"Enough Heather! There isn't anything left to discuss."

"We have to keep looking for him. Oswald wouldn't have given up on us."

"The only thing we're getting close to is Valhalla! You're trying to find 'clues' in what is mostly meaningless gibberish. And trust me, as someone who's spent most of their life in varying states of existential crises, I know the meaning of meaningless! Enough is enough!"

"Fine! If you want to give up I'll search for him on my own!"

"Heather!"

The door slammed, shaking the house with the force of it. Enigma lifted her head, cooing softly as Dagur stormed into the living room. He and Heather had been arguing about the contents of their father's diary. They had been going out a searching constantly for the past two months, leaving much of the chief work to Iris. She didn't complain. They needed closure.

"She's a fool," he spat, sitting heavily in the padded chair by the fireplace. "An utter fool."

"I wonder where she gets that from," Iris drawled. She was focused on her knitting.

"I can't keep leaving with her to go on a wild goose chase," he groaned. "I've already saddled you with enough tasks on top of your own. She won't listen to reason though!"

"She wants closure. I know you want the same Dagur. Maybe you should go talk to Hiccup, show him the diary. Didn't he help Heather figure out a few pages in the beginning?"

"He did but I just got home. I can't leave you here alone again."

"I think you should." Iris stopped knitting and set it aside to look at Dagur. "Just one last time. Talk to Hiccup, put your minds together, and see if you two can't figure out the last clues. Then you won't have to leave anymore and we can focus on something a little more important."

"All the more reason Heather needs to give up on this fool's errand."

Iris sighed as he stared broodingly at the fire. Tomorrow she'd send a Terror Mail to Hiccup and ask him to come talk to the two stupid Berserkers. Right now though she had someone to calm down.

Getting up from her comfortable spot on the floor leaning against Enigma, Iris went over and draped her arms over Dagur's shoulders from behind. She rested her chin on the top of his head. After a few moments she felt his hands grasp hers. He tugged her around him and pulled her onto his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

When they had gotten home from the Edge the next day Heather showed up asking Dagur for help. She wanted him to help her figure out what she swore were clues in their father's diary. At Iris' reassurance he agreed to help only to end up travelling all over the Archipelago with Heather. He didn't spend much time at home between searches before she'd claim they had to go check something else out.

It had wore on her nerves but she knew they both needed closure about their father. She knew somewhat about what happened to Oswald but didn't say anything. It wasn't her place to say. This was supposed to be a time for the siblings to grow closer. That was why she urged Dagur to go with Heather while she stayed behind taking care of things. It wasn't too hard.

The difference between what she knew now though was the fact she and Dagur were married. He had little desire to traverse the Archieplago and beyond anymore. He wanted to stay on Berserk with her, taking charge as chief and leading their people. That clashed with Heather's views greatly.

"I never thought I'd be the type of person who wanted to stay home," he finally mumbled. They had been sitting in silence for awhile just staring at the fire. "Now I have a reason to. Running around isn't appealing if you aren't with me."

"You know I'd just get in the way," she answered. "We both know Rohan and the other elders could handle leading the tribe if we both had to leave but I'd just be a burden. Sure, Enigma and I have gotten a lot better at flying and fighting than before but my luck I'd fall off or trip or something."

"You are too hard on yourself."

"I could say the same to you." He just grumbled. "Dagur. We are all behind you on this. I mean it. Every tribesmen wants you to find out what happened to Oswald, where he could be. They want you to find the answers they deserve to hear too. They want to know why their prior chief abandoned them."

"I hate it when you are reasonable and have logic," he grumbled.

"Oh you know you love it," she teased. "Come on. You'll feel better after a night's sleep. We'll send a message to Hiccup tomorrow and talk to Heather."

Grudgingly he agreed and let her get off his lap. Enigma yawned, wiggling closer to Jager, and tucked her head under her wing to get some sleep. Poor Jager was already fast asleep. The flight back had worn him out.

Shadow perked up when Iris opened the door and cooed when she spotted Dagur. The small Night Terror jumped off the dresser and landed on his shoulder. He smiled as she rubbed against him purring.

It had taken some time but Shadow settled into the family easily. After spending hours staring at her and communicating with Hiccup, who had not been happy Iris smuggled a Night Terror off the Edge, she discovered Shadow was a female dragon. Which was why Screechie was obsessed with her.

The Terrible Terror male did everything he could to win Shadow's favor. He brought he fresh meat from his various kills, shiny rocks he'd found, even a freshly washed shirt that Iris confiscated upon discovery. It all annoyed Shadow to the point she tried to bite him any time he came near her.

Her attitude changed though when he brought her a bundle of flowers. She happily rolled in them and tore them apart to make a nest out of the now destroyed flowers. After that they were as thick as thieves. Probably more than that given Screechie's smitten attitude with her.

"Suck up," Dagur grumbled but still scratched her chin.

"Come here," Iris said. She lifted the Night Terror off Dagur and set her on the dresser she had made her nest on. "Take care of those instead of getting pets."

"Wait what?"

Iris grinned and moved some of the vegetation Shadow used for her nest. In the middle were two solid black eggs. Shadow purred eagerly, nudging them so Dagur could see before she settled around them. He looked at Iris with a raised eyebrow.

"She just laid them three days ago," Iris explained. "Screechie is the dad."

"Lucky bastard. Wait. Oh no. Now we'll have more annoying little dragons!"

"Who will hopefully take after their mom. Not Screechie and his screeching ways." Dagur shuddered.

Two days later Hiccup and Fishlegs came to Berserk with said screeching Terrible Terror in tow. The small green dragon spared no one a look as he bolted straight into the house. Iris heard Shadow screech angrily. Screechie must have made her mad again.

"Do I want to know?" Hiccup asked.

"He paired up with the Night Terror I snuck home and they have two eggs," Iris said sheepishly.

"Really?" Fishlegs asked excitedly. "That's amazing! You HAVE to tell me when they hatch! This will be a whole new species!"

"I will," she laughed.

"Come inside brother," Dagur said. "I'm sad to say Heather already left. She refused to wait."

"How am I not surprised," Hiccup sighed. Iris gestured for them to come in the kitchen and sit. "Cozy."

"Toothless you shoo to the sitting room," Iris ordered when the Night Fury tried to sneak into the kitchen. "That's one rule in this house. No dragons in my kitchen. None."

"Not even Screechie," Dagur said in a loud whisper.

"Sorry bud but she's the boss." Toothless whimpered but laid by the doorway instead. "Now. Let's see this diary. I only got a quick glimpse the last time Heather let me look."

While they poured over the contents of the diary, Iris busied herself. She set a plate of snacks near the three along with three tankards of ale. Hiccup's was watered down with honey added.

That settled so they wouldn't bother her or destroy her kitchen looking for something, Iris headed out of the house. Enigma was dozing on the roof, completely content, but opened an eye when she stepped out of the house. With a shake of Iris' head the dragon yawned and went back to sleep. She headed down the hill towards the other houses.

"Chieftess it's good to see you," Ellie said as Iris stepped into the weaving hut. "I thought you would have stayed to talk with Hiccup and Dagur."

"They are busy," Iris said with a shrug. "So I decided to get out of the house for awhile and see how things are going."

"Helga here got proposed to," Lila giggled. "A nice Murking lad to boot."

"Congratulations," Iris said eagerly while the dark haired girl blushed. "How exciting."

"He wants to move here," Helga said shyly. "But don't say anything yet to chief Dagur. He wants to ask him personally."

"Mums the word," Iris said with a wink.

"Any news with you chieftess?" Ingrid asked. "Anything exciting?"

"Not yet," Iris said. The women gathered all sighed in disappointment. "Hey now. Things have been hectic lately. It'll happen when it happens."

"That chief of ours needs to stay home and let that sister of his find their father," one of the old village women grumbled.

"He deserves to know what happened with chief Oswald as Heather does," Ellie countered. "If anything he has more of a right to try and find Oswald being our chief. I don't mean any disrespect Iris."

"None taken," Iris said. "I told him almost the same thing. Better this gets solved now than later on when we need him here and not gone. Wouldn't you all agree?"

The women murmured their agreement, some a bit grudgingly. Iris watched them weave, impressed with how well they took to her family's techniques, before excusing herself. For a while she walked around the village, greeting everyone and seeing how things were going. More guards were patrolling the village than usual but she had been the one to order it. One of the Icer tribe ships had a run in with a Dragon Hunter ship but thankfully one of their patrol ships had shown up and countered the Dragon Hunters. After that Iris ordered more ships on patrol and guards on patrol. Including their Riders.

It didn't change much in the village though. Children still ran about, people still worked, and trade still happened. Everyone was just a little bit more heavily armed than usual. Shell, the Scauldron that now lived in their port, stayed close to the patrolling ships when she wasn't hunting.

A trio of Deadly Nadders had joined Berserk while Dagur had first been gone. When he returned he was over the moon with excitement especially since they bonded with Riders already. However he had been disappointed to leave their training to the more senior Riders when Heather dragged him off yet again. They were doing well though, the Nadders and their Riders.

"I heard about the newcomers," Hiccup said when Iris returned to the house. "Deadly Nadders now. Getting your own dragon settlement like Berk already."

"They settled in nicely," Iris commented. "Any luck with the diary?"

"Sadly yes," he sighed. "Dagur is packing now. We are headed to Vanaheim, the dragons' final resting place guarded by Sentinels. That's what the drawing of the dragon is in the diary."

"Aren't those the?" Iris trailed off as Hiccup nodded. "Don't you dare let my husband die. You hear me?"

"Yes ma'am," Hiccup said. "I sent word to Astrid and asked her to come here to help with training the Deadly Nadders. She's our expert."

"It'll be nice to have someone to visit with," Iris laughed.

"No laughing when I'm not here," Dagur said as he came down the stairs.

"Then you better come back fast," Iris drawled. "I heard the news. You be safe."

"I will," he said. He placed a firm kiss on her lips. "I'm glad Astrid will at least be here. That gives me some peace of mind."

"Me too."