When we arrived at Berk, we were pleasantly surprised by the progress Gobber seems to have made in its defense. The port had been barricaded with Gronkle-Iron casting, several sea facing houses had barriers shielding their walls. The catapults and ballista's were loaded and manned with Berks' own small naval force clearing the harbor. We'd never really rebuilt our fleet of vessels after the Red Death, cause, well, we never needed too. We had a couple dozen ships and over the past five years went from a handful of dragon riders to nearly every citizen at least befriending their own dragon if not outright riding them. Not all of them were skyward warriors, by any means, and our Aux team's numbers was still relatively small compared to our population. That said, we had a dragon rider to match each ship we had, plus the Riders. Through coordinated effort, even a fleet of a hundred would be hard pressed to match our defense in firepower alone.
What we really had to be prepared for was Krogan trying to infiltrate us, or using bounty hunters to get to me. Neither seemed all that plausible to be honest, Berk was one of the best defended Viking Strongholds in the Archipelago. It's odd to me, because many attribute its current place my doing. They say how great Chief Hiccup is; its discerning. Luckily, Astrid helps keep me sane.
Flying in, all the riders head to the Hall as Astrid and I peel off towards the a flying Aux team member who, turns out to be Gustav. Flagging him down, he brings Hookfang closer to us.
"Hey, oh Chiefly one!" He calls out as we fly closer.
"Gustav! Corral the Aux team on short shifts. I'm bringing all the riders into the Hall for a dinner and to go over what we've learned. Everyone needs to be ready and have a chance to hear it. Then, I'll need them patrolling through the night, we might've kicked a Nadder's nest with our mission, so be on the lookout. Let them know to send an immediate distress call should anything be out of the ordinary." I say and he nods.
"You got it, Chief." He replies and flies off. I glance to Astrid with bewildered eyes.
"Can that really be Gustav? He's changed so much since trying to join the riders and the berserkers and the edge and wow, I can barely tell that's him." I exclaim and she laughs.
"Yeah, after the whole Berserker near-coup and his failed apprenticeship, he really focused on his flying and Hookfang. I'd argue he could replace Snotlout should we ever feel the need." Astrid retorts with a laugh and I smile.
"Yeah right, like that time the twins made him think he was dying. Oh, gods, we'd never hear the end of it. I'm just glad he's grown." I answer and she nods. "Okay, to the Hall!" I say and she smiles, following me down.
I find Gobber almost immediately in there and flag him down as well. "Gobber, I need you here as well to relay to the ships. We lucked out and got a lot of useful intelligence." I state and he does a half salute with his wooden hand attachment.
"Righteo, dinner time then. Eh, hope Valka doesn't cook." He says shambling off as I chuckle and Astrid glances at me.
"Can your mother not cook?" She asks and I shrug
"Not really sure, only had her cooking once when we were at the Island of the Bewilderbeast, and didn't get to eat any of it with Drago's invasion. Gobber seems to think it's horrible." I say with a soft sigh and light smile.
"Hiccup?" Astrid says, placing her hand on my shoulder as I nod.
"I'm fine, really. I think, I'm actually starting to find peace with it all. Though constant conflict may just be distracting me." I chuckle lightly as she shakes her head.
"Running from it or hiding behind duty isn't the answer, you know that. You've not had a solid month of peace since." She says softly and I shrug.
"I have you." I say simply and she smiles, nodding.
"That, you do." She answers and together we walk towards the head table as the riders start filtering in.
It takes everyone about fifteen minutes to settle down and find a seat around the tables as I pull out the information I gathered, Valka, Astrid, Eret and Gobber being the closest, all lean in and read with me. Both Astrid and my mother's smiles at the festivities fade immediately as I stand.
"Alright, Riders! Here's what we now know, and brace yourself, it is not good." I begin, taking a deep breath as they all look on at me. "There are three warlords, Griselda the Grievous, Ragnar the Rock and Changhatai Khan. They've split what remains of Drago's armies and have each begun trapping operations in and beyond the Archipelago." I state.
"They have operations in and around the Murderous Mountains to the west, Swallow to the south and even the beyond the Edge to the north. This operation consists of hundreds of ships, all designed for trapping dragons. Thing is, they aren't operating like the hunters who just wanted to see them sold for profit, they are weaponizing them like Drago and Krogan did. With that, they've employed Krogan to attempt to remove a thorn in their operations." I pause and glance at Astrid. The look on her face gives me pause but I'm resolved to not let the fear rule me; I needed to be like Stoick in this case.
"Berk. Specifically, me. They seem to be under the impression that Berk's dragon horde will come to them, and Berk's people ruined if Toothless is either captured or killed, and I am just removed entirely." I continue, I feel Astrid's hand find mine as it rests on the table.
"Everything I've asked you to do, has been for the people of Berk and for Dragonkind as a whole. I will not ask any of you to risk your lives for me if I am the sole target. I do not want to bring war to our people or upend them from their homes." I finish and glance down to Astrid again. I wasn't sure what to do, or what to say at this point. Luckily, I was saved by the someone I least expected it from.
"Um, I'm sorry. Is our Chief Hiccup Haddock the Third suggesting he turns himself over to Krogan? Cause, sorry, not on my watch." Snotlout, of all people, Snotlout states, standing up. Then twins follow suit.
"Uh, yeah, sorry chiefly one, that's a nogo. Non-choicio-in-the-archipelago." Tuff states, waving his hands as Ruff nods. Soon after, several others riders stand and repeat them with varying words, Dagur and Heather too.
"Sorry, Brother. I know a Chief has to do what a Chief has to do, but this time, that is something the Chief cannot do. The Berserkers are with you." Dagur states.
"We're all with you." Astrid adds, standing next to me as my mother stands with her and nods. "Remember those bounty hunters, what Stoick said? Mess with one of us, you get all of us?" She finishes with a nod and I smile. I didn't have too, I wouldn't ask them, but apparently I didn't need too.
"So, what's the plan then?" Fishlegs asks and I smirk.
"We're going to do what we've been doing. Now we have base locations, ship routes, names of their leaders. We can raid and free every dragon they've captured. Send them back to the corners they crawled from." I state as Eret looks at me.
"And what of Krogan?" He asks and my smile falters as I glance to Astrid and she nods, her grip in my hand staying strong.
"We find him, and end his pursuit once and for all." Astrid remarks to Eret, still looking at me as I smile. I could never have asked for a better group of people to call my own. We'd treaded Njord's seas and Thor's thunder, we've treaded in Tyr's domain of war and faced Odin's judgement himself; Together, and we will again.
"Alright then, eat up, drink up! Gustav, rotate the Aux riders. Fishlegs, send a T-mail to the ships in the harbor. They all need to know what was spoken here." I state and they both nod, and for once in a good long while, I actually felt like we were a step ahead.
It was heartwarming for me to not be the first to Hiccup's defense, to actually see Snotlout, the twins, Gustav, Spitelout, Sven, and all the others riders present quickly dismiss his idea before he even finished speaking it. A part of me was distraught, upset even, that he would've considered that without talking to me about it first, but he was trying to be Chief. He wasn't trying, he was being Chief; the good of the many outweighs the good of the one, or so he thought.
The dinner went on for a few hours with various ship captains, aux riders and other citizens making their way in and out. It wasn't a grandiose feast like we'd had with Alvin or the like, but it was a long-standing dinner where laughter sung through the halls as our fears had been met by our resolve. Sure, it wasn't a victory, not by a long shot, not yet. But it was a step in the right direction, and with Hiccup, I knew we'd see it through to the end.
"So, were you really going to suggest turning yourself over to Krogan?" I ask, leaning my back against his shoulder as we both watch the various ruckus going on beyond the table. He shrugs.
"It was something I was considering, but that doesn't seem to be an option." He says light heartedly as I turn and look at him.
"And you were really going to suggest that, to everyone, before talking to me about it first?" I state more than ask and he shakes his head.
"Honestly, no. I wasn't sure what I was suggesting being honest. But I needed to tell everyone what I saw, I needed to tell you, I just didn't know how. It's not like the bounty with Viggo, Krogan actually wants my head. Finish what Drago started and end the Haddock line." Hiccup responds and I close my eyes and shake my head.
"Not happening." I state before the loud and obnoxious voice of Snotlout fills the nearby air as we both glance over to see him talking with Valka and Eret, apparently he's trying to flex, prompting me to gag.
"Is he trying to flirt with my mom?" Hiccup asks bewildered and I snort a laugh at the comment as I feel him lightly hit my shoulder. "Not funny!" He exclaims as I laugh.
"Oh, it is totally funny. Especially since I've it on good knowledge Valka isn't interested in remarrying." I retort and he rolls his eyes.
"Wait, whatever happened to that wingmaiden? Minden. She and Snotlout hit it off pretty well considering they were both disobeying orders together." Hiccup asks and I pause, nodding with a smile.
"Maybe we invite the Wingmaidens to our next feast and see if he's still the muttonhead he was when he met them." I say with a shrug.
"Didn't they try to boil him in a stew?" Hiccup asks
"Supposedly, not sure how that would've tasted." I respond with another gag and lean into him again.
"And what about Fishlegs and Ruffnut? They aren't a thing yet, but something tells me they may be." Hiccup suggests and I shake my head against his shoulder.
"Yeah, they were even married for a day at the Edge. Ugh, can we just not about them?" I ask, repressing yet another gag as he laughs lightly.
"Okay, we still want to try to match Heather and Eret?" He asks and I shrug. Heather and I had a long private talk the morning he went to the forge to start prep work on our suits. With Fishlegs focusing his attention on Ruffnut more and Snotlout being Snotlout. She admitted that the only other suitor of actual worth to her was already taken; Hiccup, of course, and she wasn't going to try anything there. It makes me laugh lightly as I feel Hiccup's hand brush my hair. "What?"
"Funny story there, apparently your brother, Dagur, has been bugging Heather about a suitor as well. Since he married Mala. She said the only suitors she was interested in were taken or focused elsewhere. Did you know the Berserkers have something called amor provocation? It means a love challenge, where one interested party can challenge another for the affection of a mutual love." I explain briefly and he shakes his head.
"I did not know that, nor do I really care too. That'd just be drama and I'm quite content with how things are on Berk." He responds and though he can't see it, he's made me smile rather widely. Turning to him, I plant a solid kiss on his lips and nod.
"Good answer. Score one in the Haddock Win Column." I say playfully and he smiles.
"So, we both win?" He retorts and I smile, shaking my head and resting my head back on his shoulder. It was moments like these, the lull in war or battle where we found a moment to be alone that I had grown to crave.
"Since we're playing the match-making game. Other thoughts on Heather or Eret even?" I say softly, it was rather fun to have these random playful talks. Our love had been cultivated by years of friendship that had grown into veneration layered in intimacy and mutual admiration. Not everyone can say the same, and while no one needs such a repertoire with their lover, it certainly does help allay any lingering doubts or fears.
"Well, if Eret's a no-go for Heather. Maybe Throk? He's changed since he, ah-hem, tried to kidnap Ruffnut." Hiccup suggests and I audibly groan at the memory. I was literally ready to behead that man, no matter the good he'd done previously. I sigh and run my finger along Hiccup's arm and shrug.
"Maybe. Would be easier considering Mala. Surprised Mala just didn't marry Throk but then again, Mala was big on that whole prophesied lover from a foreign land thing. When she thought it was Snotlout, Oi." I say.
"They planned to have Snotlout fail that from the start. Throk aimed just a tad high on purpose, Toothless's blast aside. Mala winked to me when Snotlout hit the ground as she caught the arrow. She knew he'd fail but she wanted to put him through the paces." Hiccup answers and I laugh.
"Go figure. Okay then, back to Eret then." I suggest and he grabs my hands and turns me to face him, kissing me lightly on the lips.
"I've a better idea. Why don't you come back with me to the forge so I can put that tool away." He whispers just loud enough for his words to barely enter my ear and I smile, biting my lip and nodding.
"What a wonderful idea, maybe you can, uh, show me a little bit about blacksmithing. How the… hammer works when the forge is heated just right." I whisper back teasingly, and he shakes his head.
"You are absolutely evil." He retorts and I grin, standing and taking him with me. Saying our goodbyes to those still in the Hall, we make our way out relatively quietly. The sky is clear of clouds and the sign of the aux team in the sky, among other various dragons just randomly flying, fills me with a certain amount of ease.
Making our way to the forge, it is, of course, dark, and unlit. Not that it mattered, Hiccup had a smaller furnace in his little work room he added. He even suggested the room had extra sound padding, a perfect retreat for us I'm surprised we hadn't used before. As we enter, no later than it took for the door to shut and Hiccup to latch it did I press myself against him on the door and press my lips fully to his. He reciprocated in kind and his arms snaked around my waist pulling me in as we struggled for breath but didn't want to break the kiss. Pulling back with a light pant and flustered faces, we both smile.
"That was for earlier." I whisper, biting his lower lip.
"How ever can I make it up to you." He retorts playfully and I stop, looking him in the eyes with a smile as my hand slides down his chest to his groin.
"If you can guess what I'm thinking, right now, we'll call it even." I suggest.
"And if I can't?" He teases and I smile
"Then we don't leave this room until you do." I answer and he leans in, kissing me lightly before his lips trail down my neck, eliciting a moan from me as I feel him bite softly.
"It's going to take me awhile to guess that, but maybe if we explore, I'll figure it out." He whispers against my neck and I shiver, biting my lip and closing my eyes as he kisses the area he just bit.
"Explore away, we've all night. I'll give you a hint; it has to do with how the hammer works in a forge" I say teasingly, and he just smiles. I felt the heat rushing through my body and knew that soon, this would become my favorite room in all the Archipelago.