Tis a long one, enjoy.
It took seven days to reach the volcano, three full days shorter than Stoick warned the trip would take with ideal conditions. While traveling there, every dragon was placed into a rotation. A group would fly, while keeping an eye out for any trouble. Another group would give the ships the wing-boosts. Another group would sleep. The third ship in the fleet had been brought for that purpose. Its crew was only Berkians so the dragons did not have to deal with strangers while resting.
For dragons, like Meatlug, who found out they got seasick, Shadowfire and the other Tall-singers offered their backs. Their size and power meant they could carry one dragon each for short distances. Unfortunately, their size also meant they had to rest on the ship one at a time and when no other dragon was on board as well.
Even with those chances, Hiccup noted the dragons got tired quick. From conversations with Toothless and Sharpshot, Hiccup knew most dragons could fly long distances with little to no rest, bigger dragons like Shadowfire better equipped to do that as opposed to smaller dragons like Meatlug. The added effort to hover and ensure the downbeats from their wings filled the ships sails exhausting the dragons' endurance far faster than anyone anticipated.
Hiccup refused to order his dragons, or ask Obsidian to order his honor guard, to give the ships the wing-boosts on the way back. To his surprise, Stoick agreed with him and the other tribe leaders backed his father when Snorre protested. To his delight, the Bewilderbeast, who had to travel at the surface so she did not overtake the ships, allowed seasick dragons to rest on her back which freed Shadowfire and the other Tall-singers and also allowed them to rest when others were using the third ship.
Though he knew protocol meant he should stay with the other heirs when it was his turn to rest, Hiccup stayed with the other Riders and their dragons. It was technically a breach of honor for him do so, but Hiccup could not suffer dealing with Einar, Thuggory, or Cami. It meant he would miss speaking with Steinar and, possibly, finally getting to know Riendar and his wife though. While he rested, he did get a chance to speak with Nuffink more and to meet Nuffink's blood sister, Zephyr and to learn she had aided Gothi and Gyda with the illusion. He also got to meet Zephyr's dragon, and Nightwing's blood sister, Nightsong.
Knowing they had been a day too late to see Silent Knight again and to finally meet the dragon's rider annoyed Hiccup. The reason amused him though. Silent Knight's rider did not think Nuffink's oldest son capable of running Old Wrinkly's nest while both Old Wrinkly and Nuffink were gone. Apparently, Nuffink's oldest son married a Thorston due to a shared interest in Loki blessed shenanigans. Hearing that the part of the Thorston clan at Old Wrinkly's nest also pulled pranks in Loki's name meant Ruff and Tuff, as Gyda put it, got their crazy honestly. Silent Knight's rider, who had been met with a prank his first time at Old Wrinkly's nest, felt the pair would forgo their duties in an effort to appease their god.
As the ships maneuvered away from the island, Snorre declared he and his tribe would leave as soon as they docked in Berk. Hiccup had once asked Gyda during a severe winter storm how her homeland kept footpaths in a village safe for travel at night. That led Hiccup to designed Nightmare gel powered lampposts that were installed alongside the longhouses being built. The gel offered by Hookfang after the dragon heard Hiccup ponder how he would light the lampposts. By the time they arrived back to Berk, it was dark enough that the lampposts at the docks were burning brightly.
Despite an honest want for Snorre and his tribe to leave if they did not wish to truly know and understand what really started the war between dragons and humans, Hiccup did not want them to leave right then. Travel on the seas at night was dangerous, even with dragons flying patrol over the ships. He disliked Snorre and did not wish to deal with Einar, but he did not want harm to befall them or the others who accompanied them.
Snorre seemed to either agree or just wanted something else as he requested a meeting with tribe leaders, heirs, and two generals present. Berk's Council was also requested by Snorre, which confused Hiccup at first even as he had to fight his annoyance. Astrid and the other Riders offered to get the visiting dragons settled while the meeting happened as Hiccup had to attend. Hiccup would much rather be with her than listening to a man he disliked and did not trust.
"I be wrong," Snorre began, pulling Hiccup from his thoughts. "No man be worth his beard iffen he no can admit his wrongs." The man paused as if to gather his words. "Young Hiccup, I 'ccuse ye of lyin' 'bout dat dragon's size. I be seein' dere be dragons bigger den dat one da vola magic be showin'."
Hiccup had to force himself to slightly tip his head. He had to acknowledge Snorre's apologize, if only for honor's sake. He frowned as Einar stood and made his way to the Hall's double doors. His frown deepened as the heir gave a rude gesture to Silent Sven and the silver Nadder assigned to guard the meeting. Sven, with a frown of his own, opened the door and a young girl easily six years Hiccup's junior stepped in. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as Einar gripped her shoulder enough to cause Sven to glare and the Nadder to squawk harshly. Einar ignored Sven, though he stared at the Nadder, before returning to the others.
"Be me youngest," Snorre said with a gesture to the girl. "Be naïve 'n clumsy but be trained by me first wife. She make yer boy a good wife, Stoick."
Hiccup felt his father's hand upon his shoulder as Stoick stood. Hiccup wanted to sling Stoick's hand off, to stand and confront Snorre himself, but a minute part of his mind reminded him of what was a stake. Even if he desired to wipe the smug smile off the Thunderhead's chief's face himself, Hiccup knew he could not. In this he was not Hiccup the Alpha of Berk's nest. In this he was Hiccup, Stoick's son and heir and had to let his father deal with Snorre's offer.
Hiccup did allow his anger to incite his alpha call though, prompting the dragons in the Hall to give low growls. Hiccup also gestured to Toothless. His brother stopped growling long enough to give a sharp warble-hiss. Wing flaps from the rafters proved the order received. While Hiccup knew his anger would affect the dragons, he did not want his entire nest responding. He did not want to disturb his dragons while they slept and the nest as a whole could not afford all the leaders turning against them before the truth was fully revealed.
"Ye honor us," Stoick said in a clipped tone.
"Dem beasts be actin' otherwise!"
"They be no beasts, Snorre." Stoick held up a hand, palm facing the Thunderhead chief. "No, ye had yer turn. Now be me turn. Ye do honor us wiv yer offer, but it be one we no can accept."
"Can't or won't?"
Hiccup felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and this time not from a magic spell being uttered. Snorre sounded pleased instead of angered.
"Can't, Snorre. Me boy be promised. Marriage contract 'n hansal be struck back 'fore winter in full view of da gods."
"Who be dis he be promised ta?"
"Astrid Hofferson."
Snorre scoffed and waved his hand in dismissal. Hiccup tensed but his father's hand stayed on his shoulder.
"Dat lass be of no noble blood. Me girl be 'is first wife. Da other lass be 'is second."
"Hiccup be taking no other."
Hiccup saw a minute flash of surprise cross both Snorre and Einar's faces. He just glared at them. They might follow the mainland Vikings in taking extra wives but no Berkian followed that belief. The war took too many lives that uniting everyone by blood seemed counterproductive. After speaking with Old Wrinkly before he and his flock left, Hiccup realized the Haddocks had formed that belief during the Days of Chaos and the tribes they ran followed their leads.
"Be conv'ent."
Snorre's half smug, half contempt filled voice caused Hiccup's glare to deepen. He took some joy that Einar caught it and recoiled slightly.
"What ye mean?" Stoick asked.
"Ye locked yer boy inta dis contract. Dere bein' a loyal warrior wot sell his-"
"Don't!"
All went silent. All went still. Even the dragons stopped growling as everyone turned to a now standing Steinar.
"Ye play a dangerous game, Chief Snorre."
"Son," Henrik began staring up at his son, "be none of our bus'ness."
"Be all our bus'ness, Father," Steinar returned. "Chief Stoick be our host. Hiccup be da man wot saved all our lives. Snorre be 'bout ta dishonor both." Steinar paused, staring at Hiccup then turning to Snorre and glaring. "And ye dishonor 'dem, ye dishonor me battle brother 'n his father."
"Son, ye be serious?" Henrik questioned.
Hiccup found himself as surprised as Henrik sounded. Steinar had not spoken about this whenever they talked. Battle brothers were a sacred bond between Vikings of the Archipelago and usually only occurred during a battle. Rarely did one happen in a time of peace and even rarer than that was an older heir declaring a younger heir of another tribe theirs, Dagur notwithstanding. Hiccup still doubted the truth to Dagur's claim. He was unsure if the Berserker even knew what it meant to be a brother.
"Aye, Father. Hiccup be me battle brother."
"Ye lie!"
"Ye callin' me son a liar wiv no ev'dence?"
Snorre's jaw clenched. It was one thing to question the integrity of a statement. It was another to declare a judgement without solid proof to back it. With the dragons about, Snorre might feel justified in declaring judgements about Berk and the Hooligans, but Shivering Shores was not the target of the Thing. Accusing them of something without solid proof opened the door for the other tribes to respond and correct the dishonor Snorre gave Henrik and his son.
"No, Henrik," Snorre stated, "but it be con'vent yer boy standin' fer-"
"My brother," Dagur growled, standing and also glaring at the Thunderhead chief, "and unless you were blind back on that island, the only Viking capable of killing a dragon we all would have issues defeating."
Snorre grunted then turned away from Dagur and Steinar. Hiccup's eyes narrowed. At a gesture from his father, Einar turned and almost yanked his sister offer her feet in his bid to get back to the Hall doors. Hiccup felt Stoick's hand, still on his shoulder, jerk. Before, Einar's grip upon his sister's shoulder, though something Hiccup despised, was not seen as wrong in the eyes of the others in the room. Almost throwing her to the stone floor of the cave was another matter and as the Thing's host, Stoick held a right to object without any issues Snorre would have made if someone else tried.
"Boy!" Stoick bellowed. "On me island, in me Hall, ye best treat dat lass wiv respect!"
"Ye gonna duel me fer 'er?" Einar asked, a smug smirk on his face. "Dad be givin' 'er future ta me since yer boy refused 'er. Be set ta get coin fer 'er but iffen ye wish a new wife-"
"I'll duel ye fer her!"
Hiccup's eyes widen. Silent Sven had chosen to be mute after dragons took the great, grandfather to his prized black sheep, at least according to Gobber. It had been so long most adults and the other teens forgot the man had once spoken. Many children, born after Sven's vow, never knew the man could speak at all. Now the man stepped away from the doors, the silver Nadder shifting to block them with his body. Sven moved until he was in between Einar and the doors.
"Be no way, old man," Einar said. "She be only worth coin, but she be da daughter of a chief. Ye be nothin'."
"Ye be challenged, boy," Sven growled. "Ye back out in front of all des wit'nesses?"
"Dad!"
"Ye best accept," Snorre growled. "Ye no shame me in front of dese demon lovers."
Snorre's yelp had everyone jumping. He held up his hand, a small burnt spot resting upon the back of it. Gothi stood from her place at the end of the table and stepped around in front of Hiccup and Stoick. Runes began to appear in the air in front of her. Bertha stood and moved closer at the elder's gesture.
"Da gods be hearin' yer dishonor, Snorre of Thunderhead, both 'ere 'n at dat island. They demand a sacrifice or deir wrath fall upon ye. Choose, yer boy 'n heir or yer daughter."
"Demon-touched-"
Snorre yelped again. This time stone at his feet smoked and turned black from a lightning bolt appearing above him and striking down.
"Be a warnin'," Bertha translated as more runes appeared, this time coated in fire. "Be no missin' next time. Choose, Snorre of Thunderhead."
"We be leavin'."
Snorre yelled a curse that would have mainland Vikings blushing. His hand now sported a far nastier burn than before.
"Oath Breaker!" Einar shouted.
"Be a Voice's right ta disciple 'n prevent da gods' wrath at a Thing," Bertha stated, glaring at Einar. "Yer father should be makin' ye aware of dat, boy." The Bog Burglar chieftess then stared at Snorre. "Ye must choose. Yer boy or yer girl."
"Ye no can demand dat!"
A loud sizzle cracked the air. A snake made of lightning, complete with fangs that sparked, coiled above Snorre's head. It hissed down at him.
"Choose!"
"Take da girl!"
"Dad!"
"Leave 'er. Git da men ready. We be leavin'. Thunderhead be no friends ta demon lovers."
Einar growled. Hiccup worried the boy would disobey his father. The lightning snake shot across the cave and coiled above Einar's head, hissing down at him. The boy shrieked, threw his sister away from him, and raced for the doors. Padrig, who had stood when Steinar did, ran, catching the girl before she hit stone. Snorre, with one last glare at everyone, especially Hiccup, stomped out. His two generals followed though both sported pale faces. The snake disappeared as soon as the doors closed.
"Oh, that was worth all the gold in the world," Dagur cackled. "Excellent work, old lady."
Gothi grunted. More runes appeared.
"She be sayin' ta never call her old again."
Dagur cackled again. "Fair enough."
"Enough," Stoick stated. "We be havin' a lingerin' issue. Gothi what be da lass's fate?"
More runes appeared. Bertha frowned, glancing at Gothi as if seeking clarification. Gothi nodded. Bertha tipped her head.
"Sven 'n his wife be takin' her as deir daughter. Gothi be takin' her as her apprentice 'longsides da other she already has."
Sven walked around the Vikings. Padrig released the girl, who seemed to want nothing more than to disappear. Sven knelt in front of the girl but refrained from placing a hand upon her.
"Be safe, little one," Sven said softly. "Me 'n me wife always be wantin' a daughter. Ye can help us wiv da sheep when Gothi no be needin' ye."
"Father no be lettin' me go," the girl whispered, though her words echoed in the silent cave. "I fetch 'im coin. He says dat be me worth. He no give dat up."
Stoick left his spot, moving around the table to kneel beside Sven. "Ye know me, lass?"
"Ye be Chief Stoick. Dad be makin' sure I know ye. He says he make me yer boy's wife. Says I be gittin' 'im da coin ye have."
The girl's eyes widen and she curled in on herself. "Be sayin' too much. Brother be punishin' me."
"Not anymore," Stoick stated. "Da gods say ye be a Hooligan now, lass. We protect our own."