Hey fella's! I'm back! Here's the next chapter for ROTDR! I got so absorbed into TAAOFHAW, that I totally forgot what I was going to write here! But I remembered, and here it is! The chapter isn't as long as the ones of TAAOFHAW, but you don't mind, do you?

I also want to thank you for some new milestones we've reached on this story. I have forgotten quite a few, I'm sorry.

First of all, over 500 followers! You guys have no idea how excited it makes me to see that there are so many people out there who still discover and like my story, every day again.

Second, almost 700 reviews! You guys are the best, really. Continue telling me what you think, what you miss, what you would want to see in this story, or perhaps something I can explain in TAAOFHAW.

And last but not least, over 400 hundred favorites! You make my day, every day.

Also, Crimson-strength, the audiobook reader, is back! She has posted chapter 28 on tumblr, and it's the longest chapter yet! Nearly half an hour!

Anyways, let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Chapter 53 Dragon riding

'Dad? Can I talk to you?'

Stoick looked up as soon as Hiccup entered and nodded. 'About what?'

'Spitelout.'

Stoick's face grew dark at the mention of his brother. 'What is it?'

Hiccup sighed and moved over to the bench. 'Well, the reason Snotlout is alive is because I believe in second changes. And because he's family.'

'Hiccup...'

'Let me finish, please.' When Stoick nodded, he continued. 'Spitelout is family. But what he did... I don't have the words to describe how I felt when I found out. I have seen many wrong things in the world, from slavery to coldblooded murder, but to make a child live in fear of his own father is just... the worst thing possible. A father is supposed to protect his children, not beat them up on a daily bases.'

Even though he was talking about Spitelout, Hiccup could see his father cringe a little at his statement. Once again he had put a finger on the still hurting spot in his heart. He smiled weakly, as to reassure the man that they were fine, that the fragile, growing bond between them was still intact.

'However, I find it extremely difficult to ignore the hatred and anger I feel towards that man. I don't even care if he lives or dies. I just wanted to say, do with him what you want. He's your brother. I will led you decide his fate.'

Stoick nodded again, coming closer to Hiccup. 'He's chained to the pole for now. He can stay there for all I care. But I will think of a more permanent solution. I do not wish to kill my brother, but his crime is worse than Snotlout's. For years, he abused the Heir of Berk, right under my nose! The penalty for trying to kill the Heir is death.'

'I know that. And the only reason Snotlout is alive is because I strongly believe in second chances, as I said before. But as I also said, I find it very difficult to ignore the hatred I feel. It's not a feeling I'm very familiar with, and it scares me a little.'

Stoick sat down next to him and for a while neither of them said anything. Then Stoick spoke up, a little hesitant.

'You hate him?'

Hiccup sighed. 'Not him, what he did. His actions. I don't think I hate him as a person... I'm not sure. Like I said, it's not a feeling I'm very familiar with.'

Again the silence fell, lingering longer this time. Hiccup was playing with the crutch, avoiding the eyes of his father. Stoick watched his son with renewed interest. He had never thought Hiccup could feel hatred, even if it was a feeling he wasn't familiar with.

'Can't you send him off to Outcast Island?'

Stoick frowned. 'Didn't you refuse to send Snotlout there because him joining forces with Alvin scared you? Doesn't that go for Spitelout?'

'Spitelout doesn't scare me. Not like Snotlout did. Spitelout's anger was never directed towards me, but to his son. And Snotlout is leaving Berk as soon as possible, and there is no way the Outcasts will ever make it to Dragoncity.'

'They could come here.'

'Then we'll fight them off. We have dragons now. I can train more. I can teach you to train more. There are six Night Fury's present at the moment. And I've fought of raids before. Although pirates are different than Outcasts.'

'What if Alvin kills him?'

'Would it make a difference if Alvin did it or us? Sending Spitelout to Outcast Island is basically the same as giving him a second chance. He might never get the position he had, but maybe Alvin can beat some sense into him. I think it's a good idea.'

Stoick didn't answer. He was overthinking Hiccup's arguments. He was right on some points, it didn't make much of a difference who killed Spitelout, he would die eventually anyway. But the thought of Spitelout and Alvin together... his greatest enemy with his brother... He didn't like that thought. He looked up when Hiccup stood up.

'I'm going to the Arena. To see if it's still standing, and if everyone's in one piece. I'll let you think about my idea.'

With a small smile Stoick remembered that not a few days ago the roles had been reversed. He had been the one pushing Hiccup to find a solution, to do something about the dragons and Snotlout, now he was on the receiving end of the push. He only nodded in response and Hiccup left.

He stared at the door after it closed. His son had not only grown up, he had gained every quality a chief should possess. Political insight, a strong sense of justice. He had become a diplomat, a fine example of the son he always wanted him to be. But maybe he had those qualities all along, and had they been buried, only to be brought out in his time away.

He pondered the boy's suggestion. Sending Spitelout to Outcast Island was certainly an idea, but the island wasn't far from Berk. It would give him the chance to rally the Outcasts, and come back with an armada. On the other hand, Hiccup had been right when he said that they now had the dragons at their side. And the six Night Fury's and their riders would stay until every problem was resolved. Especially the dragon related problems.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming up, a big one.

0-0-0-0-0-0

He had slipped into the barn with Toothless on his way to the Arena. He just had to see the dragon. Toothless had greeted him with a soft croon and Hiccup had smiled. The dragon missed flying, he could tell, but his wings were healing quickly and hopefully they would be in the air soon. If Toothless stayed grounded for to long, he could get worse. Wrenlou had told him that the survival chances of grounded dragons were slim, because they could go insane after a few months, although the chances of a dragon with a rider going insane were much smaller. He certainly hoped Toothless would be spared that fate.

Toothless pushed his nose in Hiccup's chest, purring loudly as he scratched his chin. Hiccup smiled. At least his dragon wasn't alone. Toothless was just as close with Snowflake as he was with Wrenlou, although sometimes he suspected there were different reasons for that.

He felt a push and looked up. Snowflake was standing behind him. He smiled and started scratching her chin as well. For a while, both his hands were occupied as he scratched the dragons, both Night Fury's purring loudly.

'Okay guys, I need to leave now.'

Laughing, he covered his ears as the dragons wailed loudly. Sighing, he gave them both a last scratch before getting up and hobbling to the door. He looked back once. The dragons had settled down again, Toothless with his head on Snowflake's back. He closed the door and finally started making his way to the Arena, avoiding the plaza. He didn't want to see Spitelout at the moment. He knew what would most likely happen if he did and the hatred got too strong. Spitelout would end up dead very quickly.

0-0-0-0-0-0

As soon as he entered the Arena, he had to duck to avoid being lit on fire. He cursed while he stumbled to stay on his feet, falling into Astrid's arms. As soon as he had regained his balance, she let go of him.

'I am so sorry! I didn't mean to! Stormfly was just... I'm sorry!'

'It's okay, I'm fine. Don't worry about it, okay? I'm fine.'

She smiled and shooed the Nadder away. 'How's Snotlout?'

Hiccup shrugged as he watched the dragons chase each other. The twins had taken to riding the Zippleback, one on each head, and they were chasing Fishlegs and Meatlug, the Gronckle. Astrid's Nadder Stormfly was now chasing the Zippleback, a broken spear in her mouth. Broghan and Leila were watching the whole thing warily, their dragons sitting next to them with a bored look.

'He's hanging on. He's surprisingly sane considering what he went through for 25 years. I think he'll be alright as soon as he leaves Berk.'

'You did the right thing. Really you did.'

Hiccup sighed and looked at the doors of the Nightmares cage. 'I just hope he's able to leave soon. He won't feel safe as long as he's here.'

'What's going to happen to Spitelout now?'

'Not sure. I suggested he be banished to Outcast Island, but I think my dad doesn't really like that idea. He said he might come back.'

'He's right about that, you know.'

'He is. I told him we have the dragons now. HEY! COULD YOU KNOCK IT OFF?'

His sudden outburst startled her, but she wasn't the only one. Almost instantly the dragons froze, heads turning in his direction.

'You two, get down, now.'

The twins complied, albeit reluctantly. 'But we were just having fun!' Ruffnut protested as soon as her feet touched the ground.

'You think dragon riding is a joke? You think it's all just fun and games? Being a dragon rider is more than just fun for you. You now have the responsibility to protect your dragon!'

'Sorry.' Ruffnut mumbled, punching her brother.

'Yeah... sorry.' Tuffnut said, although he seemed a little vague.

Hiccup took a deep breath. 'Right. Now that I've said that, how about some real dragon training?'

He was instantly bombarded with questions. He took another deep breath to keep his cool, but the twins were slowly driving him crazy. Already. How did his father deal with these nutters for 25 years? Before he could say anything, Snowflake growled loudly. He hadn't even seen the dragon arrive and when he turned around, he saw Wrenlou standing behind him.

'Shouldn't you be with Snotlout?'

'The twins are there. They said they wanted to get to know him better, if they have to escort him to Dragoncity. But honestly, I think they may have other reasons.'

'Other reasons? Like what?'

Wrenlou crossed his arms, a mischievous grin on his face. 'You have to ask?'

'No way...'

'Oh yeah.'

'What? What am I missing? Hiccup?' Astrid was staring from Hiccup to Wrenlou and back to Hiccup. 'What reasons?'

'Em...'

'The twins fancy Snotlout.' Wrenlou said, walking towards Broghan and Leila.

'Fancy? But what... oh...' Hiccup smiled as understanding dawned on Astrid's face. 'Really?'

'I think so. They won't leave him alone. I told him if they woke him, I would drop them from their dragons into the ocean. They were staring at him the same way you look at Hiccup.'

Astrid felt her face turn red. She hadn't thought anyone had noticed the glances she shot at Hiccup when they were together, but she could have known better.

'Oh my gods...' She mumbled. 'I didn't think...'

'Didn't think anyone would see?' She shook her head. 'Does it matter?' She shook her head again. 'Well then. Hiccup! Get on with it!'

'Right... okay... em... Right. I already told you that the most important part of dragon riding is trust. If there is no trust, there is no dragon rider. You must trust your dragon, and your dragon must trust you. But you must also trust the ones you fly with. Your dragon may not always be able to safe you, and then you must trust the other riders to do so. You must be able to work together with your dragon, with the other riders, and the best way to learn that is to do it.'

Astrid listened intently. Everything he said made sense, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to trust the twins and their crazy Zippleback with her life or Stormfly's. She was a little shocked when she realized that she hadn't even been bonded with the dragon a day and she was already worried about it's life.

'Flying is the best way to strengthen the bond. Because I'm not able to fly with you, Broghan will take over from here. So, I guess... hop on.'

'But you just told us to get off!' Ruffnut shouted.

'And now I'm telling you to get your ass back on that dragon.'

'Em... Hiccup? Are you sure about this?'

'Yes Fishlegs. Trust me. Gronckles are one of the kindest dragons out there, she will be careful with you.'

Fishlegs smiled weakly and shakily climbed on Meatlug's back. The dragon growled softly, but stayed perfectly still.

Astrid looked a little hesitant to Stormfly's back. When she had been flying with Toothless, she had Hiccup in front of her. The thought of being on a dragon's back on her own...

'What am I supposed to hold on to? I mean, the twins have the horns, Fishlegs has those... tiny wing things, what do I hold onto?'

Hiccup frowned, looking from the Nadder to the Zippleback and back to the Nadder. Then his face lit up and he smiled.

'Hang on.'

He went to the chest with weapons and searched through it. Then he pulled out a rope and Astrid smiled too. She understood his intention. Using his knife he cut a pice of the rope that was just long enough to tie around the dragon's neck. Stormfly squawked and backed up when she saw Astrid approach with the rope, but after some hushing words from Hiccup and a fish from Astrid, she allowed the rope to be fastened around her neck. Then Astrid climbed on her back, grabbing the rope.

The Nadder felt completely different than Toothless. Her back was broader, and the scales were harsh against her skin. Broghan and Leila had already mounted their dragons, now standing in front of the four Berkian dragon riders.

'Alright! This is your first flight, so don't attempt anything stupid or suicidal, like jumping from the dragon and expecting it to catch you. That includes you two!' He pointed an accusing finger to the twins, who were clearly very disappointed. 'Trust your dragon. Follow his movements. Believe in yourself. I will give you more tips on a successful flight after you are air born. Now come on! Let's do this!'

He turned Moonchaser around and the dragon took one long jump, then glided out the Arena. Leila followed, Sephina waiting to spread her wings until they cleared the Arena. The Nadder, Zippleback and Gronckle all followed, eager to take flight.

Before her Nadder spread it's wings, Astrid looked back to Hiccup. He seemed a little lost, standing in the Arena flanked by Wrenlou and Snowflake, and she realized he missed flying with Toothless. Before she could give it any further thought, Stormfly spread her wings and before she knew it, she saw the Arena getting smaller and smaller. She clenched her hands around the rope, her legs trying to find some support on the Nadder's smooth back. Before she could slip off, the dragon leveled out, wings beating slowly. It was then that she dared to sit up and her eyes widened.

She had flown before, twice, but then she had been behind Hiccup. This time, she was the one steering the dragon, she was the dragon rider. And the view was no longer obstructed by a body in front of her.

When she looked left, she saw the twins. They sat just behind the heads of the Zippleback, holding the horns of the dragon as reigns. At the moment, Tuffnut was flying upside down, earning a glaring look from both his sister and Broghan. Fishlegs was flying on her right, holding onto the Gronckle with all his might. The dragons little wings were buzzing, effortlessly keeping them in the air.

She smiled as the wind whipped through her hair and clothes, pulling her braid. Flying alone was even better, and she rubbed Stormfly's neck. She could feel the dragon move under her, every beat of the mighty wings send a shiver down her spine. Stormfly squawked, shaking her head. The dragon's long tail was flowing behind her like a snake, the spines flattened against the skin. Now she had a good chance to really look at the dragon.

The Nadder was mostly blue, the underside of her wings being yellow. She had yellow spots along her wings, forming some sort of pattern. Her tail was blue, with yellow bands. Or yellow with blue bands. The spiked crown on her head and the horn on her snout were also yellow.

Astrid smiled and closed her eyes. Flying was something wonderful, beautiful, but it was also something dangerous. And she liked dangerous. Suddenly, the dragon swerved to the left and when she opened her eyes, she saw that they had turned around and were flying back to Berk.

She regretted going back. But she knew she had to take small steps. From what she had heard from Hiccup and how he trained Toothless, it needed time. As soon as they landed in the Arena again, she sighed a deep sigh of regret. But as soon as she was off the dragon, she couldn't contain herself. She ran towards Hiccup and hugged him tightly.

'That was so awesome! Thank you.'

He smiled when she pulled away from him. 'It gets even better when you get the hang of it, believe me.'

She believed him.

She believed him with all her heart.