Tradition said all official meetings during a Thing were to happen in the host tribe's Great Hall, or their equivalent. Hiccup, and Stoick, quickly realized the Foreverwing would never be able to get a claw in the cavern much less the rest of his body. They ultimately chose to move everyone to Vast Meadows. As the meadows were beyond where visitors were allowed, they eased that restriction. The Foreverwing requested all visitors alongside the tribe. Hiccup and Stoick would not deny the old alpha that request for the sake of traditions.

Iggy and the Terrors he commanded flew out to relay the request to all in the nest outside of the village. All but the parents and guards still at the Fireworm cave responded and made their way to the meadows. The parents were reluctant to leave their young as all were so close to the control they needed over their breath attacks. Hiccup immediately gave them permission to stay and a promise that any who wanted to know what the Foreverwing said he would personally tell them later.

Stoick gave any human in the tribe who wanted the freedom to come to the meadows. Most agreed. The farmers and woodcutters all declined. The farmers knew how short the growing season was and none wished to tempt fate. The woodcutters cited they were far too busy cleaning up from the Foreverwing's awakening to come. Stoick gave the same promise to them that Hiccup gave to his dragons. Any human in the tribe who wished to know what was said but was unable to come would be told by Stoick what had occurred.

Once the last of who was to come joined the others in the meadows, the Prickleboggle gave a trilling call. Hiccup heard many gasps, swears, and prays for protection as not only did the Foreverwing rise out of the water but so did the Bewilderbeast. The Foreverwing glanced at all before his gaze focused upon Hiccup.

{Do all in your nest understand and are able to use the Common Tongue, young alpha?}

Hiccup's jaw dropped again. He did not really register the startled cries from the Vikings who had not had a chance to accept Gyda healing their connection. He ignored his human father and the other tribe leaders bellowing for silence. He just stared at the Foreverwing. The male's muzzle never moved and yet his words rested clearly in Hiccup's ears. At least Hiccup believed that until Gyda, who stood near to him and Astrid, gave a whispered and awe filled comment that served to confuse him.

"Telepathy. He's speaking to our minds directly."

{I see,} the Foreverwing continued. {The mage is correct. Dragons were originally supposed to speak to humans this way. Both sides were to speak with their thoughts alone and both could dull or dim the connection to allow for privacy. Our voices were never supposed to be the means of communicating.}

Hiccup stepped closer to the edge, not surprised in the least that Astrid and Toothless followed him. It also did not surprise Hiccup that Toothless curled around him and Astrid or that Sharpshot and Sneaky moved to sit upon their shoulders instead of holding onto the clawholds sown into the backs of their flying harnesses. He did blink when Moondust appeared and laid in front of them, her tail curling back around Toothless' legs. Hiccup glanced in the direction she came, finding his nephews sitting with Toothless' blood flock. Moondust's blood flock and previous alpha sat near them as well, effectively keeping the younglings in between the two groups.

Hiccup turned back when the Foreverwing gave a chuckle that held no mirth within it. He frowned. The Foreverwing and the Bewilderbeast looked as if they were in pain. The Foreverwing sighed.

{The regrets of years, young alpha,} the Foreverwing said. {Do not trouble yourself. Neither myself nor the Tusked-king female can rid ourselves of them.}

Hiccup's brow furrowed. "The Calm-healer said you have something to tell us," he said softly.

He wanted to ease the unease the old male felt. He wanted both to not feel the regrets that weighed upon them. He was slowly coming to realize he could not help everyone like that. There were limits to the influence he held and he knew his words would have little impact given the length of time they carried their regrets. He, however, knew he could serve as a distraction and give the Foreverwing something else to focus upon.

{How much do you know of the time before the Days of Chaos?}

Hiccup's head titled. "Not much. We were unable to ask the tales before Old Wrinkly was needed elsewhere."

He made sure to word his comment so the visitors did not realize Old Wrinkly was alive back then. He knew all would be awed by the two massive dragons and the fact the Foreverwing was speaking to them, but he also knew Vikings would be Vikings. If they knew of the extended livespan due to bonding to a dragon they would focus upon that, and only that, and miss whatever the Foreverwing had to say.

The Foreverwing took a deep breath. {Those days started for reasons that are still, to this time, painful to think of so forgive me if takes many heartbeats to convey all I have to say.}

Hiccup nodded. His hand lifted, palm facing the sky. Toothless rumbled something in the Old Tongue. The Foreverwing chuckled.

{Inventive humans,} he said. {The original plan, set at the creation of this world, called for dragons and humans to work together to the point both would consider each other flock. That remained even after the events that served to break our connection. Sadly, the plan had to be modified as both sides had to prove they wanted the bond back.}

The Foreverwing paused and seemed to be collecting his thoughts. Hiccup, though he wanted to know what caused the break, did not speak. He hoped none of the others listening would speak either. He could see the pain both dragons were experiencing. He could feel Link's pain through whatever connection he had with his soul's companions. His hopes were dashed as Mogadon's voice rose over the silence.

"Wot be dis break ye speak of 'n why'd any 'ave ta prove demselves ta ye?"

Hiccup shifted so he could look over the shoulder his brother did not sit upon. His eyes narrowed. "Chief Mogadon," he said, Link and Nightjaw rising to join his soul. "Do visitors speak to others without your permission when someone of importance comes to your island?"

While Hiccup would allow his dragons and any Vikings in the Hooligan tribe to speak if they needed to, and would not consider such any violation of honor, he knew visitors were not supposed to insert themselves into such conversations. The Foreverwing, per Civility Laws, spoke to Hiccup first and had not asked to let the others speak. By Civility Laws and any law any honorable Viking followed, Mogadon was far out of line.

"Boy," Mogadon started.

{Take care,} the Foreverwing stated, the tone resting in Hiccup's mind sharpening. {The jealousy you show is the reason the first break happened.}

Hiccup blinked, turning back to face the old alpha. "Are you saying humans were the reason?" he asked.

The Foreverwing grunted and sighed. {One human,} he said. {Though the dragons held their own fault as well. The human held jealousy within himself over the first to bond with a dragon. That jealously fester into anger and ultimately into hatred.} The Foreverwing grunted again. {The hatred erupted. The result, the death of the human bonded to the brother of the one you call Link.}

Hiccup's head tilted. "Link's brother was bonded to a human?"

{Aye.} The Foreverwing paused. {The human had been abandoned by his flock, at least the dragons believed that to be the case. Link and his brothers took the human in and raised him. They named him their brother. The mission set to keep the world in balance, needed the bond between humans and dragons to work. When the human grew up, he and Link's brother volunteered to fulfill that mission.}

Hiccup's brow furrowed. He wanted to know why Link's brother did not die when the bond snapped but he knew now would not be the time to ask. The visitors did not know about the rider's bond or what would happen if the bond between the human and dragon was severed in any way. He instead chose to ask after the human bonded to Link's brother. He wanted to know the human's name. He got the feeling there would be too much to process without needing to always decipher which human the Foreverwing was speaking about as the tale continued.

"Who.., um, do.. do you know the name of the human raised by Link and his brothers?"

The Foreverwing stared down at Hiccup for several long, silent heartbeats. The massive head tilted and a deep sigh slipped from the Foreverwing's muzzle.

{So much lost,} the Foreverwing said softly. {Link named the human Haddock.}

Hiccup jerked and most of Berk suck in the air from the sky.