"What?" Fergus paced back and forth in the throne room, stroking his bushy red beard. "You're sayin' it was in your room?"

Hiccup nodded and glanced at Merida, who stood next to him. She looked grim, but she still blushed a little when she saw him. That had been happening since Hiccup kissed her. He didn't quite know what to make of that. He hadn't exactly meant to kiss her, and he still had no idea if it was a good idea.

But, she hadn't hit him when it happened. That was always a plus, right?

"I'm sure of it," Hiccup confirmed. "And it did speak to me."

"What'd it say?" Merida asked. "I mean, what did he say?"

Hiccup took in a deep breath. "He said, next time there will be death. And he also said I shouldn't go after them anymore."

Merida's eyes flashed. "I really hate dragons." She glanced at Hiccup and quickly corrected herself. "Those Toothless."

Elinor stood up from her throne. "We must act immediately." She turned her brown eyes to Hiccup. "I think... I think your friends could be of great help to us."

Hiccup sighed. " knew this was going to happen," he said glumly.

"Do you not want them to come?" Elnor asked curiously. "I understand about the lass, but the rest?"

"No, no." Hiccup smiled slightly. "The la- I mean the girl is the one we need the most. Her battle strategy helps us quite a bit. But the others, well, I left without saying goodbye to any of them" He shrugged. "Haven't seen them in two years. Or my father. Kind of wanted things to stay like that."

Fergus sat down on his throne and rested his chin on a huge, bear-like hand. "We've already started the evacuations," he said. "But we need to find out who the leader of these dragons are. Maybe it'll give is a clue to when they'll attack. And maybe your friends can help with that."

"They're the Bagpipe Terrors, dad," Merida said. "That's what we've named 'em."

Fergus smiled for the first time since Hiccup had approached him that morning. "A fitting name, I see. But," his eyes grew dark. "hopefully it'll be changed to the Main Diet of the Scots."

"Original," Merida muttered.

Fergus shrugged. "What can I say. I'm a King, I don't need to be creative."

Hiccup sat down at his desk, charcoal pencil poised over the paper. He needed to write to his father, he knew. A task that would be immensely terrifying.

Dear Dad.

No, that wouldn't do. Too friendly.

Chief Stoick,

Perfect, polite, but edging on cold.

I am living in Scotland. There is a new breed of

Terrible. Hiccup sighed and crumpled up the paper, and was about to start on a new letter when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in," He called out, setting the pencil down and standing. He saw Merida standing there, biting her lip nervously, and sure enough, her freckled face was turning pink.

"Uh... I-I came to help you..." Her Scottish accent added to the nervous stutter almost made her sentence almost intelligible, but Hiccup just smiled warmly and waved her in.

"With what, exactly?"

"Your letter writing," She said. "I've been trained, you know."

Hiccup laughed. "You've been trained in letter writing?"

She nodded. "Yes, all princesses and princes have to. It's a big part of our life, you know."

Hiccup shrugged. "Okay." He walked over to his bed and began to tinker with the thing on his leg. "I need to take it off at the end of the day," he explained. "It's uncomfortable sometimes" He tugged at it, but to his surprise, it didn't give. "What the..." He tugged again. "This is the first time this has ever happened."

Merida stepped towards him. "Do you need help?"

Hiccup nodded reluctantly. "May as well."

She walked over and placed her hands on the cool metal. "Just tell me if it hurts."

"It always hurts," he muttered. Merida leaned back, letting gravity do the work, still holding onto the fake leg. It wasn't coming. She gave it an extra sharp tug, and it flew off. She wasn't ready for the sudden release, and fell flat on her back, much to her embarrassment.

"I-" She felt her face growing warm. "What-"

She was interrupted by a giggle, and then another. And then Hiccup was full-out laughing, so hard that he fell against his pillows.

This was too much for her. She was a proud girl, maybe the proudest in the Hiccup laugh at her, because she was trying to help him, infuriated her.

"Everthing's a joke to you!" She snapped. "I can't believe this."

Hiccup stopped laughing and stared at her. "Merida, it was fun-"

"Everything is, to you," she muttered. "What was that stunt you pulled the other day? Kissing me like you had all the right in the world."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Look, I'm sorry, but it was on impulse! I was, I don't know, I was happy!"

"Doesn't mean you go around kissing people!" She stood up and brushed off her dress.

"But I wouldn't go kissing just anyone!" Hiccup sighed. "If your dad had been standing there, I wouldn't have! Or your mum, or... Or..." His voice grew soft. "Or Astrid."

Merida raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't've kissed Astrid?" Hiccup shook his head. "Would you have kissed anyone but me?"

He shook his head once again.

An awkward silence filled the room, so thick that Merida almost choked. Or maybe she was flattered.

"Should we, uh, write the letter?" Hiccup finalyl asked. Merida laughed.

"I suck at writing letters!"

"What? You said you were trained!"

"Doesn't mean I'm good at it," she said with a grin. She left him then, to his thoughts, and to the realization that she had come to his room just to see him.

But he knew he had to push those thoughts away and turn to the dreary yet mandatory task of writing a letter to his father. After many re-writes, groans, and sighs of frustration, he was done.

Hiccup smiled at the finished product. Quick, to-the-point, and leaving out unnecessary details (besides the few resentful parts), it was perfect. He folded it, put in an envelope, and sealed it with the traditional red wax. A nearby servant carried it to a courier, who, while Hiccup was settling into bed, rode on a horse to another courier, who brought it to a ship. This ship was the "Sea Viking", and as the name suggests, was a ship of Berk. Stoick often sent ships over to Scotland for supplies, and Hiccup knew this.

But, the Vikings had a new system. As the ship reached a certain part of its course (a day in), Stoick sent two dragons. Dragons that were ridden by couriers. A journey that would have taken around a week by ship took only two days in all, and it was two and a half days after Hiccup sent the letter that Stoick recieved it.

He was standing on a cliff overlooking the harsh ocean below. A few dragons were flying past him, the drivers on them whooping with delight. But Stoick just stared straight ahead, angry as ever. He had been three times as angry as usual since Hiccup had left. Nobody knew that this anger was a disguise for the great sadness and guilt he felt for banishing his own son.

No one except Gobber, of course.

The man limped up behind him, his trademark grin on his face.

"What do you need, Gobber," Stoick growled, not turning around to face his friend. Gobber just kept on grinning and shoved a letter with a red seal into Stoick's face.

"What's this?" Stoick asked, finally turning to face Gobber and snatching the letter out of his hands. "Who's it from?"

"Scotland," Gobber said. "From the Queen, perhaps, or maybe even the King,?"

Stoick just wordlessly opened the letter, and started reading aloud.

"Stoick," He began. "For the past 2 years, since you banished me from my home..." He trailed off as he realized who it was from. "Hiccup?" He murmured to himself. Gobber's grin disappeared.

"I-I have been living in Scotland,"

"So that's where the rascal's been," Gobber muttered with a small smile. Stoick just went on.

"Around a week ago, I got a letter from Queen Elinor of Scotland asking me to help her, King Fergus, and their daughter Merida track down a problem "creature" that she thought was a dragon. I'd like you to know that she asked me to help her because I have been extremeley successful here, without my father to help me."

Stoick raised his eyebrows.

"He sure likes to rub it in, huh?" Gobber said with a laugh.

Stoick sighed and read, "Merida and I found that there was a whole breed of Scottish dragons living in the forests of Scotland, although all these years they've been underground or in caves sleeping. They have only woken up because, as they have said, I am here."

"Because Hiccup moved to Scotland, a bunch o' dragons woke up?" Gobber asked in disbelief. "I mean, I know he has a way with them, but..."

Stoick looked just as stunned as Gobber. "nhow did they tell him that?" Stoick mused. He continued reading aloud. "They plan to conquer Scotland, which they think is rightfully theirs, and they will kill anyone who tries to stop them. The King has started evacuation processes, but we are determined not to give this country over to the dragons. I want to do this as peacefully as possible, but we have to first defeat their leader, who we have never seen."

Gobber snorted.

"The dragons have special abilities, but I don't need to tell you that unless you agree to come here with Astrid and the rest of the gang, and anyone else who you think can help us defeat the dragons." Stoick took a deep breath, as if what he was about to read took the life out of him. "From Hiccup."
Gobber laid a hand on Stoick's shoulder. "Now, I know you don't like the Scots, but wrhats the harm?We may as well send the 'gang' over, right? And me? And you?"

Stoick shook his head. "I'm not goin'."

Gobber sighed. "Why?" He waited for a second. "Why am I asking? You just don't want to see him becausHe you're ashamed of what you did two years ago."

Stoick glared at him. "Maybe it has something to do with Astrid. Ever think of that?"

Gobber scoffed. "Yeah, right. It will be awkward for 'em, though."

"It won't," Stoick growled, "because we're not going."

"Whatever." Gobber started to walk away. "I'll get the gang together," he called over his shoulder.

Stoick didn't object.

Hey everyone. This chapter was spo much fun to write! You finally get to see how Stoick feels about this! Are you excited?

I know I am :D

You guys are going to love what's coming. I think. At least, I hope you do.

Anyways, favourite, follow, review! Thanks for doing all of these so far :)

Sorry for any spelling mistakes.