Chapter 2: Reunions
In a large clearing at the foot of Berk's central mountain, the teenagers landed their dragons and quickly slid onto the ground. The ball still held under his arm, Will stretched his back while his dragon closed its wings and took a moment to sniff the ground around it. As he turned to face the others, Will was forced to quickly drop the ball as Merida ran up and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, prompting him to hug her back.
"Will!" Merida exclaimed as the young man swung her around once before setting her back down on her feet, "Ah cannae believe it's ye! Where did ye find a bloody dragon!?"
"Nice tae see ye too, Merida," Will replied with a laugh before he indicated towards the Boneknapper with his head, "An' he's jist saemeane Ah picked up over th' holidays."
"You just picked up a Boneknapper?" Hiccup questioned with a chuckle as he walked up next to Merida.
"Well, Ah'll admit, there was a bit more tae it than 'at," Will answered with a shrug before holding his hand out towards Hiccup, "Good tae see ye again, lad."
Hiccup smiled in reply as he took Will's offered hand and shook it. A moment later, a loud caw filled the air as a sleek black crow fluttered down and landed on Merida's shoulder.
"Oh, an' hello Merida's crow," Will greeted awkwardly.
"Ah named him Varis," Merida commented, prompting the crow to caw at the sound of its name, "He prefers tae wait around doon 'ere while we're practicin' flyin'. Hard fer a bird like him tae keep up wit dragons."
"Noted," Will replied with a smirk as he reached out and pat Varis on the head, causing the crow to caw happily.
By that time, the others had joined them.
"A Boneknapper," Fishlegs whispered in awe, "I never thought I'd see one of them. They're pretty rare, you know."
"Aye, Skullcrusher 'ere is a real piece o' work," Will observed with a snort as he glanced back at the dragon. Skullcrusher grumbled in reply at this and glared down at the young man. After a moment, Skullcrusher pulled his gaze away from Will and turned its attention towards the other dragons, who were all looking at the Boneknapper wearily. In response to this, Skullcrusher snarled at the dragons, causing a few of them to flinch away.
"He's not going to pick a fight, is he?" Astrid questioned as she eyed Skullcrusher wearily.
"Nae," Will answered with a shake of his head, "Skullcrusher's th' most anti-social creature Ah've e'er met, but he's jist grumpy from th' long trip. Daenae think he likes the water."
Skullcrusher grunted irritably at this before turning his attention away from the others.
"So, how did you manage to train your own dragon?" Snotlout questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at Will.
"'At's a bit o' a long story," Will admitted, "Ah'm sure me an' the other lads will tell it tae ye lot later. Speakin' o' which, Ah flew oot 'ere ance we gaet witin sight o' th' island, sae everyane else shud be reachin' th' harbor by now."
"Well, we shudnae keep ma parents waitin'," Merida observed with a smirk, "Ye ken how ma mother can be."
With that the group began to disperse as they remounted their dragons and took to the air.
"Hey," a voice said from behind Will as someone shoved his shoulder. Turning around, Will blinked in surprise as he found Ruffnut standing behind him.
"I hope you weren't planning on ignoring me this whole time," Ruff said as she crossed her arms and smirked at Will.
"Ignore ye?" Will replied, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back against Skullcrusher and shot Ruff a charming smile, "Impossible."
"Good," Ruff stated, her expression flirtatious as she stepped closer to Will, leaving less than a foot between them, "Because I was thinking we need take some time to catch up."
"Will we be daein' 'at alone?" Will inquired before he turned his gaze towards something next to Ruff, "Or will yer brother be joinin' us?"
Her brow furrowing in confusion, Ruff turned her gaze in the direction Will was looking and was surprised to find Tuff standing next to her, glaring daggers at the Highlander.
"Hey, Tuff," Will greeted with a friendly tone.
"Hi," Tuff replied coolly before he spun on his heel, grabbed Ruff by the shoulder and began pulling her away, "Bye."
"What!? Oh come on!" Ruff snarled at her brother as she gestured at Will, "I was talking to him!"
"And now you're not," Tuff countered as he continued leading Tuff over to where Barf and Belch were waiting.
"I'll talk to you later!?" Ruff called over to Will, an embarrassed look on her face.
"Sure thin'!" Will replied with a laugh and a shake of his head before he turned towards Skullcrusher and mounted the dragon.
Down in the village, most of the Vikings of Berk and their dragons had gathered near the harbor, watching as the Highlander longships docked. After a gangplank had been lowered from the largest of the longships, five people disembarked from the boat.
One was a massive, middle-aged man, equal in size to Stoick himself. He possessed bright red hair that had begun to grey in some places, along with a short beard and a bushy mustache. He possessed a ruddy complexion, and observed the harbor with icy blue eyes. He wore leather and chainmail below a blue and grey tartan robe and kilt, along with a thick leather belt and matching bracers. He wore a fur-lined boot on his right foot, while in place of his left he had a pegleg made from knotted wood. A cape made from a black bear pelt hung from his shoulders, and an iron cap sat on his head.
Next to him was a woman roughly the same age with a pale complexion and slim build, who carried herself with a regal bearing. She had dark brown hair streaked with grey that was held in two braids by gold ribbons and hung down to her thighs. She wore a lavender dress that hung down to her ankles, while a golden tiara set with emeralds sat on her head and golden rings decorated her fingers.
At their feet were a trio of identical young boys with pale complexions and curly red hair. Each of them wore green tunics under tartan robes and kilts the same color as the man's, along with brown boots on their feet.
"Fergus," Stoick greeted as he made his way down the dock towards the group, holding out his hand to the other man, "Good to see you."
"Good tae be back, Stoick," the man, Fergus replied as he took the offered hand and shook it firmly while he glanced around at the surrounding village, "Ah see ye lot are already gettin' used tae haein' dragons round."
"It took some getting used to," Stoick replied with a nod, "But we're adaptable."
"Nae doubt," the woman observed, "Ah hope ye've been adaptable in preparin' fer th' weddin'."
"Straight to business then?" Stoick observed as he quirked his eyebrow at the woman.
"Well, ye ken Elinor," Fergus said with a chuckle as he placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Well, excuse me, Fergus, if Ah'm a bit worried aboot our anly daughter's weddin'," the woman, Elinor countered as she gave the man a pointed look, before turning attention back to Stoick, "Where are Merida an' Hiccup anyway?"
Before Stoick could reply, the roar of a dragon split the air. Turning their attention upwards, the group watched as the young men and women flew into view on their dragons. After a moment, Hiccup and Merida broke off from the group and flew down to the docks, with Toothless and Boudica landing behind Stoick.
After Merida slid off of Boudica's back, she grinned brightly as she turned around and found the three boys running down the dock towards her.
"Harris, Hubert, Hamish!" Merida exclaimed as she leaned down and pulled the boys into a hug, kissing each of them on the forehead in turn, "How hae ma wonderful wee brothers been!?"
"We've missed ye!" one of the boys exclaimed, looking up at Merida as she stood up and released them from the hug.
"Harris has been bossin' us round way too much!" another grumbled as he glared at the third.
"Well, Ah am th' oldest!" the third, Harris argued.
"Harris, be nice tae yer brothers," Merida said as she planted her hands on her hips, "If ye're not, ye might end up with a rebellion on yer hands when ye're king."
"Ah guess," Harris grumbled dejectedly, before he looked at Merida hopefully, "Dae ye think ye can give us a ride on yer dragon this time?"
"We'll see," Merida answered as she glanced at Boudica, who had walked up behind her, "Ye remember th' terrible trio 'at are ma brothers, right Boudica?"
Leaning down, Boudica sniffed the triplets, before grunting happily as the boys began petting the dragon's nose. At that moment, Varis fluttered down from the sky, cawing as he landed on Harris' head. The boys laughed as the crow hopped between their heads, reaching up as they tried to playfully catch the bird.
"Ah see Varris remembers ye lot," Merida commented with a giggle.
"Hiccup, ma boy!" Fergus exclaimed as he walked up to the young man, patting him on the shoulder hard enough to almost knock him over, "Ah swear ye're growin' like a weed! Ye're aboot a head taller than when Ah last saw ye!"
"I guess I had a bit of a growth spurt," Hiccup replied with a shrug as he scratched the back of his head, "Though I'm still about two heads shorter than you."
"Ah well, sae are most people," Fergus said with a shrug.
"It is wonderful tae see ye again, Hiccup," Elinor stated as she walked up and pulled the young man into a motherly embrace, "Sae, how are ye feelin' aboot th' upcomin' ceremony?"
"A little nervous, I guess," Hiccup admitted, his cheeks reddening slightly, "It's my first time getting married."
"Ah ken how ye feel," Fergus said with a nod, "When Elinor an' Ah were gettin' married, Ah felt like Ah was gaein' tae be sick fer a week."
"But it ended up bein' ane o' th' best days o' our lives," Elinor added as she reached out and laid a gentle hand on Fergus' arm while looking at the man lovingly.
"Ah swear, ye anly jist gaet 'ere an' ye're already intimidatin' ma boyfriend," Merida said as she walked over to them, Varis perched on her shoulder.
"Oh, there's th' blushin' bride tae be!" Elinor cooed as she turned and embraced her daughter, "Oh, Ah've missed ye sae!"
"Ah've missed ye too, Ma," Merida replied as she held her mother close.
"Daenae ferget aboot yer auld man now," Fergus said with a laugh.
"Ne'er, Da," Merida answered as she hugged him in turn.
"Ugh, 'at's a tighter hug than Ah remember," Fergus observed with a laugh as he took one of Merida's arms and moved it so she flexed her biceps, Varis cawing in agreement, "Th' Vikin' lifestyle's been good tae ye."
"Well, we may not slay dragons anymore, but we're finding training them to be just as taxin'," Stoick observed with a smirk.
"Ah believe 'at, based on what we've been hearin' aboot what's gaein' on 'round Castle Macintosh," Elinor commented.
"Aye, seemed like Will had his hands full wit 'at Boneknapper," Merida observed.
"He does, an' he's nae th' anly ane tryin' tae tame a dragon," Fergus confirmed with a laugh.
Both Hiccup and Merida's brows furrowed in confusion, but before either of them could ask for clarification, a loud roar split the air. Looking in the direction the roar had come from, everyone saw a large dragon quickly descending towards the harbor with a pair of figures on its back. The dragon was squat and round in shape, with a thick tail that ended in a particularly large club. The dragon possessed a wide head with a broad snout, a pair of small, finned ears and a wide, cavernous mouth. It was held aloft by a pair of large, bat-like wings, and four thick legs ending in claws dangled from its torso. Brown and tan scales covered the dragon's body, and bumpy growths sprouted from its chin and its tail.
"Gang way!" one of the people on the dragon's back shouted as the creature swooped down towards the neighboring dock, "Get clear!"
At this, the few Vikings and Highlanders who had been using the dock to unload one of the other longships quickly scattered, letting out cries of surprise as they hurried to get out of the way before the dragon slammed onto the dock, skidding across the wood and sending crates and barrels flying. Eventually, the dragon skidded to a halt at the end of the dock, its legs splayed out beneath it.
Hiccup and Merida quickly made their way over to the crashed dragon along with everyone else. As they drew closer, Hiccup and Merida watched two people climb off of the dragon's back. One was a man almost as large as Stoick and Fergus, though he was more heavyset than either of them. He had a pale complexion, straw blonde hair and bright blue eyes, along with a busy unibrow and a long mustache that hung down either side of his mouth in elaborate braids. He wore a simple tan shirt along with brown trousers and a brown, furred vest. The most noticeable thing about him was the fact that he was missing his left hand and his right foot, which were replaced with an iron hook and a wooden peg respectively. His outfit was rounded out by a single brown boot, wrappings around his good hand and a helmet with tall, pointed horns on his head.
With the man was a heavy-set woman roughly the same age as he was. She had a ruddy complexion along with blue eyes and auburn hair that had started going grey in some places. She was dressed in a simple brown dress, along with a grey cloak and brown riding boots. She wore her hair in a simple braid, much of which had become dislodged and windswept due to the crash.
"Gobber?" Hiccup questioned as he pushed through the crowd, watching as the man helped the woman off of the dragon's back, "Were you flying that dragon?"
"Aye, 'at Ah was, lad!" the man, Gobber, laughed as he turned his attention towards Hiccup, "Though, as ye may hae noticed, Ah'm still workin' oot th' whole landin' part."
"I'm just happy to have you back in one piece," Hiccup said as he walked up to Gobber.
"Aye, it's good tae be back, lad," Gobber concurred as he reached down and patted Hiccup on the shoulder, before he gave the young man a pointed look, "Ye didnae burn ma smithy doon did ye?"
"Not for lack of trying," Hiccup admitted with a shrug.
"Wudnae hae it any other way," Gobber replied with a laugh as he gave Hiccup's shoulder a squeeze, before blinking in confusion as he noticed what the younger man was wearing, "Whit's wit th' getup?"
"Oh, uh, just working on some improvements to the flight harness," Hiccup answered as he patted the armor on his chest, "Once I work out all the kinks, I think they'll be handy for anyone wanting to ride a dragon."
"Saemetimes Ah wonder if 'at mind o' yers e'er stops workin'," Gobber chuckled as he looped his good arm around Hiccup's shoulders and pulled the young man into a half hug.
"Maudie!?" Merida exclaimed delightedly as she walked up to the older woman, "Were ye really jist ridin' a dragon!?"
"Oh, princess!" the woman replied breathlessly before she gave Merida a quick curtsey, "Ah, yes, Ah suppose Ah was. It's….quite exhilaratin'."
"'At's fer sure," Merida confirmed before she stepped forwards and hugged Maudie, prompting Varis to flutter off her shoulder, "It's great tae see ye again."
"It's lovely tae see ye as well," Maudie replied as she leaned down and returned the hug, a gentle smile on her face.
"So, who's your new friend here?" Hiccup inquired as he gestured at the dragon, which had picked itself up off the ground, "I mean, I know it's a Hotburple, but I figured you gave it a name or something since you're riding it around."
"Aye," Gobber said as he led Hiccup over to the dragon, "Hiccup, meet Grump."
"Grump?" Hiccup inquired with a bemused smirk.
"Trust me," Gobber replied with a snort of amusement, "He's gaet th' personality tae match."
Grump grumbled as he looked over at Gobber and Hiccup.
"Oh daenae start wit me," Gobber shot back, "'At was yer fault. Ye've been flyin' all yer life, but now Ah'm supposed tae believe 'at ye danae ken how tae land because ye're carryin' 'round a little extra weight?"
Grump grumbled again while turning away from them.
"Master Gobber!" a new voice called, bringing Hiccup's attention away from Grump, "Master Gobber, are ya alroight!?"
Looking towards the voice, Hiccup spotted a young man roughly the same age of him rushing towards him and Gobber. He was tall and broad of shoulder, with a muscular build, short, bright red hair and an extremely pale complexion. He was dressed in a light grey tunic and brown trousers, along with dark brown leather boots.
"Are ya alroight, Master Gobber?" the young man repeated breathlessly as he looked between him and Hiccup.
"Aye, Ah'm fine, Sheamus," Gobber reassured him with a chuckle, "Jist had a bit o' a rough landin' is all. Nothing to fash about."
"Another new friend of yours, Gobber?" Hiccup inquired as he looked up at the older Viking and quirked an eyebrow.
"Aye, lad," Gobber answered with a chuckle before he gestured at Sheamus, "Hiccup, meet Sheamus, ma new apprentice."
"New apprentice?" Hiccup repeated, a note of faux outrage in his voice, "I thought I was your apprentice?"
"Well, with all th' dragon ridin' an' princess courtin' ye've been daein' lately, it seems like ye're gaeing' to take over fer Stoick after all, which means Ah'm gaein' tae need tae find saemeane tae take over th' smithy from me."
"I suppose that makes sense," Hiccup allowed with a nod.
"Wait, ya're Hiccup?" Sheamus questioned, his eyes going wide and his face going even paler, which Hiccup hadn't thought was possible, before he gave the young man a quick, unsteady bow, "Oi-Oi'm sorry, m'lord, Oi-Oi hope ya're not offended by me becomin' Master Gobber's apprentice, Oi never-"
"Whoa, whoa, easy," Hiccup said as he held his hands up in an effort to stop Sheamus, "I'm not offended. Gobber makes a good point, and I'm not going to mind having someone else in the smithy."
"Oh….good," Sheamus said as a look of relief passed over his features, "Oi was worried our first meetin' would go badly, m'lord."
"I wouldn't mind if you stopped calling me, m'lord, though," Hiccup replied with an awkward look.
"But….ya're de lord o' de island's son, aren't ya?" Sheamus inquired as his brow furrowed in confusion, "Ya were just talkin' about how ya'll be in charge o' de island after yer fader steps down."
"Yeah, but that's not a given just because he's my dad," Hiccup elaborated, "For Vikings, you kind of have to earn the right to be in charge."
"Oi don't tink Oi've ever heard o' dat before," Sheamus muttered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Daenae fash, lad," Gobber said as he pat Sheamus on the shoulder with his good hand, "There's plenty 'round 'ere ye're gaein' tae hae tae get used tae."
"Sae, where are ye from, lad?" Merida inquired as she walked up with Maudie, Varis perched on her shoulder again, "Ah daenae think Ah've e'er heard saemeane wit yer accent afore?"
"Oi'm from de Emerald Isle originally, m'lady," Sheamus answered as he gave Merida a quick bow.
"Emerald Isle?" Hiccup questioned with an arched eyebrow of his own.
"Oh, it's a large island off th' coast o' th' Highlands," Merida explained, her eyes lighting up in realization.
"So, how did you go from the Emerald Isle to being here?" Hiccup inquired.
"Well, 'at's a bit o' a long story, lad," Gobber replied as he began making his way down the dock, prompting the others to follow him.
"Seems like there are a lot o' those lately," Merida observed, "Ah think we're gaein' tae hae a lot tae talk aboot o'er dinner tonight."
"Well, Ah'm certainly lookin' forward tae 'at," Gobber commented with a grin, "An' gods, Ah didnae think Ah'd miss th' food 'round 'ere as much as Ah dae."
As Hiccup and Merida spoke with Gobber, Maudie and Sheamus, more of the Highlanders made their way off of the longships. Two of them were a mismatched pair of young blonde men. One was short, his hair sticking straight up, adding a few inches to his unimpressive height. His complexion was pale and his eyes were a dull blue in color, and he possessed a small chin, long neck and large ears. He was dressed in a brown tunic underneath a green and brown tartan robe and kilt, along with brown leather boots on his feet. The other young man was tall, broad of shoulder and barrel chested, with a pale complexion, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, and light blue eyes. He wore a long sleeve grey tunic under a brown and olive tartan robe and kilt, along with brown leather boots.
As the two made their way down the dock, they were met by Will, Skullcrusher looming on a dock nearby.
"Andra, Boyd!" Will greeted, grinning as he approached the young men with his arms outstretched, "Ye finally made it!"
The larger of the two rolled his eyes before he mumbled something at Will.
"Aye," the shorter one agreed with a nod, "Ah agree wit Andra. 'At dragon is makin' ye big in yer britches, Will."
"Aw daenae be jealous, Boyd," Will replied with a dismissive laugh as he looped his arm around his shorter friend's shoulders while making an abortive attempt to do the same with the much larger Andra, "At th' rate we're gaein', Ah'm sure ye an' Andra will get dragons o' yer own in nae time."
"Well, after th' trip we jist had, all Ah want is saeme food," Boyd announced as the trio made their way down the dock, Andra concurring with a nod as he rubbed his rumbling belly.
"Well, luckily fer ye, lads," Will said with a wide grin, "Ah ken a place."
A/N: Some more reintroductions and catching up as we get this story rolling. Hope you all enjoyed it! As usual, comments and feedback is always welcome, so please review! Later!
