Meant To Be

Rating; M

Author; Nightstar Fury

Pairing; Hiccup & Signy[OC]

Disclaimer; I do not own the HTTYD movies or series. I also don't own any of the songs that I might use.

Eleven: Offering For Peace

This decision was anything but easy given they knew nothing about the guy other than the fact he rode a Night Fury, controlled mass groups of dragons to raid but never allow them to hurt the villagers of the island he was raiding. Alvin the Treacherous, chief of Outcast Island got them to realize their mistake. The leaders were suggesting things that a chief would in negotiations for an alliance between two Tribes. If they wanted to get Drake to stop, they needed to think what life they would have as an outcast, marked as a traitor and could control dragons. Alvin was an outcast and leader over a Tribe of outcasts, so he knew the life minus going as far as siding with dragons and leading raids.

The answer was realized when Alvin used Stoick as the example by making the Berk chief think of one thing that would make him happy and do anything to have. Stoick's answer; a family. Stoick wanted his wife and son, willing to do anything meant he wouldn't refuse and offer that could give him just that. The outcast chief made it clear to the other leaders that Drake's status as an outcast and traitor plays a role in the fact he isn't welcome anywhere, meaning the guy lived alone with his dragons and would never have the chance to get a family. Alvin's reasoning for Drake's raids was to keep himself busy so he was sitting around angry, bored, and lonely. This led to Alvin's idea of offering Drake, a woman he could take with him under the condition he stopped the raids on their islands. It was shocking and perhaps scary, most expected the suggestion to be shot down instantly.

However, it wasn't when Alvin said one thing to them; No matter what you view him as; dragon rider, outcast, traitor, leader of the dragons. Don't forget that above anything else, Drake is still a man with desires and needs just like the rest of us. And now everyone was left in silence, actually considering his idea.

"You're suggesting we give him a female as a peace offering?" Mogadon asked in disbelief after ten minutes.

"The chances are high he would be willing to give up raiding if we offered him a way to have what he feels he lost due to being cast out," Alvin shrugged casually while sitting back down.

"I don't find it to be a bad idea, it's better than what we had with offering him things that would keep him coming back all the time," Oswald stated calmly.

"Are yew serious, Oswald? Giving a woman to Drake with the stipulation he stops the raids?" Gobber spoke up now. This wouldn't go down well at all with Hiccup if he found out how desperate these people had become to stop raids that weren't even causing any trouble. "I've neva heard of anything so barbaric in my life," the blacksmith scoffed in disgust.

"As much as I agree that him getting a chance to have a family might be enough to get him to stop, I also have to agree with Gobber. That's hardly fair to offer up a female as a trade for no more raids. Another factor I think you might be forgetting, Alvin, what woman would be willing to agree in leaving their Tribe to go live with a dragon rider, who lives and works with dragons in some unknown place?" Bertha inquired gently.

"I never said the woman had to be willing," Alvin stated now as they all whipped their heads in his direction. "Just need to offer him a woman around his age that he can take with him under the circumstances that he doesn't raid us again," he added with a slight grin. Oh, Astrid couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she wasn't going to sit quietly either.

Getting to her feet, she glared at Alvin. "It's supposed to be an offer that benefits everyone SAFELY. Not a 'send an innocent girl with a complete stranger and hope to Odin they fall in love, and everything is sunshine and rainbows from now on' half-assed plan!" Astrid yelled.

"Come now, Astrid. No need to get upset, what woman wouldn't want to be offered to the all powerful dragon rider? And then that lucky girl gets to hold her head high knowing that she saved the Archipelago from dragon raids. Happy ending for everyone," Oswald told her.

"Maybe any woman who realizes that they have to give up their friends, family, home, and freedom forever to live with a guy we know nothing of. No woman is going to be okay with that lifestyle, and you're going on about offering a female against their will?! You're not offering him a girl to be his wife for the sake of peace, you're trying to give him a slave for his personal enjoyment," Astrid growled angrily.

"Well, I tried to make it sound more heroic, selfless, and honorable, but yes, that's basically what I'm suggesting," Alvin shrugged. Astrid sighed heavily, they just didn't understand it from her view being a young woman about Drake's age and now holding the fear of being handed off to live a life of slavery to this guy.

"I get the idea you want to go with. Drake is a lonely man who would appreciate the heck out of a woman being in his life, at his side for him to marry and have a family with. Having that could be enough for him to stop raiding because he'd be happy over angry, and busy rather than bored. But there is so much more you haven't thought about," Astrid stated calmer.

"I find myself curious now. Continue, Astrid?" Bertha motioned.

"You want to offer him female companionship in exchange peace. That's fine; it's not horrible. At the same time, you're considering to pick a random girl who isn't willing to put before him. First scenario; Drake declines and keeps things the way they are because he knows he has power over us with the looming threat that if we attack him, everyone suffers. The second way it could go is that you tell him a girl is willing to be the price for peace, he agrees and takes the girl who doesn't respond to his requests. Drake kills her or brings her back and says we lied to him, so the deal is off, he starts raiding again which can be the same or worse than before." Astrid explains as a few of the leaders now looked at one another understand a little more.

"Next situation; you offer him a bride, and he accepts, do a quick little ceremony, and they are married but then he takes her home prepared to make things official, and she isn't ready? Among him bringing her back, we don't know this guy or what he's capable of, and he could abuse, rape, or kill her, maybe all three then return with more drive for revenge for giving him false hope. Is this not enough for you to see all that could happen? I can come up with more. How about this one; you outright tell him he can have the girl as his slave because she won't give him a hard time, and she refuses to follow orders. Right back to the fact, you subject the girl to a life of slavery with being raped and abused, or he comes back with a vengeance. All I'm asking is that you consider all the ways this could backfire and be worse for us and that you take into account that you're putting one of your Tribe members in danger to save yourselves," Astrid continued slowly.

"Oswald, you have a daughter that is Drake's age. Would you be okay with any of the things that could happen to her for you to have peace?" Astrid mentioned as Oswald turned his head slightly and didn't reply, "What about you six?" Astrid pointed to Alvin, Colby, Gunnar, Norbert, Madguts, and Elvar. "You all have daughters between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, would anyone of you be able to stand knowing you sacrificed them to a man who can hurt them? Break them to his will by abusing and raping them? Can you handle living on your island knowing full well that you sent your child into slavery to be tortured or killed for you to have that peace?" she trailed off seeing the leaders close their eyes of look down except for Madguts.

"You can't, can you? Not a one of you would be able to give up your daughter to Drake for the sake of peace knowing what he could do to her. Now that you understand that feeling imagine how any other father would feel to know you gave up their daughter to suffer the same fate you wouldn't subject your daughters to," Astrid crooned.

"Well, that's very touching, Astrid and I almost bought if not for the fact we know this guy won't hurt humans," Madguts told her as others looked at him now. "Drake still cares because he's human, remember? Those were...your words, weren't they?" he remarked slowly as Astrid's eyes widened a little. Fuck. "And also, let's not forget that the dragon rider chose to save you and those five kids earlier. Putting himself in danger of being captured to save innocent lives from a house fire that his dragons didn't even cause? It seems like he's not a half bad guy, he's just a little lonely," Madguts grinned a little.

"Madguts does have a point, Astrid," Einar mentioned, and Astrid bit her bottom lip.

"I will agree with you, Astrid. We don't much about Drake or what he's capable of doing," Madguts put his finger under Astrid's chin. "But Drake himself said that he protects the innocent. I don't really think if we offered him a beautiful girl to be his companion and possibly more that he would resort to abuse, rape, and murder of an innocent girl who might just be a little afraid and needs time to adjust to the new life. You know what I think? You're only against this because you're Berk's shield maiden, one of the best female fighters out of all our islands and you know that if it came down to who we'd choose as the offering, you know it's you,"

Astrid jerked away from him angrily as Madguts chuckled and stepped back, "I don't care if you choose me. Go for it, but know the first chance I get I will kill him and find a way back. So what if he rescued me, an ulterior motive to make himself look good with all that nonsense about protecting both sides. My point is that no girl will be willing to take the chance of wondering if he's nice or not. It's fear of the unknown that will keep them from stepping up. Another thing you might have missed; even if you found a girl willing and able to give up everything for the sake of peace to the Archipelago or you forced one to stand before him as a potential wife, there is no telling the type of woman Drake would want. You can put someone in front of him, but that's not a guarantee that he takes a shine to her," Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

Madguts didn't seem phased by her words; the man just gave the nod with a smile as everyone looked at him curiously. "Yes. Yes, quite right young lady. How good of you point that out," Madguts said facing the other leaders now. "Miss. Hofferson has just informed me that if we were to offer a female to Drake, he might not accept it due to the choice not being his type. And you know, she is absolutely right! We're only thinking of ourselves instead of thinking about who matters in this; Drake of course. We don't know his preference for eyes or hair in a woman. Perhaps if he prefers older or younger, if he likes someone who is shy or feisty. If we want this work, we need to give the man what he wants. Am I right?"

Gobber rolled his eyes, "What are ya gonna do, Madguts? Call 'im down next attack fer a sit down ta ask what he's attracted to in a woman who we plan to offer up to him, so he'll leave us alone? Cuz if not, well, yer guess is as good as ours,"

"Coming from the guy who got taken for three hours by the dragon rider and didn't use the chance to get any information on him that we could use," Oswald remarked.

"That is enough. Madguts, what are you getting at with this 'give him what he wants'?" Stoick sighed.

"It's simple, Stoick. We can't offer him just one girl of our choosing, so why don't we offer all the girls in our Tribes between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two and let him choose he wants," Madguts suggested as all of the leaders looked at him a little surprised, then at one another. "We stand a better chance of him accepting the peace offering if he makes a choice himself," he added afterward.

"Sadly," Bertha sighed, "Madguts is right. His suggestion makes the most sense if we want the two best outcomes of this situation. One being the overall goal that he chooses a woman and leaves our islands in peace. Or two, he declines the offer, and we continue to deal with the raids with his mercy and rest a little easy knowing that at least no one is getting hurt or killed with minimal food loss and damage. Also agreeing with Stoick, I won't risk trying to take Drake down and invoking his or his dragon's wrath. Madguts, you have my support. I will return to Bog-Burglar and bring the females that meet the standards, including my daughter,"

"Berserk and Outcast Islands will do the same," Alvin replied with a nod from Oswald.

"Peaceable Country and Shivering Shores shall join as well for the cause of peace," Einar stated firmly after talking with Thurmond.

"I agree to do the same," Mogadon nodded.

"Uglithug is in," Elvar informed.

"So is Visithug," Colby sighed.

"Hysteria agrees to offer the eligible females too," Norbert closed his eyes slowly.

Stoick was the only leader who hadn't given a reply. As it stood now, every girl between the two set ages would be offered Drake from each of the islands. "Well, Stoick. Are you with us or not?" Alvin questioned him.

Gobber saw the that Stoick had his eyes closed and head down, "Stoick, yew can't be considerin' to agree to this?" Gobber asked.

Stoick looked over at him sadly, and Gobber's eyes widened, "Those dragons took my wife twenty years ago, and they took my son three years ago. As someone who understands the pain of being unable to stop something from happening, losing what means the most to you, and being alone...Gobber, I would do anything to bring them back in my life, to feel that happiness of knowing I have my family. Now I know that's not possible, but the point is, Drake feels that pain and I willing to bet that he would do anything to be happy, including stop the raids. We only have one try to offer peace with this guy. I'm not taking the chance of being the only chief who doesn't take part when one of the females on this island could be the one he wants,"

"No! Please, Stoick, don't do this!" Astrid pleaded him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do what's best for the Tribe," Stoick told her then looked to the other leaders. "The only two girls who meet the requirements are Ruffnut Eugene Thorston, twenty-years-old and Astrid Hofferson, twenty-one-years-old. Both will represent Berk among the females from the other islands from Drake to choose from," he sighed, "And Astrid if you are selected, you will not make an attempt on his life because if you mess up, we all suffer. Is that clear?"

"Yes chief," Astrid lowered her head with closed eyes.

"Then we are all in agreement? Each leader will bring forth the girls from their islands between ages eighteen and twenty-two for the sake of Drake Riddari choosing one as the peace offering to stop the dragon attacks," Madguts stated.

"Agreed," the leaders replied with a nod.

"Stoick. In most meetings we've had in the last two years, I can't help but notice that Berk gets raided more often than we do with a larger pack of dragons. If the pattern sticks, then you get attacked four times a week while the rest of us get one or two. I feel that we should make the offer to Drake here on Berk to ensure that we don't miss him or have to wait around. Will that be okay with you?" Oswald asked.

"That's fine. We'll arrange to meet again with all the girls in three weeks. That gives everyone enough time to get back to their islands, make the announcement, round up the females, and return here." Stoick told them.

"Three weeks it is then," Alvin said, and the others agreed with handshakes to seal the deal. Nothing could be done anymore but hope this worked out the way they wanted it to. In three weeks, every female between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two would be standing on Berk for Drake to choose just one of them as the offering for peace.