Stoick led Hiccup to the far side of the Great Hall. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder as his queen and the older Riders left the cavern alongside most of the Berkians, the nest and visiting dragons, and all but a few of the visiting Vikings. Despite the fact two chiefs had only just arrived, all of the tribe leaders requested the Thing officially start after evening meal instead of everyone waiting until the next day.
Hiccup understood the reasoning. The tribe leaders wanted to know why Stoick, who professed to hunting down the dragons' nest relentlessly during the war, would now allow dragons to live on Berk. They also wanted to know if Berk would turn their gaze upon them and use their dragons to continue the war with much different intentions.
He even understood why that meant his friends would have to miss the meeting. The Riders, while people Hiccup would one day work closely with upon his accession to chief, were not in a position of authority in the eyes of those tribe leaders. The Riders also had patrols to conduct before their day fully ended.
Understanding all of that did not mean he had to enjoy any of it. Especially when his father explained why he pulled him away from wishing his queen a safe flight.
"Ye need be the one to tell the tale, son."
Hiccup's brow furrowed. Stoick glanced away, to a point behind Hiccup. The man sighed and then faced Hiccup once more.
"I know ye no like to tell it."
Hiccup snorted. That was an understatement. He despised retelling it because he had to explain what he had done to his brother. Stoick had it right. Forgiving oneself took time. Guilt still weighed upon Hiccup's soul. He, in a moment of greed, rendered his brother flightless. Sure, Toothless flew but only if Hiccup provided the means.
During the day, despite anything happening in the village, Hiccup and the Riders took time to steal away to the cove. There they trained with weapons or with Gyda but they always remained afterwards. This allowed the young of the nest and the young visiting the nest a chance to come to the cove as well. This gave them all a chance to play outside of the cave systems that kept them safe from the visiting Vikings.
Hiccup noticed during those times that the dragons with fledglings were beginning to teach their young to fly. Knowing that Toothless and Moondust were wanting to have hatchlings soon, Hiccup knew he had destroyed any chance Toothless had to teach his children to fly on his own. That, more than anything, ate away at Hiccup. Toothless could not be a father in full to his children because Hiccup had to be selfish.
Retelling the story each time just drove all of that home for Hiccup.
"They no be acceptin' the tale from anyone else, son. Be yer glory 'n they be expectin' ye to tell it."
Hiccup's eyes narrowed. Stoick chuckled.
"I be knowin', son. Ye had help 'n ye no like others to overlook them, but it be yer orders those young ones followed. It be ye what ended that war. Be ye what opened blinded eyes 'n stubborn minds. Be ye what forged the peace we now enjoy. Them Vikin's be needin' to see 'n hear yer passion fer yer dragons, son. They be needin' to see ye fer who ye really are, not what they be thinkin' of ye. Be the only way they fully see the truth."
Hiccup closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. His father was right. The tale was his, even if he abhorred voicing it. The nest was his. The dragons were his. The visitors needed to see that. They needed to understand that. He opened eyes and looked up at Stoick.
"I'll try."
He could promise no more than that. Stoick chuckled and gently patted his left shoulder, a habit all got into due to Sharpshot. A habit all continued even when the dragon was not on Hiccup's shoulder, as was the case right then. Said dragon was with those who would remain for the entire meeting. They all vowed to ensure the visiting Vikings did not disturb Stoick and Hiccup when Stoick led him away.
"Be all any can ask of ye," Stoick said smiling. "'n I be knowin' ye can do this, son. I believe in ye 'n and I be so proud of ye."
Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, Dad."
"Y be expectin' us ta believe any of dat?"
Hiccup fought the urge to glare at Einar as the boy's high-pitched voice split the silence which greeted the end of the tale. By mutual agreement between Stoick and Hiccup, the tale he gave was the same version they gave Steinar, Padrig, Hilda, and Baneson the night the four arrived to Berk's shores. Both Haddocks knew points of the story should not be known beyond the tribe. Vikings tended to fixate on things and remained fixated upon those things to the exclusion of everything else. Neither Stoick nor Hiccup wanted the visitors to focus upon Stoick disowning Hiccup. There was too much at stake for that.
Hiccup had expected resistance over certain part of his story. Him freeing Toothless instead of killing the dragon. Him using what he learned in dragon training and not getting caught for what most would consider cheating. Steinar and Padrig both confessed to finding parts of the tale difficult to grasp even after they learned the truth about the dragons. Hiccup held no illusions to the contray that other Vikings would accept the tale completely. It seemed, though, that Einar objected to the entire tale, as well as seemed to have gotten over whatever stilled his tongue back on the docks.
"Ye be scrawny, weak-"
Only Hiccup's brothers, their mates, his dragon father, older sister, and four of his dragon father's honor guards remained for the meeting even though none of the visitors knew the exact reason for their inclusion. Still their few snarls echoed painfully loud in the cavern, consuming every bit of air within the room. Hiccup let the snarls linger for several heartbeats. Something Obsidian, Moondust's former alpha, and even the Changewing king suggested he do. Something he disliked doing but knew the effect of it.
At his raised hand the snarls ceased. The silence could have deafened a Thunderdrum.
"I do not lie," Hiccup stated, his gaze arrowed upon Einar. "The tale I have given, I lived through."
"Ba!" Einar counted and Hiccup noted Snorre did not move to silence his son despite the heir breaking long standing tradition to let the tribe leaders speak first. "Ye no be a warrior wot coulda done any of dat. Ye no be a Vikin'."
This time Stoick's bellow rendered Einar speechless.
"Still yer tongue! Me son be a warrior with glory to his name! He be a Vikin'! Ye be very close to dishonorin' me and mine."
Bertha stood before Einar could speak again. She sent the Thunderhead heir a withering glare before turning her gaze to Stoick.
"Words of a foolish heir wot speaks outta turn aside," she began, "biggest dragon we be seein' be dat one wot bring yer boy dem deep sea fish. Ye really expect us ta believe dere be a dragon da size of a mountain wot be responsible fer da war and da raids?"
"'n dat Useless-"
Snarls with bared teeth and opened jaws greeted Einar's words.
"Dem beast be readyin' ta attack!" the foolish teen shouted.
"Be warnin' ye all of dis!" Snorre bellowed.
"Enough!"
No one spoke. No one moved. All stared at Hiccup, even the dragons. Hiccup continued despite his own surprise at how deep his voice had gotten when he shouted. It seemed the power Link and Nightjaw lent him was growing. Something to talk to Old Wrinkly about when he and his flock returned. For now, Hiccup had to finish this. He had to make the visitors see. He had to ensure peace for his nest, for those who stood with his nest, and for the future his nest and his allies would fly towards.
"We do not expect you to believe on just our words alone," he said, Link and Nightjaw still lending their power so his voice carried in the now silent Hall. "Let us show you all instead."
"How?" Ingvar asked, the only one who seemed brave enough to speak. "Ye be sayin' dat dragon exploded in its death. Wot can ye show us?"
"The mountain she lived in. The hole she tore out of its side. The charred remains of ships one blast of her fire destroyed. The sea stacks she crushed by just flying through them. The bones that are sure to still be there. If you all must see to believe," Hiccup paused, gaze traveling over every visiting Viking in the room. "Then let us take you all to the Nest."
NightshotShadowFury: Uh, sick enough that one room in the house became a well visited place. Don't know how to put that anyway else. Hm, as for the chiefs growing brains, that implies there was space for those brains to grow in the first place ;) :P
Kirika: Thank you. I'm glad to be feeling better. Thank you for your kind words as well. :)
