{Hiccup's POV}
I woke up early as always, my daughters laying in between Sylvi and I and our new son laying in Sylvi's arms content. I couldn't help but smile seeing my family there, they were safe and happy so what reason did I have to not be happy right now. I was still tired from last night, I didn't end up going to sleep until 1am and right now it was close to 5:30am. I had been nervous to go to sleep after the scare with Thurmond the Second. He was technically dead when he was handed to me, no signs of life at all. I don't know what changed, all I'd done was hold him and heard the sound of choking. I don't know what possessed me to sweep his mouth with my finger but it worked. He began to breathe and cry. I'd never been more relieved in my life. And Sylvi had gotten the cure to her illness too, which was why we went through with delivering Thurmond early. It had all worked out perfectly and I couldn't of been happier.
I just laid there looking at the 4 of them. My wife holding our son, then our twin daughters between Syl and I. All of them were asleep, Thurmond was so little but that was to be expected with born early. We still weren't out of the woods yet, it was still bad winter and we didn't know he'd survive it but we would hold firm that he would. We knew he'd be okay, he was a fighter like me. I had been born early too, mom told me the story. She said that I was born early and everyone feared I wouldn't make it but I pulled through and now here I was...Chief of my own island, with a wife and children of my own. I heard footsteps coming my way, I glanced over seeing Ryker there. "Would you like Eret and I to check the storm chief?" He asked.
"I'll do it." I reply as I got up and moved to the door, they helped me move the wood board lock from its position as I pulled the door open slowly. I was instantly met with the bright sun in my eyes, that was good at least. I let my eyes adjust as I looked around. The clouds were moved South, the snow fall was just a little higher than the knee, but the destruction from the hail was seen all around. There would be a lot of work to do to fix everything, I closed the door now and left the lock off since we didn't need to worry about the wind blowing the doors open anymore. I looked to my 3 head guards with a nod. "Its safe. But there is a lot of snow to clear, you three get your dragons and some men and use your dragon's fire to start melting some paths for us to walk and work on. Have the Scauldrons help too." I order.
"Aye sir. I assume we direct all water to the sea as always?" Viggo questioned.
"You have assumed correctly, Viggo." I smile, they nodded as the rounded up some of their guards, then their dragons. I crouched down and opened the floor passage so the guards could get their dragons but of course the noise woke a lot of people up. The guards dropped down and said they'd meet Viggo, Ryker, and Eret outside through one of the tunnel exits, I closed the passage and stood up with a sigh. "Sorry everyone...Go back to sleep, the guards are going to work on clearing the snow..." I whisper to anyone awake. A few nodded and rolled back over as I opened the door for Viggo, Eret, and Ryker to head out.
"Babe." I hear Sylvi call for me, I glanced to her now. "Take Rosethorn out and help them. Nadder's fire is the hottest, we're all okay in here." Sylvi smiled, I saw her up now and feeding Thurmond.
"You sure?" I asked, she nodded to me. I nodded back as I kissed her then stroked Thurmond's head lightly before giving a whistle to to Rosethorn who came over and Hiccup rubbed the side of her face. "What's say you girl, want to go clear some snow?" I asked her, she licked my cheek as I nodded. I pulled myself up on her back and headed for the doors again.
"Would you like some help?" Valka asked.
"Nah its alright, we'll have enough dragons up there. Stay and help Syl." I told her, she nodded stepping back. Two other guards opened the hall doors as Rosethorn took off outside.
{Regular POV}
After the doors had been shut, everyone rolled over and laid silently or fell back to sleep as Valka made her way towards Sylvi to admire her new grandson. The Hooligans as expected were up as well and watching Sylvi feed Thurmond the Second. They still couldn't believe that Hiccup was married to this woman, and had not one but three children with her. He was chief here and ran it well, he did amazing at it and he was happy. Much happier than when he was on Berk at least if he even was at all. Even though they had been there 3 days now technically 2 ½ since they were saved around nightfall when they first arrived there, even all that and none of this felt real. Valka looked over to them seeing their discontent faces, that or they were deep in thought about something.
"Something wrong, Stoick?" Valka asked, Sylvi looked at them too now.
"Just trying to settle with everything..." Gobber sighed.
"Well a lot has happened the last few days. Learning Hiccup has been here for 7 years, chief for 6 of them, is married and has children of his own. My being alive...Its a lot to take in." Valka replied softly.
"I just never...expected he would do so well on his own. On Berk he was...likened the worst Viking the island had ever seen...When he exiled himself, we thought for sure he'd die on his own and I'd be hearing about it from another chief..." Stoick looked down.
"In all fairness, you didn't exactly give the boy the chance to be himself either...I knew what he was capable of. That ax you love so much was crafted by Hiccup, he did that himself when he was 9." Gobber retorted.
"And how could you not tell me about contacting him. You knew the whole time he was alright, that Johann knew where he was...I could of found him, you knew I went searching..." Stoick glared at his friend.
"Hiccup asked me not to tell. And do you honestly think Hiccup would of talked to you if you came here demanding he come home?" Gobber asked. Stoick was about to say something but closed his mouth, "Even if ya had found the lad, you couldn't make him come back to Berk because he exiled himself. And only he could of made the choice to come back. Then if he did, he had to prove himself before the council. Prove his place in the tribe..."
"Stoick, what bothers me the most of everything Hiccup told me about his time on Berk is that you told him he'd never become chief. That he didn't have what it took to do the job, and he wouldn't survive on his own. How could you say such a thing to him? I know I'm no saint, I was alive and never came back...Perhaps if I had, things would of turned out differently but that is no longer the case. We almost lost him when he was born, For 3 months...We worried he wouldn't make it, everyone said he wouldn't. Except you." Valka stated. "You always said he'd become the strongest of them all. And now look at him...He ended the war between dragons and Vikings, he found peace. He got married, has children who are technically your grandchildren. How can you not be proud to see the man our son has become?"
"I am proud Val. Of everything I see here, and I know I said horrible things to him. But in all this...I can't be happy about it. Because this is Hiccup as a chief to an island that is not Berk, his home..." Stoick looked down.
"That shouldn't matter. Where he does it has no bearing on the fact that he has done amazing things since being on his own. He had to break the chains holding him to discover who he was." Valka added.
"The night Hiccup left the cove, he told me this when I said it was his last chance to back out. He only chuckled and said this, 'No chance, Gobber. Time for me to spread my wings and fly, find out who I really am.' After that, I hugged him and said I hoped this wouldn't be the last time I saw him. He smiled at me saying we would meet again when the winds and tides change. And true those words when we got blown away from Berk and stranded at sea, we ended up of all the islands in the Archipelago, on Hiccup's. And he could have thrown us off, demanded we leave...But he took us in. He helped us even after everyone on Berk." Gobber reminded.
"Home is where you are happy, Stoick. This is where Hiccup is happy. Just like I was happy in the dragons nest...We stay where we are wanted, and needed. Hiccup didn't feel those thing while on Berk, so he left. Stop living in the past, Stoick and take pride in known our son turned out to be the Viking you always hope he would become." Valka added.
"I have...And now all I wonder is if he'll forgive me for everything." Stoick sighed.
"He will eventually, Hiccup isn't one to hold a grudge. Can I offer you some advice?" Sylvi said to him, he nodded.
"Bury your past and move towards the future. That's what Hiccup lives by and its done many things for him. Stop being upset that he isn't going to come back to Berk, and be happy he's alive and well. Who cares if its not how you want it to be, its how it should be. You have to accept that not everything is going to go your way, Stoick. You've hated dragons for so long because they took your wife, you believed she was dead. Hiccup has shown you the truth. That both dragons aren't what you think they are and that your wife is actually alive...So stop hating on the dragons. If you want things to be change, then you have to change too." Sylvi smiled.
"I'll give thought to that. But how does that help me earn my son's forgiveness...He doesn't even see me as his father anymore." Stoick looked down.
"You just said what you had to do. Earn it. He can't see you as something that you never were to him, you were his chief that he got sick of so he left. And here he gained a father, a tribe, a village, an island. We gave him the freedom to be who he was, to be himself. If you want him to see you as his father, you have to act like you want him as your son. You have to care about him." Sylvi stood up now holding Thurmond in her arms.
"I will do that then." Stoick nodded.
"Just don't come on to strong, ya know. Ease into it, he's going to be really busy for a while with fixing the village." Valka added afterwards. Astrid and her friends looked outside to see Hiccup on his wife's dragon clearing snow in a path towards the beaches, Gobber, Stoick, and Valka did the same. "He's a hard worker Stoick and he lives to make things better for everyone."
(4 Hours Later)
Hiccup and the guards returned around 8:30am, shivering from being outside so long. Two two Nightmares laid down against the wall and powered up their flame as Viggo, Ryker, Eret and the other guards stood close to get warm. Hiccup on the other hand moved towards Sylvi and his children who were all awake now and happy to see him. Hiccup pulled his armor off and removed red tunic shirt, he pulled a second tunic from Toothless's saddlebag and slipped it on. "Well that's better...Morning babe." Hiccup greeted with a grin as he kissed her softly, then his twins, and finally his new son.
"Cold out there?" Sylvi asked.
"Frigid...But we got paths cleared along the main roads and entrances to houses. Water draining to the sea and a few of the guys are going to start working on removing the hail chunks once they warm up. We came in because the wind is still pretty strong and I know me personally...I can't feel my hands or face right now." Hiccup chuckled.
"Warm up by the fire love." Sylvi said.
"I'll be alright in a few minutes. Has everyone eaten yet?" Hiccup questioned.
"Just finished breakfast 20 minutes son, saved you a plate." Valka smiled handing it to him, he smiled and took a few bites of the eggs, then bread with yak butter on it. "So what's the plan chief."
"Working on that still. It too cold to just go out there and get to work. Its going to have to be done in shifts, an hour or two at a time." Hiccup replied.
"How many tribe members do you have?" Gobber asked.
"Guards included, close to 350." Hiccup answered.
"That's quite a bit lad, our tribe only has about 100. How on Thor's green earth to you manage so many?" Gobber blinked.
"I trust them to do their jobs. We went over this yesterday when I talked with Snotlout..." Hiccup remarked.
"If I can suggest..." Snotlout put a finger up, Hiccup faced him. "Let us help. We know how bad winters can get, we're always fixing houses on Berk...We can help rebuild."
"The way you rebuild and I rebuild are different concepts. We don't use the same materials you do...Why do you want to help anyway? This is my job, not yours." Hiccup stated with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Because you helped us when we needed it. You didn't have to save us from the water, you didn't have to let us stay here, or include us when you took care of your tribe..." Fishlegs joined in now as Hiccup listened a little intrigued.
"And on Berk, no one stays for free. Everyone has to chip in something, so we take that with us where we go. You know the laws on Berk...You helped us, we owe you a debt and a Hairy Hooligan always repays their debt. Let us help you now. You're giving us a place to stay until we can return home, the least we can do is help you rebuild for all you've done for us." Snotlout said.
"I think that is the first chief-like thing I've ever heard you say, Snotlout. And he's right. While we're here, let us work for you to repay our debt." Astrid smiled.
"Its almost terrifying to see you agree with him, I think hell just froze over with Astrid Hofferson complimenting Snotlout Jorgenson. I suppose there is a first time for everything...Syl, what do you think?" Hiccup asked looking to his wife.
"They've got a point and you don't let anyone stay here for free, everyone does their part. We could use the extra hands..." Sylvi said.
"Fair enough. But you aren't wandering free, I'll pair you up with others." Hiccup said, he saw them all smile wide that he was going to allow them to help him. After he finished his food he jumped on a table to get everyone's attention only the wouldn't settle down in the excitement of the storm being over. "Toothless..." Hiccup said slowly, Toothless got up as Sylvi covered the Thurmond's ears. Toothless let out a loud roar that made the room fall silent. "Thanks bud. Really guys, I thought we got past me having to use Toothless to make you pay attention." Hiccup said.
"Sorry chief!" They called to him.
"Lets work on that. Back to business, the storm is officially over. Sunshine and blue skies out there, however...There is still a lot of snow and hail chunks everywhere, also the wind is frigid. I want all mothers to stay in here with their children. I am not sending anyone to their homes until the stability of the building has been checked first. All men will be getting to work on wall and roof repairs. I'm going to need about 20 people returning food and supplies to their rightful places. Any questions?" Hiccup announced.
"I got one sir..." Snotlout said, Hiccup looked at him to continue. "Who are we paired with?"
"Right...I said you could help. Uh...Alright. Gobber, Stoick, Spitelout, Corey you're working with my father in law Audun. Gathering wood for the builders. Tuffnut, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout, and Ruffnut help the builders. Do whatever Jari says to do. Berga, Asmund, Elof, and Folke help out with putting supplies away, or getting tools, or repairs." Hiccup said.
"Aye, you heard the man." Gobber said.
"Son...I mean...Chief Hiccup." Stoick corrected himself.
"Yes?" Hiccup replied arching a brow.
"I think Snotlout...Should work along side you. Extra chief trainin...I think he could...learn a lot about the job from you..." Stoick offered.
"He's the heir of Berk, he should be getting that from you since you're the chief of Berk. He needs to learn the ways you run the island so he can do the same. I've already stated that I do things differently here." Hiccup said.
"But I feel he'd be getting a better understanding from someone who hasn't made as many mistakes as I have...My negligence cost me not just my heir by my son too...I don't feel I have the right to teach him how to be a good chief, when I have not been a good chief or father myself...You Hiccup...Are a good chief, a better one than I ever thought you could be. So I want...Snotlout to learn how to be a chief from someone who did it and does it better than me or I ever could." Stoick admitted, Hiccup stared at him a minute. Everyone was quiet waiting to see what he would say in response.
"Did you just admit to me you were wrong?" Hiccup asked.
"Yes. I was very wrong and I'm sorry." Stoick looked down.
"We will discuss this later. I have to much to deal with right now, if you want Snotlout to tag along with me then fine. Alright, we have a lot of work to do people. Lets get to it!" Hiccup announced, his motioned for Snotlout to come beside him. "I hope you're ready to learn." Hiccup said as everyone began to make their way outside the hall. "If you get cold, take a break inside! Aerial patrol, get out there and make sure nothing is coming our way because of the storm. Ground patrol help out whoever you can."
"What about us?" Sylvi asked.
"You watch the kids, mom help out Syl and the rest of you just sit tight. When your houses are either fixed or deemed safe, I will send for someone to let you know. I'll get ya all back home as soon as possible." Hiccup said. They nodded to him as Hiccup whistled for Toothless who bounced over happily as Hiccup got on his back and positioned his feet in the stirrups and opened the tail up as he offered his hand to Snotlout who blinked at him.
"Uh?..." Snotlout asked.
"I do my chiefing on my dragon, you're tagging along with me then you're going to have to actually be near me. So get on." Hiccup said, Snotlout cautiously took Hiccup's hand as he was pulled up behind Hiccup, he took a minute to settle with the fact he was riding on the back of a Night Fury. "You good?" Hiccup grinned.
"I think so..." Snotlout said uneasily.
"Takes some getting used to. Put your hands on my shoulders, and don't scream or I'll throw you off..." Hiccup warned, Snotlout did what he was told. "Move out people!" Hiccup commanded, everyone cheered and headed out to get to work. Hiccup rubbed Toothless's head as he spread his wings. "Hang on, we take off fast." Hiccup warned. Snotlout's eyes widened as Toothless gave a roar and launched himself into the blue sky. From above, Snotlout fought hard not to scream as he held on but when he felt the wind in his face he opened his eyes and looked around.
"Woah..." He said.
"Pretty cool right." Hiccup smiled.
"Heck yeah...Ya know, you're a lot cooler than I thought Hiccup. My cousin the dragonborn chief...Who would of thought." Snotlout said.
"Thanks, Snotlout." Hiccup replied.
"Alright, teach away." Snotlout said a little excitedly. With a roar of Toothless, it began.