Chapter 11

The Talk

Once Kiefer had left, Hiccup poked at her yak steak for a bit longer before giving up. Her dad had already gone to talk to his advisors, so he didn't notice her slipping off. Astrid did, but she simply waved goodbye as she continued her meal.

Toothless hopped around her excitedly as soon as she had passed through the massive doors. She laughed, scratched his ear flaps, and then pushed him to go ahead of her. She tried to follow him but found she couldn't keep up in the dress. Eventually she realized she could hitch the hemline off the ground to keep it from getting in her way and dashed across the hill as the last dregs of the sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the sky in a fiery orange.

As soon as she climbed the stairs into her room she practically tore the dress off and threw it into her trunk. Now free of the leg-trapping cloth, she stretched her arms toward the ceiling and danced around the room for a bit before retrieving a linen shirt and pulling it on. She tied the front up loosely and plopped herself down on the windowsill overlooking Black Skull Beach.

Only three of the Cadrian Night Furies were outside the lean-tos. Several large fire pits dotted the beach, casting flickering shadows across the camp on one side and the ocean waves on the other. One of the Night Furies laid curled half-way round a fire pit, while the other two gallivanted around the beach trying to pounce on each other.

Hiccup watched the pair as she brushed her hair and started weaving it back into a braid. One of them got too close to the third and it bared its teeth, its eyes turning to slits, and its tail flicked in obvious annoyance. The one that had got too close scrunched up, arching its back so much it became a U, and backed away sideways. Once it had slinked far enough away, it pounced at the offended dragon and then ran away playfully. Its target didn't engage, though; it flinched but turned back to the fire. The other two didn't seem to mind as they went back to playing with one another. Hiccup tied off her braid with a bit of cloth.

"Oooh!" She leaned out the window as she caught sight of the auburn ponytail of Kiefer approaching the camp with his guard in tow. The two playing Night Furies dashed over and danced circles around him. He laughed and made some playful moves at them before he straightened and waved at one of his men in camp. The man threw a leather ball larger than a man's head over the dragons. Kiefer held the ball out to them, wiggled it, then reared back and threw it toward the ocean. The closer one watched it fly over its head while the other immediately chased after it, using the other's head as a springboard to take flight after it. The first one quickly gave chase and tackled the flier just as it caught the ball.

Hiccup smiled at the Night Furies romping in the sunset. This was what Toothless was missing out on, something he deserved. He'd have it soon enough, maybe even with those dragons down there.

Kiefer, too, smiled as he watched the two play. Hiccup took in his face and expression, his body and stance. Something stirred inside her, an excitement she couldn't quite place as she studied him from afar. Soon he moved on and the dragon resting around the fire stood and nuzzled up to him. He pat its shoulder affectionately as they continued into a lean-to. That must have been his Night Fury, Claudia.

The lean-to lit up suddenly with a light that was far too bright to be candlelight. His shadow moved as if he were sitting someplace. He had said he needed to log the days events; her mind wandered as she imagined him opening his log, finding a writing implement, writing about her —

"Hiccup."

"Dad!" She jumped, having to catch herself on the sill so she wouldn't fall out. She spun around to stare at the massive Viking chief standing at the head of the stairs, wondering how she failed to hear him coming up.

"Keeping an eye on our guests?" He said, motioning at the window without further entering her room.

"Uh — sure." Not exactly, but close enough.

He took a step into the room, just far enough to put his hand on her writing desk. "You looked good today." He smiled pridefully. "You're growing into a fine woman. Your mother would be proud."

She looked away, warmth invading her cheeks and a smile returning to her lips. "Thanks, Dad."

The cooling evening air clashed with her cheeks and she realized she was looking back at the beach again. The two Night Furies sat at the line where water met sand, staring out at the ocean. The sky lit up as one shot a small fireball out over the waves. The other, holding the leather ball in its foreclaws, gave the first a nonplussed look and shot a larger, brighter fireball over the water.

Hiccup turned around and moved to her desk, retrieving her notebook and pencil. She quickly started noting down the behavior — new, unique dragon research! She was about to pick up the book and return to the window when she noticed her dad was still standing there.

"So . . ." He said at her curious look. "What do you think of Kiefer?"

Hiccup's shoulders fell and she gave him a sore look. "Really? Now? Ugh."

She dropped her forehead to the table, smacking it into the pages of her notebook a bit harder than she intended. This was, what, the third when-will-you-get-married-I-want-grandkids poke he'd given her today?

"Couldn't you wait until tomorrow? You could have set a record for fewest times in a week you've asked me to get a husband."

"This is serious, young lady!" He took another step around her desk, the floorboard creaking under his weight. "You're an adult now! And as Gobber keeps reminding me, I won't always be around to protect you. Since you have no interest in taking up an axe to defend yourself —"

"I have Toothless!" She shot up and turned to glare at him, now hunched over so he didn't tower over her. Said dragon's head popped up over her bed from where he was resting on his slab.

He didn't even pause.

" — you need someone who can protect you in ways dragons can't!"

Hiccup crossed her arms. "Astrid's offered to protect me."

"And when she has children of her own to protect?" His look became even more grave. He sighed heavily. "Hiccup, I'm thinking of your future. We both know that you have no interest in succeeding me as Chief. You can't even control five teenagers! Your talents are with your inventions and dragons."

"So I need to marry because you need an heir?" She slammed a hand into the table. "What, are you going to start marriage negations without my okay?"

"Of course not!" Stoick threw a hand in the air as he straightened.

"Good." Hiccup said quietly. "'Cause that always worked so well in the sagas."

She noticed Toothless still watching them and motioned for him to lie back down. He did so only after giving Stoick a wary glance.

Her dad pinched the bridge of his nose and let out another breath. "Look, you've said yourself you're not interested in any of your prospects here. Kiefer's . . . He's not bad, is he?"

She looked away, afraid of what answer her expression might give to that question. She hadn't been lying when she said she didn't like any of the men on the island. She liked men, but she didn't like any of them personally. Still, she had told him that (yelled it, really) in a bout of frustration. She just wanted him to back off. She hadn't thought that through, though; she didn't realize that he would force her to go on political visits with him to try and find someone at another village.

Now, though, someone had to come to her. Someone she really did find interesting. But at this point she really didn't want to admit it to her dad.

"I guess he's nice." She hardened her face and met his eye. "Why do you like him so much? Doesn't he want you to be skeptical?"

"I know how chiefs and those in power think, Hiccup. It's my job." He straightened again. "I know when they're after something, and I certainly know when they're planning something dangerous. Kiefer isn't. He's dodged a question or two, but overall he's been refreshingly forthright. He's no Dagur or Alvin, and certainly no Drago or Malificar."

Hiccup raised her eyebrows, as she didn't even know who those last two were.

"He hasn't even issued a veiled threat like the chief of Hopeless would have by now. He knows he doesn't have to. He's smart, and he's strong. Yet he's more your size, so he won't break you —"

"Break me?" Hiccup flinched and gave him a flustered look.

" — and his status is suitable for the daughter of a chief. Just . . ." He put a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her, but it was so heavy that it made her buckle. "Think about it, okay?"

With that he finally turned and left the room. Hiccup stared at her notebook for a few more minutes as she thought about it. Finally she stood rested her head against the windowsill as she looked back out at the beach below.