Not goanna lie, I had lots of trouble writing this one. hope you all like it.

When Astrid and I get back to the village, we see that everyone is cleaning things up and heading for bed. We decide to do the same and split up. I ease the door open, hoping that I can get to my room without being seen. The gods are not with me tonight. Dad is slouched in his favorite chair and tending to the fire. Part of me wants to see if I can slip by unnoticed, but I feel I need to address the dragon in the room.

"So that was Tannski?" Dad turns to look at me and hesitantly nods.

I take a seat next to him. Usually, when dad stokes the fire in this manner, he gets rather contemplative. "Am I doing the right thing?" He asks.

Now I've gone through several practice conversations with Toothless to prepare myself for this one, so I begin with a question that is simple but loaded. "Which is more important: maintaining tradition, or moving forward?" Dad stares at me, probably not expecting something so philosophical.

Eventually, he responds, "I think it's best to remember tradition and learn from it. Especially when it's about mistakes of the past." He pokes one of the logs in the fire hard enough to make it break. "However, we must find ways to be better than our mothers and fathers. In other words, we respect them, but we don't let them rule our lives."

I smile when Dad finishes. "That's a good answer." I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. "I think Tannski is a bridge between humans and dragons that can stop this war without genocide." Dad looks me directly in the eye when I use the word genocide. "Some, maybe more than some, will want to burn that bridge, but it should be reinforced with mortar and stone. Plus if they are willing to, we could learn to fuse with dragons ourselves, building more bridges until you can't even see the gap the bridges are covering."

Dad just stares. "I think your metaphor got carried away, son."

I blush, but not from embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah it did." I stretch and make an overdramatic yawn. "Welp, I should get to bed."

Stoick picks up on it surprisingly. "Uh, yeah. Good. Good talk. I'll just head straight to bed then."

"Yeah, um, good night." I crawl right up the stairs. As soon as I'm in the clear I put my hands on my hips and release a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "That went well enough," I project to nobody in particular. I nod to myself and get ready for bed.

I have plans to make.

. . . . .

The next day I meet up with Astrid before the village meeting. When it's time for said meeting, we add ourselves to the crowd heading for the great hall. All around us I hear mutterings of the mysterious woman with a dragon's gem in her forehead. I self-consciously adjust my helmet when I hear mention of my memory stone.

"Did you see that red(-)headed valkyrie take down that blue Monstrous Nightmare with its own fire? She was hot in more ways than one!" I look over my shoulder, where I see Snotlout and the twins chatting about the latest raid.

"I know, right!? Such destructive potential. But why did she let herself get carried off by a dragon?" Ruffnut wonders.

"Maybe she's an honorary dragon. It would explain the gem in her forehead. I wonder if we-"

Snotlout quickly interrupts Tuffnut. "As if; she must be controlling the dragons. That's why the Night Fury obeyed her." He starts strutting. "The moment she shows her face again, I'll get her to show us how she did it. She can't say-" I am pulled farther into the crowd by Astrid, who must be hearing the same thing as me.

"Well, now I know how you feel whenever Snotlout tries to make a move on you," I project to the shieldmaiden.

"Yeah. Let's just get further away before he notices us." Astrid manages to get us farther away from Snotlout, but we run into a different problem.

"Hey, Hiccup! Did you see what happened last night?" Fishlegs makes his way towards us, sounding excited to talk about Hiccstrid.

I turn to the heavyset Viking. "You mean the red-headed individual with a gem in their forehead who blew the wind onto a Monstrous Nightmare like a bellows to the point where the dragon was cooked with its own fire?" When I offer my detailed review in a monotone voice, it makes Fishlegs pause.

"Y-yes." He quickly gets past the awkward moment. "How do you think she did it? Do you think she took the gem from a dragon or was she born with it? What's her relationship with the Night Fury? Are they friends? Does she ride a dragon? So many questions!"

Making up my mind, I decide to let everyone keep calling Hiccstrid 'she.' It'll put less suspicion on me at the very least. (If there is any to begin with.) "Whatever skill she has aside, it's clear she and my dad know each other." I decide to let something slip as Dad did use the name. "He called her 'Tannski,' it's clear she and my father have met before." That's all I can say without delving into private matters. "Let's hope he can provide an explanation." I lead Astrid and Fishlegs to one of the tables in the corner to stand on so we can see above the burley villagers.

Once everybody is in the hall, my father begins speaking. "Now I know many are curious about the events of the latest hunt for the dragon's nest and the events of last night's raid." Various people make sounds and gestures of acknowledgment. "Now the reason I asked those returning to keep quiet was so there would be no misunderstandings. But after last night's raid, those explanations are needed more than ever. Simply put, a human somehow managed to fuse with a dragon and is willing to lead us to the nest." Blunt and to the point. Just how Vikings like it.

Of course, there are various objections, questions, and slander. The last being pointed at the fight between Hiccstrid and the blue Monstrous Nightmare.

"The fusion names its mixed-breed Shade Fury, and calls itself Tannski. But while Tannski is willing to lead us to the nest, they warned us of something else." Stoick's voice manages to pierce the din of the mead hall. "According to this rogue fusion, residing in the nest is a cross fusion of several large dragons big enough to crush Berk with its bodyweight alone." Dad pauses, letting the reality of the situation sink in. Quiet descends upon the hall for only a moment before everyone starts talking at once- arguing, offering opinions, and generally panicking.

I'm not sure who, but someone's voice rises above the chatter. "So what? There's nothing we can do?"

"No, when Tannski told us of the Queen, as they call it, they said lightning is capable of breaking a fusion. Now, I'll ask Tannski about that when we meet-" Dad did not get to finish his sentence due to the arguing Vikings.

"You can't!"

"That's a bad idea, Stoick!"

"That traitor has no place here!" I do my best to remain composed when I hear that.

"Enough!" Dad's booming voice quiets everyone. "Now, we have an opportunity to finally flush out the dragons and stop the raids. In fact, I and the rest of the scouting party would not be here if this 'traitor' had not saved us!" The quiet is quickly replaced with mumbling. "Now, it pains me that we must work with the enemy, but this is an opportunity we can't waste. If what Tannski implied is true, then the Queen will add more dragons to its ghastly amalgamation until there's nothing any human in the archipelago can do to stop it." The picture Dad paints manages to scare even the most headstrong Vikings.

After a heavily pregnant pause, someone finally speaks up. "Even so, how do we harness lightning if this Tannski does not have an answer?" At least Spitelout is bringing up a good point.

I'm surprised when my dad provides a solution. "If Tannski can't provide an answer, then we'll send an envoy to the Berserker tribe, who have boasted of the ability to control the Skrill with its lightning breath." While some aren't completely convinced, most seem to accept Dad's answer.

"Good. Now, in the event Tannski agrees, they will be accepted as a guest with all the rights and regulations that come with guest-right." It's clear most aren't okay with this, but nobody complains out loud. Guest-right is one of those laws that takes priority over others. Once it's clear nobody will voice an outcry, Dad continues. "Now, I will begin telling the events of what happened during the scouting trip."

Once Dad gets started, I make my way out of the mead hall. So they are willing to tolerate Tannski, that's a good start. Now, how to break the ice to Dad that I'm Tannski.

"Wait up." I turn around when I feel Astrid project those two words to me. "Why aren't you staying?"

"I got all the information I need. Dad is willing to work with Tannski, but I still need to tell him my part. You heard what he thinks of Tannski, how do you think he'll react when he finds out Tannski is his son?"

Astrid stops me, grabbing my left arm with her right hand. I feel her memory stone under her glove. "Even if every member of the village calls for your head, I'll be there to defend you." She lets go and I turn around to see her thumbing her covered gem. "I never did apologize, did I?" She sits down on the steps. "For the longest time, I treated you like a thorn in my side, a pest, something I would be better off without. But I never took the time to consider your side, how you are treated as a pest by nigh on every member of our village. So, while they are too proud to apologize, let me swallow my pride and do so for them." Astrid then takes a deep breath and mimics swallowing something, which makes me chuckle. "Hiccup, I'm sorry. For everything."

Before my mind can tell me it's improper, I embrace Astrid in a heartfelt hug. "None of that matters now, Astrid. I just want to end this war."

Before Astrid can respond, we both turn at the sound of sniffles behind us. "That was beautiful, Astrid," Fishlegs says. The twins and Snotlout are also there, but they are trying to remain composed.

I quickly stand. "How much of that did you hear?" I realize that, at some point, we swapped to verbal communication.

"(Sniff) something about you being treated like trash by everyone and the revelation that Astrid has feelings." I think the only reason she doesn't get punched was because it is Ruffnut who says that.

Snotlout changes the subject. "So what do you guys think of this Tannski fusion? Should we really trust her?"

Since Dad is willing to tolerate Tannski, I might as well address that particular thorn. "What makes you think Tannski is a woman? Stoick only referred to Tannski as 'them.'"

Snotlout looks at me with his usual smug expression. "I got a great view of her during the fight. She was wearing a shieldmaiden's leather-studded skirt."

I, and everyone else from the looks of it, are surprised when Snotlout brings up actual evidence. "How do you know it was not just a man's kilt? Hiccup has started wearing one recently." Fishlegs points out my choice of clothing. "And he doesn't look any less masculine."

My cousin briefly glances at me before returning his gaze to Fishlegs. "I'm sure of it. The skirt looked likeAstrids's. Very much likeAstrids's, actually." His gaze settles on the woman sitting next to me.

"Whatever gender Tannski is, we'll see them in three days." Astrid stands up and offers me her hand. "In the meantime, we should all prepare for their arrival." As Astrid helps me to my feet, Tuffnut says something that makes my blood run cold.

"What are you two hiding?" We both freeze and look at the male Thorson twin. "You two have been closer, even teaming up during training. In fact, both of you keep treating this whole Tannski thing like a private joke." Tuffnut stops, either to catch his breath or for a dramatic pause. (Maybe both.)

"Care to let us in?" Ruffnut asks before Tuffnut can continue.

He scowls at his twin. "Uh, kinda rude to interrupt me, don't you think?"

"You weren't speaking, moron. You just stood there waiting."

"It was a dramatic pause! You don't interrupt a man's dramatic pause."

"Maybe if you told me you were doing a dramatic pause I wouldn't have spoken up!"

"You don't tell someone you're doing a dramatic pause; it ruins the effect!"

"A hint would have been nice!"

"Oh yeah, like you provide hints to your dramatic pauses. Oh wait, you don't!"

Part of me is tempted to tell the twins to just shut up. Instead, I'll use the opportunity for what it is. "Hey, Astrid, let's get out of here while they're distracted."

Astrid provides a wordless affirmative. Both Fishlegs and Snotlout are too busy watching the twins argue over another pointless topic to notice when we slip away. As soon as we are out of range, we both dash into the forest.

"You know, normally I hate it when Ruff bickers with her brother, but considering what we narrowly avoided… yeah, I still don't like it."

I chuckle at her joke. "So what happens now?"

Astrid looks at me, then to the sky. "I believe you owe me a flight."

So now the vikings are going to form an alliance with Tannski. That will certainly be an exciting chapter.

Stephen51991: Good to know.

7sky: I'm quite proud of that joke.

Wolf: I can't really go into detail without upping my rating from T to M.

R73uy: like I said before, I'm trying out a new avenue with the whole 'village finds out about Toothless' scene. I just hope its well recieved and I remain true to caracter.

Guest: here you go.