Hiccup stared at the twins with a lifted eyebrow. They and Barf and Belch had stopped him above the plaza as Hiccup, Toothless, and Sharpshot headed inland to find the Whispering Death a suitable den. That they stopped him did not bother Hiccup. That they hooted and hollered to get his attention caused the lifted eyebrow. He knew his mind was half focused upon finding the Whispering Death a place to lay her eggs and half focused on just what Astrid wanted to talk about, but they did not need to act like that so he would acknowledge them. Of course this was the twins. They probably hooted and hollered just for the fun of it.
"Boss man," Tuff said. "We know a perfect place for the Whispering Death."
"Where?" Hiccup asked.
"Follow us," Ruff said, directing Barf and Belch to bank towards the edge Gyda's house set near.
Hiccup frowned then sighed. "Follow them, bud," he said to Toothless.
Toothless warbled and banked to come alongside the Zippleback. The Whispering Death followed both dragons. Barf and Belch dove when they flew over Gyda's house. Toothless grunted but followed along, the Whispering Death right behind him. They landed on small beach tucked to the back of the massive sea stack Berk sat upon. A cavern that extended into darkness opened upon to the beach.
Hiccup frowned. He remembered this cave system. His father said the tunnels it connected to crisscrossed under all of Berk. He turned to the Whispering Death and gestured for her to go ahead of everyone. This was to be her home, she would get first chance to see it and decide if it fit her and the family she was carrying. The dragon slid forward and was soon enveloped in the shadows of the cave.
[Oh, I love this.]
Hiccup smiled at the joy in the dragon's voice. The Whispering Death slid back out and looked down at Ruff and Tuff. She cooed.
[Thank you for showing Alpha this place.] She then turned to Hiccup and bowed. [It is perfect. I can lay my eggs here, away from direct sunlight and my children can learn to tunnel. We will ensure the nest is safe, Alpha, so do not worry the tunnels will cause your dens to collapse. I will not allow that. Myself and my family can also keep this cave and any others it is connected to safe from intruders.]
"I'm glad," Hiccup said.
He frowned then and tilted his head before reaching out with his hand, palm facing the dragon. He turned his gaze. Toothless warbled something in the Old Tongue and Hiccup felt warm scales press against his palm. He turned his gaze back to the Whispering Death and scratched her nose. She cooed.
"Do you mind if I give you a name?" Hiccup asked. "I know it's not something dragons usually do, but it helps me keep everyone straight."
The Whispering Death chuckled. [I would be honored, Alpha. I can see how it would get confusing on who is who.]
Hiccup smiled. "I'll think of some and get back with you. You can choose which you like the best."
The Whispering Death tilted her head, though she did not break contact with Hiccup's hand. [You are different than any human I have ever known. I am glad you and the warriors of the nest freed me. I hope that my children can show half the honor you do, Alpha.]
Hiccup felt his cheeks warm. He rubbed the Whispering Death's nose. "Will you need anything?" he asked in an effort to take the attention off whatever honor the dragons thought he held. He still had difficulty accepting compliments. "Some leaves or moss to lay your eggs upon?"
[Thank you for asking but I will gather those things. They have to have my sent upon them so the hatchlings know who I am.]
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that."
[Don't be. How would you know my kind hatch blind and rely upon their nose to see their world?] The Whispering Death nuzzled against Hiccup's hand. [My children will learn your scent soon after they learn mine though. You will be their alpha and they will need to know that.]
"They will?"
[Brother,] Toothless said. [All baby dragons will learn your scent as soon as possible. Every hatchling in a nest must know who the queen or alpha is.]
Hiccup looked over his shoulder at Barf and Belch. "What about your kind?" he asked the dragon. "You, the Nightmars, the Gronkles, and the Nadders will leave to lay your eggs in that Hatchery. How will your babies learn my scent?"
[One of the parents,] Barf began.
[Will come for you, Alpha,] Belch finished.
Toothless looked at the Zippleback. [You would bring him to the Hatchery? Don't others from other nest use the same place?]
[Yes,] Barf said.
[And their alphas,] Belch continued.
[Or queens will come,] Barf added.
[Or already be there,] Belch finished.
[Forgive me, Alpha,] the Whispering Death said. [I must gather what I can before the sun breaks the clouds in the sky.]
"You don't like the sun?"
[It hurts my kind.]
"Oh, okay. Get whatever you need, even from the village if you have to. Just tell whoever asks I said to let you. We'll sort it out afterwards."
[Thank you, Alpha,] she said, bowing and then rising into the sky.
Hiccup turned to Tuff and Ruff. "Thanks guys," he said.
The twins smiled.
"We did listen to Fish when he would talk about the dragons," Ruff said. "We knew Whispering Deaths like to be in tunnels and caves."
"You did a great job, guys," Hiccup said, moving to climb into Toothless' saddle.
Barf and Belch pulled their maneuver of picking up the opposite twin and placing them in the correct saddle. Hiccup chuckled.
"Okay," Tuff said. "Now we promised Barf and Belch a chance to go speak to his lady friend."
The dragon's duel heads gave the same snort. Hiccup's eyebrow lifted.
"Oh, really?" he asked.
Ruff snickered. "Why do you think we suggested you named that female Zippleback Sugar and Spice. Barf and Belch have fallen head over tail for her. It's funny watching them."
Both heads bobbed up and down in a sharp manner though the dragon was careful to not knock the twins out of the saddles. The heads then grumbled in the Old Tongue. Toothless and Sharpshot laughed. Barf and Belch gave Hiccup a short bow and took off. Hiccup grinned. He looked down at Toothless.
"You think Barf and Belch wanted to shut the twins' teasing up?"
Toothless snorted. [That's a given. Where to now, brother?]
"We have to get the Scauldron settled and then meet Astrid in the cove." Hiccup sighed. "I just hope she's not going to tell me she's annoyed to the point she breaks off our courtship."
[I highly doubt that, brother,] Toothless said.
[So do I,] Sharpshot added.
Hiccup did not answer as Toothless' wings flared and the Night Fury bounced into the air over the ocean. He was not as sure as his brothers. Astrid was a fierce warrior. Having him worried about her to the point he wanted to remove her from danger might rankle her enough that she did not want to be with him anymore.
"Mama," Astrid said, stepping into her house and smiling at the smell of morning meal.
Her family would have already ate and began their day, even with the sun just barely over the edge of the world and behind some clouds. The smell remained though. It reminded Astrid of times as she grew and awoke to the scent of what her mother called mush, a slightly sweeten flatbread baked that morning and then chopped up and placed in warm yak milk. The flatbread was something her mother was known for and many in the village bought baskets of it whenever she could make enough. The bees they raised for the honey were as ornery as Vikings. Sometimes they did not make as much honey as others thus limiting how much Eydis could make.
Eydis looked up from her kettle and smiled. "Welcome home, dear," she said. "I saved you some."
Astrid moved to her chair at the small table set at the back of the firepit. Eydis smiled, setting down the wooden bowl Brynjar carved for Astrid the day she was born. Astrid's nostrils flared, smelling the mush. She then frowned.
"Mama," she said. "Hiccup?"
Eydis chuckled and pointed to another wooden bowl Brynjar had been carving in the evenings since Hiccup asked for permission to court Astrid and finished at the beginning of the week. "I have some for him too. I thought he would have come with you to the house since I told him he's welcomed here anytime."
Astrid frowned. "We freed some dragons as well as Heather's parents. The Whispering Death decided to call Hiccup her alpha and become a part of the nest. He was getting her a den because she is due to lay some eggs."
Eydis tilted her head. "And you didn't go because?"
Astrid gestured to her hair. "I want this gone. It's the same color as Heather's."
Eydis gave a small smile that Astrid knew meant her mother saw more than she wanted her to. Astrid had long learned to not let that annoy her. Her mother held that power Gyda spoke of in abundance.
"You eat, dear," Eydis said. "I'll put Hiccup's back in the kettle so it stays warm and I'll warm up some water. Then I'll help you clean your hair and you can tell me about the mission. After you can take Hiccup his morning meal."
"Mama," Astrid said, looking down at her bowl. "I have some questions. Can Gudleifr and Njal go outside while we clean my hair?"
Astrid felt her mother's fingertips brush against her cheek. "Sure, dear."
Astrid smiled as her mother drove her grumbling younger brothers out, telling them to go aid Brynjar and Torgeir in the village plaza. Astrid began eating, humming alongside her mother as Eydis began to warm some water and gathered some hair soap she had traded Johann some of her flatbread for the last time the trader had been in port. The familiar smells and sounds eased into Astrid and washed the stress of the mission from her.
The anxiousness about Hiccup remained, but Astrid had a plan and a goal. Astrid suspected the feelings Hiccup spoke of were good and ones wanted in a courtship but she would ask her mother to make sure. Her mother had explained much when telling her what happened after a wedding ceremony, but Astrid had never been in a courtship before. This was still largely unknown to her and Astrid would learn all she could. Anything less would be dishonorable to her family, herself, and to Hiccup. If her mother agreed with her suspicions Astrid vowed to speak with Stoick when the chief returned. He would rectify his bumbling with Hiccup and prove to Hiccup nothing was wrong with him.
Before that though, Hiccup would learn Astrid was going nowhere. He was hers now. She did not lightly cast aside what was hers and no one could take what was hers from her. She would fight nastier than an angered and injured boar or dragon if anyone tried.
