"Of course I know what you mean." Toothless pressed his snout into Hiccup's neck. "So then are you going to introduce yourself and get in on their conversation or am I going to have to make you?"
"What? Why should I get involved? Dad's doing just fine."
"I guess what I mean is go save Skullcrusher. Look how miserable he is right now." The pair watched as Stoick moved on from asking Gobber to touch the Rumblehorn to trying to force him to. Hiccup sighed and walked over to the two men. Stoick spotted him first.
"Hiccup, tell gobber that Skullcrusher isn't going to hurt him." He let go of Gobber and put his hands on his hips.
"Well that isn't exactly true." He reminded his father. He turned to the dragon in question and cupped his face. "You're free to go."
"From no attention from humans to more than enough." Skullcrusher grumbled.
"Once they're used to you guys it won't be like that."
"I suppose you're right." The dragon bowed and moved away to lie down. Hiccup turned back around to his father and Gobber.
"I can't believe I'm the one who had to say this but, you're acting like kids. Skullcrusher, or any others for that matter are not toys."
"I just wanted him to touch him."
"It took you weeks to get to that point, give him some time. Let's sit him down and talk first before we jump ahead to where you and the others are. Explain exactly how Stoick the Vast got to the point where he's excited to show others what dragons are really like." Hiccup gestured towards the fire. The group made their way over with Gobber watching every mode he made to make sure he was safe. The group retook the places they were before with Gobber sitting in between Stoick and Hiccup.
Stoick began to explain to his longtime friend what had happened since his departure from Berk, with Hiccup filling in some blanks here and there. Gobber asking plenty of questions along the way. By the time their conversation was over everyone but the three people talking had gone to sleep.
"So you want dragons on Berk? How's that going to work, Stoick? Our people are not going to accept that. They're going to try to exile you."
"Let them try. But they haven't seen what we have. I've had to face a harsh reality and we have been wrong about them the entire time. Seeing them work, how organized they are. The dedication to Hiccup and his vision of their future. Gobber they can talk. They have their own language. Not only that but they can learn to understand us. The Nightfury and a handful of others already do. And Hiccup's plan is good. Real good, but we have to get others on our side. I wanted you to be the first person who wasn't with us initially to see what we have."
"It better be worth it Stoick." The blonde man sighed.
"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Stoick challenged.
"Not directly I suppose." Gobber shrugged.
"What's that mean?"
"Well, you did exile my best apprentice a while back." Gobber chuckled, knowing how much Stoick had hated hearing about it. "And having to replace him has been impossible. How many new apprentices do I have to go through before I find someone with half his talent at twice his age. I mean how hard is it to swing a damned hammer, or sharpen a sword, or keep a fire stoked. Hiccup shot down a Nightfury, I guess, at ten, with a weapon he designed. So no you haven't steered me wrong, but I've wasted a lot of my time having to train a new apprentice."
"How many times I gotta hear about that? I know that he was the best you had but I had to do what I had to do. It wasn't only me who wouldn't have accepted him staying. He would have been run out whether or not."
"And the chasing him down to the ends of the earth?"
"Call it a test?" Stoick tried to divert the conversation.
"It was something alright." Hiccup growled. "I'm going to sleep." He shuffled himself into his regular position against Toothless.
"I suppose he's right. Have a competition to win in the morning." Stoick got up. "Sleep wherever's comfortable tonight. We're having a bit of a hunting competition in the morning then we'll head back to Helheim afterwards. Got a war or something brewing and gotta take care of that." Stoick sat next to Skullcrusher and leaned against his side. Gobber watched as Stoick willingly fell asleep against the Rumblehorn. As he looked around he saw one of the other humans walking around near the other group of dragons. He saw them lean down and when they stood back up so did the dragon nearest them. He almost couldn't believe it but given everything he'd been through already it wasn't a surprise. The pair moved away from the other sleeping dragons and lifted I to the air. They flew over his head and landed on the gigantic spire they'd set up camp under. Soon after a dragon flew back down. He thought it was odd for them to fly up there and immediately come back down but realized when they landed that it was a different pair.
Now he was going over what Stoick and Hiccup told him earlier and wondered just how much of it was true. He just couldn't wrap his brain around Stoick of all people being the one to accept dragons into their lives. And the way he spoke was concerning because he only spoke like that when his mind was made up. Nobody was going to be able to stop him. When Stoick set his mind on something no matter how much it rubbed people the wrong way, the idea never truly backfired. Gobber knew full well that there would be dragons on Berk soon no matter what anyone else said. But he had to trust his friend, never had Stoick truly wronged him and he had no reason to think he had now. He decided that sleep was the best option for now and fell asleep where he'd been sitting.
Toothless was the first to wake up. He looked around at everyone else but didn't see any of the others moving just yet. He tried to move himself from under Hiccup without waking him but failed nearly instantly.
"What's up bud, where you going?" Hiccup began to stretch.
"Fire's nearly out, just going to put some wood on it." Toothless pressed his snout into Hiccup's stomach.
"I'm sure you were." Hiccup teased.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Just making sure you weren't going to run away from our little competition today."
"Hiccup, firstly, a hatchling could out hunt you, and secondly, the reward is much too sweet. Oh and Hiccup? Don't go and lose on purpose either. I assure you that if you do I'll know and I'll make you pay for it. You think I've teased you while mating before but this'll be the worst it's ever been I promise you that." Toothless threatened.
"Yeah right." Hiccup laughed. "You're lucky you don't just drop out your sheath at the very sight of me at this point."
"I may be needy, but I've got some self control left in me. And hearing you beg is good enough that I could wait for a long while before taking you."
