Fishlegs' voice from the image walls filled the cavern.

/Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now.

Look out!/

A head snaked into view. It rose, facing Fishlegs. He hurled water onto it only to have the head begin to spit gas and laugh.

/Oh, wrong head.

Fishlegs!/

Fishlegs shrieked and ran. The other head joined the first. Both heads rose. Hiccup, watching noticed the first head did not spit more gas and the gas in the arena started to dissipate.

/Now, Hiccup!/

Spurred by Gobber's yell, Hiccup hurled his water up. It rose, arched, and fell on the stone at the dragon's feet.

/Oh, come on.

Run, Hiccup!/

The Zippleback laughed, the second head sparking. Both heads closed in on Hiccup. He retreated. The dragon followed. It paused, sniffing. It recoiled and retreated. Hiccup walked forward. The Zippleback kept retreating.

/Back! Back! Back. Now, don't make me tell you again!/

The Zippleback retreated into its cage, whimper and hissing.

/Yes, that's right. Back into your cage./

Hiccup, at the cage's entrance, glanced over his shoulder before pulling his vest aside. He then pulled the eel from earlier off his shoulder and tossed it into the cage. The Zippleback tried to make itself small in the corner furthest from the eel. Not easy given the small size of the cage.

/Now think about what you've done./

Hiccup shut the cage doors and turned. Gobber and the teens stared at him slack-jawed. Fishlegs dropped a bucket.

/Okay, so are we done? Cause I've got some things I need to… Yeah, see you tomorrow./

Hiccup left the arena and stunned silence fell over those watching. A silence broken by a loud, gruff voice.

"A trick?"

"Stoick," Gyda began, "you lot use a book to tell the weak places to strike in order to down a dragon, correct? Bork had to have learned that somehow, correct? He observed and learned from the dragons he encountered, correct? Else none of you would have the information you have now. Hiccup observed a dragon he encountered. One even the book of dragons has no information about and learned something that dragon does not like. In fact, it is something that the dragon recoils from. He used that knowledge in a program for teaching how to fight dragons and learned the Zippleback also recoils from the eel. How is what Bork done not a trick but what Hiccup done is? That's called being a hypocrite, Stoick."

"How do you know about Bork?" Gobber asked.

Gyda sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Done told you lot, I know quite a bit about Berk, the dragons you fight, and much about several of the Hairy Hooligans and of others from other tribes in the Archipelago. Now, let's us continue if we're not going to be interrupted anymore."

[I wish to-] one head of the Zippleback began.

[Say something,] the other head finished.

"Go ahead," Gyda replied, smiling.

[Alpha,] one head began.

[We forgive you for that,] the other finished.

[And we thank you-]

[For removing it later.]

Hiccup looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, sorry. Thanks for not attacking me when I came back that night. I noticed while watching that you waited until the gas dissipated before starting to spark. Is like the Gronkle only hitting the shield?"

Both heads nodded.

[We were just-]

[To teach which head to attack.]

[Hurting anyone-]

[Hinders learning.]

"Okay," Gyda said, "now let's continue."

"Gyda," Hiccup said, "before you start the images again, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why do you hate my dad so much?"

Gyda blinked and tilted her head. "I don't, Hiccup. I actually feel pity for him. I know he loves you. I also realize he is letting his pride keep him from showing you that. That's foolish pride and it has no place in raising a family. Foolish pride always has a cost. A high one." She sighed. "I also despise how all of them have treated you and continue to treat you. You have committed no crime to be ostracized for. Yet because they are too blind to actually see you, they do just that. More foolish pride, actually. None of them are the gods you follow. They are just humans and do not have the understanding to know the path a person can take. The path they are destined to take if they choose to follow it."

"What is the cost of foolish pride?" Hiccup asked.

Gyda sighed again. "I'll tell you at the end of this, my friend. That I promise. We need to keep watching though. I can't keep you lot here for the rest of your lives."

"I'll hold you to that promise," Hiccup said.

Gyda smiled and waved her hand. The images showed Hiccup once again in the smithy. He cut and stitched some leather. When finished the object he was making laid upon the smithy floor. He knelt, dusting it off and showing it to be a saddle. The images shifted. Hiccup stood in the cove. He held up the saddle. Toothless, eyes dilated, dropped his front half before bolting. Hiccup, carrying the saddle, chased him from one side of the cove to the other.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked amongst the snickering of the dragons as they watched them play. He had always wondered why Toothless acted that way and now that he had a chance he was taking it.

Toothless chuckled. [Come now, brother, did you really think I would make it easy for you?]

Hiccup huffed. "Silly reptile."

Toothless laughed as the images shifted and showed both in the air flying. Hiccup held a rope in his hand in order to open the tailfin. Wind buffeted them. Toothless went one way. Hiccup went the other. The images changed again. Hiccup was back in the smithy adding hooks to the saddle and sewing himself a harness with lines to attach to the hooks. He tested one by holding on a nail on the wall and hooking the line to it. He pulled and smiled when it did not give. The images changed. He and Hiccup were flying again. Now the rope for the tailfin was tied to his foot. Another gust of wind had them crashing. Hiccup stepped through the tall grass they landed in and frowned. The images showed Toothless laying in the grass and rolling around like a cat with catnip. Hiccup held up a few and the background changed to show the arena. The Gronkle was out again. She headbutted one teen before flying towards Hiccup. He held up the grass. The Gronkle's eyes dilated. Her tail wagged as she landed. Hiccup rubbed the grass on her nose before moving his hand right. The Gronkle fell over in her attempt to keep her nose touching the grass.

[I remember that grass,] the Gronkle said. [It smelt so nice.]

Hiccup chuckled then frowned as the images showed himself and the teens walking across the wooden bridge, heading back to the village. All but Astrid bombarded him with questions and comments about what happened in the ring.

/I've never seen a Gronkle do that before.

How'd you do that?

It was really cool./

Hiccup walked backward through the teens. He nearly bumped into Astrid in his effort to get away.

/I left my axe back in the ring. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up./

Astrid watched him as he hurried away.

[Uh oh,] Toothless murmured. [Your mate looks suspicious.]

"She's not my mate, Bud."

Toothless just stared at him. [Yet.]

"No, Toothless. If I ever marry it'll be because Dad arranges a contract with a girl from another tribe that does not know me or about me."

That had the dragons regarding Hiccup in confusion.

[Why?] the female Nadder asked.

Hiccup sighed and looked down. The Terror looked up at him, both worried and confused. Hiccup looked away.

[Why, brother?]

"No one would ever want me, Toothless," Hiccup whispered. "Not like that."

[You're wrong, Alpha,] Shadowfire said. [There are many who love you.]

Hiccup looked over to find Gyda nodding.

"Your tale is known, just as you see it now. Many have fallen for you." Gyda paused and looked across the barrier at the Vikings who stared and listened in silence. "I can't tell you who," Gyda continued. "I can't tell you when. I can only say there is one over there who will want you."

Hiccup just shook his head. He trusted her. He was beginning to believe her when she said he had worth. He could not believe her on this. The dragons accepted him. The Vikings did not. The dragons called him family. The Vikings did not and the one girl Hiccup wanted to notice him, to want him, seemed furious with him right then.

"We'll continue," Gyda said. "You'll see."