Foreign desires of unforeseen transformations
Chapter 64 – Dread before the dawn

"Hiccup!" His mother had just dismounted from her dragon – Cloudjumper, and proceeded to embrace him tightly. "Let me look at you!"

Valka did just that; she used her eyes to check that he was safe and uninjured, eyeing the healing wounds gifted to him by Maligon and his men – the scabs and faded bruises, especially the ones on his wrists from the shackles, and as she took his hands into her, a look of pity fell into her eyes at the current, cracked dry scabs scattered there on his knuckles from his punching episode, where the victim had been nothing more than the wooden walls of his house.

"W-Why are you here?" Hiccup frowned, pulling the focus away from himself as he tore back his hand.

Toothless was asleep by the time the dragons had landed on Berserker island, he was beyond exhausted despite his protests, and the female dragons had brought their babies with them! Knowing the dangers that this part of the archipelago posed for adult dragons alone, Hiccup's stomach twisted with fear for their safety. If it wasn't for the commotion their arrival had caused, along with the most unexpected of human faces, he might have had more time to focus and drowned in that panic, but as it stood, he was being ambushed!

"Ahh our dear questionable chief! I think the question is … what are you doing here?" Tuffnut gesticulated. Ruffnut nodded, and Snotlout was standing there beside them both frowning.

He was getting mixed feeling about seeing the Twins and Snotlout here, but no matter that they were here, no matter that it gave him a hopeful spark that they were not going to ostracize him, they didn't know how much he loved Toothless … or did they? God's, even if they did, he would have preferred to retain his private solitude with Toothless as his boyfriend healed. His mother was one thing, a comfort to have here with them, but Snotlout and the Twins?

"Where's Toothless?" Valka asked before her son had time to say anything else. She was looking around as if she expected to see him. She very much viewed Toothless as another son, and she wanted to make sure her other 'son' was okay.

"H-Healing." Hiccup answered vaguely. He was still trying to get his wits about him. "Why are you here?" He repeated, meaning it as a collective but personally referring to his male friends and not his mother.

"The council are ready to decide if you get to live or die. We've come to get you." Snotlout answered in such a matter-of-fact tone that Hiccup's thoughts halted, his mind blanking with shock before slowly filling with the trepidation he had tried to hold back for Toothless's sake. Snotlout received looks of contempt and disbelief from everyone else. "What? It's true isn't it?" He argued, throwing his arms up.

Ruffnut slapped Snotlout around the back of the head, scolding him – words lost to Hiccup as his mother had staring speaking at the same time. He preferred to listen to her.

"The dragons returned to Berk a few days ago Hiccup, but they seemed unsettled that you and Toothless were not there. Cloudjumper–"

Valka explanation was suddenly cut short. Gora came speeding towards them, Visskara following him gracefully. 'Well that explains where Vissy went,' Hiccup thought, 'to meet the dragons.'

The dragons that had already landed, suddenly parted to make way for the crazy purple dragon as he practically crash-landed. Gora's balance was off centre when his feet touched down; he tripped, rolled, and landed in a heap Infront of Hiccup who hadn't moved. Visskara settling down with ease, and with the body language that screamed, 'this is how one lands!"

"Hello Gora," was all Hiccup managed to say. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Gora's entrance had almost made him chuckle – especially when Visskara huffed and the other dragons just seemed to palm it off as typical Gora behaviour. Gora hurried to get back to his feet, sitting down, and looking – as much as any dragon could – to be highly embarrassed by his clumsy entrance. Hiccup was sure he saw a flash of pain in Gora's body language as he folded his wings, but then he was being called…

"Hiccup!" Heather's demanding voice suddenly reached his ears. He turned towards her voice, seeing her rapidly approaching with her guards cautiously following behind her.

Most of the dragons were from Berk, they were used to people, and they moved to let her through, but Gora and Visskara moved to stand closer to him and Valka instead.

"What's going on?" Heather asked, observing the herd of dragons before giving her attention to Hiccup inquiringly after a brief nod to his mother.

"That's what I'd like know!" Hiccup mumbled, noticing that the female dragons were trying to control their hatchlings at this point, weary of the weapons the guards held. The other dragons were standing around as if they were expecting something – probably for Toothless to come out of the house, and the humans were all staring at him – them, as they too started to gather and gawk at the unusual scene unfolding before them.

Everyone was expecting answers and that from him, but no one had yet giving him any answers! He would be quite content to just return to Toothless and ignore everyone there, but before he could entertain his thoughts to sneak away, his mother made a suggestion… "let's find somewhere quiet to talk?" She asked, but it was strongly reminiscent of an order – almost like one would give a child the option but strongly hinting that they should agree.

Hiccup sighed before nodding, God's he felt like a child, but he agreed that they shouldn't be talking here out in the open. Hopefully Toothless would remain asleep until he returned, and it would be nice he supposed, to find out why they were here, and he could request that Heather order her tribe to not bother the dragons, and to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. He knew that Berserker helped to protect dragons, but sneaky, secretive and intransigent dragon hunters remain in these parts.

Before he left with everyone, feeling less like the Chief of Berk and more like an invalid, Hiccup whispered to Visskara, "Vissy, keep an eye on the Toothless for me. Make sure the other dragons are safe, especially the hatchlings … … and, don't cause too much trouble." He added as an afterthought.

Pulling himself together, he walked after everyone else, catching up to his mother.


A few hours later, Valka and Hiccup – who was carrying Trid, were walking back to the guest house where Toothless and Hiccup were currently staying. They'd managed to ditch the others, insisting that Toothless needed his rest and that Trid needed his nap, and so, after complaining, they'd stayed behind with Heather, Mala and Dagur. Heather had kindly offered up a guest house for the Twins and Snotlout too, as apparently, they wouldn't be returning to Berk without their Chief.

It had been a long confusing conversation, awkward, and emotional in places. As they walked, Hiccup's mind recalled how everyone had started booming out questions, demanding answers and explanations all at once, and it took a while to gain some order. Hiccup had started feeling like his questions and options didn't matter, seeing as everyone had just expected him to not only have all the answers, but to answer them all at once too. Dagur, unexpectedly, had come to his aid by shouting, "I'm sorry but is Hiccup mean to be able to answer everyone at once?" Followed by, "I didn't know you were so talented brother." He'd also said something along the lines of, "Oh brother, it's like you just run off to party isn't it. It must all be your fault, because it wasn't as if you were painfully concern about someone dear to you!" His sarcasm had made everyone halt in shame.

The questions: Why did you leave Berk? Why haven't you returned? What are you going to do? What do you expect will be the outcome of the trial? How is Toothless? What happen to Toothless? What happened to Maligon? Is Toothless in his human or dragon form? Will Toothless be coming back to Berk? Can we go see Toothless? When are you returning to Berk? How long are you planning to be here? Why did the dragons leave Berk? Will they return to Berk? How did the dragons know Toothless was here? What are we going to do about all the dragons suddenly being here on Berserker Island?

…And the questions just kept on coming like rough waves trying to drowned him. Worst of the matter, was that he was a Chief, he was supposed to be good at controlling group discussions and conversations, to be able to take control and be assertive, but he'd failed – what did he expect anyway…

Heather was chief of Berserker, Dagur and Mala were basically king and queen – leaders, and Valka was his mother… he was ashamed to admit that for a while, he wanted them to take charge instead. It had been ages since he really needed to be chief, that it seems he had almost forgotten how to be…

But he hadn't forgotten, he just wasn't ready nor prepared for all the questions, and a part of him was already giving up - he wouldn't be chief much longer, and he was useless…

Then he'd mentally slapped himself, and once order had fallen amongst the group, they'd updated Hiccup on the status of Berk, told him that the council was ready to hold his trial, and that the dragons had been only been back on Berk for a few hours before they'd taken off again in search of Toothless it seemed. Cloudjumper had hesitated to follow them, giving his mother the chance to make her quick decision to go with her dragon – hoping it would lead her to Hiccup. Having seen Valka leaving, Snotlout and the Twins made the hasty decision to follow her – their dragons having also been in two minds about leaving or staying with their riders. Oh, and Gora … he'd apparently, somehow, convinced Hookfang to melt of the Death-Song's amber that was holding his bones together, but luckily it seemed, his bones had knotted together enough in just over three weeks to allow him to fly. Gora would have to be careful though… they would still be weak, easily broken again, and Gora was still such a rocky flier.

Then the conversation had turned to all the parts Hiccup didn't want to talk about ... … His trial, his relationship with Toothless and how much he 'liked' his dragon, and what he planned to do if-

"Hiccup?" Valka repeated, her son having not responded the first time she'd address him. He had been quite since they had left the Berserker Hall, and he'd been very out of character.

"S-sorry mum. I was just thinking." Hiccup didn't elaborate, he just looked down at his son and smiled sadly.

"I imagine things will get… rough before they get better," Valka admitted, "but you have people that are on your side Hiccup. At least we have each other."

"I know – I …," Hiccup sighed, "I'm thankful that I have you and Toothless, and that Trid is safe for now, but… I – I think rough is an understatement. I'm worried mum."

"Let us help you carry some of your burdens, trust us to have your back. My son, you are not alone. Dagur, Mala, Heather, Snotlout, the Twins, Fishlegs, Myself, Toothless… we are all on your side, as are others. You- … Hiccup!" Valka's steps had faltered, and Hiccup stopped to follow the direction of her pointing finger…

The dragons had settled down around their guest house in a sort of circular barricade. Some were lying down, some watching their hatchlings as they slept or bounded around, others simply sat observing… it was clear that they were protecting their alpha.

"Oh boy!" Hiccup muttered, deciding to approach the house slowly. This was certain to cause some questions from the villagers, and even more so when the dragons moved to allowed Valka and Hiccup through but closed the circle again when they reached the front door. "I'm g-grateful that they wish to protect Toothless, happy that they are so loyal to him but … they r-really shouldn't be here."

"They go where their Alpha goes," Valka said, following Hiccup into the house, "you know that Hiccup. I wouldn't worry so much about-"

"Oh yeah!" Hiccup interrupted his mother, "I'll just skip merrily through the town while Toothless changes forms and the dragons worship us both." Hiccup was testy, a tribute to his growing worry and the foreboding feeling he had regarding the upcoming trial. "Maybe we should make an indecent, public display of affections while we're at it – – nothing says, 'traitorous chief' quite like a public snog with a dragon!"

"Now you're being ridiculous!" Valka shock her head as she closed the door behind them.

"Maybe we should!" A deep silky voice carried to them from the bedroom doorway. There was such a heavy suggestion in them three words that Hiccup blushed as he turned to face his smirking boyfriend.

"I thought you were sleeping." Hiccup said, his mother gliding across the room to Toothless.

"Oh Toothless!" She hugged him before Toothless could answer Hiccup, but she drew back quickly when he gasped as her hands made contact with his back.

Toothless hunched forward, breathing deeply through the pain with gritted teeth. He was healing fast, but it still hurt immensely when his back wounds were touched or jarred. He felt bad for worrying Valka though. "It's okay Mrs Valka," he gasped, "just my back!"

Hiccup handed Trid over to his now concern mother, guilt in her features, and he quickly led Toothless to the bed to sit down. "You should be resting." Hiccup told him.

"I was, but Vissy managed to tell me that you were talking to 'humans' when I woke– stop fussing Hicc!" Toothless told him when Hiccup started puffing up pillows, raising his legs onto the bed and adjusting the blankets around him. He swatted Hiccup's hands away. "I just wanted to get out of bed for a bit, and I figured you were talking about the arrival of the dragons. I wanted to see them. I didn't know Mrs Valka came too."

"Not just mum… The twins and Snotlout followed as well." Hiccup added tersely.

Toothless heard the slight bitterness in those words – he looked up into Hiccup's eyes. "Talk to me! What's wrong?"

Valka sat down on the chair, with Trid on her lap babbling away unperturbed, and she seemed content to hear about her son's issues just as much as Toothless did. Toothless reached over and squeezed Hiccup's hand – a gestured he'd learnt that seemed to comfort and encourage Hiccup's confidence. Hiccup squeezed back with a small smile as he glanced at Toothless before speaking.

"Everything," Hiccup started, but he elaborated when no one said anything for a while. "The trial for one. I - I guess – d-despite what I said before about leaving with you and Trid if I had too – and I will if it comes to that! I just don't want to leave Berk. I-It's my home – our home! With Trid still so young, i-it will be dangerous for him."

"If you two leave Berk, the dragons will follow … so will I!" Valka told him.

"I can't ask you to leave Berk with us mum, I can't-"

"You won't have a choice!" Valka interrupted him, "I left Berk once, I'll not leave you again. You won't be able to stop me following you if it comes to that."

"It will still be dangerous for Trid!" Hiccup stressed, ignoring the feeling of warmth that had washed over him after hearing his mother's declaration to not leave him again.

"With an army of Dragon's and you there, Hiccup, I think he will be quite safe. I am no pushover either I'll have you know … I won't let anyone hurt my grandson!"

"I'll kill first ask questions later!" Added Toothless. "I'm sure Gora would too!"

"Oh, I'm sure!" Valka added, nodding. "He flew here with his wing bone barely knotted together to find you Toothless. I'm sure he realises how much you love Trid, and he would protect him just as valiantly." Valka smile at her grandson.

"Still … he would be v-vulnerable!" Hiccup was running out of reasons to argue the validity of his worry. "H-he will need a dependable food and water source, we can make do as adults, but not him! And then we'll need blankets, d-diapers, and-"

"We're Vikings Hiccup! We will find a way!" Valka cut him off.

"Hicc, if it comes to that, we'll figure it out together." Toothless implored, he could see that Hiccup needed more than empty reassurances so he elaborated. "We don't know what the council will say yet anyway, but Trid will not go without! I'll get the dragons to steal a few sheep and yaks and other stuff – I'm sure Gora would love to confuse a few unsuspecting villagers. We can catch fish, start fires, and help you with building and security. We'll be fine! I'll even raid Berk for you if I have too – I'll personally steal the milk from right under their noses… Trid will not go without! I wouldn't let that happen."

Hiccup snorted, his arguments had failed, but he had visualised the outrage on Berk if he was exiled and then they stole from them. He looked over at Trid, realising that his son was probably the most protected baby in the archipelago. He nodded in defeat and sighed – it was a good defeat though; it was one thing he could worry less about. It still made him feel like an fool… were all his worries unfounded?

"What else?" Toothless asked. "You said 'everything', so what else has you all stressed out?"

It took Hiccup a moment to answer, "the dragons are here with their hatchlings Toothless." Hiccup remembered. "Here of all places! It's not safe!"

"That's where you wrong!" Toothless smiled.

"What in Helheim are you talking about, Toothless? You do remember where here is don't you, you-"

"Vissy!" Toothless reminded him, "Vissy will stay with me until she knows I'm okay. We'll be back on Berk or settling down in the wilderness somewhere to make a new home for ourselves before she leaves again, and Vissy will obliterate any dragon hunters. She'll kill first and not even bother with the questions." Toothless chuckled to himself.

Hiccup splattered and stuttered and then … he realised that Toothless was right – again! It was pointless arguing with that logic, but there were still other things worrying him. "There's also the villagers here Toothless. They want to know why the dragons are here, why they're guarding you, and why they can't get close to this house but I can?"

"Fuck them!" Toothless said simply.

Valka chuckled, covering Trid's ears far too late to hide him from Toothless's sharp tongue. Hiccup looked almost bemused with a look of unbelievable indignation on his face.

"I mean it Hicc," Toothless went on, "let them talk and gossip, let them ask their questions. We'll be leaving soon and then it won't matter anyway what they think."

"If they find out you're a dragon-" Hiccup sighed.

"Then I'll have to kill them." Toothless said – matter of fact.

Hiccup stared at Toothless, shocked, but then he realised that Toothless was joking about murder. Despite the seriousness of everything, despite the cold feeling of shame that settled over him at the hard truth that his worries were, in fact, unfounded, Hiccup laughed. "I'd punch you if you weren't injured!"

"Oh, It's a good thing I'm in a right state then." Toothless drawled with a smirk. This time when Hiccup laughed, Valka joined in.


Later that day, the small family were sitting in the forest west of Berserker Village. Toothless had insisted that he was going outside, because Gora and Vissy couldn't both fit in his bedroom together and a few of the other dragons wanted to see him too. So, Toothless had trusted his safety to his Ameor, and they had flown into the forest for privacy and fresh air.

They sat on blankets, and Toothless had gently leaned his back against Visskara's warm body, Hiccup beside him. Trid was – under constant supervision of course, 'playing' with Stormfly's hatchlings. Toothless had told Stormfly, "If Trid gets hurt, I will kill you myself!" It was for that reason, Hiccup suspected, that the hatchlings were being rather gentle around his son. They would bound around and roughhouse about, but then they would halt and slow down around Trid – Stormfly alert and attentive to her hatchlings. As he watched Trid try and copy the hatchlings noises, or bounce on his hands and knees when they bounded around out of reach of him, Hiccup wondered about Stormfly's understanding of Trid being Astrid's baby.

"Does Stormfly know that Trid is Astrid's baby?" He asked Toothless.

"Yeah, course." Toothless answered. He wondered why Hiccup was asking that now. "She'll protect him, if that's what your worried about."

"No! I mean… I just wondered if she had a… a sort of soft spot or bond with him because she was Astrid's dragon." Hiccup explained, ignoring the sharp sting of grief as he watched as Stormfly quickly nudge one of her excited hatchlings back from Trid just before it sneezed a small puff of fiery smoke. "How does she know that would have hurt Trid?"

"We know fire hurts humans and that they're weak." Toothless causally answered.

Hiccup was about to retort, but then, he had to agree … compared to the dragons, they were the physically weaker species. They could build and develop tools, but without Armor and weapons they would surely loss a battle with a dragon. "Maybe Trid will become Stormfly's rider one day, what do you think?" He asked Toothless.

"I think that's a strong possibility." Toothless smiled as he watched Trid wobble on his hands and knees over to Stormfly and lean against her front legs.

Valka smiled at the baby from her position against Stormcutter. "He is going to grow into a remarkable young man at any rate, raised among human and dragons like this from a baby."

"Hey, that reminds me." Toothless remembered. "Vissy, have you decided to have your own hatchling?

Visskara rumbled something that only Toothless could translate, but Hiccup's head spun round to listen anyway.

"She's not-"

"No! Not yet anyway." Toothless answered Hiccup's question, smiling.

"But … she going to-"

"Yes, I think so." Toothless smiled at Hiccup. "You better come and visit us when you do Vissy!" He addressed his ameor, "as humans say, I might get to be an uncle." His smile was radiant, beautiful, and Hiccup absorbed it like breathing in contagious gas. Toothless may grumble that the hatchlings were a bloody handful, but he loved them really. He loved Trid too, and Hiccup knew that Toothless melted around hatchlings and babies alike.

"Visskara, that would be wonderful!" Valka smiled, "Your babies will be beautiful I'm certain."

Gora warbled – something, Visskara growled, and Hiccup looked at Toothless inquisitively – expectant.

"He said – something equivalent to, 'little brats more like', Vissy is deciding whether to hurt or maim him."

Valka chuckled along with Hiccup.

"Gora, you really need to hold your tongue." Hiccup said, laughing when Gora started pawing at his tongue in confusion.

"You stupid faifuh!" Toothless laughed. "He meant … learn when to shut the hypnucha up, not that you have a hole in your tongue." Toothless winced as he continued to laugh at the look of indignation on Gora's face – it was priceless. "Oh, don't make me laugh! It hurts." Toothless wheezed.

Hiccup noticed Stormfly and Visskara communicate something, but before he could wonder or ask, Stormfly thwacked Gora with her tail.

"Ouch!" Hiccup winced in sympathy as Gora roared in pain and indignation. The hatchlings ran back to their mother's and Trid blinked in surprised when he was suddenly surrounded by three scared hatchlings.

"Thank you Stormfly," Toothless chuckled, but he quickly added, "thank you Vissy," when she rumbled at him.

'It had obviously been her idea then,' Hiccup thought.

"Toothless?" Valka sudden asked, looking back at the three hatchlings now resuming their play. "Do you know what gender Stormfly's hatchlings are?"

"Yeah, I believe so," Toothless said. Looking over at the three hatchlings. One was blue like their mother, currently a small way away again, clawing at the snow that the dragons hadn't melted yet. Another, was an unusual shade of periwinkle-lilac, currently trying to escape its sibling's efforts to play so it could get closer to Trid in curiosity. The last one, the one trying to rough house, was a deep lilac-purple. "I don't know their names yet – I don't understand what Stormfly is saying. Purple there is male, that's obvious," Toothless smiled, "he's too shy around his sisters."

"Huh?" Hiccup asked. Valka frowned as if she was figuring something out.

"We'll female Switten- Deadly Nadders," Toothless corrected with a smile. Hiccup chuckled slightly. "We'll they are more curious and … deadly, I suppose. The males are usually quiet and seclusive, unless its mating season." Toothless chuckled.

"Figures." Hiccup muttered with a smile, shaking his head.

"Yes, that makes sense." Valka said aloud, remembering the dragons she lived with and protected. "It was the females that were always interested in what I brought back when I went out for supplies."

"What happened to-" Hiccup had been about to ask about Stormfly's pervious hatchlings when they were interrupted by uninvited picnic crashers; Hookfang and Snotlout, and the twins with Barf and Belch. "Well, that explains where Hookfang and Barf and Belch went." Mumbled Hiccup.

"You can't keep hiding Hiccup … Chief." Snotlout said as he dismounted Hookfang with a loud thump.

"I'm not hiding! I was enjoying some peace and bloody quiet with my family!" Hiccup argued.

"I'm insulted our Hiccupy Chief." Said Tuffnut, striding over to sit down with them.

"To think, we gave you the honour of our honorary brother." Ruffnut shook her head in disapproval.

"You said you needed rest… and they're not family!" Snotlout pointed at the dragons.

"Vissy is!" Hiccup and Toothless had spoken at the same time. They smiled at each other, Visskara trilling happily.

"The rest aren't!" Snotlout insisted.

"They're dragons!" Hiccup told him, insinuating that it was humans that they were avoiding. Of course, Snotlout missed that insinuation.

"Well, yeah! I know that! Do I look blind?"

"Never mind Snot, you're give yourself a headache if you think too hard." Toothless said, in a feigned sympathetic sort of way. Hiccup snorted.

"So, when you are returning to Berk." Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup sighed, so much for their peaceful forest gathering. "When Toothless can fly back, and when he is well enough to travel. I already said this earlier!"

"Yeah but you never said when that would be!" Tuffnut said.

Toothless put his hand onto Hiccup's leg to comfort him, reminding them that they were in this together. They had talked about all this enough; it was why they had decided to relax for a while and talk about trivial matters. Hiccup needed to escape from all the stress anyway.

"If you three want to stay," Toothless said, "then talk about something else, or I'll get the dragons to drop you off somewhere and demand that your dragons leave you there. We came here to relax!"

"Jeez! Don't anger dragon boy." Ruffnut muttered to her brother, who rolled his eyes at the disgusting nick name she still insisted on using.

"Well, what do 'relaxing' people talk about?" Snotlout asked. "When I'm relaxing, I like to–"

No one wanted to hear what Snotlout liked to do when he was relaxing... Valka interrupted him first. "We were talking about babies and hatchling before you arrived."

"Eugh, I was never a baby. I never drooled, got snot everywhere, or pooped my pants." Tuffnut listed, while his sister counted them on her fingers.

"No, yep, you have done all of them things." Ruffnut countered.

"Huh? Maybe I was a disgusting, annoying baby then."

"Well, you have done all them thing in the last month!" Ruffnut shared, to the wince of Toothless, Hiccup and Valka. It took Snotlout about ten seconds longer to realise the implication of what Ruffnut had just said.

"Hicc?" Toothless whispered. "Can we grab Trid and make a run for it?"

"We wouldn't get far with your back the way it is I'm afraid." Hiccup whispered back. "We should stay for a bit longer, but we'll leave soon because you need your rest."

"Oh, I see, use me as an excuse… … Not a bad idea!" Toothless thought for a moment, and then started groaning pathetically.

"Toothless are you okay?" Valka suddenly asked, confused as too Toothless's sudden show of pain.

"I feel a bit sick actually, and my back is really starting to hurt again." Toothless laid it on thick, but it seemed only Hiccup could see through his act. "I'm sure it's nothing." He groaned again, wincing as if in serious discomfort.

"Hiccup, you best help him back. I'll bring Trid!" Valka had already started gathering the blankets and the baby.


As soon as Ruff, Tuff and Snotlout had left to go to their own guest house, Valka turned on Toothless with a stern voice. "You can give up the act now!"

Hiccup blinked; he honestly thought his mother had been fooled. More fool him he supposed.

"What gave me away?" Toothless whined.

"Oh, you were very convincing… except that you never admit that you need rest or that your pain is that bad!" Valka explained.

Toothless grunted in genuine pain as he laid back on the bed and covered his face with the pillow. "Sorry Mrs Valka." He mumbled into it.

"Oh, I thought it was a good idea." She admitted as she vanished from the room with Trid.

Toothless moved the pillow. "Did I hear that right?" He frowned.

"Mum thought it was a good idea." Hiccup said slowly. "Yep, you heard right." Hiccup sat on the bed next to a yawning Toothless. "But I guess it was a good thing that we came back after all." He chuckled. "You did a lot today."

"I flew to the forest on Vissy, sat there for a couple hours, and then we flew back. How did I do a lot?" Toothless frowned. In his opinion, he did sod all.

"You got yourself dressed, you walked around the house today, you interacted with the dragons, and you played with Trid for a bit." Hiccup listed.

"So, sod all!"

Hiccup shook his head, kissed Toothless and then smiled as he watched the light from the oil lamp reflect in such memorizing lime-green eyes; flickering, hypnotising and an endless colourful display of life, love and soul stared back at him. Even without the lamp, Hiccup had spent these last three weeks watching the radiance of Toothless's very being glowing brighter as he healed, in those perfect, God-given eyes. How anyone could not love Toothless was beyond him. How he could have ever thought to lead a life without Toothless's love was a paradox. The people on Berk – his people, should be lucky to have Toothless as a member of the tribe, not disgusted that Hiccup had fallen in love with him.

The Gods had given Toothless back to him this way, the Gods knew he had tried and failed to not fall in love with him, and he hoped that the Gods would bless them and protected them from what was to come.

"Hicc, you're lost in my eyes again, aren't you?" Toothless chuckled. Hiccup blushed slightly, but he kissed Toothless again in answer.

"What were you thinking?" Toothless asked when their lips parted.

"How much I love you." Hiccup said, avoiding the topic of Berk.

It didn't matter if he talked about Berk ten times or a hundred, the fact was, he had to go back! If he was staying on Berk, then great. If he was to leave, then they would deal with it then. It wouldn't be long now before they'd know.


It was just over a week later when Hiccup knew his time on Berserker island was rapidly coming to an end. Toothless had just changed forms in the forest – away from prying eyes, and had shakily taken his first flight in nearly five weeks.

Hiccup had stayed on the ground; Toothless's back was still far too sore to carry anything let alone anyone, and he wanted to let Toothless enjoy his flight with his ameor and his dragon friends. It was a fuzzy warm feeling he felt, standing there watching Toothless vanish into sky where he belonged, and yet, he felt a twang of jealousy that he was not up there with him. Instead of over thinking his emotions, he sat on a tree stump and remembered how Toothless hadn't been able to change forms straight away. What was up with that?

Maybe Toothless had hesitated, believed it would hurt like before, but he remembered Toothless explaining how his pain didn't feel as bad as a dragon. He could have just been bracing himself for the change he supposed, but there was a flicker of panic in Toothless eyes a few moments before he did change. It was certainly something to bring up and talk about later.

Hiccup looked up through the trees, watching the dragons swooping overhead.


Up in the sky, Toothless ignored the stinging pain as he flapped his wings; it didn't hurt so much when he just glided. He had been longing to fly again, to feel less defenseless and more his usual, independent self. He liked knowing he could protect those he loved. Loved? He wished Hiccup could be up here with him, to share in his relief and enjoyment.

He'd thought back to his inability to change forms, it wasn't the first time this had happened and he'd panicked when he'd had difficulty taking his dragon form... but then he'd done it, and Visskara was talking to him a mile a minute, along with Gora and Stormfly and the other dragons. They'd been dying to ask him the many questions they had collected over the last three or four weeks, especially the dragons that had gone to lay their eggs before Snoggletog, and he knew how Hiccup felt about being bombarded, but he'd answered them patiently as he flew through the air carefully.

"I still find it hard to believe that your herd will accept my command so easily." Vissy repeated for the third time.

"I'm still their alpha, they know that and they trust me. You're my ameor, they've seen you protect me and they aren't trees stuck in the mud!" Toothless said, dropping height to swoop under her. Visskara was confused as to why they hadn't seen her Alpha status as a challenge to Toothless, and even more confused when they had agreed to listen to her if Toothless couldn't be in his dragon form.

"If you are implying that we still follow the old ways, what may I ask, is wrong with that?" Visskara challenged him.

"It's boring! It's stupid!" He answered easily.

"I agree!" Gora added, sweeping in beside them clumsily and having to work twice as hard to remain alongside them, even with Toothless's reduced speed.

"No one asked you!" Visskara chuckled.

"I'm faster than you now!" Hookfang suddenly shouted as he zoomed past them.

"Let hunters cage you for a few days and see how hot you look!" Toothless shouted back. "Plifigen!" He muttered. He knew Hookfang was joking, but he was still an arsehole.

"Where did Stormfly and Meatlug go?" Toothless asked, suddenly realising they'd disappeared. Then, come to think of it, most of the females had landed.

"They landed because their hatchlings were starting to stream fly." Visskara confirmed what he had just concluded himself – that they had fallen asleep in flight and wouldn't be aware of where they were flying.

"Must have tired themselves out," Toothless chuckled, "Stormfly has her wings full with Siolaity."

"She is rather full of energy," Visskara agreed, "but at least Lushianty and Tolreano listen to her command."

"I think they're fun," Gora said, managing to line himself up with them once more, "Siolaity likes me at least."

"Please don't teach her anything that we got up to as hatchlings." Toothless groaned "Stormfly would kill me, right after she's done with you."

"Hmm, you shouldn't give him such an opening." Visskara warned her ameor, "I am sure there are still many, many things that you two didn't do that he could teach the hatchlings. I would rather you remain in once piece."

"On second thought, best if just ... don't teach them anything!" Toothless amended.

"You're both no fun!" Gora whined. "I won't let them think I'm boring."

"At least wait until I'm healed enough to flee!" Toothless begged.

"With the way you keep getting injured, I'll be dead by then!" Gora protested.

"Vissy?" Toothless addressed his ameor loudly, hoping to change the subject before Visskara knocked Gora out of the sky. "How many hatchlings are you going to have then?"

Turns out his question was the wrong one, because it reminded his ameor of Gora's comment earlier on.

"What was it you said again Gora... about any hatchlings of mine?" Visskara asked dangerously.

"I didn't mean- I just meant that-" Gora stuttered.

"Yes?" Vissy pressed, her voice deadly and cold.

"Y-you're just ... strict you see a-and... we'll, I'd erm ... feel sorry for-"

Vissy froze in her trajectory, hovering to glare at Gora with all the coldness she could muster. Toothless winced, Gora was on his own this time, he wasn't going to get in the path of his angry ameor. Gora decided it was safer to flee, he quickly made his hasty getaway. Visskara fired a plasma blast at him ... it missed. Toothless knew that Vissy never missed, so it was simply to scare him or warn him. Once Gora was out of sight she huffed.

"My hatchlings with be well cared for, they will be wonderful!" She told Toothless, as if he had just said something against them.

"Of course they will be!" Toothless assured her. "So, you're going to do it?" He hoped that talking about her future hatchlings would keep her mind away from Gora's comment. He loved Gora, he knew he meant no harm, but the dragon just didn't think about his words before he spoke them.

"A part of me still wonders if it is fair to bring the last of my kind into existence, to bear the burden of being alone."

"But..." Toothless encouraged.

"I am ready to lay eggs Toothless. I feel the call of nature stronger than ever and I ... I want to raise my own hatchling." She admitted.

"That's great Vissy!" Toothless purred in excitement for her. "There are still a few of your kind left, who knows what will happen in a few years."

"I doubt my species will gain numbers, but perhaps you are right ... Senthalisal is quite rumbustious around females in heat."

"And a complete plifigen the rest of the time." Toothless tried to hide his mirth.

"Indeed! I can only thank the Dreki gods that hatchling sires do not remain once they have done as nature intended of them."

Toothless laughed, but then he winced ... it had just sneaked up on him – the pain and exhaustion. How long had he been in the air? He needed to build his wing strength up it seemed.

"I need to land." He admitted begrudgingly, he was weakening rapidly.

Vissy followed him back down, the other dragons were scattered but not far. On the landing, Toothless flopped down to rest. He could sleep right there and then.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled, rushing over in concern. "Toothless, are you okay bud?"

Toothless nudged Hiccup in a way that he hoped would calm and reassured his boyfriend. Then he looked over at Visskara.

"I best change back or he'll worry." Toothless said, sorry that he would once again be unable to talk to his ameor properly in his human form.

"I understand Toothless. I will be here." She nudged him lovingly, understanding his need to be in human form.

"Don't be too hard on Gora. He opens his maw without thinking, but he means no harm."

"I know," Visskara assured him, "why do you think he isn't maimed or dead yet?"

Toothless chuckled tiredly.

"Toothless?" Hiccup worried, his hands stroking his head gently in concern.

Toothless wanted to stay in his dragon form, to be able to talk to ameor, but his heart wanted to be able to reassure Hiccup more. He had barley said, "see you on the other side," when the changed happened. It was almost out of his control, it happened before he had mentally prepared himself for it. Then Hiccup's arms were around his exhausted, naked human form, holding him up and fussing as he encouraged Toothless to get dressed.

"I'm fine Hicc." Toothless said, but even his exhausted voice betrayed him.

"I think you were up there too long..." Hiccup was talking as he helped Toothless into his trouser, but Toothless's eyes were drooping and his mind was going out of focus. It was like dressing an over tired toddler.

Hiccup soon realised that Toothless had fallen asleep against him, the trousers only half way up his legs. Well, this would be difficult.

Hiccup somehow managed to dress his boyfriend, get him onto Vissy, and hold him as they flew back to the house. Valka helped him get Toothless into bed, and she checked that Toothless was just sleeping.

"It concerns me that he hasn't woken at all." Valka admitted.

"He is usually a heavy sleeper mum. When he clogs out that's it, but he is recovering so I imagine it's worse." Hiccup explained, but he was also concerned. "I'd get the healer to look at him, but he hates her and made me promise not to get her again." He thought for a moment, "Changing forms does deplete his energy, and he was flying for over an hour."

"Perhaps... but I made no such promise." Valka looked over at Toothless – his breathing was fine, and he looked peaceful in sleep, but to not even stir as he was dressed, moved, and tucked into bed?

Hiccup winced, "Er... he also made Visskara promise not to let he in the house unless he was dying."

Valka sighed – God's Toothless was stubborn, but she wouldn't feel right leaving it to chance. "Hiccup, I-"

"Okay mum!" Hiccup gave in. "At least let me try and wake him before you rush off. The last thing we need is for Vissy to kill Magioree."

Hiccup sat on the bed next to Toothless, called his name, shook his shoulders gently, and ran his hands over his face... but Toothless showed no signs of life apart from breathing. Hiccup was growing very concerned, panic standing by about to break through, images starting to form of Toothless dying ... blood, death, wounds...

"Hiccup!" Valka's voiced reached him, her touch somewhat bringing him back to reality, and he realised he was almost hyperventilating. He looked down at Toothless, and almost as if sensing his distress, Toothless's head moved, a frown appeared between his eyes, and a small groan came from between his lips. Oh Gods, he was okay!

Hiccup managed to regain his grip on reality, and he nodded to his mother that he was okay. It seems that he wasn't okay though... he still had fears of his loved ones dying. It was this near breakdown that reminded him of how broken he had become, weak, useless. He wouldn't give up, but he had to wonder if he was fit to be chief. How could he protect his tribe if his mind betrayed him? That is, if he was still chief once the council had decided his fate.

It was coming, his inevitable to return to Berk would be upon them soon and time was running out. He had to pull himself together, decide on his options, his argument and case, and he would lying if he said he wasn't scared.