Threats and Promises.

The eating, drinking, and general festivities went on for some hours. A group started playing in one corner, and Bog-Burglars began dancing.

The two from Berk were staring. Due to the fact that there were so few men here, there were quite a few women dancing together. Hiccup and Astrid both turned a bit pink.

Astrid nudged Hiccup with a smile. "We could join them."

Hiccup stared at her. "I'm just getting halfway decent at walking with this. And I never got much of a chance to dance, remember. And it's a bit sore."

Astrid sighed, and leaned on his shoulder. Another thing to remind her about the way he had been shut out. "Maybe we should call it a night, then."

Hiccup nodded. "Really. I'm about to nod off even in this noise. " He leaned over and rapped his knuckles on the table to get Camicazi's attention. "Hey there." He had to speak a bit loudly; "Can we go sleep somewhere?"

Camicazi nodded, held up a finger, and went over to talk to her Mother. She came back and beckoned them out. She waved to the few people who noticed, raising their mugs to their guests. Toothless, stuffed with fish to where his belly almost dragged the floor, ambled lazily after them.

As Camicazi closed the doors behind them, muffling the noise, Hiccup let out a huge breath and leaned against Toothless, who gave a quiet concerned warble.

Astrid watched him. "Tired?"

Hiccup gave a tired grin. "Yeah. I'm not used to being the center of attention yet. Kind of overwhelming." He looked around the quiet village slightly below. "I never thought about it, really. I always dreamed about being, well, just another Viking, like everyone else." He rubbed the top of Toothless's head. "I didn't think I'd have so much trouble with it."

Astrid walked over and took his other hand. "We can go back to our island if it's a real problem."

Hiccup shook his head. "Not a problem, just… I'll get used to it. I have to now."

Camicazi took this chance to jump in. "Well, nobody's going anywhere but our hall. We've got rooms, and beds for you. I… we can't let you go home badmouthing our hospitality, Haddock."

Hiccup smiled at her as they went down the stairs. "Wouldn't do that anyway. I'm so full I can hardly move."

Camicazi sniffed. "Well, you need to eat more. Look at you! Doesn't Berk feed you at all?"

Astrid bristled at that. "We didn't starve him!"

Hiccup shook Astrid's hand. "Hey. Easy there." To Camicazi; "I didn't have much of an appetite for a while. Lately, though, I've been eating like a Gronckle."

Camicazi snickered. "Well, the hall's just ahead. Sleep as late as you want. I'll keep everyone quiet."

She opened the door of the Chief's hall, ushering them in. Toothless wandered carefully over to the hearth, turned around in a circle, and laid down, his half-open eyes still fixed on Hiccup.

There were three doors on one side. Camicazi opened the first one. "Astrid, here's your room."

The blond Berkan stood in the doorway. It was a plain simple room, with a fair-sized bed heaped with furs, and a glowing brazier to the side.

Camicazi walked over and opened the second door. "Hiccup, here's yours. Indis had them warmed up for you."

As Hiccup walked into the room, he stopped. "Thanks. Thank your Mother for me if I don't see her first."

Camicazi stopped at the door. "Anything you need, I'm right here." She pointed towards the third room.

"Thanks."

"Anything at all."

"Thanks again."

"I mean it. Just bang on the wall. I'll probably be up for a while."

"I'll remember that."

"Well, goodnight then." She slowly walked down the room and entered the third door.

Astrid leaned on Hiccup's door. "Well, that was a hint, loverboy."

"Hint?"

Astrid put one hand on her hip, and let the other one sway as she sashayed across the room with exaggerated hip movements. She did her best imitation of the Bog-Burglar Heiress; "If there's just annnything you want." She leaned over and batted her eyes several times at Hiccup, dropping her voice to a throaty whisper; "Annnnnnnything."

Hiccup held his hand over his mouth to smother the laughter. After a bit, he shook his head. "She's not like that, Astrid. She's always been the friendly sort."

Astrid smiled back, showing a bit more teeth. "Well just don't let her get too friendly." She walked over, hugged him, and kissed him lightly.

As she left, she looked back at him. "If you get the overpowering urge to bang on a wall, it had better be this one." She closed the door behind her.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kara gave her report to Freya, concern in her voice. She also brought up Thrud's issue. The girl was right. They couldn't actively interact with ordinary, living Vikings.

Freya waved it off. "I've been thinking about that. I have to go away for a bit. You can keep an eye on things."

Kara frowned. "How long? And where are you going?"

Freya shrugged. "I don't know how long. The where is farther south."

Kara raised an eyebrow. "How far south?"

Freya smiled. "Far enough, I'm afraid. I'm going far enough that we aren't the Gods they worship." She began buckling on her armor. "I have tales of a magic user. A powerful witch who is stronger than she pretends. Her magic can play with space and time, and is particularly useful in dealing with the people we need to." She looked towards Kara; "She can help us with a few things. I'm going to need you later."

Kara frowned. "If they don't worship us, you can be in danger. We can be hurt."

Freya shook her head. "It won't be like that. Not like the wars." She smiled; "I don't intend taking over yet."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The night passed everywhere in peace and quiet. At least outwardly.

Astrid stared at the ceiling. 'What did I do? Did I just invite him to my… room? What if he takes me up on it? What if he takes her up on it?' She eventually dropped into a restless sleep, filled with flapping wings, wind, and boys with reddish hair.

Camicazi was staring into the glowing coals of the brazier in her room. She had played the hostess, remaining calm on the outside while she controlled her emotions bouncing around. Seeing a Night Fury. Seeing him after three years… slightly taller, but still the same. All that intensity and intelligence crammed inside the same slim body. It was no surprise, really, if she thought of it, that it would have been him to end the dragon wars.

She wondered what her Mother was thinking right now. She would have to keep an eye on her. And him. And the blonde that seemed to latch onto him as close as his new metal foot.

And in the center room, a young man tossed and turned, with dreams of fire and falling.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The work day starts early in a Viking village. People are lighting fires and getting dressed before the sun, preparing to get out as soon as the first rays make it light enough not to fall in a hole.

Bog-Burglars didn't wake up like normal folk. There was none of this drowsy stretching and yawning nonsense. They woke up instantly, eyes taking in their surroundings, and then pouncing out of bed. Camicazi was awake and armed within seconds.

She stepped out of her room. The fire was going well, kept up by sentries Indis had posted, to care for, and more likely, keep track of their guests.

A glance told her the black dragon was no longer in front of the hearth. A few steps further, however, showed that the door to Hiccup's room was open, with the half-tail of the Night Fury lying just inside. A glance around the door showed the dragon stretched beside the bed. Hiccup was half lying across Toothless, his head on the dragon's shoulders and arm flung across his back. They both seemed to be sleeping deeply, but a twitch of the tail as she looked in told her that the dragon was aware of her presence.

Turning and continuing to the main door, she noticed that Astrid was no longer inside. Stepping out to the front platform, she saw the blonde Berkan stretching while talking to the woman guarding the hall. The guard straightened up from her relaxed stance when she saw the Bog heir.

Camicazi nodded; "Thanks, Blue. You and Grabber take today off. No duties, hear? Same tonight?"

Blue, a tall, wiry woman, shrugged. "Sure thing, Cami. Not bad duty at all." She picked her spear up from where it leaned against the wall and went off in search of food. She paused after a few steps, and turned back. "By the way, the Hooligan lad had a bad night. And that dragon can open doors. Just thought you'd like to know." She walked off.

Astrid stood up and looked at her. "I want to thank you for letting us stay."

Camicazi waved it off. "Welcome. Besides, you're allies. And really, we were dying to hear about the dragons. Johann didn't do the story justice. Even the way he tells stories."

Astrid fidgeted at bit. "And while we're on the subject…" She paused.

Camicazi smiled. "Which subject? Dragons, our hospitality, or Johann's stories?"

Astrid smiled; "One of the laws here is that no member of our tribe can help the banished. And I have to be back tomorrow." She looked down a moment. "I've been wondering if it's okay for him to stay here alone the rest of his time."

"Of course it's okay! And he won't be alone. We'll keep an eye on him. Several, in fact."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean."

Camicazi folded her arms tightly across her chest, and gave the blonde her most dangerous glare. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to spell it out for me. I'm a bit slow this early in the day."

Astrid matched her glare for glare. She waved an arm around. "There's, like, a dozen men in this whole place. And a few boys. The rest are all…" she fought to think of an appropriate term.

"Aha!" Camicazi barked. "I thought you, of all those idiots on Berk, would understand us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Camicazi sighed. "You don't understand this place at all, do you? You, a strong, skilled shield maiden, still stuck in your traditions."

"Riding dragons isn't exactly a Viking tradition, in case you haven't noticed."

"But for all that we're allies, and back each other up, some people just can't get over the fact that we're a tribe run by women!"

"I didn't say that!"

"You came pretty damn close! You think we're just a bunch of whores here!"

"I didn't- …weren't… wasn't…" Astrid's shoulders sank.

Camicazi shook her head. "And to think I was considering inviting you to join us."

She turned and looked out over the village, calming her breathing… and her temper. "Did anybody ever bother to tell you how the Bog-Burglars came to be? Or do they still keep that under a blanket?"

Astrid shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know about a lot of things lately, it seems." She folded her arms across her chest. "It still doesn't feel real sometimes. Hiccup changed everything in just a few weeks." She sighed; "And everything I feel… about dragons, and about, well, men. Him, specifically." Her eyes became slits. "And I'm keeping him."

Camicazi smirked. "Fighting for the man you love. Very admirable. I can respect that." She tilted her head. "Or is it love, hmmmm?"

Astrid bristled. "I'll have you know that Stoick and my Father have an agreement. Hiccup is mine, girl!"

Camicazi snapped her fingers. "I knew it! Stoick never let any moss grow under his feet. I knew he'd have Hiccup tied fast to a Berk girl." She frowned. "Mother won't like that, you know."

"And what does your Mother have to do with this?"

Camicazi sighed. "I thought you were smart. But maybe you aren't aware of all the deals tribes make with each other." She reached down and smoothed down her tunic. "Relations between tribes have always been helped along by marriage. People don't want to fight their own families." She looked out over the hill. "And when tribes have heirs of compatible age and body parts, well, you know."

"So… your Mother thinks that… Hiccup… would-"

"Make a fine match for her daughter."

"Which happens to be you."

"And she won't be happy hearing what Stoick did."

"And you?"

Camicazi sighed. "To tell the real truth? I don't care." She smiled at Astrid's raised brow. "I don't want to marry, even if the Chief's family often does, even if temporary. But Mom's worried about all this new dragon stuff. And she wants to be part of it."

"But we're allies. Hiccup would never attack you."

"I know that."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why? Hiccup said you guys wrote each other. And last time you were on Berk, you were being really nice to him. Why?"

Camicazi's mouth slowly smiled. "You didn't see him, did you?"

"I saw him every day."

"No, you didn't see him. There's a difference. You talk so high and mighty now about him, but then, you wouldn't look him in the eye."

Astrid's shoulders sank. "Yeah. We didn't…"

"If you had looked at him, or listened to him, for just one minute!" Camicazi sat down on the top step of the porch. "You might have realized that somewhere… somehow, he was going to do something. Something big."

"That's not news. Stoick and most of the tribe are kicking ourselves over that. I know it now." Astrid sat down beside her. "I want to know what it was then."

Camicazi smiled. "Did he ever show you his books? His drawings, his inventions… his ideas?"

Astrid frowned. "No. He was always writing something. We… I just never paid attention."

"Thought so. Well, you should. Some of it's a real eye-opener."

"There's nothing about him that would surprise me any more. And you don't know the half of it."

Camicazi got serious again. "Look, you have to understand our history. We have a tradition of not having traditions. And there's a reason behind it."

"What's this have to do with Hiccup?"

"Well, give me a chance to get around to that. It all started…"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was the early days of the settlement of the Barbaric Archipelago, as it was later named. The Christian God was taking over the mainland south of them. The Viking age of expansion, and even their culture, was beginning to die out. Viking settlements, surrounded by European cities that were becoming more organized and efficient, were slowly destroying the old ways. These settlements were being absorbed, driven out, or even finally destroyed by larger forces of better organized and equipped Continentals.

A fleet of ships, that last great gathering of the Viking peoples, had had enough, and sailed off to found their own lands. They sailed northwards, eventually finding an unpopulated, scattered area of large islands where they could live. The ships scattered, in twos and threes, each to make their own homes, untouched by the turmoil in the south.

Some of these ships landed on an island they later named Berk, and a young man named Bork began his studies of the fantastic creatures to be found there. This was before the raids, and we well know the later history of that.

Other parts of this fleet settled elsewhere, and for a time, everyone was too busy building a life to have much to do with each other.

Several generations later, we take you to the island of the Uglithugs. Argh, the current Chief, had a problem…

Now, nobody could determine the reason for this problem. Perhaps it was the diet. Perhaps it was something in the water, or the food, or the soil. Perhaps it was something in the grass the livestock ate.

You see, almost all the babies born on this island were girls. So much so, that there were clans in danger of having no male to carry on the clan name. And this was particularly bad in the eyes of the Chief. The Elder tried to explain this as a good thing, since many women meant many babies, to help the tribe grow.

But Argh had his own problems with this. He had married a healthy, stout village girl, the daughter of his General. A year later, she presented him with a fine, healthy baby girl.

He was angered. So they tried again. A year after that, another baby, also a girl.

Now Argh was not a nice man. He could be fair, but he would not win any popularity contest. He also wasn't getting any younger. And he was going to have a son to take after him.

So he made up his own laws. He divorced his Wife, whose name was forgotten from history. Some said he banished them, woman and children. Some say he killed them.

We now introduce Helga the Horrible. No, she was not named that for her looks, as she was quite beautiful. She was a terror with a sword. She fought the first line in any battle, and had many victories, bringing much honor to her clan.

So it really should have been no surprise when Argh came calling, with a marriage contract and a large sack of loot. The two were wed, and settled into the Chief's house. He did not mistreat her, although you could not claim there was any love there.

So, some months later, when Helga began feeling those things which made her worry, she went to the Elder. The Elder examined her, cast the runes, prayed to Frigg, and then looked at her and shook her head.

The signs said this would be a girl, and that Argh would not be pleased, to say the very least.

They kept this a secret, and Helga went back to her duties. Argh was joyous about her pregnancy. Surely, such a fine strong woman would bear him the heir he needed!

As a few more months passed, Helga made her plans. She was not the only pregnant woman with worries. And even some girls about to be married were in turmoil, since there was increasing hostility to women who bore daughters.

So Helga watched, and listened, and slowly gathered others. And one night, on a full moon, they struck.

The women snuck through the village in the middle of the night. From everywhere, they took those things they needed. They prepared the largest longship, and filled it with tools, metal, food, weapons, pots, baskets, a few sheep, chickens, and yaks, seeds… everything they would need to survive. Helga supervised the loading, and soon they were ready to sail. She and a few others cut the sails on the other ships, and threw their oars into the current. They wouldn't be followed too soon.

They sailed far east and north of the Uglithugs. After weeks of skimpy rations, supplemented by fishing, they found an island plenty large enough for them. Parts of it were low-lying, and covered in bogs. Helga proclaimed it Bog Island, and they began building.

They worked hard, finishing houses before the first snow. It wasn't easy, that first winter, and the good fishing was their salvation. The livestock had to be kept for breeding.

And then, on a night near Snoggletog, Helga gave birth. And it was a boy. The Elder, who had grown disgusted of the tribe's ways, had come with them. She looked at the baby, and at Helga, and shrugged. She was confused herself, and not used to the God's signs being wrong. Helga reassured her as best she could. Perhaps the Gods had a reason, because of what had come of her signs.

Then, the first troubles began. The other women had accepted Helga as Chief, even though Viking law said no woman could become Chief. They had sworn fealty to her as any warrior would swear to any man they would accept to lead them. They did not want a male heir. They said they should kill the child, or give him away to another tribe. They were angry.

Helga called them all together, with the babe in her arms, and talked to them. She told them she could never bring the evil of Argh upon others. She warned them that others, with many of the small tribe pregnant, may also bear sons. She then swore that she would have another child, or adopt one, so that the brave women, those burglars of the Bog isle, would never have to follow the rules and enslavement of men again.

And then she took herself, and the Elder, and the fierce woman she chose as her General, and those who best organized the village, and she created her counsel, and they laid out the laws of their tribe… laws unheard of elsewhere.

Oh, there was fighting, and arguing, and throwing of furniture, and much swearing… but in the end, they had the Law of the Bog-Burglars, as they came to be.

All children would be raised, educated and trained, but only woman can hold positions of power. No man can be Chief, or heir to the tribe.

They realized that certain skills were in short supply. But a man could only live there by invitation, and could never become a member of the council, or head of a clan.

Woman could marry, or not, at their own will. Nobody would ever sign a girl away to marriage against her consent again. Ever. Marriage itself was an option. The council declared that bastardry would hold no shame in the tribe.

Others eventually discovered the tribe. There were a few battles, and the women fought as crazed, winning handily. None wanted to return to the rule of men.

A few years later, Helga gave birth to a daughter, whose father was a rather handsome sailor from a ship who stopped a week for repairs. The tribe rejoiced.

Once word spread, some other women began finding their way there. All were considered, but there were rules. You could stay only if you had some skill to offer the village. They would accept no criminals escaping their crimes, even if the entire village was, in the beginning, thieves and escaping wives. But very, very few were turned away.

Helga's first General fell in love with a shipwright, who was a good man, and he was the first man allowed there. He built them a proper fleet, fishing boats, longships, and the Bog-Burglar favorite, small, light longboats able to travel anywhere quickly.

And travel they did. They earned their name, training in the art of sneaking around. They visited other tribes, without them knowing, of course, and soon became the wealthiest, best outfitted tribe in the Archipelago. Others soon found it was best to deal with them than stand against them.

And the tribe grew and prospered.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Wow." Astrid muttered. "They didn't tell us all that."

"Those men were so embarrassed they tried to erase the whole history of us. But, we're still here."

"I could see why. But what happened to Urg?"

"Argh. His clan died out. No male heir, apparently. Even the clan name was forgotten. The Uglithugs are still there, of course, but the children evened out eventually, and they got a bit more level-headed."

"Is this a secret? Did they find out it was you?"

Camicazi smiled. "It was a generation or so later when the Uglithugs found this place. Enough of them remembered the tales, and started a fight. We put them in their place fast enough, and they never tried it again." Camicazi snickered. "It helped that we got even with that, sneaking onto their island and stealing every damned thing in their whole tribe but the underwear they had on."

She continued. "And that's why the men tell the tales they do. They don't want their women running to us, and they don't want to remember that it was the men, and their attitude towards us, that created us. And they especially don't want people to understand how a tribe run by women can work just fine."

Astrid looked wistful. "I can see how it can be attractive, now. Hel, Mom warned me I was about to be married off, and to the most disgusting boy in the tribe."

Camicazi got a calculating look. "And now?"

Astrid smiled. "Now, it's Hiccup. And I have no problem with that."

"That's the Bog-Burglar way, then. A woman can choose, or not choose, who she wants."

Astrid's face screwed up in a frown. "But I didn't want him, until I decided I did want him."

"When you looked at him. He's a man of secrets, isn't he?"

"Oh, so many more than you could ever guess."

Camicazi sighed. "I can't fault you, not if you really care for him, but I have to convince my Mother."

Another frown. "Why would she be worried? It's Hiccup, for Thor's sake! He doesn't want war."

Camicazi took a few deep breaths. "Look, I don't know what Stoick told anyone, but Mom has a reason for being paranoid." She looked over at Astrid. "Did you hear how Mom got to be Chief?"

Astrid shook her head. "Not exactly, no. Something special?"

Camicazi looked out towards the docks. "You could say that. Mom was young, and I was just a baby. Her Mother was at some big Thing, on the Meathead island. It was the day all the Chiefs got together to go over the laws. Turns out some madman made a bunch of demands on them, and everybody laughed at the guy."

Camicazi met Astrid's gaze. "Not long after he left, the place was attacked, and blasted to the ground by dragons. And it wasn't like a usual raid, either. This was a bunch of dragons that attacked this one building, with all the Chiefs inside. Witnesses thought everyone was dead, but later, one slightly crispy Chief crawled out of the wreckage."

"It was Stoick.", she continued. "He was the only survivor. On that day, almost every heir in the Archipelago became Chief, Bertha included." She sighed. "Stoick helped everyone get settled in the best he could, and he got a lot of respect and loyalty from the others. And that grated on Mom a bit. Stoick's the closest thing the Archipelago has ever had to a, well, Chief of Chiefs. And Mom doesn't like that in the hands of any man."

Astrid gave a scowl. "But it's Hiccup. He wouldn't do-"

Camicazi cut her off; "I know it's Hiccup. It doesn't matter to her. If anybody controls dragons, she is going to want that power for us."

"He doesn't control them like that. None of us do. It's like, well, being friends. They're not sheep."

"And you say you used them to kill a giant dragon?"

"Well, we fought it. Hiccup did the hard part."

"So Hiccup is the dangerous one?"

"He's not dangerous!"

"Then how would you put it?"

Astrid's mouth opened and closed a few times. But no words came out.

"Yeah. So how can I talk to my Mother about it, then?"

Astrid sighed. "Can't we just let this settle down a little? There's a… lot of stuff going on right now. But Hiccup isn't going to go out and conquer Midgard this week."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

NOTES:

I am sorry for the delay. I have a lot of polishing up to do. Also, blame other authors.

So, I'm not pushing any friends, here. These authors don't even know I exist. But I read a lot of new stuff, and follow a few recommendations, and tripped over a few really neat stories.

u/2716266/Determamfidd wrote a really nice story, 'Talking In Her Sleep', which is a great lead-in for 'When in Rome', a sprawling epic I loved.

u/387401/Midoriko-sama has published a truly marvelous (and I don't throw that word around lightly) story (or two) in the 'Becoming' Trilogy.

There went a couple of weeks of my spare time. And technically, after reading those, I might as well hang up my quill, figuratively speaking. After reading those, I had to edit my stories, so as not to be accused of stealing ideas. Great minds must think alike, then.

Really, after reading a few thousand stories here, it's hard to come up with something original. All the good stuff is taken.

I am amazed at the number of follows and favorites I have here. I just try my best. Thank you.

I also got discouraged watching the latest 'Race to the Edge" episodes. Look, we know at the end of the first movie, Astrid claims Hiccup. That's the only way you could interpret a big smooch in front of the whole village. Then we know that in the second movie, she's Stoick's 'future daughter-in-law'. Now in the early TV series, there were some 'Hiccstrid moments', such as 'Gift of the Night Fury', 'Frozen', or the Thawfest episode. A kiss here, a hug, a lot of concern.

Now, in any journey, to get from A to C, you go through B. Race to the Edge could be thought of as B here, since it's after the Red Death, and before Drago. So what's going on? Not only is Astrid just 'one of the guys' with practically no personal Hiccup time, there's now sort of a wedge, what with her dealings in secret with Heather. I can't see where this is going, and it irks me.

Also, a lot of time is going into my 'promotion' at work. Well, it's a promotion in that I'm doing more, and learning more, and responsible for more, but my paycheck remains the same. The one big thing is that I'm no longer on second shift, which is lighter work and responsibility, but raised to first shift, which means, among other things, better grooming, since first is when the suit-and-tie people hang around the plant.

On the one down side, second shift is where I had more time to read and write here.