Hiccup's POV
It took us about three days to get to the beach of the Bog Burglar tribe after Camicazi and I left the cave and made up. It would've been shorter, possibly even a day less if it we didn't have to stop every now and then to get water and food, but it was worth the wait. We got there at the dead of night and immediately made camp. I gave Camicazi my blanket and Toothless shot a plasma blast into the logs made for a fire.
I would've slept immediately like Camicazi did, but I decided to take in the beach of the Bog Burglar tribe. Even though I felt exhausted, the thrill of being somewhere new excited me. I never been anywhere else outside of Berk's territory, and what I knew of the Bog Burglar Tribe was little. From what I did know, was that the Bog's were predominantly female and the only tribe with a female Chieftess, they specialized in weaponry, and were a very wealthy group. The moon was shining and the sand of the beach gleamed in the light as the waves splashed by softly. I took in my new surroundings and wondered how I was going to start off teaching dragons to Bog's, they were more stubborn than any tribe, that's for sure. I sighed in defeat and curled into Toothless before i fell asleep, thinking of how tomorrow would be.
The next morning
I woke up to the sounds of movement and saw Camicazi practicing sword fighting stances with sticks from the forest ahead. Even though she was just practicing, you could see the seriousness and intensity of her movements. The sticks weren't just objects but a part of her. She didn't realize that I was awake so I clapped my hands to get her attention. Toothless was in the ocean munching on the fish happily, in his own world. The only sign of response from Camicazi was a slight twitch from her right arm and a smirk that formed onto her face.
"You know you sleep like the dead, right?" she said. I smiled in response to her. She threw the sticks back into the forest and turned to me. She offered a hand and I grabbed it as she pulled me up off the ground and I dusted the sand off of myself. Toothless immediately came to my side and licked my face as a greeting. "Morning, buddy." He warbled in satisfaction for the attention he was given. I looked around the beach of the Bog tribe and gave a questioning look to Camicazi.
"So where do we go now?" I asked.
"First, we're going to have to hide the big black Night Fury so nobody can find him."
"That's true, but where though?"
"Come on, I know the perfect place for this lazy reptile." She laughed. Toothless huffed out in annoyance and swung his tail at Camicazi. She quickly dodged his tail and smirked at her small victory, but she got hit by his tail on the back of her head, face planting into the sand. Toothless and I laughed before I helped her off the ground. She shook her head and sputtered the sand out of her face. I wiped her face and licked my finger to get the small smudge of dirt off her cheek that she missed when trying to clean herself off. She looked up and blushed at me and I blushed as well at what I did. She gently pushed me away and then punched my shoulder in affection. "Come on Hiccup, we don't have all day!" I turned to Toothless who gave me a certain look. "What are you looking at?" I said to him. He just shook his head at me and rushed towards Camicazi who was waiting for us.
This part of the Bog's forest was thick with trees and plants. The sun shined through the small openings and gave the forest life. I was still surprised the forest was lively and rich, with the upcoming winter. Winter on Berk lasted at least three long months and the most of the time after that, there was a slight chill afterwards in the air.
"We don't have the same winter over at Berk or in Meathead territory." Camicazi said. "Since we're further away, winter isn't such a problem. We get snow like everyone else, but not so much that we have to halt most of our tasks. The ice sets in the ocean, but it's not thick, so be careful. You could fall in and freeze to death at any moment. Before winter comes, we have a large bonfire where everyone dresses their best and burn anything where it gives us a bad memory. We call it the Burning of Yesterday."
"The Burning of Yesterday?"
"Hey, I didn't come up with the name. If I did, it would be something so much better."
I laughed at that. Bog culture was interesting to me. "What do you guys do for Snoggletog?"
"Snoggletog!" Her eyes lit up like a child receiving their first Snoggletog present. "It's the best. We choose the biggest tree from the forest and bring it to the center of the village. We decorate it with lanterns or anything with color to brighten up the place. Mom does a village wide prayer to the Gods and then presents are opened later in our own homes and such. After that, there's a huge feast in the Great Hall where we bust out the best wine and party all night long. You have not lived until you partied with a Bog."
"Well it looks like my life is about to get a whole lot more interesting, with you Bogs." We laughed together and she led me through more trees until she stopped in front of a cove. This cove was a lot like the one back at Berk where I first met Toothless. Rocks, tree roots, and a pond were all present. The only thing out of place were the baskets that were down there and some weapons. I turned to Camicazi and sent her a questioning look.
"I grabbed most of your stuff already and filled a basket of fish for Toothless. He'll be down there for quite a while, depending on how we can get my mom to see that dragons aren't harmless."
"And the weapons?"
"Just in case anyone comes that isn't me." She explained. "The island is large, very large, but that doesn't mean that somebody won't walk through this forest sometime and stumble upon a Night Fury basking in the sun. Toothless won't always be able to fight your battles, you're going to have to learn how to protect yourself sooner or later." Toothless had already made his way down into the cove and started to rifle through the baskets of fish. She was right, Toothless wouldn't be able to protect me forever and I had to learn how to defend myself. I moved towards Toothless and gave him a pat on his head and he cooed in affection. He moved towards Camicazi and gave her the biggest lick possible on the side of her face.
"Oh my Gods!" she shuddered. She was trying to wipe off most of the slobber, but was barely succeeding.
"Yeah, it doesn't wash out." She gave me a bewildered look before turning towards the opening of the cove. I caught up with her and we were walking towards the village to get cleaned up and head towards her house. On our way, she spoke more of Bog traditions and events. There was a Harvest festival where there would be a week long party celebrating good fortune and the growth of food. Thawfest had already passed and the Regatta would be coming soon. We could hear the sounds of voices and movement from where we stood in the forest. My heart started to beat as fast as possible and my hands were slightly clammy.
"Hiccup." I turned to her. "Calm down, I can hear your heart beating like Toothless' wings. You'll be fine."
"Yeah, says the girl who's the daughter of a Chieftess where the tribe hates men."
"For Freya's sake! Hiccup if you don't go, I'll kick you into the village."
"I think I might need that kick." She kicked me into the forest with her foot and I stumbled down onto the ground. Some women were staring at me weirdly and I could hear a few whispers directed towards me. Camicazi jumped out of the forest and picked me up off the ground. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and threw her other arm up in the air. "Did anyone miss me?" Camicazi was instantly met with laughter and praise.
"Camicazi, where did you go this time?"
"Who's this little boy?"
"What trouble did you cause this time?"
"It's good to see you Camicazi!"
"Our crazy heir has returned!"
"Bertha is going to get you Camicazi, that's for sure!"
"This is my good friend Hiccup you guys, the only person who can mess with him is me, so back off! Let's just say Alvin is pretty pissed having his ass handed to him by a fifteen year old girl, that's for sure. If anyone see's my mom, warn me! Now go on, and someone bring me some clothes for him at my place!" The crowd instantly dispersed and went on back to their duties. Everything about the Bog tribe was bigger and better than Berk, the homes, the activity, and the love. The Bog-Burglar tribe consisted mainly of women, and the population of men was at least half of the women. Their clothes were more colorful and bold, and there was a bit more children and teens. There were a group of teens coming towards us as we made our way toward Camicazi's house. There were five of them coming towards us. Three were girls the other two were boys. The boys were tall and strong, but not overly muscular like Snotlout or Fishlegs. The first boy was thin and a few inches taller than me. He wore leathers and furs that matched his playful air. He had the most dark hair possible and gray eyes. The girl standing next to him must have been related to him somehow, they had similar features and the only difference was that she had wavy hair and wore a green shirt and tan leggings with matching boots. They both carried bows and a large amount of arrows.
The other two girls were complete opposites. One girl had brown hair that was cut so short, it barely touched her shoulders. Her eyes had a very dark look to them, like she saw something that she shouldn't have. She had a thin frame, but was tall. The other girl would've been a dream to other guys. She had the most thick and curly black hair that tumbled down her back. Her hazel eyes stared deep into your soul with one look. The other guy had an air of mysteriousness around him. He was older than the others, which was easy to tell. His features were sharper and darker. His skin was a tad darker than anyone else is on the island and he had claw marks on his neck, but it was hidden under the leather and fur he was wearing.
"Cami! Were on our way to train, want to join?" the dark-haired boy said.
"Sorry, but I have to take Hiccup here to get cleaned up at my place."
"Hiccup?" the beautiful girl said.
"Hiccup, these are some of my friends. This is Destin." The dark haired boy nodded. "Dalla" The dark curly haired girl smiled. "Pavla" the tiny, yet tall girl only raised her eyebrows in greeting. "Valerie" the blonde beauty smiled. "And Zyon" the older boy merely shrugged.
"Hiccup." Valerie said. "Whenever you're done playing with Camicazi, come and join us. We'll be in the ring."
"Um, ok." I said. She winked and turned back to her friends. Most of them waved goodbye to us, while Palva and Zyon were silent. They headed down some path and disappeared. There was a slight scowl on Camicazi's face when I turned back to look at her. She was staring down the path where Valerie and the others went and whipped her head back to me. "Val is a natural flirt; don't fall for anything that girl does. She has half the guys on the island wrapped around her finger." She demanded. "Don't worry, I wasn't." I reassured her. "Good." She said "Come on, we still got a way to go."
The village was large and the houses were even bigger as we were walking up the hill towards Camicazi house. You could tell this is where the richer and more powerful people in the Bog tribe resided at. Their homes were colorful and larger. They didn't follow the curved structure some houses did, but were made out of bricks from fine cut stone. "Here we are." Camicazi announced.
"Whoa." I said. Her house was large, that's for sure. Despite some houses being on a slope, the richer area stayed on a flat terrain. Her home was made mainly out of stone and there were some pieces of wood on some parts. There were two figures of women 'holding' the house up with their swords raised high. There were some pieces of vines and grass that crept up on the walls, that would've been displeasing to some eyes, but it made the house even greater. There was a basket next to the door and Camicazi picked it up. "Wait till you see the inside." She smirked. She opened the door and my mouth dropped. There was a large hearth and a long table that could seat about eight people. There were tapestries and paintings that hung on the wall giving a warm and cozy feel to the house. The kitchen was stocked to the brim of food and sweets. There were two large chairs and a wooden bench covered in furs that faced the second hearth where the symbol of the Bog tribe was above. There were books and scrolls stacked neatly in the corner and a staircase that would lead up to the next level. She motioned for me to follow her and as we went up the stairs, there were shields that were decorated in paintings or symbols of other tribes.
"How many rooms are up here?" I asked.
"Five." She told me. "Mom's room is down the hall and my room is right here." We stopped in front of the door to her room. "Mom increased the house size because it gives a chance for those whose homes get destroyed in raids or Outcast attacks to stay with us until they can get back onto their feet." She opened the door to her room and I was once again shocked. It was large and filled completely. Her bed was large enough to fit three or four people my size to sleep in. It was covered in thick and soft furs that looked very valuable. She had a desk covered in beads of different colors where it looked like she was working on another beaded necklace. She had a dresser where clothes were stuffed and a closet where many boots and some of her furs were. She had a large amount of swords and daggers covering one side of the wall and the other side of the wall was a tapestry of Camicazi and her mom. But the thing that stood out the most was the stone tablet covered in words above Camicazi's bed. Do not bow fown to any man, for you can stand up on your own two feet. Do not be submissive, and break tradition. Be strong, be bold, be a Bog.
"So what do you think?" she asked me.
"It's a great room." I told her. "The words though, are my favorite."
"A great room, really? I was hoping for fantastic, awesome, took your breath away, something better than a great room." She pouted. She turned to her wall with a faint smile on her face. "My mom had that made for me for my twelfth birthday. She said it would be a constant reminder for me to never bow down to anyone, especially men, who want to put me down and put me in my 'proper place'. I always look at it before I leave for any of my adventures."
I nodded in understanding. "But do you guys hate men that much?" She whirled back to me and she was instantly on guard. Her eyes were wild, her stance was rigid, and a scowl came upon her face.
"Yes and no." she said. She took off her boots and layed down on the fur on the floor. I sat down with my knees to my chest and my hands on my chin, watching her movements. She seemed somewhat relax before she started again. "We Bogs don't necessarily hate men, we just hate how were looked down upon because were women. The Bog Burglar tribe is the only tribe where women outnumber men and there is a female Chieftess who isn't interested in being some broodmare to some guy. We're looked down upon because men have a stick up their ass thinking they own the world and a woman's body. Tell me this; were there any woman on Berk that held a leadership role where she wasn't a barmaid, a baby maker or cook?" My silence gave her the answer she already knew. "Exactly. Here with us Bogs, a woman can be a wife, mother, warrior, or whatever she wants without being screwed over by some man that wants all the glory or power in the world."
"Double standard much?"
"Hiccup, men are just as important here as women, but we have the final vote. The council is made up of ten people. Five women and five men, all from the highest position to the lowest one. My mom has the final vote as Chief. She could ignore whatever the men say in the village and listen to only the women, but she's not stupid, she wouldn't dare pull something so bold like that. The men know in the village that they will never hold the position as Chief, so we give them roles on the Council or put them in charge of hard labor or the armada, and so on. Remember how I told you about the Chief who came down here and badmouthed my mom back on Alvin's ship?" I nodded.
"That wasn't some exaggerated story. This douche of a Chief came down to our land after his ship got attacked by dragons. We gave him and his people food and shelter for some time until their ship was fully stocked and repaired. He took advantage of my mom and constantly berated her for being a woman and suggested too many times that she should be his bed warmer." My eyes widened at that, Bog women were not to be screwed with. "So my mom let him leave, without his head since that was the thing he thought with instead of his brain. After that, no man from that tribe had ever come close to our waters. Here, we're free without any restraints"
I could understand where she was coming from. Women were considered to only be needed in the kitchen or as a wife alone. We only trained women on Berk on dragon killing because the dragon attacks got bigger and warriors were declining fast. I looked at Camicazi and she was mumbling the words on her wall under her breath. She shook her head and handed me the basket that was at the door earlier.
"Get cleaned up. You can use the room across from mine to stay in until my mom sees you." I got up and headed towards the room she told me of. It wasn't as big as Camicazi's but very comfortable. The bed was large and there were some empty closets and drawers. There was another door and I opened it to see a bath with some slightly warm water that looked comforting. I quickly stripped out of my clothes and climbed into the tub and immediately relaxed. It was comforting to stay in a place where I didn't have to hide in fear of being discovered. I cleaned myself up and patted myself down dry with one of the spare furs. I opened the basket and immediately pulled on the clothes I was given. The tunic was a rich forest green and the pants I were given were black with a matching fur vest that had the Bog symbol, three swords connecting, sewed in with yellow lace. There were a pair of boots that went up to my knees and I felt relaxed. New clothes and a nice bath perked up my mind. There was a knock on the door and I opened it to see Camicazi cleaned up and put together.
"You look, great." I breathed out. She changed into a short sleeved blue, fitted tunic with a grey armored skirt that had matched. There was a grey cropped fur vest that rested perfectly on her. She had grey boots as well. Her usual beaded necklace was replaced with silver bands that were on her arms and wrists. Her hair was somewhat tame and braided into one with black beads entwined in her golden locks.
"Not so bad yourself. She replied. "Now let's go, if we don't get down to the training block, Destin and Dalla will have our heads, they live and breathe fighting." We walked out of her house and she led me down many paths. There were stalls where you could see the work being done. There were men counting the food supply, women arguing over the price of some fabric, children running around and playing games, some elders being helped into their homes and more. The village was so lively; I don't think I could ever get bored here. We walked past many buildings where work was being done. Buildings were being reinforced for the winter, ships were being touched up near the harbor, leather and cloths were being made, and the forge was busy with a man and woman working in there making tools. I stopped in front of the forge watching their movement as they passed each other tools and equipment. A quick slap to the back of my head brought me back to reality. I turned back to Camicazi who gave me a questioning look.
"Do you want to go in?" she asked.
"Yeah, I haven't been in a forge in quite some time." We walked in and I was amazed at some of the detail on the weapons. They were finely sharpened or the hilts were designed in the shape of a dragon or animal. The place was organized, but still had some mess that showed the work put into the weapons and tools that were displayed proudly or kept in their boxes. The man turned around and smiled earnestly at the both of us and ushered us inside.
"Camicazi! It's good to see you girl, do you need another sword sharpened?"
"Not yet Vinnie, this is my friend Hiccup, he's staying with me for a while until he gets settled down permanently here." She smiled.
"Oh! It's always great to see a new face here and now. See anything you like here Hiccup?"
"Everything." I breathed out. "Did you use a nickel steel for that sword?"
"That I did! The boy knows his metals, Sage, come here and look at Camicazi's new friend!" The woman moved and she gave us a warm smile in greeting. She was slightly pudgy and pretty despite being covered in sweat and soot from the heat of the forge. "Nice to meet you Hiccup! Are you getting a sword? Camicazi here comes by all the time with her crazy tales and ruined swords for us."
"No, I was just telling your husband that I like the swords he made."
"He makes the swords, but I think of all the ideas and plans. Don't be fooled by him, the reason why this place is still standing is because I keep it up and fire free."
"Hey! That incident was years ago, and you know it!"
"And that incident was a twenty eight year old man who forgot to douse the hearth and almost burned down this place in his rush to go make a bet in which he lost." Vinnie grumbled in frustration while Sage, Camicazi, and I laughed at Vinnie's berating. "Stop by any time Hiccup, you'll always be welcomed here. Why don't you help out if you can if Camicazi won't be dragging you into tons of messes and problems?" she laughed. "That would be great!" I replied to her. "Have you ever worked in a forge before Hiccup?" Vinnie asked. "My whole life." I told her. "Then it's done! You can start tomorrow if you like." Some bells were ringing and Sage turned to a group of people who were asking for her.
"It was a nice meeting you!" Sage said to me before turning back to help her husband. We walked out and Camicazi gave me a quick smile.
"For someone who's nervous to talk about dragons to my mom, you just got yourself a job and seemed pretty content with how you handled yourself right there."
"Well the forge is like a second home to me, talking to your mom is going to be a whole different situation."
"Well, that's true. But if you got me, I'm pretty sure you'll get my mom."
"Let's hope so."
"My Gods" I said looking at the arena.
"Are you going to be shocked by every little thing on this island?"
"Yeah, I think I am."
The training area was double the size of the one back at Berk. There were weapon racks all over the arena with various shields and swords. There were maces, clubs, hammers, swords, bolas and so many weapons on the walls or racks. The teens were sparring with each other or doing obstacle courses that were set up in the corners.
Destin and Dalla were doing target practice with their arrows and bows. Palva was doing hand to hand combat with Valerie and Zyon was practicing sword stances by himself. Destin and Dalla never missed their mark, they shot every single painted target in the center while Valerie and Palva were trying to hurt one another but barely succeeding. Zyon took notice of us first and got everyone's attention to look at us.
"It's about damn time." Destin said. He turned to us and there was a playful look in his eyes. "Where did you and Hiccup go, a flight around the island?" Zyon and Palva rolled their eyes while Dalla and Valerie groaned.
"You'd be surprised of what Hiccup and I have done so far." Camicazi rolled her eyes.
"Oh! Do tell!"
"Shut it D, how do you live with this fool of a brother of yours Dalla?"
"Years and years of practice." She sighed. Camicazi and I laughed at that while Destin ignored his sisters' comment.
"Let me reintroduce myself: Destin Corrigan, the best archer on the island."
"Don't reply to that fool." Palva finally spoke. "It'll only make his ego get bigger"
"Like Val's ass?" Destin cheekily said. "That can get bigger at any time, I won't complain."
Valerie snatched Destin's arrow out of his hand and quickly pointed it at him. "Say one more word about my body, I dare you. I'll take this arrow and I'll castrate you with it."
While Valerie and Destin argued, Zyon gave Camicazi a sword. They sharpened their swords before settling into fighting stances.
"Is he always that . . .?" I started.
"Foolish? Stupid? Idiotic? Perverted?" Dalla asked. "Yes, yes he is. And he wonders why his relationships only last less than a month." Palva, Dalla, and I laughed at Destin who was being kicked around by Valerie, before we heard the sounds of swords clashing together. We all turned to see Camicazi and Zyon fighting deadly with the weapons in their hands. Even Valerie and Destin took a break from their arguing to look at the pair who was fighting expertly.
"Zyon's a prodigy with most weapons." Palva said. "You can give him almost any weapon and he'll know exactly how to use it without any knowledge beforehand. He could give Camicazi a run for her money when it comes to sword fighting, especially."
"Has she ever lost against him?" I asked. After seeing her take down Alvin, I would think Camicazi to be undefeated in the field of battle.
"Nope, and he's never won against her." Palva observed the two with a critical eye. Camicazi was holding her own against Zyon perfectly. Zyon kept on coming at Camicazi, not giving her time to attack, keeping her guarded. She ran from him and he came after her, but she launched herself off the ground, onto the wall, kicked off, and forced all her weight on Zyon, making him stumble back. "All their fights end in a draw." They were going at each other, not giving the other time to fully attack or back down. Zyon was bigger, and he used that to his advantage, but Camicazi was more agile and fast. Zyon found an opening from Camicazi and rushed her, and Camicazi seemed to sense his movements as well. At the same time their swords were at least an inch from their skins. Zyon's at Camicazi's throat and Camicazi's at Zyon's lower head. They were panting like crazy and watched the other one with a sharp eye, for any sudden movements.
"Draw?" Zyon asked.
"Draw." Camicazi replied.
I cheered for them along with the others. We were all so focused on their battle; we didn't notice the gate that opened earlier and the woman who was leaning on the wall watching the battle with a critical eye.
"I would've cut him, you never want to draw in battle where your enemy won't think twice on taking your life easily." She said. We all turned toward the voice and Camicazi's mouth dropped.
"Mom!" she yelled. Big Boobied Bertha was a sight that was for sure. She was tall and curvy and had the curliest blonde hair that was styled in a single braid that went over her shoulder and stopped at her chest. The nickname Big Boobied wasn't an understatement. She was very well. . . endowed on her chest. She wore a dark red dress that fitted her perfectly and black fur boots that came up to her knees. Instead of a cape, she had a thick, rich dark fur sash across her body that had the Bog crest sewed into it. She had gold bracelets on her wrists and a dark leather band that was encrusted with black and red jewels on her head. Her blue eyes stared deeply at her daughter as she spoke boldly and seriously about fighting. Everyone bowed their heads in respect and I quickly did the same.
"Everyone please leave, I need to talk to Camicazi now." Bertha spoke softly, but you could hear the authority in her voice that wasn't to be challenged. Everyone started to leave the arena quickly and I tried to shuffle between the girls, but Bertha wasn't going to let me go so easily. "Not you, Hiccup." I halted immediately and stood by Camicazi. Once everyone left, and their footsteps were no longer heard, Bertha had a stern look on her face directed toward Camicazi.
"Camicazi" she started. "How in Freya's name did you come back home? I sent almost the entire fleet after you, and here you are, just playing with Zyon and the others. Did you know we ran into Alvin and his lackeys, with him ranting on and on how he has you captured and that I'll never see you again? We immediately attacked him and scouted the entire ship and you weren't there. Can you please explain this to me?"
"Long story short, Hiccup and I got captured by Outcasts, we broke out of our cells, defeated Alvin and got off of his ship and came back home as fast as possible. I had a feeling you would send the whole fleet so we wanted to beat you back here before you came back home."
She arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips at Camicazi's story. "And how did Hiccup get captured?"
"I may have been exploring a little outside of Berk territory and Alvin knocked me out and grabbed me." I said surprisingly steady.
"And Stoick hasn't noticed his only son and heir is missing?" Bertha fixed me with a hard stare. "I'll tell him that you're here and you need to go back home."
"No!" I yelled. I could feel Camicazi staring at me warningly. "I mean, the ice will set sooner or later and I know you don't want any Hairy Hooligans coming here, getting stuck, and annoying you for months until the ice melts." Bertha's eyes narrowed at my words and I could tell she was slowly giving in to what I was saying.
"Please tell me you burglarized something from Alvin's ship, Camicazi." Bertha demanded
"I got Alvin's sword." Camicazi said proudly.
"You got his sword?!" Bertha and I said in unison. Camicazi nodded in assurance. A sly smile came onto Bertha's face and her eyes lit up with mischief. "I can imagine Alvin's face right now if he tried raiding our lands. Just think about it, you or me taking on Alvin with his own ancestral sword! Ha, what I would give to see that face! Well I guess, Camicazi has already showed you our home Hiccup" I nodded. "Good, you can stay with us until the ice melts and you'll return home immediately. Only one thing, what do you intend to do during your stay, we can't just have anyone lounging around not doing anything."
"He got a job at the forge." Camicazi says proudly. "He starts tomorrow."
"Wow, I didn't know Hiccup could make weapons." Bertha said surprisingly.
"I'm full of surprises."
"Let's hope there all good ones." She turned and walked out of the arena and left Camicazi and I in the ring in dead silence. We let out a breath of relief that we didn't know we were holding in. "I can't believe she believed that."
"I don't." Camicazi said. "My mom is way too smart to believe a crappy lie or story. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more guards following you than actual villagers. You need to be careful, especially with Toothless."
I didn't dare argue or try to convince her otherwise, Chieftess Bertha was someone who would protect her villagers at any cost, no matter the risk.
Hours later. . .
I was with Camicazi and the others walking to the Great Hall for dinner. I would've stayed inside the house and ate dinner by myself, but Bertha and Camicazi refused. Bertha wanted me to experience the luxuries of what the Bog Burglars had and enjoy what I wouldn't be able to on that 'cold waste of an island'. Camicazi wanted me to see the inside of the Great Hall, she's been holding it for the last item to see on the island since Destin and Dalla toured me around while Camicazi had to go to a council meeting with Bertha and Valerie, who was a councilwoman's daughter. Zyon disappeared for some hours and returned just before Destin started to search for him.
The Great Hall was large. It was made entirely out of bricsk and the large wooden doors were engraved in the large symbol of the Bog Burglar tribe. There were statues made out of stone of great female warriors, and even a few men as well. Camicazi opened the doors and the rich smell of spices and wine was causing my mouth to salivate. The Great Hall was bright and full of life with the large amount of people and decorations everywhere. There were paintings of former Chieftess' and their families and tapestries on the walls of past battles and more. There was a bar in the far corner where men and women were doing drinking games. The tables were lined up and there was a large one with different types of food. From smoked fish, spiced pork, various fruit and vegetables, to mutton, sweet breads and fruit tarts.
"Wow." I sat down at a table where Camicazi and the girls were headed to and we were talking animatedly about the swordfight between her and Zyon. Destin and Zyon were balancing large plates of food and drinks that they placed onto the table. They gave me plates which I helped pass around and grabbed some food that looked good. The minute the meat met my mouth, I was met with such a rich taste that I enjoyed.
Bertha clanged her cup against the table she was sitting at. The hall quieted down and Bertha had the room's full attention.
"Here we have a new face. His name is Hiccup and he is from the Isle of Berk where the Hairy Hooligans reside at. For now, Hiccup is staying with us Bogs and will contribute to us by helping in our forge. Let's give Hiccup a warm Bog welcome and raise our cups to him. To Hiccup!"
"To Hiccup!" everyone repeated. I was sitting around with people who didn't look down on me and befriended me despite my size. For the first time, I was somewhere where I truly belonged.
Two weeks later. . .
I just finished my afternoon shift at the forge with Vinnie and Sage. For the past two weeks, I worked at the forge and adapted a routine. Wake up, eat breakfast with Cami, go to the forge most of the day, watch Camicazi and the others train, explore Bog territory, eat dinner, take a midnight flight on Toothless with Camicazi, and return home. This time, Camicazi and I skipped dinner and went straight to Toothless. He was getting agitated staying in the same place for so long, and I couldn't blame him. He lost a part of himself because I tried to hunt for a better life of recognition and fame, without realizing the consequences. But despite the pain I caused him, we formed a forbidden friendship and improved each other's lives.
It was dark and the torches were lit all over the island, giving it a soft glow from the sky where we were flying.
"That was some ride Hiccup." Camicazi laughed. Every day we would think of a way to convince Bertha on how dragons were actual peaceful creatures. But we would always hit a dead end as Camicazi shot down most of the ideas that would incur her mother's wrath. It was getting harder to disappear at night without being noticed. I was staying in the place where sneakiness and stealth were at the highest peak. We were in a comfortable silence as Toothless glided softly in the air, slowly heading back to the forest.
"Oh, no." Camicazi had suddenly turned rigid on the saddle. I turned to her and sent her a questioning look. I looked down and there were a few ships in the water. "I forgot mom is testing out the new ships this late. She likes to break them in early before showing the villagers! Hiccup, we need to get out of here. Now!" I tried to steer Toothless away, but we were too late. A bola was coming straight for us and failed to catch onto Toothless' tail. Another bola came but instead of hitting Toothless, it hit Camicazi and she fell out of the saddle and plummeted toward the ground. I immediately steered Toothless towards Camicazi who was screaming her head off in absolute terror.
"HICCUP!" She screamed. Her eyes were wide with fear and tears were slowly pooling in her eyes.
"Just a little closer!" I told Toothless and Camicazi. "Come on, were almost there!" I grabbed onto her hand and pulled her into the saddle and she latched onto me and did not let go. We were getting close to the ground and a spear hit Toothless' side to cause damage, but not death. We hit the ground and were flung out of the saddle. Camicazi and I were still latched onto each other as we fell into the dirt and landed next to Toothless who was bleeding on the ground. He moaned out in pain and his head came to the ground, still. Camicazi and I were next to Toothless immediately, but were met by guards who were shocked to see their heir protecting a dragon, rather than killing it. But their shock was nothing compared to Bertha's whose whole face screamed betrayal.
"Camicazi, Hiccup." She started. "What in Thor's name is going on!?"
"Surprise?" Camicazi squeaked out.
A/N: OMG, this is the longest chapter i have ever written. Close to 7,000 words and it was about 13 pages in Word. I hope you guys like this chapter and enjoy the culture of the Bog Burglar tribe. Here, you get to read about the Bog Burglar tribe where Camicazi resides and grew up in, with only her mother. Introduced to new characters and customs on Berk. You get to see Hiccup who is enjoying the life of a Bog and meeting new people who don't look down on him because he is small or scrawny. My favorite part on writing this chapter was Hiccup and Camicazi's conversation on women's roles in viking society. The banter between the two is something i loved to write on because i wanted to highlight Hiccup's thoughts on the society in which he lives in. I wanted to let everyone know that there is a high chance that i may give you multiple chapters at once instead of week by week because i have to study for my PRAXIS which is a test i have to take and pass this summer in my steps to become a teacher. Also i reached 100 followers, so thank you everyone who has read Not Useless and is reading Dark Wings right now as i continuously update it. The poll on my profile is going to close tomorrow before the end of the day, so if you haven't voted, please vote! Like i always say, review and let me know what you thought of this chapter, as well as what you want to see.
Response to Reviews:
Tchurch: You're very welcome, and yes, Astrid learned the hard way truly.
MMM:I'm glad you liked what i wrote about Astrid
prydain: Thanks so much for the encouragement!
dragonguest:Wow, same here! I'm glad you liked Tuffnut's reaction.
Crow-DarkHeart: I will!
supersandman86: Thanks, i hope you like the new one!
crimson11116: Maybe, maybe not.
Transformers 0: Thanks! You'll get more Astrid later, but not now.
Brenne: She will soon, that's for sure!
NoTearsFalling: Sorry! But it had to be done, is Ruffnut your favorite character?
Zyonzillia: Thanks for the OC request, i hope you liked the way i used him in the story. Sorry i couldn't tell you earlier on how i was planning to use him, i've been busy!
Chapter 1 – Hiccup leaves Berk, but get's captured.
Chapter 2 – Stoick returns to Berk and gets some surprising news. Hiccup reunites with an old friend. An old enemy returns. An escape is in progress.
Chapter 3 – Hiccup reunites with Camicazi and escapes.
Chapter 4- Hiccup tells Camicazi the truth. Hiccup and Camicazi reconnect. Dragon Training continues at Berk.
Chapter 5 – Dragon training continues on Berk. Devastating raid. Stoick has regrets.
Chapter 5.5 - Astrid v Ruffnut
Chapter 6 – The Bog-Burglar Tribe. A mysterious figure on Bog territory.
Chapter 7 – Negotiations with Big Boobied Bertha.
Chapter 7.5 - Dragon Training Champion
Chapter 8 – Weapon training begins. Hiccup and Camicazi get closer. New friends and romances.
Chapter 8.5 - Snoggletog.
Chapter 9 – 1 year passes and a tribe asks for help. Confessions.
Chapter 10 – Hiccup continues his adventures. New discoveries. Hiccup finds a new tribe.
