Hiccup and Astrid never felt better after saying 'I love you' to one another after their fifteen minute make out session, while killing time until 11 pm when Astrid returned to her house to get some sleep, they also talked about the activity of her in Emma's life since she brought it up as a concern for their growing relationship. It was discussed that she would continue to be like an aunt to to her as Hilda was, someone she could play with and talk to, even tuck her in at night without being motherly. At least for now that is how it would be. Hiccup still wanted to take things slow, and explained to Astrid that even though they were together and he loved her, he still loved Selby and he felt like he couldn't fully move on and give all of himself to Astrid until he dealt with Drago Bludvist who was Selby's murderer. Astrid understood of course, it was unfinished business and her eyes and she didn't hold it against him in the slightest.
The end of two weeks was upon them and when Hiccup saw ships with sail insignias matching the ones on his map sailing close, they weren't seen however, since he went above the clouds and had Toothless stay quiet while they reached Berk again and he instantly warned his father that chieftains were starting to arrive from the Southwest and to his knowledge that meant chieftains from Bog Isle and Hystera were coming first, and others probably were far behind from the other directions. As agreed upon, Hiccup rounded up all the dragons and his daughter as he took refuge in the ice nest which had been slightly modified so it would be hidden thanks to Hiccup's inventiveness.
"Well, here we go," Stoick sighed waiting for the first ship to the reach the Berk docks. They wished they could just tell everyone about Hiccup but they couldn't without revealing everything and Hiccup had requested, more like demanded that they didn't for the safety of the dragons also him not gaining anymore enemies. Valka and Stoick had just gotten their son back and they weren't going to lose him again over all this.
(Three Days Later)
They had all arrived finally, each of the chieftains were there with either their Heir or second in command. Some with both, and Stoick had them set up in the inn, another idea of Hiccup's. A building that would give any outsiders a place to stay, it had about forty rooms with twenty on the first and second, ten rooms to a side. There was also two wash rooms and a center fire place in each with a metal pipe to allow the smoke out, and a healthy stash of wood too. Stoick was impressed with it and now it meant that they didn't have to share their houses with the chieftains as they used to do. The first meeting would after dinner, and the Hooligan Tribe would just be grateful if they could get through this week without a problem.
When dinner came, Valka and Hilda stood at Stoick's side as the meeting began. "Well, here we are again," Stoick started, "Thank you all for coming and welcome to Berk," he smiled.
"Aye, thank ya, Stoick." said one chieftain, Stoick recognized him to be Alvin of the Outcasts with his second in command, Savage, and his Heiress, Thyra.
"Should we get right down to business than with raid reports?" asked Dagur of the Berserkers, his second in command being his little sister, Heather and no Heir to speak of.
"I think that would be acceptable," Stoick nodded to them all. So it continued for the next hour or so that each island leader would speak about their raids for the last year. Making sure to add in how many dragons, how much destruction, and how often the raids took place. When it came time for Stoick to speak of his, he hesitated since they hadn't had a raid since the night Hiccup arrived after Hilda shot Toothless out of the sky.
"How have raids been here, chief Stoick?" inquired the chief of the Murderus Tribe, Madguts.
"About the same as always. Raided at least twice a week with destruction and loss of food by twenty-five to forty dragons at least," Stoick sighed in response, he just wanted the meeting over with. It was the same every year, the only difference this time was that the Hooligans knew about Red Death and actually didn't have raids but weren't going to tell the others that because it would make trouble for Hiccup that he didn't or need.
"And have you been made aware by a Tribe of dragon hunters that there is a man out there who has been rescuing dragons from villages who trap them?" asked Bertha, chieftess of the Bog-Burglars, she had a daughter named Camicazi who was about twenty years old.
"No such tribe has made their way through here," Valka remarked, of course, they knew who the dragon rescuer was. Their son, Hiccup.
"The Tribe chief is a man who goes by the name of Viggo Grimborn, and he has an older brother named Ryker. The two are from the Dragon Hunter Tribe outside of the Archipelago. They said they've entered our waters looking for the dragon rider, the man apparently rides a dragon," stated Alister, chief of the Peacekeepers Tribe.
"And the dragon he rides is rumored to be a Night Fury!" Dagur exclaimed, "We've all joined the hunt for him, Viggo has a bounty on his head. To bring him and his dragon in alive, receive more gold than anyone could ever imagine," he added. This made the two Haddock parents worry, there was a bounty on Hiccup's head? Did Hiccup know about it and that's why he wanted to hide out so badly?
"Not all of us feel like tracking down a man who is rumored to ride a Night Fury, Dagur. We just want our raids to stop, and that is what this meeting is about," Mogadon, chief of the Meathead Tribe said.
"How would one even begin to find someone who rides a dragon? Ryker mentioned they stormed his nest but he wasn't there so he had to have a heads up they were coming and took off," the chief for the Visithugs, Vidar inquired now.
"I agree with Mogadon, we're here to discuss the raids, not this dragon rescuer," Hilda huffed, clearly getting defensive because the dragon rescuer was her older brother.
"You have no room to talk, you haven't even completed your dragon training." Thyra, daughter of Alvin scoffed.
"Shut up, Thyra. My parents are just trying to protect me since I nearly got taken by a dragon when I was younger," Hilda grumbled.
"And had to be saved by Berk's Shield Maiden, Astrid Hofferson," Camicazi snickered a little.
"Oh, come on, don't give her a hard time." Thuggary, son of Mogadon sighed.
"That's enough from all of you!" Stoick said firmly. "Now, are we going to talk dragon raid solutions or is this a waste of time?" Silently, the others nodded. He was right, this was for raids and nothing more. "I don't care about the dragon rescuer or whoever he is, I'm not going to have my Tribe out looking for a guy who rides a dragon when they are needed here to protect the village," he added.
"Awe, Stoick is right," Alvin agreed. Suddenly, the doors whipped open as Gobber came in panting.
"Chief! Dragon raid..." Gobber announced, their eyes widened. They hadn't had a raid in months, why now? And Hiccup wasn't going to be able to help them this time, they also couldn't use the training knowledge without it raising questions. What did they do here?
"Everyone to their posi-" Stoick began to order and then the sound of a Night Fury was heard as he, Valka, Hilda rushed to the Great Hall doors to see Hiccup standing on Toothless's back with his staff at the ready. "Hiccup..." he whispered. Why was he out, didn't he not want to get involved in this?
"It's the dragon rescuer..." the others gasped in shock seeing the man there. Hiccup was wearing all black armor, the symbol of the Night Fury on his right shoulder and wearing his metal mask.
"Keep your Tribe back and weapons down," Hiccup ordered.
"Do as he says!" Valka called out to the Hooligans, they all stopped what they were doing and backed off to a safe distance while dropping their weapons to their feet.
"You're not listening to this guy are you?" Madguts demanded.
"Shut up!" Hilda, Valka, and Stoick yelled at the same time.
"If you won't fight, we will!" Alvin announced raising his sword.
"Not on your life, Alvin. My island, my orders. Weapons down," Stoick ordered him, not having much of a choice, he did so and then the other chieftains did the same while looking up. Hiccup sighed through the mask as he raised the staff up and began whirling it around over his head as it gave off a certain humming like sound that the dragon responded to instantly. Instead of destroying houses, firing blasts, taking food or livestock, they began following the circle pattern of the staff.
"No way..." the young Heirs of other Tribes breathed out.
"Let's do it, Toothless!" Hiccup said to his friend. Toothless landed on the ground carefully as Hiccup jumped off his back and stood beside him as he slammed the staff down with a loud snapping sound and it gave off a rattle noise that made the dragons remained in the air but hovering over the village. Toothless's back spines split apart as he took on a blue glow along his back and also it appeared to come from his nostrils, top of his head, along the wings, and his mouth. "Ready bud?" he asked.
"Ready," Toothless replied. Hiccup brought his hands to his mouth as Toothless opened his and together the two of them let off the roar of the Night Fury. It was loud and some of the villagers had to hold their ears from the sound, however, it worked because the group of dragons raiding began to leave. Only a few stayed behind and landed before Hiccup and Toothless with bowed heads.
"Young dragon master, please, we came for help." spoke a male Deadly Nadder to him.
"You require help in being free of the queen at your nest?" Hiccup inquired, the small group nodded to him. "I will help but you need to give me time. You are free to stay here for now since you seem to not be affected by her control. There is a nest of ice built behind here just that way, you can stay there. Icefire will get you something to eat,"
"Thank you, young master," said a Gronckle as Hiccup used his hand to command them to go to the nest, the dragons listened to him and took off. Hiccup sighed as he faced his Tribe and as well the others, then he closed his green eyes as he got back on Toothless preparing to leave.
"Now wait for just a second, who are you!" Dagur demanded quickly.
"Just someone who wants to see the fighting stop. I'm not a dragon rescuer, I'm a peacekeeper between the two species." Hiccup replied through the mask.
"You...stopped the raid..." Camicazi said in shock still.
"That I did. As I said, I'm not trying to just protect the dragons. I protect Vikings too," Hiccup responded.
"Then why have you never helped us out!" Madguts retorted.
"You didn't ask for it. The Hooligans are the only Tribe to not try and take me into Viggo and Ryker," Hiccup remarked coldly.
"You said you never heard of this guy!" Alvin yelled at Stoick now who was looking to Hiccup for help.
"Tell them," Hiccup sighed as he stayed on Toothless just incase he needed to get away fast.
"We've never heard of a dragon rescuer, no. But a few months back, Hilda shot a Night Fury and his rider out of the sky during a raid and he spoke of knowing how to obtain peace with dragons. He stopped the raid and we allowed him to stay on the island while his dragon healed from the injury it sustained from being shot down," Stoick explained.
"And he showed you peace?" Mogadon asked as inStoick nodded to him, "So you knew there was another way besides killing? Why didn't you mention that in the meeting!?"
"Because I asked them not to. I know a few Tribes here don't work with anyone and I'm not risking my dragons to show everyone what I know." Hiccup retorted now.
"Berk...hasn't had a raid in months because of him, though, not sure why tonight they returned. Any insight?" Hilda inquired.
"They came to ask for help with their nest's queen. They were young dragons, can escape her control easier. I'm gonna go there and see what I'm up against," Hiccup replied.
"What, no! You can't go by yourself," Astrid said quickly.
"I don't have a choice. Someone has to stop that thing or the raids will never stop, she's the reason you get them. I take her out and the dragons are free of her control," Hiccup sighed.
"Hiccup, no! I agree with Astrid, you can't go alone. You're my only son and I'm not going to lose you again!" Valka cried.
"Hiccup? Wasn't...that the name of the son you lost?" Bertha pointed out.
"And you just called this guy your...son..." Camicazi added.
"For the love of..." Hiccup growled as he took off the mask now, "I am the son they lost nineteen years ago! Yes, I'm alive and yes I ride a Night Fury. Geeze..." all of their eyes widened at the information now except for those who already knew the truth of course.
"Stoick, explain this! You said your son was dead!" Alvin demanded.
"We thought he was too...until he was shot down and stuck on Berk. It's a long story..." Stoick sighed.
"We got a long time so start talking," Dagur retorted.
"It's not a long story, Dad. Look...when I was a baby, a dragon took me from this island because it thought I was in danger of the fire that was burning the house to the ground. Mom was trapped and couldn't get to me, I was raised by an old man in a nest Northeast of here among dragons for seventeen years until he passed away. I knew nothing of my past or where I came from except that I was taken by a dragon as a baby. My nest was attacked by Viggo and his hunters, so I left with my daughter to find safety for us and then Hilda shot me down. Took Toothless's tail fin off so we were stuck here for a while. I stopped their raid and they said if I taught them peace, I could stay until my dragon was healed. I built him a new tail and taught them peace with dragons. When a dragon came here from the nest to tell me it was safe to return, Stoick and Valka recognized him as the one who their son nineteen years ago, I stated that I was the only child he ever too and it went from there. I'm the long lost son they thought was dead and now I've been here the last few months living with my family again," Hiccup explained.
"How did...the dragon let you know it was safe?" Thyra inquired.
"I speak their language, Cloud Jumper, the dragon who took me originally saw Valka and remembered her from the night he took me away from Berk. That's how it was understood that I was the child they lost aside from the hair, eyes, and scar on my chin that Cloud Jumper gave me that night and Mom recalled me getting cut by accident." Hiccup sighed heavily.
"Forget about all that, as interesting as it is. What is all this nonsense about a dragon queen controlling the raids?" Mogadon asked.
"Every nest of dragons as a queen and the one on an island close by has an insatiable hunger and uses a homing signal to command the dragons to bring her food or she'll kill them in place of no food. They...don't raid because they want to, they are just trying to survive as we do. They came back here to ask for my help, and I'm going to give it to them," Hiccup stated.
"You can't defeat her alone!" Astrid, Hilda, and Valka said with worry now.
"I probably the only one who can, it's my job to protect the dragons...and I'm not giving up my mission for anything. I'm gonna take Toothless and go scout out what I'm dealing with. Keep an eye on Emma," Hiccup said as Stingwhip came over with Emma beside him looking scared now.
"Papa! Don't go, I don't want to lose you too..." the young child cried. Hiccup picked her up and kissed her forehead while holding her tightly.
"You'll never lose me baby girl. I have to go, Toothless and I are the fastest. I promise you that I will come back and when Daddy makes a promise..." Hiccup began holding his pinky out to her, Emma linked hers with his and tried to smile.
"Daddy never breaks it." Emma finished the words as she hugged him again, when she pulled back she pulled off the necklace with his and Selby's rings on them, she placed them around his neck and smiled. "Take Mama with you, she'll keep you safe..." Emma told him.
"She's always with me princess. Stay here, okay? I'll be back by morning at the latest and Astrid can tuck you in tonight. I love you baby girl," Hiccup said softly.
"I love you too, Papa," Emma replied as Hiccup handed her to Hilda and then looked at his mother and Astrid, he hugged his mother tightly, then kissed Astrid before pulling back and slipping his mask back on and leaned forward on Toothless holding the handle bars.
"Alright, Toothless. Let's go bud!" Hiccup called out, Toothless launched into the sky with a roar as they sped in the Western direction and out of sight.
"Well, this has certainly been a revealing night..." Mogadon remarked as they all looked back at Stoick.
"It wasn't my idea to not tell you the truth about my son being alive or that he's the one riding the Night Fury and rescuing dragons...It was his. Clearly you can see from the bounty on his head that he has enough enemies to deal with and didn't want all of you becoming enemies as well..." Stoick told them.
"We want the truth, Stoick. All of it," Madguts demanded.
"Very well, let's return to the hall then. Hiccup is going to be gone a while and I can't sleep knowing he's out there by himself..." Valka whimpered a bit. Nothing more said, they returned to the hall as the village made their way to their homes. When everyone was settled in the Great Hall, Stoick with help from Hilda, Valka, and even Astrid began to explain everything from when it started the night Hilda shot Toothless out of the sky. The explanation was very long with everything said from the beginning to current. Safe to say that the chieftains were shocked beyond belief to know everything, and now it came down to who would remain and ally and who would become an enemy.
"We will remain allies with you, we aren't the Peacekeepers of Peaceable Isle for nothing..." Alister remarked. "But no more secrets!" the man warned.
"I guess having a guy who rides dragons and can keep the raids back isn't so bad," Mogadon added, "We'll stay allies, no point in starting another war,"
"Outcasts and Berserkers will remain allies if he lets us help with the dragon queen situation and teaches us what he knows. We'll agree to a contract as you did with him," Dagur stated with his arms over his chest.
"You'll have to talk to him about that, fair warning, he won't teach you the Dragonese. He hasn't even taught us..." Hilda interjected now.
"I don't know if I'd want to know how to talk to a dragon and have it respond anyway...seems a little crazy actually," Alvin remarked.
"I'm undecided until I see how this Red Death situation plays out, but for now, I will give you that we want in on defeating her. Her raids on us affect us all and its only fair we get to fight as well," Madguts scoffed, the chief of the Shivering Shores known as Ivar, nodded in agreement.
"I agree with Magduts and Ivar, we will decide after Red Death is dealt with and if we decide to stay in alliance, we want in on the dragon information." Vidar of Visithugs answered.
"Well, Hiccup is handling Red Death so you'll have to discuss it with him when he gets back. He knows more about dragons then we do so I think you should all trust him. He does after all, ride a Night Fury and can speak to them." Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.
"And right now, all we can do is wait for him to get back," Hilda sighed sadly.
"Don't worry, Auntie Hilda...Papa promised he'd come back, and Papa doesn't break his promises," Emma assured her and her grandparents.
"We don't doubt him sweetie, but we still worry for him," Stoick replied as Emma reached for Astrid now with a yawn.
"Tired sweetie? Want me to tuck you in?" Astrid asked her while she took Emma from Valka and the child snuggled close to her.
"Can I stay with you? I don't wanna be in the nest myself..." Emma whined some, Astrid's eyes widened a little but she nodded, she couldn't deny Emma this. She was scared for her father, she didn't want to lose him. Astrid gave a whistle for Stingwhip and he laid down against the wall once he came in and Astrid told him that Emma was ready for bed. The others just watched in shock at how easily the dragon listened. Astrid laid down with Emma, and covered her up after kissing her forehead and telling her she loved her. Emma snuggled close to Astrid and closed her eyes.
"Night princess," Astrid said lightly.
"Goodnight, Mommy..." Emma whispered as she fell asleep, Astrid's eyes widened. Emma...had just called her Mommy and she had no idea how to react. Oh, she needed Hiccup to be back, they needed to talk about this and right away too. For now, all she could do was hold Emma and wait for him. One thing was for sure to everyone in the room, was that this had been a very revealing night.
