Edited.

Hiccup urgently needs medical assistance. Now.

The dragon island isn't so far from Berk, with low baggage they could get home quick, within a few hours, except all ships were burning to ashes washed over the sea, and all those Vikings were stuck here, unable to swim their way north, where their tribes were. Artichoke knew someone there might be able to know how to heal her, in fact, half a dozen Vikings, different genders and ages, Ruffnut – Ruffnut, from all people – included, rushed to try, and save her leg. Not to count a few scratches that would definitely leave awesome battle scars, her left leg was the only fatal wound, horrible to look at, really. Blood and flesh, even the bone could be seen, smoke drying with all of it. It didn't matter how good or bad were the healers present there, they had no tools, no herbs, no anything that could help her, they had just themselves in this destroyed, lifeless island, besides…

"Stop", he yelled out. The circle of healers surrounding Hiccup's unconscious body didn't even look at him and he was ready to break through them before just turning to Gobber and Stoick "we can use the dragons to take her home faster, there's nothing here and Gothi is far more skilled to help her", he said all words under one breath, as if they'd interrupt him at any time, like he needed to hurry up to get them to see his point.

"Slow down there, lad, we can't just throw her on the back of one of these beasts and hope it gets to Berk", Gobber had told him, pointing to the dragons who remained there. Toothless was still on the ground. The five captivity dragons Hiccup promised would be free after this were still here, sticking around, sniffling Toothless and perking an eye over the Vikings to watch out Hiccup. "They're not beasts, they just helped us end this war!", he found himself saying it needlessly loud, feeling the anger of injustice crawl under his skin, the same Hiccup had claimed to feel after he just accepted the whole dragon thing. But it was true, and Hiccup was right. Dragons were, in fact, so far intelligent than he ever imagined, they were different from other animals and more similar to the humankind than others could see. Dragons were perceptive, they- they understood humans somehow and they could help them beyond claws and a search for food. These dragons had no reason to help them, to lead them here today and they did, they did because Hiccup knew they could trust them and every Viking standing here today needed to know there as soon as possible.

Artichoke was panting, seeing red and suddenly not able to verbalize all the clicking thoughts in his mind. The blue Deadly Nadder had soon popped up beside him, the one that let him hop up its back and brought him and Hiccup here… His eyes widened and he turned his face to the dragon, but she was already pointing with her chin towards Hiccup, to her own back and gave small jumps, and was all he needed to confirm "I- we can take her there, this Nadder and I, she brought us here safely, she'll help take us home, please, Gothi will know what to do". Although, more restraint and he might just hop on the Nadder and steal Hiccup's body anyway.

The Chief needed to hesitate, but his first question was "she?". The blond teen needed to hold himself to not roll his eyes, thinking how it did take long to get acquainted with everything. "Yes, this Nadder is a 'she'", he pointed to the other dragons, still standing beside Toothless as if doing what they could to get her standing, just like humans were doing to the one of their own "the Gronckle is also a 'she', the Zippleback and Monstrous Nightmares are males and Toothless" he stopped, specifying the lying hero amongst the dragons, "Toothless is also female". They needed to call her by name and, although the other dragons didn't had names, acknowledging their genders was the least they could do, but it didn't matter at the moment, so he shook his head. Hiccup will explain those dragon things better when she's back on her feet, which was why she needed to go. They needed to go. Now. "Hiccup knows these things".

Gobber had its hand toying with one of his braided mustache and Stoick turned to face the direction of where she was.

"Please, sir, she trusts them" and even him had thought this was crazy, but she did and it had worked. Artichoke was ready to run, push through and get her home, but, luckily, he didn't have to break any orders when doing that, because his last plea did the trick and his chief told the others to make way.

The Nadder kneeled to let them fix Hiccup's body there easier, the rope he had used to hold onto it against the wind and the flying difficulties was used only to make sure her body wouldn't fall. Artichoke would have to trust his limbs to not slip at any given moment. The dragon seemed to indicate he could hold its pointy horns for safety and as soon as he turned to tell the others it was settled, the dragon took impulse and shoot up, already making him squeeze his thighs around the torso and his hands on the horns.

They were heading towards the same clouds where most of the battle had occurred and he let his left hand touch Hiccup's arm, though she seemed held in together. Even with the sleeve on, she was burning. So he asked the dragon to hurry, to fly through the aerial battlefield, to fly against the storm.

And she did her best, avoiding wind chains, the freezing air of it all, it was raining above them, under them, they were inside the cloud for Thor's sake. Speaking of which, sent a lightning on a short distance, the deafening sound making the dragon flinch and shriek. "C'mon we fought against the biggest dragon ever seen on the planet, a little rain couldn't possibly scare you". It was, by no means, a little rain. Perhaps from the safe, stable ground, from the cozy inside with a lit fireplace, one could hear the drops and think 'yea, it's a little rain'. From up here, inside the actual cloud, it was a whole different story. "we just have to fly through the storm", he didn't know who he was shouting this to, but whether it was to the Nadder, to himself or the once burning, now freezing body against the ruthless whipping rain; it didn't matter.

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"Make sure you get there safe!" Stoick shouted, more to the blue dragon than to the blond boy as the trio took flight towards Berk. Trusting dragons… It was still a part of his instincts. An old habit that wouldn't be forgotten overnight. But he couldn't deny what his eyes had witnessed today. What they all had witnessed today.

"Yeah… But… Now what?", Gobber said, still looking at the entrance the blue dragon made through the cloud. Rain fell soon afterwards. His long-lasting friend said it nonchalantly, but he was right. Now what? All ships were burnt down to crisp and there were hundreds of Vikings there, stuck.

"Hey- hey- stop!" a muttering turned into a yelp and soon enough all eyes were focused on the brave teens who came to the rescue alongside Stoick's daughter. The dragons were pulling their helmets, their clothing. Stoick frowned. The larger kid, Fishlegs, wasn't it? Seemed swallowed dry and was the only one to speak, pulling his vest out of the Gronckle's harmless bites. "Um- I- sir? Sir, Stoick, Chief- I think the dragons are trying to say something", the blond boy's face flushed. He was large for his age, that's for sure, broad shoulders and all, but his face still showed deep childish treats and his features were rather shy. Stoick wondered if Gobber had set him as a passing warrior or let the boy stuck another year in the training rink. Whatever it was, it had to change from now on… Just another of the many, many things he couldn't even begin to list, that would need changing as soon as they stepped home. But, first, they needed to actually get there.

"Yeah, they're trying to get us somewhere", Spitelout's kid spoke, much less coyly, much less gentle when ripping his own tunic from a red dragon's grasp, earning himself a puff of pure smoke.

Indeed, the dragons seemed eager, although oddly careful to not to hurt any of them. Stoick wondered if he'd ever stop being surprised with this new behavior from them… Well it had just been a couple hours, but he had enough proof still.

"Eh, they saw the blue one leave, maybe they want to leave to?", Gobber still wore a double battle axe attached to his prosthetic arm, he had adapted it to the most engineering thing.

Stoick brushed it off, thinking how he could get this whole lot home. This island had trees but there was no way they could just stand by and craft something to get them home, they were Vikings, yes, boats and ships were their specialty, but not this fast…

"Hey", his head snapped to the Thorston girl, to her tactless, bordering challenging shout. He frowned at the girl's calling; she just pointed her chin to the large boy who first spoke.

"Sir, are there not any other boats in our tribe?".

"Yeah, kid, of course we did, how could we find the nest without our ships", another Viking responded. It wasn't a Berkian defying its leader at all, it was another Chief. Njal, one of their newest allies, eager to respond the call to join them to the nest. Stoick was sure the brutish, inexperienced man who just ascended to his own title would push further and may even create inner fighting, was the winter not a week away and the only compass to lead them to this dreadful place under Berk jurisdiction. The man wasn't ready to step down and share glory, just gave for it was shared glory or no glory at all.

"Uh, no, not ships" it was the Thorston boy who spoke now, a nearly identical, gender swap version of his fraternal twin. "Boats".

"As in fishing boats, smaller, ones you wouldn't use for long lasting sailing like the usual campaigns for raids and the nest searching", Fishlegs explained further, a gaze of gratitude meeting the twins' eyes.

Stoick's brows shot up after the moments of frowning as he finally got the kid's idea. Their islands weren't as far as they'd expected when they filled up the ships, a regular boat could take them home considering the short passage, except it would last over a night to take them all home, and it would take many trips.

"We can go back with the dragons and bring the boats, tie ropes to them so they'd come and go faster", the blond explained further. Raising murmur from across the crowd.

"And ya want us to trust them?" Njal asked, leaning his body over the teens. His men seemed to agree it was too soon to trust dragons. The slur-sound spat on the last word seemed to be broken through language, as said dragons thinned their eyes, some snarling, even. Meanwhile, the teens who rode them seemed just as offended.

"You all heard Arti before!", Snotlout yelled to Njal, before daring the other present to continue "These dragons could have eaten us and they didn't, could have dropped us in the sea and they didn't! They helped Hiccup and the- the Mouth- Teeth- the Night Fury to save us from that thing! I'm pretty sure it'd be just plain stupid to not trust them at this point!" the short lad had its face lit in red, and his words were stuttered, but he had a point and Stoick decided to back him up.

"And you'd never be a stupid man, would you? Chief Njal", he made sure to add the title, Stoick had no wish to change his fight with dragons for his neighbor allies.

The crowd's whispers shifted, all eyeing the other man.

"Of course not. Chief Stoick", mind games and politics. The most hateful part of his job, really. Cutting through a Monstrous Nightmare's skull was always easier than dealing with men like these. At the thought, Stoick looked to the Monstrous Nightmare standing right there, just behind Snotlout.

Changes will home, he thought, but will take long.

All in agreement, Stoick and the other Chiefs present indicated where to find boats in their respective islands, which way they were located and a 'good luck' so the Villagers who stayed didn't throw a spear against their body after seeing something as mental as a Berkian riding a dragon.

Soon all the kids he saw grow up were gripping their arms around the dragons' necks or horns as they were shot up into the skies. Dread went by Stoick's empty stomach as he decided going so up in one of their backs wasn't something he was eager for.

Once again, they had their fates held onto teens' hands.

What a great Chief he was.

Great Chief, great father…

Hiccup…