Every member of the Hooligan Tribe was either not fond of Henrik being there or curious about him. They weren't sure what to make of him honestly. When the Night Fury was down, they didn't even know there was a human with him until his daughter made them aware. How Henrik handled the raid was pretty amazing, he really did know his dragons. Bonus that he spoke their language too! But that wasn't enough for them to just accept this stranger with his daughter and dragons on their island, it was the chieftess, Valka who offered him a place to stay if he helped them learn about peace. Henrik wasn't stupid though, he set his own stipulation to the deal about them not using whatever he taught to harm the dragons. Valka assured them that things would be fine, and she didn't want to fight anymore. In some ways, she was right. The dragons attacked them, but they attacked back.
There was bloodshed on both sides and if there was a way to stop that, they should at least try. That was what Valka said at least. Stoick was working on the contract with the council, he had said it would be ready midday and true to his word, he had it ready for Henrik and him to sign. However, when lunch time came on Berk, he and Valka saw that Henrik and his daughter were asleep lying against the Night Fury.
"We should let them sleep," Valka told her husband.
"Aye, I agree. Val, I'm still not sure about this...I mean he sides with dragons, the creatures we've fought for years..." Stoick sighed.
"I know, Stoick. But just look at him, at all of it over there. He must know how to obtain peace or those dragons would be tearing him apart. He stopped a full blown raid, he can help us." Valka reminded.
"Ah, but there's so much we don't know about this boy. He looks to be in his twenties, and has a daughter? Where's the mother? The child rides a dragon we've never seen before. It just doesn't make any sense, where did this guy come from?" Stoick looked at her.
"Well, perhaps we can find out more at dinner. It seems like they had a long day, let them sleep and we can invite them to dinner with us in the hall. We could learn a lot from him, Stoick. All I'm saying is we should give him a chance," Valka rubbed his arm lovingly.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I still feel like something is off though, I can't put my finger on it though." Stoick replied, the two of them walked towards the hall to let the young father and his daughter sleep.
(With Hilda&The Others)
Ever since the village dispersed, Hilda had been walking with her friends. Frustrated about the situation that she took down an elusive dragon and couldn't even be recognized for it because the dragon apparently had a rider, daughter, and two other dragons with him that her mother so kindly invited to stay in the village to teach them peace. Hilda was livid, she finally had her big chance, took it, and nobody cared because of this guy who they'd never met in their lives.
"I hate this!" Hilda muttered.
"Try to relax, Hil. You still did really good ! How many Vikings can say they encountered a Night Fury and lived to tell the tale?" Astrid said gently.
"I can't relax. Nobody even cares about what I did, it's all about that weird guy, his daughter, and dragons now. Since when do we just allow strangers who ride dragons on the island?!" Hilda huffed.
"We don't. But he did stop the raid and clearly knows more about dragons than we do. He speaks about peace with dragons and that seemed to get your Mom's attention," Fishlegs mentioned.
"Yeah, it's all because of Hiccup. She doesn't want to fight anymore so there can be peace and no one else will ever have to suffer what she and my Dad did with watching their child be carried off by a dragon," Hilda glared.
"Just because he rides a dragon and stopped a raid doesn't mean he can bring peace between the two species," Snotlout agreed with Hilda now.
"My parents hate dragons because of that one taking Hiccup, it doesn't matter what this guy does. They'll never stop killing dragons unless Hiccup turns up alive somewhere," Hilda remarked.
"Wouldn't that be something," Ruffnut and Tuffnut high-fived one another.
"Oh, please. He was only a baby when he was taken, even if the dragon didn't hurt him...there's no way he survived the harsh winters that the Archipelago has. There is no possible way that Hiccup is still alive," Snotlout retorted.
"Well, we shouldn't judge him until we know more about him. He can't be all that bad if he has a daughter," Astrid stated gently, "Maybe we give him a chance?" she added.
"Astrid. He looks our age with a kid, something about this guy isn't right. Give him a chance, now you sound like my Mom..." Hilda stated.
"Well, so what if I do. She's right, we only fight because there's nothing else we can do. If this...Henrik has another way, we should try it and stop the fighting on both sides. He's...mysterious and I enjoy a challenge so I'm gonna learn more about him," Astrid said as she hurried off, "Catch ya later,"
(Dinner Time)
Henrik awake when he felt his daughter shifting around, he opened his eyes and saw her fidgeting a little. Henrik assumed she was having a nightmare about losing her mother, she never saw it like Henrik had, but she knew her mother was taken away from them by a bad man. Henrik lifted his frightened child into his arms and rocked her a bit while rubbing her back.
"Ssh now, it's alright. You're safe here with me baby girl," Henrik told her gently, he looked over to see a lot of the villagers making their way towards a large building built into a tall rock formation. The chief and chieftess were making their way over to him with calm smiles, maybe even nervous ones. Henrik had always been good at that, seeing the emotions of others by facial expressions.
"Oh, good...you're awake," Valka greeted, Emma began to shift more and whimper in his arms. Henrik put a finger to his lips for them to stay quiet a minute or two.
"Emma, it's okay." Henrik soothed shaking her a little, "Wake up baby, everything is alright..." he added as Emma opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him still looking afraid, "See, just a nightmare." he smiled a little.
"I saw that mean man, papa. He scares me," Emma said lying her head on his chest as he rocked her a bit.
"You don't have to be afraid of him. Want to know why?" Henrik said to her as she nodded her head and Henrik placed her down and lifted her chin a little so she was looking at him. "Because Daddy will always protect you from him, he won't hurt you. I promise you that my little one."
"B-But...what if...he comes back, papa! He'll come back for the dragons, he said he would!..." Emma let the tears fill her green eyes.
"Hey, hey...ssh. If he's smart, he'll stay away because I won't let him get away a second time. He won't get our dragons or us, I promise you and when Daddy makes a promise?..." Henrik told her with a smile, Emma rubbed her nose to his now and hugged him.
"Daddy never breaks them," Emma replied.
"That's my girl," Henrik stood up now while holding her in his arms. "Sorry, previous...battles with enemies tend to come back in the form of nightmares for her," he said to Stoick and Valka now.
"Quite understandable, poor thing." Valka frowned a little.
"We were...hoping you'd join us for dinner in the Great Hall, I have the contract for us to go over and sign..." Stoick told him.
"Ah. Yes, I realize we slept through lunch. My apologies, we had a bit of a long day that started yesterday around midday and flew all night," Henrik replied with a nod. "Just let me send my dragons to eat," he turned to them now. "Windstrike. Stingwhip, you two go catch a round of fish and bring some back for Toothless. I'm going to take Emma and go over this with them, if there is a problem...use the signal." he told them.
"Likewise for you, Henrik." Toothless told him, Henrik nodded as he rubbed their heads and pointed towards the water as Windstrike and Stingwhip shot off towards it.
"Alright, lead the way then," Henrik told them, Valka and Stoick turned to head towards the hall while Henrik followed closely behind.
(Great Hall)
When Stoick and Valka walked in with Henrik and Emma in his arms, the room fell quiet and staring at them. Henrik spotted faces of people he recognized from earlier in the village square when they shot Toothless down. This was going to be a long night, Emma was already scared and hiding her face between his neck and shoulder.
"Come, you can sit over with the council members. I'll introduce you to them," Stoick offered as Henrik walked over with him. "On the left is Spitelout, Bearlegs, and Sharpnut. The right has Gobber, and Colby. Gentleman, this is Henrik." he smiled.
"And who is this little lass clinging to you for dear life?" Gobber asked with a smile.
"This is, Emma, my daughter..." Henrik replied.
"She's adorable," Astrid said from the side near Colby as Henrik stared at her a moment, "Oh, sorry. I'm Astrid Hofferson, I'm...his daughter." she introduced motioning to Colby now.
"Astrid dear, why don't you go sit with your friends while we handle the business?" Colby said her her.
"Yes, father." Astrid smiled and left the area.
"Have a seat Henrik," Bearlegs told him calmly. Henrik sat down and placed Emma in his lap as Spitelout slid a plate of food down to him, it had chicken, potato, and bread on it. Enough for Emma and him.
"Thanks," Henrik told him as Spitelout nodded to him, Henrik shredded the chicken off the bone for Emma and then cut half the potato and bread as well. "Go ahead baby, you can eat while I talk to the others." he smiled at her, Emma smiled back and started eating.
"Well, right to business then. We wrote up a contract with the conditions of each side. From ours, we'll allow you to stay on the island and provide food, drink, and shelter with the promise of no harm to you, your child, or dragons provided you help us understand and obtain peace with the dragons and help out where you can around the village. From your side, all you asked was that we do not use the information to harm the dragons and that you won't be teaching us the...Dragonese, was it?" Stoick asked.
"It's...what my Dad called it when he learned it. It's...just the language of the dragons they speak to one another, and humans can understand and speak it back to the dragons. To my knowledge, only four people I've known have ever known it. Myself and my daughter included in that four." Henrik explained.
"Ah, sounds complicated if ya ask me." Gobber remarked.
"Not to someone who has lived among dragons for nineteen and a half years," Henrik said.
"Anyway, is that...all you ask for in return for what we're asking you of?" Spitelout asked.
"I'm not a man who requires much, my only desire is to see no more bloodshed for either species. But if I could...is there a forge on this island?" Henrik asked.
"Aye, there is, lad. I be the blacksmith of Berk. You have blacksmith trainin'?" Gobber asked.
"Since I was six, my Dad taught me. It's how I made this," Henrik stated as he brought his weapon out to show them upclose. It was a handle, with a dragon head on each side. One dragon mouth was open, the other was closed but clear to see it was on a small hinge to open. "I call it Inferno, my best creation." he said.
"Very interestin' piece. I could use a lad like you in the shop, curious to see what skills you have. Come by tomorrow, maybe I got sometin' in 'dere you can fix your dragon's tail with. No idea how you're gonna do that, but I'd like to see it happen." Gobber told him.
"Now that we have that settled, are the terms acceptable to both sides?" Colby asked.
"Sounds fine to me," Henrik replied.
"Excellent, then we can sign this and start tomorrow." Sharpnut said cheerfully. Henrik was handed a feather pen and looked over the contract, speed reading and double checking there was no loophole. On the line to sign, it said name and title. If he had to take a guess, it was for name and then what his title was. He went with what he was always called by enemies and even the dragons sometimes. He signed his name as Henrik Andarsen-Dragon Rider, then it was slid back to Stoick who signed as Stoick Haddock-Chief of Berk.
"Wonderful, now let us eat in celebration of our...I suppose it could be called an alliance?" Spitelout mentioned.
"I'd call it more of a 'you help me and I help you' deal. Not really an alliance because after I fix Toothless's tail, and assist you in obtaining peace then I'm taking my dragons and daughter back to the nest once the alpha sends his messanger to inform me it's safe to return," Henrik stated.
"Of course, I meant it as in...well, we're under contract not to harm the dragons ever." Spitelout corrected himself.
"So, Henrik...how old are you?" Colby asked.
"Twenty," Henrik replied to him.
"And she is...three, four perhaps?" Bearlegs inquired motioning to Emma.
"Three. Four in a month," Henrik said.
"And, what did happen at your nest?" Valka asked coming over to the table now.
"Peace with dragons is not accepted everywhere, many desire to control the dragons or kill and sell them for their skins. Occasionally even sold in to slavery. Dragon trappers, hunter are just a few of those groups. Hunters came to the nest, the alpha told me to take my daughter and leave. Promising to send for us when it was safe to return," Henrik explained.
"How will you be found?" Hilda inquired now.
"I informed them I was flying Southwest of the nest, the messanger sent to retrieve us will fly overhead and search the island for a Night Fury, a Triple Stryke, and a Razorwhip staying close to two humans. I assure you, the dragons in my nest can locate me anywhere I go." Henrik informed calmly.
"We've never seen any dragons like the two you have with you, and the Night Fury is rare. Their likened the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. How did you come across one?" Valka asked curiously.
"Toothless? I've been with him since I was three. When I met him, he was wounded and flew into the nest injured. Toothless is actually my age so we hit it off pretty well when Dad told me to pick a dragon to learn how to take care of. I started with Toothless, and now I know tons about all the species." Henrik said.
"And can I just ask why you call a dragon with teeth...Toothless?" asked Snotlout.
"You really don't know your dragons, do you?" Henrik asked.
"Obviously...not as well as we thought we did," Snotlout mumbled.
"Em, why don't you tell them why I call him Toothless," Henrik looked down at her as she swallowed a bite of her bread with a big smiled.
"Cuz Night Fuwies have retwactable teef," Emma said proudly.
"I say it again, she's adorable..." Astrid smiled wide. "These are my friends. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Hilda. All children to the council members," she added.
"Mama always said I get my smarts from my papa, and looks too..." Emma giggled.
"You do look just like him. Where is your Mama, is she coming too?" Ruffnut asked. Emma's smile faded and so did Henrik's, both fell quiet.
"Mama had to weave," Emma said slowly.
"What...does she mean?" Hilda asked softly.
"Papa, I wanna go back to our dwagons..." Emma asked him looking up. Henrik stood up now and held her so her head was on his shoulder again, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.
"Please excuse us," Henrik stated lowly heading for the doors.
"Wait...what does your daughter mean, Henrik?" Valka asked, Henrik sighed as he turned slightly towards them.
"Her mother passed away last year," Henrik said loud enough to be heard by them before he exited the Great Hall and they watched him return to where the three dragons relaxed on the grass. Henrik laid against Toothless and the other two moved in close as well while Emma cried against his chest.
"I miss Mama..." Emma sobbed against her father's chest. Henrik seemed to stare up as the sky while rubbing her back.
"I miss her too, baby." Henrik told her as he turned over on his side while holding Emma against him. Windstrike pulled the blanket over them before Toothless used his wing to cover them. Stingwhip and Windstrike moved in front of Henrik and Emma, shielding them from the sight of others. The others felt bad, they had only wanted to know more about the guy who was going to be living with them for a while and yet, they accidentally upset his daughter and it appeared they upset him too. Henrik must have loved this woman if they had a child together, none of them meant to bring it up but how were they to know it was a sensitive subject? Oddly enough, this didn't deter them. It only made them more curious.
