Standing he moved so that he leaned against the wall next to her. "By the way shouldn't you be in the castle….."

"Don't give me that. I refuse to conform to what me mother wants me to to be. She wants a perfect princess that follows the rules." With a sigh as she looked down, Merida couldn't stop the sad look in her eyes. "I just want to live life and have fun."

"Well you know that makes two of us then right?"

Looking back at him odd, Merida blinked. "Two of us?"

Nodding toward Toothless he laughed. "Like I said earlier. Berk used to try and kill any dragon that they saw. I had to be different and go against everything everyone said and make friends with a dragon. But now everyone sees where I came from and most have dragons of their own." Looking over at her he sighed as she smiled at Toothless as he sighed. "You know, once all this is done and over with, you could always come back to Berk with me for a while and get your own."

Blinking as she jerked her head up to him, Merida didn't know what to say. "There are that many dragons where you come from that I could have my own?"

Nodding as he laughed, Hiccup sat back down in the hay. "That's right all different kinds. He is the only one like him that we know of. But there are many more than you could choose from."

With a nod, Merida looked down at him as she smiled. "Well I have all day tomorrow to come up with things that you have to compete in starting the day after for the next four weeks. I may just use yer dragon in some of them."

X

Fergus could see how mad his wife was with him. And he knew that she suspected what was going on with Stoic's boy. But he was just playing through a loop hole in the rules that she was going by. Finally he stood and walked over to stand behind her. "What is it Eleanor?"

"I know you have something planned to disrupt what has been tradition for generations of Dunbroch. Long before you and I were ever thought of." Turning to her husband as she stood up, Eleanor took a deep breath as she folded her hands before her. "However I cannot prove it. But I will be limiting the time she spends with Hicc…"

"Oh no you don't Eleanor. If she spends one hour with any of the other Clan Heirs, she spends that same equal time with Hiccup, and his dragon if that is what she wants to do." Knowing that he now had a way to force the issue, Fergus didn't even back down. "Calling it off then?"

"Never." Eleanor groaned as she moved and looked out the window as she crossed her arms. "I don't want to see her hurt by that best Fergus. I don't."

"That is the mount the boy has. Just like I am sure the other Lord's son's have them too." Holding his hand up to stop her as she turned on him Fergus sighed as he stood there. "I know they don't spit fire and kill people. However you have to let it be love. Remember that. Or call it off."

Glaring as he turned to leave their room, Eleanor tapped her foot. "Why did you even invite him then Fergus? I mean really. I know you are planning to use him to get her out of a betrothal."

"That would be perfect. But he is as intrigued by her as the others will be I am sure. But….." Stopping at the door he turned and gave his wife a serious look. "Unlike you I would feel more comfortable sending her off to be the wife to the son of a friend. Verses men that ten years ago I was fighting against in war."

Once her husband was gone, Eleanor turned and flopped down on the bed as frustrated tears streamed from her eyes. She wouldn't mind that if she really thought that Hiccup wanted to marry her when it was all done. But she knew it, she just knew that they were going to use him being Stoic's son against her and he was going to either declare a prolongment, or say that he isn't ready after all. And there is no runner up in this. If he did that, then it would be the end of a tradition and who knows what the other Clans would think about it.

Going back to her window as she composed herself, Eleanor looked down at the stable where he was. She would just have to spend the day tomorrow, convincing Merida to go with skills and tasks that would be native to them. Not things that Stoic may have taught him from where they left too. "That will be my only chance to make sure that this tradition is carried out. I can see it."