The soft Alpha didn't return for a while after she had left.

The large omega and the nest mates returned as did the foul smelling human but the soft Alpha hadn't joined them.

Hiccup began to worry.

As nice as the large Omega was and as bearable as the nest mates could be, he simply didn't feel as helpful to this rowdy pack of humans without their Alpha. It strained his relationship with the other members of the pack even more so than what it already was. Of course it didn't' help that they were still as wary of him as he was of them. Sometimes it felt like they were just constantly tip toeing around each other.

But on a more positive note, Hiccup's leg was healing nicely thanks to the strange human-y medicine. He could even walk around now without having to stop because it hurt too much. Running was still a bit of a challenge but in a few more days he should be fine so long as he didn't push it.

Yesterday he had even climbed down from the cave to investigate the beach. It was full of new and exciting things he hadn't been in the right mindset to enjoy his first night.

He was right about the nesting gulls. Now near to the end of their nesting season where everything was a little calmer since the Gull hatchlings were beginning to leave their parents. Dragons didn't tend to leave their guardians until much later on in life. In fact it was common for young to stay within their guardian's care until they were granted their status within the nest. That could take as little or as long as a lifetime for some dragons.

Hiccup was Fifteen winters old, still young but he'd been expected to declare his status within the nest a very long time ago. 4 to 11

winters tended to be the average time a typical dragon in the Queen's nest would declare their status within.

Thankfully Nightscales weren't the average dragon and so Hiccup was granted leeway many other dragons wouldn't have been permitted.

Nightscale's could live for decades under the right circumstances and so the queen had supposed it was alright for Hiccup to take his time deciding.

Toothless had seen eighteen winters in his lifetime. Only three cycles older than Hiccup himself but then again Toothless had declared his status exceedingly early even for the keenest of dragons.

Toothless shouldn't have been a parent so early, he wasn't even at nesting maturity when Hiccup had been charged to him, but the queen's wishes were to be taken heed of.

Hiccup knew he'd been abandoned as a hatchling; Toothless had told him so. His real parents had either died or simply forgotten him for being the runt of the litter. It wasn't an uncommon thing for dragons. The strong were strong and there was no room for anything else. But as much as it hurt every now and again; to realise that his real guardians hadn't wanted him; Hiccup had Toothless and that's all he really needed.

Logically being abandoned wasn't a bad decision. He was hatched outside of the normal season after all - it meant his real parents were probably stressed and unable to find a safe place to nest. Maybe they had to leave him to save themselves or something? That wasn't so bad, Hiccup supposed, his life to save two others.

Even so; as logical as it was to figure that he had been cast aside for the survival of his parents - the absence of the soft Alpha had forced contemplating thoughts such as these into his mind once more.

Hiccup didn't want to be left behind by anyone else. Ever!

That's why it bothered him so much that Toothless had been captured. It was his fault! And he was just sitting here, doing nothing, while his guardian is out there in some kind of horrible situation, suffering at the paws of those who had trapped him! Hiccup knew that Toothless wouldnever just leave him like that so it only seemed right that he should do the same.

But what of the human pack when he finally found his guardian?

He would have to leave them, obviously. He'd have to go back to the nest - to his queen. But they had been so nice to him; letting him stay within their pack.

Healed him and looked after him. It felt rude - if nothing else - to know that the second he got what he wanted he would just leave.

Maybe if he spoke human he would be able to explain his situation. Would they even help him? It was humans who had separated him from Toothless after all.

Would they go behind the back of their own species to help him find his guardian? No, probably not. It didn't seem plausible.

Hiccup had been drilled since he was young, that a dragon should do anything for the good of the nest.

Obey any command the Queen gives you and make sure you don't step out of the confined space your status permitted you. Omega's stay within the nest and Alpha's patrolled the outside, looking for threats.

Hiccup wasn't very good at following the rules but his status as one of the last Nightscales allowed him to slip between the cracks a little more than something more common like a Gravelgut would be able to.

The Queen seemed to be rather fond of him as well, which helped his case a little more.

She even offered to tutor him when he expressed an interest in magic; though that was only should he choose to become an Omega. It was something she seemed overly keen on in fact.

She was never pushy with her requests but there was still something about the way her words wormed their way into Hiccup's head that put him on edge a little. It was as if he couldn't say no to her - no matter what he actually wanted to say.

He wondered what that was all about? What was the Queen doing that caused him to be so placated around her?

Hiccup shook his head as if he was trying to brush away the thoughts like annoying flies.

Questions like these would just keep circulating forever if Hiccup let them. They had no defined answer and would never be answered. They had no purpose other than to quench Hiccup's own curiosity.

Annoying at best and a major hindrance at worst.

For now he would just have to wait and see if the soft Alpha would come back. Maybe she just got caught up at her own nest? Alpha patrols did take up a lot of spare time. Maybe she just had to wait a little while before coming back?

to be continued...

...

Okay so a super short chapter this time.

Don't worry though, it's only because there's some pretty serious stuff in chapter 9 and I didn't want to leave you guys for too long without anything new to read.

Still, hope you enjoyed some context as to what Hiccup knows about his own past.

What, you didn't really think Toothless told Hiccup he was his dad did you? ;]