Chapter Ten

A/N: HAPPY SNOGGLETOG~! XD (I'm wrapping Christmas presents and helping prepare for relatives while writing this chapter so... XD MULTITASKING!) A real 'cheery' chapter for the holidays... *sarcastic smirk*

The sky is already dark by the time the ship arrives at the mainlands. The horizon is blazing orange and red, the black silhouettes of sea birds drifting across the setting sun. Their cries can be heard clear as a bell, even where the crew members have landed.

The Riders gaze out upon the dense forests that separate them from the village of Cedany. From what Hiccup told them, it isn't too far... Especially since they have their dragons. With that assurance, the Riders file out onto the shore, their dragons hovering not too far away.

"This place doesn't seem too big." Snotlout grumbles as he eyes the forest. "The way you talked about it, I pictured something much more impressive..."

Hiccup just rolls his eyes. "You have no idea. Just wait until you have an aerial view."

The Riders glance back at the crew, who are coming off the ship as well. "You don't have to bother coming with us." Astrid tells them. "We'll be fine."

One of the other vikings shakes their head. "We have very specific orders from Stoick to make sure you kids arrive at the village safely."

Astrid glances at Hiccup, obviously wondering what he thinks. He just shrugs and hops into Toothless's saddle. If they have orders, they have orders. No point in arguing with them.

"Alright then." She mutters, waving at Stormfly so she'll follow. Armed with a few lanterns and Hiccup's crude map of their route, the Berkians delve into the tree line, planning to arrive at the village within the next hour.

Dagur chuckles, quietly at the sight of one of Berk's ships dropping anchor on the shore. Through his spy glass, he can vaguely make out Hiccup's shape seated on the deck, along with the other Riders and dragons. He looks like he's made a pretty good recovery... Ah, what a shame. Dagur had been hoping he'd left a few mental scars on the brat but Hiccup is smiling and even laughing a little at what his friends are saying.

Clearly, Hiccup is not broken enough.

The sound of rustling bushes draws his attention away from the ship. Another Berserker crawls into Dagur's narrow clearing. He eyes the vessel suspiciously before saying, "Sir, we have everything set up. Should we proceed once the kids are off the ship?"

Dagur hesitates, watching as the gangway is dropped and Hiccup casually strolls onto the shore, along with his pet Night Fury. The dragon seems to not notice his presence, only a few hundred yards away. However, Dagur knows that if he moves the wrong way or the wind changes direction, he'll be spotted.

And we can't have that, can we...? That would ruin all the fun.

"No." He answers, stuffing the telescope into his waistband. "There's been a change of plans..." A cruel smile crawls onto his lips.

"Sir?"

Dagur shuffles back a few steps, using the tree line to hide himself. "I've decided to put my dragon call to use...I'd like to speak with Hiccup face to face." A laugh rumbles in his chest when he says, "I wonder how Hiccup will react...when he sees his precious 'Toothless' dead at my feet...?"

It seems word spreads quickly on the mainlands because by the time the Riders arrive at Cedany, nearly the whole town is outside, waiting for them. Excited chatter erupts as soon as Hiccup and Toothless step out of the trees and onto the lit, paved walkways.

"He's riding a dragon...!"

"He's amazing...!"

"Such a young boy..."

Hiccup steals a look back at Astrid and the others, slowing down so they can catch up. Ironically enough, this amount of undivided attention feels uncomfortable for the chief's son. He's used to a certain level of respect from his fellow villagers...but here, it's like they're all full-blown celebrities.

"Look at them...!"

"Riding dragons..."

"Incredible...!"

Astrid and Stormfly quickly fall into step beside Hiccup, the blonde girl flashing him a happy smile. "Quite the welcoming committee..." She mutters.

"Yeah, this place seems different from before." Hiccup comments, noticing a severe lack of armed guards and frightening weapons that used to line the streets. It really is a wonder how quickly this place turned itself around... What changed...? He wonders.

"Hiccup!" At the tone of the familiar voice, the rest of the crowd goes nearly silent. The citizens of Cedany split, creating a path for their leader. Merek smiles at the teen as he walks toward him. "I was beginning to wonder if our message got to you." He chuckles, extending his hand and patting the boy's shoulder. "Welcome back."

Hiccup grins, bashfully. "Um, thanks Merek." He says. "These are my friends, the other dragon Riders." He motions to Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, introducing them one by one.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Merek tells them. "And...these are your dragons." He watches the reptilian creatures with a wary eye, clearly not comfortable with their close proximity. "Nice to meet them too...I suppose."

Hiccup smirks. "You don't have to be nervous."

"Yeah, they won't hurt you as long as they know they can trust you." Astrid chimes in. "In other words, relax. You're fine."

Merek nods and visibly loosens up a bit. "Well," He finally manages to tear his gaze away from the dragons and back to Hiccup. "There's someone else you'll probably want to meet."

"Oh?" Hiccup scans the crowd. "Who?"

"Dragon Riders," Merek stands aside. "This is Marcus, our village's own expert on dragons. He can tell you anything you need to know on the dragon species that live here."

From the crowd, an elderly man hobbles toward them. There's something about him that reminds Hiccup of his very own mentor. Maybe it's the way his beard is done up in two, sloppy braids or maybe it's the peg-leg...but there's definitely a Gobber-esque feeling to this man.

"Marcus?" Snotlout mutters, flashing his friends a look. "What kind of a name is that?"

"Hush!" Astrid snaps. "That's probably as normal as 'Snotlout' around here. Don't be rude!"

But Marcus either doesn't hear him or chooses to ignore him because he simply smiles at the teens and says, "It's nice to meet you all. I'm...not entirely sold on making peace with those beasts yet...but I have a great respect for Merek and if he thinks we're doing the right thing then..." He shrugs. "I'll do what I can to help."

"And we appreciate it." Hiccup tells him. Then, with an almost disbelieving grin on his face, he asks, "So you really know everything there is to know about the mainlands dragons...?"

Marcus grins at the clear challenge. "Everything from why Fearsome Needlemouths don't breathe fire to why Gruesome Gargantuans steal people's shoes."

"I thought trolls did that...?" Tuffnut mutters.

"A common misconception." Marcus tells them.

"Wow!" Fishlegs gasps, nearly bursting with anticipation. "We can learn so much from each other! This is gonna be great!" He grabs Hiccup's arm and shakes it in his excitement. "Right, Hiccup?! This is gonna be so awesome!"

Hiccup can't help but laugh at his friend's enthusiasm. "It'll be great to be able to add more to the Book of Dragons." He agrees.

But suddenly, Merek steps in again. "And you'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow. As for now, it's getting late and my people surely have a lot to do before they go to bed so, for now, why don't I show you to your room so you kids can get some rest."

The Riders accept and follow Merek further into town, keeping their dragons very close and under control as they weave through masses of wary-looking townspeople.

They eventually reach a rather large house, built on thick stilts so that it sits several feet above the ground. A set of steps leads up to the front door, which is decorate with-what Hiccup can only assume to be-Cedany's coat of arms.

Merek throws open the door, revealing a huge inner chamber. The floors are covered with some kind of strange, red fur-looking substance that is soft to the touch. The walls are a mosaic of paintings and other decor. There are a total of six beds, pushed up against the walls. All of them looking cushy and luxurious, littered with thick, silky quilts and enormous throw pillows. There is a fireplace already burning in the far corner, six chairs placed around it. In all, this place looks more comfortable than all of Berk combined...

"Wow..." Astrid whispers, awe-stricken. If there's one thing the mainlanders do right, it's hosting guests.

"I CALL THE TOP BUNK!" Tuffnut nearly shouts as he and Ruffnut sprint into the room, nearly barreling into everyone else in the process.

"There are no bunk beds, idiot!" Ruff retorts.

"Oops, old habits die hard, I guess..."

Snotlout goes in as well and immediately digs into the basket of goodies on the squat coffee table. "Mmmm! Is this smoked trout?!"

With that, Fishlegs is done as well.

Leaving only Hiccup and Astrid standing with the dragons.

"Thank you, Merek." Hiccup says with an awkward smile. "We can't say how much we appreciate all this hospitality."

Cedany's chief smiles. "Nothing is too good for our guests. After all, you and your friends are going to change this place for good, I can feel it. If all goes well, we won't have to fight dragons anymore...we won't have to lose anyone like that ever again..." He trails off for a moment, seeming distant. Then, with a shake of his head, he says, "Is there anything else I can get you before you hit the hay?"

Astrid chuckles and looks at her friends. They're all pigging out on smoked fish and fresh, juicy fruit. "I think we're good." She assures him.

"Excellent." He motions at the dragons when he says, "You can keep them in the barn behind the house if you want."

"All of them...except Toothless." She snickers, casting a knowing look at Hiccup. "He likes to stay with Hiccup."

After a moment of contemplation, Merek shrugs. "Just keep him under control and I don't mind where he sleeps."

"Thank you." Hiccup scratches his dragon's chin. "We appreciate it."

The man laughs. "You're awfully modest for the son of chief." He comments. "I wish my son was as polite as you."

Hiccup blushes, once again feeling awkward with the attention. "Um..well..."

Astrid rolls her eyes at him. "Come on, Prince Hiccup, it's time to get your beauty sleep."

He glares at her, earning another laugh from Merek. "She's right, Hiccup. I'll see you all tomorrow. Good night."

"Night." They reply. They watch as Merek walks down the street and rounds a corner, disappearing from sight. Closing the door behind them, they join their friends by the fireplace, joining in on the buzzing chatter about how awesome this place is.

Hiccup shivers with excitement. I can't wait to hear what Marcus knows...heck, we might even need to add a second edition to the Book of Dragons! It's while he's thinking about this, that he realizes something...

I haven't had a hallucination all day...! Maybe it's really working!