I neither own nor claim any rights to How To Train Your Dragon...

Hello, everyone. I'm back with the third part in my latest HTTYD fan series, "The Truth." In part one, Hiccup reveals the truth about the dragons to Stoick the Vast and the chief cannot deny what his own eyes have seen. In Part 2, Hiccup tells the village how he shot down Toothless and then formed a bond with him, and he defeated the Monstrous Nightmare without inflicting or receiving a single injury, proving that peace is possible.

Now in the third part, we shall see how Hiccup, with time to plan and prepare, will take a village of Dragon Killers and turn it mostly into a village of Dragon Riders.

In my introduction to the previous chapter I said that there would be three parts to this story. I've changed my mind. Right now it looks like we've got this and one other full part, followed by the epilog. So two more installments after this one. Part 4 will be the final battle, of course. And the prolog will reveal how much, if any, of Hiccup's destiny will have changed because he revealed the truth earlier.

So let's get to it, shall we?


THE TRUTH
(Part 3)

The cheers of the villagers faded out after a few more moments. and Spitelout took the opportunity to address his Berk's champion. "And what is this threat at the nest you speak of. You act as if what we've been dealing with for three hundred years isn't bad enough."

Hiccup turned his attention to the second-in-command. "It's not. I've seen it. And I tell you in complete honesty that we are fortunate that no previous expedition to find the nest was successful. If they had been, none of them would have returned."

"Bah," Spitelout said. "We're Vikings. There isn't an enemy alive that we can't handle. Just put a dot on the map and we'll go handle it."

"No, you won't," Shouted Astrid, her eyes narrowed in contempt. No wonder Snotlout is so pig-headed, she thought. "I was with Hiccup at the nest. He's telling the truth. If we charge into that place with weapons swinging, we won't see another day. And the war will continue. You may think you can question Hiccup's sincerity. But I dare you to question mine!"

Hiccup gently rested his hand on Astrid's shoulder and she flinched. "It's okay, Astrid." he said calmly to her. Then he turned his attention back to Spitelout. "Three hundred years of doing the same thing has resulted in everyone being raided to think the same way. Look at him," he said, pointing at the Monstrous Nightmare, who had calmly hunkered down in the wide open and was on the verge of nodding off. "Have you seen anyone do this to a dragon before, Spitelout?"

The second-in-command opened his mouth to protest...

"Of course he hasn't," came Snotlout's boisterous voice. "None of us have." He was standing at the railing, with the twins on one side and Fishlegs on the other. He turned his attention to Hiccup. "I think I speak for the four of us when I say that we want to learn from someone who really knows how to deal with dragons."

"I resent that remark, Jorgenson," Gobber groaned. Then his eyes widened as the weight of what Snotlout had said hit him like a ton of bricks. "But to be honest, I want to learn, too. Hiccup has done what no Viking has dared to do before, and it clearly works. If it means an end to this war, then I will turn dragon training over to him right here and right now."

Hiccup's mouth fell open. "That means a lot, Gobber. But learning to fight dragons is still important. As optimistic as I am, I would be a fool to believe that every single dragon can be easily trained. Just like I am sure that there will always be people who will not trust them, there are bound to be some dragons who won't be willing to trust us. I don't want to see the killing continue, but if it comes down to self defense, your knowledge will be most useful."

Gobber nodded respectfully to his apprentice, "Thank ye, lad," he said. "But after seeing what just happened, I think we need to try it your way." He turned to the chief. "What say you, Stoick?"

Stoick leaned back in his chair. "I say that anyone wo wants to learn what my son can show them, let them learn. And I'll be paying attention, too."

"You can't be serious, Stoick," Spitelout snapped. "I can't believe that you of all people..."

Stoick was on his feet and right in front of Spitelout in an instant. He had drawn himself up to full height and was looking down at his second in command with eyes so cold they could freeze lava. "Yes, Spitelout." he growled. "I of all people, who lost a wife to a dragon, and who has spent fifteen years seeking vengeance have looked at the facts that my son has presented. I originally just thought to play along and let him dig his own pit trap." He looked over towards Hiccup ho stood with his head bowed. "I'm sorry, son," he said. "But that was my original thought." He turned back to Spitelout and took a step forward, causing the other man to step back. "But the truth is the truth. It cannot be denied. And if Hiccup's words and actions here today have not proven the truth to you, then just you watch." He turned and stormed off towards the stairs leading to the ground level, and to the gate. He threw it open with no effort and walked towards the Night Fury, who had taken his place at Hiccup's side.

The dragon tilted his head to the side, clearly not sure what the large human was going to do, but not seeing him as a threat.

Stoick turned to face up to the stands and met Spiteout's eyes. But it was to the village as a whole he spoke. "I Stand with my son and heir. Your future chief. We will end this war and we will forge a new destiny. One that we could have forged long ago were it not for the war. A destiny in which dragon and Viking need fight no more."

With that, he turned to Toothless and held out his hand, palm out. And just as had happened early that morning, the dragon pressed his snout into Stoick's palm, and just like earlier, the rumbling purring sound could be heard, softly reverberating in the arena.

Spitelout licked his lips as he looked around at his fellow villagers and saw them all looking at him like he had grown a second head. All his life he had been forced to deal with truths he didn't want to accept. This was just one of them. He could press the issue, but what would be the point? "Fine!" he shouted with a sarcastic smile. "But no Jorgenson will be riding one of the devils."

"Speak for yourself, Dad," Snotlout shot back. "If Hiccup can ride a Night Fury, then I can ride a dragon of my own."

Spitelout sneered. "Is that so, Boyo?" He cut his gaze over to the dozing Monstrous Nightmare. "I suppose you'll be wanting to ride the Nightmare..."

Snotlout's jaw dropped. He never did like being put on the spot.

"Why not," Hiccup shouted seriously. "I'm tired of people taking a dim view of what's possible if only people try things differently. The new day for Berk begins today. Snotlout. Ruff. Tuff. Fishlegs. Join me and Astrid down here, would you?"

Astrid grabbed Hiccup's arm. "You're not serious about giving a Monstrous Nightmare to Snotlout, are you?"

Hiccup chuckled. "I'm not giving a Monstrous Nightmare to anyone," he said. "If Snotlout wants to try to befriend the Nightmare, I'll help him. But it'll ultimately be the dragon's choice in the matter."

Astrid sighed and shook her head. "I think it's a bad idea, but I trust your judgment." Then her eyes widened. "But what about the twins? They destroy more on purpose with their insane antics than you ever did by accident." Then she slapped both hands over her mouth. "Oh, gods, Hiccup, I'm sorry. That didn't come out right at all."

"Don't apologize," he said. "I did cause a lot of accidents because I was intentionally trying to be something I wasn't."

Stoick had been standing there listening to the exchange. Hiccup was clearly taking responsibility for his past mistakes. He was never meant to be a dragon killer. Attempting to go against fate was always disastrous. But Astrid did have a point. "I'm concerned about this myself, son."

Hiccup shrugged. "Don't worry. I've got an idea that will mitigate half of the potential damage."

Stoick looked sideways at Hiccup. "That's all well and good. But what about the other half?"

Hiccup looked back and forth between Astrid and his father. "I'm not going to lie to you. These are dragons. A dragon is going to do what a dragon is going to do. But I believe that once that monster in Mount Helheim is dealt with, they won't have to do what they've been made to do. The raids will stop. I believe that if they see Berk as home, then they will protect it. Any damage that may occur will more than likely be incidental. It would be fair that if any rider's dragon damages something, the rider will have to see to it that it is fixed. Knowing how averse to work the twins are, If you make that decree as a condition for being a dragon rider, I think Ruff and Tuff will toe the line."

Astrid couldn't keep from laughing. "That's actually a little bit brilliant, Hiccup. And I do agree. If we ride them, we need to be responsible for them and to them."

Stoick was actually grinning. Hiccup had sized up the twins' predominant attitude, saw it as a potential problem, but found a way to turn it into its own solution. "You'll make a fine chief, some day, son." And then for the first time since late last night, Hiccup's face took on that awkward, insecure expression. "But one thing at a time," he said. "You've got enough weight on your shoulders as it is, and I'm not ready to retire. I want to know what it's like to be chief of a Berk that is safe and at peace, and if it can truly last, maybe in five or six years, I'll be ready to hand it over to you."

Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. Five or six years sounded fair. "You're right. I've just got to lead us into battle on dragon-back against an enemy that has been plaguing Vikingdom for generations. No pressure at all." Then he and his father's eyes locked, and both smirked and said "Occupational hazzard." at the same time.

The other teens had now joined them in the center of the arena. Snotlout stepped forward and met Hiccup's gaze and did not look away. "I'm sorry, Hiccup," he said with no indication of insincerity. "For everything." He extended his hand, and Hiccup accepted it with a grip that was a lot stronger than he expected. Why should that surprise me? He's a blacksmith. You don't swing a hammer, and beat metal into shape all day without developing a firm grip.

"It's all in the past, Snotlout," Hiccup responded as he released Snotlout's hand. "Today, we're going to build a better future. Together." The teens expressed their agreement. Hiccup continued to look into Snotlout's eyes. "so what do you say, cousin? Are you ready to change your world forever?" He turned aside to look towards the Monstrous Nightmare that was now watching all the teens warily, but not behaving aggressively.

Snotlout licked his lips. "What do I have to do."

The villagers observing these events had accepted that Hiccup had trained the Night Fury. Many of them leaned forward eagerly to see if the Jorgensen boy would be able to accomplish the same feat with the Nightmare. It was not lost on them that if he was successful, it meant that there was indeed a chance that the war could be ended soon. Some of them even found themselves wanting to know what it was like to interact with a dragon peacefully. Hope was indeed gaining strength.

Spitelout had retaken his seat next to the Chief's throne in the stands. He began to wonder what the point of opposing these changes was. His son was actually rising to a challenge even he was not willing to face. Was it really true that Viking stubbornness was what had kept Berk locked in an unending war? That what his sister had once believed before she was carried away by that four-winged devil was actually true? The weakest member of the village had managed to train what many had labeled as the deadliest of dragons. And the lad was right. He could have rained fire and death down upon a village that had all but made him an outcast. As much as he hated to admit it, there was no denying that in a future with dragons on their side, life could be a lot better.

Snotlout listened carefully as Hiccup explained the method he used to gain the Night Fury's trust. "At first, he wouldn't let me even look like I wanted to touch him without growling. It was only when I put myself totally at his mercy that he made the move to trust me. So far, when I faced this dragon earlier, earning trust will yield the same result."

Snotlout removed the small hand axe that was clipped to his belt, and when he did so, the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes became slitted, and it bared its teeth, exposing fangs that were curved like hooks. he handed the weapon to Astrid, who carried it over to the weapon rack and laid it down. The Nightmare watched this and had become relaxed again.

"Okay, dragon," Snotlout said as he stepped forward, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. This seemed totally wrong and totally right at the same time. He was going against generations of teaching that dragons were to be hated and feared above any other enemy. "The runt here already tamed a Night Fury. He one-upped me there. The way I see it, you're the second-most deadly dragon. And you're going to be mine."

Snotlout's words were not hostile, but the dragon had taken on a defiant pose. Toothless growled as he stepped forward and nudged Hiccup.

"Uhm... I don't think he likes that idea very much, lout," said Hiccup.

"Come on, cuz," Snotlout said. "It may be a dragon, but it's still just an animal. I will make it mine."

"Dad?" Hiccup said with tension in his voice.

Stoick realized the danger, as he had been in similar danger from Toothless just that morning. "Snotlout," he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I think you really need to listen to what my son is saying.

The chief had given him a directive. "Okay."

"Tell him you're sorry," said Hiccup.

"You act like I hurt its feelings."

"His feelings," Hiccup replied. "And you may have. Toothless seems to pick up quite well on my intent. I'm not sure he understands Norse, but what is behind the words seems to be something he picks up on."

Snotlout thought that over. That meant that dragons were intelligent and sensitive. He thought about how he would feel if some stranger were to suddenly start trying to boss him around, or insinuate that he had no free will. He decided that he would not like it. "I'm sorry," he said to the dragon. "You know what would be cool, is if you and I could be partners. We could be amazing and fierce together."

The dragon's stance had relaxed and a rumbling pur could be heard in its throat.

"Now, hold out your hand, palm open and facing him."

Snotlout fought to keep his hand from shaking as he reached out towards the Nightmare.

"Next, close your eyes and look away," Hiccup prompted. "Let him come to you."

"I'm going to trust you not to bite my hand off, okay?" Snotlout said as he closed his eyes and turned his face towards the ground.

The Nightmare eased forward, sniffed Snotlout's hand, and then rested his snout in the larger boy's palm.

Snotlout's knees suddenly felt like they were turning to water. There was a surge of emotion, primal and strong. For an instant he felt like he understood this creature more than he understood any other being in his life. And there was a sense of belonging. "Oh, my Thor," he said.

"Pretty awesome, right?" Said Hiccup.

Snotlout could only nod as he looked into the dragon's eyes, which were looking into his just as intently. "I can't just keep calling you dragon," he said. "How about... Hookfang?"

The dragon pulled back and eyed snotlout with confusion, tilting his head first to one side and then the other before leaning in and licking Snotlout on the chest.

"Hookfang it is," said Hiccup. "Well done, cousin."

For the first time, Snotlout took joy in receiving praise. Before this, any praise he might have gotten came from his father, but it was delivered in such a way that made him feel like it could just as easily have been another put-down. Hearing it from hiccup actually made him feel like he had truly achieved something. He decided that he preferred it that way. He turned his attention to his father who, to his credit, was looking back, nodding approval.

Be right back, "Hiccup said, walking away from the rest of the group as they stepped forward to congratulate Snotlout and admire the Monstrous Nightmare. He headed towards the dragon cells with determination. It was time for the other captive dragons to breathe the free air of this bold new day. He started with the Gronkle's cell, pulling the lever to allow it to open. He was expecting the Gronkle to come charging out like usual, but he found it just sitting in the center of the cell facing forward and looking confused. "Hey there," he said calmly. "Come on out and meet some new friends."

Whether it was the sound of his voice, or his passive demeanor, that had an effect on the Gronkle, Hiccup didn't know. Probably a little of both, he thought as he coaxed the squat dragon out of the darkness and into the light of day. As it came forward, its eyes shifted left and right, taking in all the Vikings gathered in the stands. It did not panic or become aggressive. Nervous would be the best word to describe its behavior. Hiccup smiled as he recognized mannerisms he had seen one of the teens exhibit since he started dragon training. He continued guiding the dragon forward until stopping right in front of the teen in question.

"Fishlegs Ingerman," he said jovially. "Meet your dragon"

Fishlegs couldn't stop his jaw from falling open. He had secretly been admiring this dragon since it blew his shield right out of his hand that first day. He never understood why, but he found himself thinking of it as a kindred spirit. Large and awkward, but calculating. But he had never once considered for a moment that he might one day have a chance to befriend it. "I get to bond with the Gronkle?" he said excitedly.

Hicup had moved to stand next to Fishlegs, so he could observe both him and the dragon and offer advice. "If the Gronkle will have you, you do. Remember, it's a matter of choice. This is not like a regular pet any one of us might have."

Fishlegs nodded solemnly. "What do I do."

"Remember the first day I knocked the Gronkle out?" Hiccup said. "Now you get to do it."

Fishlegs' eyes widened with shock. "I don't want to hurt it."

Hiccup chuckled. "You won't." he reached into a belt pouch and took out a handfull of what looked like grass. "Smell this," he said as he gave it to Fishlegs.

Always willing to do whatever would help him improve his knowledge of dragons, Fishlegs did as instructed. "Woah," he said in response to the pungent odor. "It smells nice. Fresh. Almost minty, but with an earthy, musky edge."

Hiccup turned to the others and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "I call this dragon nip. It grows all over the highland areas. It has a very soothing effect on dragons. The day I first won against this Gronkle, I rubbed a handfull of it under its nose, and it collapsed in complete contentment, taking the fight right out of it. Just the day before, I had watched toothless rolling in a large patch of it, totally relaxed and very happy-looking. I had the idea that it might work on other dragons, so I gave it a try with this one, and as you all know, I was successful." He turned back to fishlegs. "Now go ahead and give it a go."

Fishlegs stepped closer to the Gronkle, which did cause it to become agitated. He was in its personal space, and he figured he might be agitated, too, if Snotlout or Tuffnut were to get in his face. He calmly stretched out his had towards the Gronkle's snout. The dragon growled, but tentatively sniffed the grass in his hand. Its eyes went wide, its knees wobbled and it plopped down in front of the large human, eyes now squinting as if it were trying very hard to keep them open. "You like that?" he asked. I'd like to be your friend."

The Gronkle opened its eyes as if understanding him. Fishlegs did what he saw Hiccup and Snotlout do with the Nightmare. The Gronkle, with lethargic effort, rose as it pushed its snout into Fishlegs' open palm.

Now it was time for Fishlegs' eyes to widen. There was a feeling of belonging that exploded in his chest and spread to his extremities. And in his mind came what was almost, but not quite, a word, but was translated into a jumble of emotions he connected to friendship and family. He almost cried, but managed to keep from doing so.

Hiccup did not miss a thing in what just played out: "And that's another bonded pair," he said.

Stoick clapped him on the shoulder, "Two more enemies removed from the battle with nobody getting hurt," he stated. "But I'm wondering why Snotlout and Fishlegs felt the bonding so strongly, but I did not."

Hiccup considered the question. "I'm not sure. I didn't feel the same thing with the Nightmare that I felt with Toothless. So maybe a dragon only bonds with one rider. I'm sure there will be a dragon for you, too, Dad."

Stoick shook his head. "I'm not sure I'll be a good fit with any dragon. I've killed so many of them, and I still haven't gotten past what happened to your mother."

Hiccup nodded. "If we can put an end to the queen, and free the dragons she's enslaved, there will be plenty of time to find out."

Stoick shrugged. "We'll see," he said.

Fishlegs led the Gronkle off to the side with Snotlout and Hookfang. He wanted to name the dragon like Snotlout had done, but he couldn't come up with a good name. He decided that he would figure something out later.

The next dragon that Hicup brought out of a cell was the Zippleback. This one sniffed Hiccup all over with both noses, and Hiccup couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry. I don't have an eel on me this time." Satisfied that the scrawny Viking was not indeed hiding one of those nasty evil things, the two-headed dragon lumbered forward.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorsten," he announced. "Meet your dragon."

"Awesome," Tuffnuff exclaimed as Ruffnut breathed "Perfect!"

Astrid pulled Hiccup aside. "This is your idea of mitigating half of the damage?" she whispered.

"Of course," Hiccup responded under his breath. "Think about it. Ruff and tuff are inseparable. They practically share the same brain, the way one will start a sentence and the other finish it. That makes them a perfect fit with the Zippleback. Plus, its one dragon, and while its explosive gas is dangerous, it typically leaves structures intact, and flushes out livestock, stunning at most."

Stoick was standing behind Hiccup and Astrid and nodded with satisfaction. "One dragon instead of two does mean half of the damage. Well-reasoned, son."

The Zippleback proved to be a bit of a challenge. While sharing the same body, the two different heads clearly had different ideas. While the twins stood there telling jokes to the dragon, hiccup had sent for some fish. Ultimately, after some trial and error, Hicup and the twins learned that each head had taken an interest in a specific teen. The one on the right, which breathed the gas seemed to be fixated on Ruffnut, while the one on the left that produced the sparks to light it had clearly chosen Tuffnut. But neither head would take a fish from either until both were offered one together. An the bond worked the same way. Ruff and Tuff did cry as the bond took hold, and the dragon rested a head on their human's shoulder. Everything about this bonding was an exercise in unity. The dragon heads operating in Tandem, the twins taking mutual action and both dragon and humans coming together voluntarily.

The spectators to all of this were amazed. The more they saw, the more they came to realized how wrong their preconceptions about dragons had been. They found themselves wondering which dragons they might get to bond, if given a chance. Not everyone would say that out loud, but they did think it.

"Astrid," Hiccup said, taking the young shield maiden's hand in his. "It's your turn. and I think you know which dragon you get to try bonding with."

Astrid's heart began to pound faster. This was really happening. She was going to get a dragon of her own. She was both excited and terrified at the same time. Her fear was not of failure, but rather how the Deadly Nadder would react to her. She had actually inflicted pain and injury on the creature during training, and she was concerned that it would be holding a grudge. She was worried that the dragon might attack her and destroy what progress Hiccup had made today. "I need to address the village first," she said.

Hiccup squeezed her hand gently and looked at his father, who nodded. He let go of her hand and stepped back, giving her the floor.

"People of Berk," she exclaimed. "Today we have witnessed something incredible. Something nobody has done in all the history of berk, done by somebody no-one would have believed capable of. We've been wrong. About dragons, and about Hiccup. I am about to try to bond with a Deadly Nadder. I hurt this dragon in training, and it may be hostile towards me. I do not fear what it might do to me. I fear that if it tries, then you may believe Hiccup is wrong. He's not. You've seen the proof. Whatever happens, I want everyone to know that I accept the risk, and I beg that there will be no retaliation against the dragon. Or against Hiccup." She met her parents eyes in the audience, and noticed their reluctance as they nodded. She turned to the chief. "Please let whatever happens not ruin what has begun here today."

Stoick was staring in awe at the young woman who had been but a girl that morning. She was willing to risk her life for the sake of his son's image to himself and the village, and the image he would have everyone accept about the dragons, with no regard for herself. That's my future daughter-in-law, he thought to himself, as he nodded in agreement with her request.

"Okay," she said nervously. "I'm ready."

Hiccup strode determinedly towards the Nadder's cell and pulled the lever to open it. Like the other dragons before it, it came forward, clearly nervous. But its tail spines remained lowered. Hiccup recognized the mannerisms of a being daring to hope. It looked at him with one eye and purred as he reached forward and gently rested his palm on that sensitive spot on its chin, causing it to warble contentedly. There was no danger from him, and the dragon knew it.

The Nadder followed Hiccup towards the other teens, who were standing unthreateningly next to the other dragons. It sniffed the air, stopped in its tracks, and hissed as its eye focused on Astrid.

Astrid sighed in resignation as she cautiously stepped forward. "I know you're mad at me," she said as she approached. "I would be mad, too if someone would have bashed me in the face with a shield with an axe stuck in it." She was standing in front of the Nadder now, watching with trepidation as it brought its tail up, though it still had not raised the spines. "I didn't know the truth, then, she continued. "If I had, I would never have thought to do you harm," Her breath quickened as the tail swung back, and she didn't even have a chance to get out of the way, before it swung with considerable force, slapping Astrid full in the face, causing her to stagger and go down on one knee.

"Astrid!" Hicup cried as he began moving to put himself between her and the Nadder.

"No," she said, waving him away with as she stood up, feeling a little dizzy. she brushed her hand on her face and then looked at the blood on her fingers. Then she looked at the Nadder, who had turned its own cheek to face her, and she saw the damaged scales in exactly the same place as the injury she had just sustained. She started laughing, and the Nader looked at her with one eye again. "Fair is fair," she said loud enough for her voice to carry. "We're even." She bowed her head towards the dragon, and it returned the gesture while still keeping eye contact.

She reached forward with her hand calmly "I'm sorry. I promise I won't hurt you again."

The Nadder's spines raised, then lowered, as if to say, "I could but I won't." And then it raised its head, bringing its snout to meet her palm.

Astrid couldn't stop the sudden intake of breath as something close to a thought erupted in her mind. More like a bunch of concepts exploding into unspoken words: Friendship. Hope. Belonging. Forgiveness. Peace. and one more that dwarfed all others: Sister!

Astrid fell to her knees again, and she did cry. Somehow, she knew that this creature had been alone, scared, hopeless, and trapped, and that with this bonding it had all changed. "You're not alone anymore, my friend," she said through her sobs. "Neither of us will ever be alone again." She moved her hand to gently caress the injured scales on the side of the Nadder's face. And she felt the dragon lean into her touch as it purred.

Hiccup had stepped up to Astrid's side as she knelt in front of her Deadly Nadder, and rested his hand on her shoulder. "You two are a perfect match," he said. "If someone had hit you in the face, even if they would have apologized and you were willing to forgive them, you would still return the gesture just to even the score."

Still fighting the overwhelming emotions, she forced a laugh. "We've seen Nadders that have used up their spines crush seasoned warriors' skulls with a tail-lash. Stormfly here only struck with enough force to knock me down. But even that is enough for rough scales to draw blood. If it wanted to kill me, I would be dead."

Stoick chuckled. "Agreed," he said as he looked over the teens and their dragons, thrice-proving that Hiccup was right. "Well I guess that's that," he said with a satisfied smile.

"Not quite," Hiccup said as he began walking towards the cages again. "There's still one more dragon," he called over his shoulder. He pulled the last lever and the Terrible Terror rushed out, fiercely barking and growling, looking around for someone to bite. Hiccup pulled out some yak jerky from his other belt pouch, as he watched it narrow its eyes at him and claw the floor, ready to charge. He dropped the dried meat in front of the tiny dragon. Suddenly all the fight seemed to leave it as it sniffed the food, drooled, and then scarffed it down. Hiccup walked back towards the others and it followed happily.

"Someone needs to watch over this little guy, Dad," he said. "And you and I both agree that in order for you to get past your reluctance toward dragons, small steps would be needed."

Stoick narrowed his eyes. "Hiccup, I don't know..."

"Do you know of any steps that come smaller than this little guy?" he asked.

Stoick met Hiccup's eyes, and he saw that jovial sarcastic twinkle he had known all the boy's life. And for the first time in a long count of years, he found it to be a balm to his own battle-weary mind. So he smiled, too. "I can't say that I do, son," he said. "Alright. We'll give it a try." He knelt down towards the Terror and reached out his hand.

The little dragon looked up at him, and at the wide grinning face framed by the huge mass of red hair, panicked, and took off running. It threw itself into the air and flew towards the cage roof, It tried to zip between the bars, but hit its head on the way through, and landed in Ghothi's lap. It blinked up at the old woman, dazed from the impact.

Ghothi looked down at the small creature that had just fallen into her lap and smiled gently. Watching all that had unfolded today made her want a dragon of her own. This little creature was right up her alley. She rested a hand on its scaly hide and stroked it gently. It curled up in her lap, closed its eyes and started to purr.

"You alright up there, Ghothi," Hiccup called up and grinned when the old woman gave him a thumbs-up gesture. He turned back to his dad, who looked a little put out. "You'll find a dragon of your own, eventually."

Stoick shook his head, smiling sheepishly. "I won't hold my breath."

"So it looks like we're ready to take the next step," Hiccup said, matter-of-factly.

Stoick nodded, and then proceeded to announce to the entire Hairy Hooligan tribe that it was time for everyone who was willing and able to learn how to train a dragon

O O O

The next dragon raid on Berk came a week later. It started like normal, fires in the fields to draw Vikings away while dragons began searching for livestock. They weren't going to find any tonight. The animals had been moved inside the great hall, and the great doors were shut. As they fanned out to widen their search, the huge night vision torches were raised, but instead of bright fires burning within, they were filled to the brim with nearly fresh fish. The dragons' mission was forgotten as the sight and smell of food enticed them to turn aside. They were wary, expecting humans to come charging with weapons swinging and voices raised in battle-cries. But that did not happen. Those that had already eaten made room for others and began circling in the sky.

Then there was movement as five dragons began flying towards them from all sides. And there were humans on their backs. The raid leader flew forward and intercepted the Night Fury with its skinny human rider.

"Alright, bud," Hiccup said. "I'm going to trust that you know what to say"

Toothless huffed as if to say he had it under control. He began grunting, snarling, warbling and moaning towards the Monstrous Nightmare that had approached him. A Nightmare that had orange metalic scales on its sides which caught the light of the field fires as the farmers fought to put them out. One of its wing claws was gnarled and broken, clearly an old injury. The Nightmare made dragon-noises back in a tone that, in spite of not being in any human language, was clearly a question, which Toothless answered.

The Nightmare's eyes widened, looking at the Night Fury's tail, the human on his back, and back at the tail again. It's demeanor instantly changed as it turned to face the circling dragons under its charge. It roared, and all the dragons began landing.

The other dragons with riders began approaching the wild dragons of the same type, and similar communications were had. No Viking knew what the dragons were saying, but amazingly, the wild dragons had ceased hostilities. Aside from the partially burned fields, there was no damage done to Berk that night. And for the first time in three hundred years, a dragon raid ended without a single death or injury on either side

In the weeks that followed, offerings of fish and friendship from the people of Berk earned the trust of many wild dragons. Some would not bond with a human, like the raid leader Nightmare Hiccup and the others had taken to calling Brokenclaw, but not all Berkians wanted to bond with dragons either. There seemed to be no hard feelings, just a respectful understanding. Nevertheless, many bonds were made, and none of the dragons that had come to Berk in that previous raid returned to the queen.

Hiccup had speculated that another raid would come soon to succeed where the previous one failed. It did. But this time, all the previous raid's dragons, many with humans on their backs, met the incoming raid in the air. More draconic communication occurred, and these dragons also remained on Berk. Hundreds of enemies had been removed from the battlefield, and nobody had to die or be hurt to do it.

Now it was time for Hiccup, the other teens and Stoick to begin planning the raid to end all raids. The queen would be very hungry by now. She would be angry. But so many of her slaves were now free, and they would not go back into slavery. Friendship had broken past her will upon them, and they would not let themselves be ensnared again.

After several days of planning and preparing. They were ready. Stoick and several warriors who had not bonded with dragons boarded ships, each with a dragon on the deck. This dragon would help guide them through the sea stacks surrounding the nest island. Three days after those ships set sail, the Dragonriders of Berk took to the skies, led by Hiccup and the other teens. The other dragons that had not bonded with a rider remained on Berk. Spitelout was left in charge. If the Outcasts, Meatheads or any other rival tribe decided to attack, they would be in for a shock.

By leaving on the third day, the Dragonriders would arrive at the same time as the ships. And then the final battle in this seven-generation-long war would begin.

To be concluded...