PART II

Chapter Fourteen

Toothless soared quietly above the rolling ocean waves.

Though the moon was waxing and allowed Hiccup to see clearly before him, he was just a shadow in the night upon the ebony Night Fury, no more than a discoloration amongst the stars. Fit in sleek dragon scale armor, both he and Astrid could have easily been dismissed as mere bumps on the backs of their dragons, bent low to the saddle.

Before them, approaching quickly, was the Mainland.

The first time Hiccup had ever laid eyes upon it a decade ago, he audibly gasped and pulled Toothless back so they could hover in awe. The land before them was so immense it seemed to stretch entirely across the horizon, and for a small moment, he had the thought that they had reached the end of the sea and were looking upon Utgardar itself.

But they knew better now, and had a destination.

The ship from which they had set off from lay an hours flight behind them, anchored and waiting for their return. Hiccup had always thought that training the dragons would make exploration limitless, but he soon realized that even flight had its restrictions. Dragon species known best for their endurance and stamina were even unable to make the trip from the outermost islands of the Archipelago to this place - there was not a single sea stack or small island to rest weary wings once one reached the open ocean between both locations. So they had travelled by ship, human and dragon alike, before setting off on their mission. Their first voyage was to look for a lost friend, and now, many years later, they had a message to deliver.

Resting in the satchel to his side were several maps. Hiccup ran his hand over the cloth material, thinking to himself, 'Gothi, I hope you know what you are doing.'

But he knew that a village Elder's premonitions were to be taken seriously. Even if Gothi's second-sight said to look for Healers in strange, far-off places, it would be in the tribe's best interest to listen to their wise woman. So, as dangerous as that task might be, of course Hiccup volunteered himself. And as he shared a look with his wife Astrid upon Stormfly beside him, he was sure that she was having the same thoughts… She had refused to let him leave without her.

Astrid motioned with her index and middle finger to something approaching at their right and he followed its line. A single rocky outcrop jutted from an approaching bay, a black tower in the darkness with waves crashing at its base.

Stormfly tilted her wings to glide closer to Toothless and Astrid's eyes could barely be seen beneath the cyan scales of her helmet. "The landmark that Rodric told us about."

"Yeah, that's got to be it," Hiccup nodded.

If it wasn't for Rodric, the man they stumbled across years ago on this very same ocean (crash-landed on, was more accurate) and took in on Berk, they might not have been able to make this journey. Or, they might not have approached it in such the cautious manner that they were now… the seafarer was quite clear in that two lone Vikings must be careful in these parts. Either way, Hiccup appreciated the man's knowledge of this strange place. Toothless caught sight of the landmark and shifted towards it.

"Gods," Hiccup heard Astrid say, "This place… you could fit Berk inside of it hundreds of times."

As they flew closer to the rock pillar, Hiccup's eyes combed the land before them. Defined features on the shoreline faded to nothing but black land, going on and on. He might have even seen what could be mountains in the distance, appearing to be no more than small knobs on the dark horizon. "No," she corrected herself. "The entire Archipelago and more."

"I think you're right," Hiccup whispered, and his voice was lost in the wind sweeping past. The thought crept into his head. Are you in there somewhere?

"There," Astrid said beside him and tucked herself close to Stormfly's back. Before them, nestled in the trees of the shoreline, they began to see the dots of fireplaces glowing behind windows. The dragons dipped downwards.

Rodric had acknowledged repeatedly that he was no master of knowledge concerning the Mainland. But when he had learned of Gothi's premonition to find her apprentice in the very place he had come from, the seafarer had a few helpful suggestions. Rodric may not have spent too much time on the inner continent but was quite familiar with the ports and coastlines. He volunteered to sail them somewhat close to what might have been the least dangerous areas within their reach, and this was it. Hiccup had immediately noticed the implication that all of the land was quite dangerous for them. 'Vikings,' Rodric had said, 'Aren't especially welcome over there... especially ones of the dragon-riding persuasion, I can guess.'

Upon their descent, Toothless kept his wings and the fins along his back spread wide to mute the piercing whistle of a diving Night Fury, and Stormfly coasted on the ocean drafts with ease. As a village square approached, Hiccup was aware of Astrid unholstering the axe upon her saddle, but she did not draw the weapon. Then, they were landing.

"Hello! Hey there!"

Hiccup tried to speak but was instantly met with screams of terror and people running. There were about a dozen villagers in the square to begin with, all gathered around a firepit, and upon their landing only half or so were left. And it seemed the only reason why was because they were rooted to the ground in fear. Toothless grumbled and shifted, displeased with the looks of utter terror upon him. Hiccup pulled his helmet from his head as he dismounted. "There's no reason to be afraid! We're not here to hurt you."

"A Viking savage!" he heard someone snarl, and two more people seemed to find their wits and dashed off.

The remaining villagers were white as ghosts and appeared to be locked in some pose of action - ready to flee if only their feet would cooperate. Their eyes flitted in fear between the four of them: Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly. Astrid also removed her scaled helmet and slid from the saddle. "Does your town have a healer?"

No response, only the sounds of the fire pit burning and a person whimpering in fear.

Hiccup swallowed, unsure of how to proceed. He slowly reached towards neatly-rolled maps within his satchel, all of them having been individually drawn by Rodric himself. "We do not mean you any harm. We are Vikings, but we ask for your help."

The people looked upon them in utter confusion, and then a woman shouted out, "Vikings asking for our help? My ancestors have been pillaged by your kind!"

Hiccup winced. There was a shout of another man, "And now the barbarians are on the backs of dragons, wearing their skins! It is devilry!"

Stormfly squawked in indignation and took a protective step towards her Rider. It garnered another gasp of fear from the onlookers as they seemed to squirm in their boots. Astrid raised her hand to halt the Nadder. "It's okay, girl."

And when Stormfly heard the words, she tucked her wings back to her sides and relaxed the spines around her skull and tail. The villagers murmured to themselves in awe. "We come from the Hooligan Tribe of Berk. Any Viking attack upon your people currently or in the past is not one of our own. We were caught in our own war until recently - a war upon the dragons, not people. I hope that you can see now that the Hooligans are capable of peace, for I've made a friend in the very enemy we once battled. And while I may not speak on behalf of all tribes, I speak for my own and I say that we are not savages. And we ask for your help."

Hiccup smiled at her words. It sometimes felt as if Astrid was the true Chief of Berk, a natural diplomat, and he was just the husband born into his role. Astrid looked so sincere and dangerous all at once adorned in dragon scale armor and with her honest, hard gaze on the people.

"Will you take this?" Hiccup asked, and he held the rolled pieces of parchment before him.

For several long moments no one responded.

"We're in need of a Healer," Astrid announced. "The maps do not indicate your village. A friend told us that you were honest people and trusted you with them. Anyone who might answer our call won't be led to your home. We give you our word, and our kind are true to it. "

Hiccup still held the parchment before him, arm outstretched. The people gazed upon the Vikings and their dragons in wonder, and then a person moved forward. It was a large man, and he carried a woodcutter's axe in his hand. Hiccup could see that despite the man's combative expression, the tool in his hand was shaking from his fear. "Get on out of our town. We don't want your business."

Hiccup held his hands open, in the universal gesture of 'we mean you no harm.' "Please, you are not in any danger!"

"I SAID GO! Leave us, savages!"

Hiccup did not know what to say.

"Come on, Hiccup," Astrid said coolly, "They had their chance."

The Chief of Berk sighed. He would have to go home and tell Gothi they failed. Toothless had his teeth out and was whipping his tail back and forth at the man's outburst, and slunk to his Rider so they could mount. Astrid also leapt onto Stormfly, and her mouth was pressed into a straight line, clearly trying her best to control her tongue. "Sorry, Astrid," Hiccup whispered. "The trip was all for nothing. Let's just get out of here."

"Right." Then he watched as she smirked and leaned down closer to Stormfly. "Come on girl, I know you have something you want to say."

The Deadly Nadder suddenly whirled about, spines outstretched and wings spread wide, and screeched threateningly at the villagers and at their treatment of her human. They suddenly seemed to find their nerves and there were screams, and the plaza was cleared as the people ran in fear.

"Astrid!" Hiccup scolded, but he could not help but grin. "That is exactly what we were trying to avoid!"

She smiled and swiped at the bangs in her eyes in mock innocence. "Well, do you think that was savage enough for them?"

Toothless and Stormfly began moving through the village with their riders, the two Vikings talking amongst themselves quietly. It did not feel as though they were really an entire ocean from home. With the exception of the fearful citizens that had left the streets deserted, the small village seemed as if it could be any one of their own - plain and quiet.

It was quite unlike their first visit to the Mainland years ago... the one where they were met with arrows and brandished iron, and the resolution that their presence would start an unwanted war with a behemoth country. They had been brought to the Mainland for a much different matter then.

They had been on a frantic journey to find a friend that was taken from them. It was one of many desperate attempts as time pressed against them and they were reduced to blind searches. Their earlier tracking attempts were fruitless -all that was recovered was their lost Rider's helmet found floating on an ocean current, it's owner nowhere in sight. When Eret had presented the item to them all as they regrouped, Spitelout Jorgenson had to be held back from striking Hiccup. The man was volatile and was spitting out curses, angry tears in his eyes. He wanted his son back and needed someone to blame.

The Riders and their dragons flew all throughout the day and night. It was Meatlug who was forced to stop first - the boulder class dragon simply could not keep pace with the others and Fishlegs urged them to go on without them. The following morning, Barf and Belch could hardly raise their twin heads from exhaustion, not fit for distance flying, and Hiccup commanded them to stop and rest - the last island of their known Archipelago was beneath them, and he did not know what to expect to see from that point on. Had Hookfang been with them and was not recovering from his grievous injury on Berk, he might have been the third to go.

Still, Hiccup and Astrid pressed on.

Toothless was exhausted, occasionally nodding off mid-flight and his flight path would dip and waver, and upon waking the dragon would roar and furiously shake his head to keep focus. Stormfly, as a bipedal dragon, was faring better in stamina but each wing beat was increasing in desperation. "Hiccup!" Astrid had called, "We can't go any farther, we can't make it! We have to rest the dragons!"

"Just a little farther!" Hiccup urged, shouting over the wind and giving Toothless an encouraging pat on his neck, "Come on bud, you can do it!"

But as he scanned the unending ocean surrounding him, and though Toothless grunted in determination to continue, he knew that Astrid was right. There was not a single sign of land, and with sinking dread Hiccup accepted that there was nowhere to rest, and they would be forced into the water. Nadders were quite buoyant and could float just as a seabird might, but Toothless would be another story. If he kept his wings wide he could stay above water without having to swim, but it still would take effort… Hiccup cursed. He had not been thinking clearly. He was so intent on their search that he was putting his dragons and partner in danger, and he wanted to shout in frustration.

"Look!"

Astrid pointed to a dot on the blue expanse, and Hiccup pulled his spy-glass from his satchel. It was a single ship just within reach, no insignia. Hiccup considered the possibility of an emergency landing, weighing the possibilities of whether it would be safe to do so. But it seemed as if they did not have a choice, for it was then Toothless saw it as well and his wings buckled with exhaustion, and the Night Fury began a laborious descent. Whether he wanted it or not, Toothless was determined to rest his wings, and they crashed into the ship's deck in a messy heap.

And that was how they met the seafarer named Rodric Crowsfoot. If it were not for the Gods putting his ship in those waters, in their moment of desperation, they may not have ever found themselves coming so far - to the very place the man was trying to escape, the Mainland.

"Come on, we should go," Astrid said and lightly tapped Stormfly's haunches with her heels, "Before there is a repeat of the last time we came."

And the Nadder spread her wings, waiting for Toothless to follow suit, when Hiccup heard the sound of padding footsteps. He cocked his head to the side, alert. "Wait."

Toothless prowled towards the sound, to the dark space between two houses where the light did not reach. "Someone there?"

Hiccup could barely make out the silhouette of a small figure. It had to have been just a child. "Hey," Hiccup said softly, "You okay in there? Come on out, it's fine."

He watched as the shadow shuffled. He heard a small voice. "My dad called you savages."

The Chief of Berk sighed, and found himself dismounting Toothless. The dragon crooned and pressed his face into the space between the houses in curiosity, sniffing. When the shadow stirred as if to move away, Hiccup raised his hand, quite in the manner of trying to tame a dragon. "It's okay! This is Toothless, he won't hurt you. He's just curious is all."

And he scratched Toothless behind the fins of his head, the dragon emitting a growl of satisfaction. "See? He's harmless. Just like a big cat."

A big cat that could level buildings with a single plasma blast if he so desired… but Hiccup decided to omit that detail. The shadow moved forward, and when they came into the glow of the firepit behind them Hiccup could see that it was a young boy, just a child. His hair was mussed as if he had just left the bed, and he was in his night clothes. "A cat?"

"Try for yourself," Hiccup offered with a smile, gesturing to Toothless.

Toothless had learned to quite like children (the well-behaved ones, at least), because they never seemed to tire when giving pets and oftentimes offered fish, and he shuffled on his paws in anticipation when the boy came closer. The child was cautious, and when he held an uncertain hand out, Toothless went to smell and nosed it. The fear on the boys face was replaced with awe, and soon Toothless was getting chin scratches and purring, eyes closed in bliss. "He is like a cat!"

Hiccup smiled over to where Astrid watched all of this, amused. "Yeah, he's pretty much harmless. It's a shame the rest of your town can't see that."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, we came over to try and get these spread out where you live," Hiccup said and reached into the saddle bag, pulling the maps out to show the boy. "But, it looks like that won't be happening, after all."

"Are there more dragons where you live?" asked the boy and he looked over the map, taking it into his small palms.

"Yes, but we plan on keeping them there." And then Hiccup had a thought. "You know, you could help us, if you want."

"Hiccup, it's just a kid," Astrid whispered, and he just shrugged at her. She rolled her eyes but did not say any more.

"How?"

"Maybe find a way to get these out into the world? Maybe some people who you think can get along with Toothless, just like you have. We need a Healer."

The boy blinked. "My mom knows a Healer. She doesn't let father know. He says they're witches."

Hiccup looked at Astrid with a triumphant grin as if to say I told you so!

"Great! That would be great! Why don't you tell your mom about this, and maybe it'll be our secret," Hiccup said, "You, me, Mom and Toothless."

And Toothless opened his mouth into a draconic smile, showing the boy his gums. He got another scratch on the chin from the boy, who now didn't show a single shred of fear and had a tinkling laugh. There was a sound behind them, the whine of a door opening and closing, and Astrid whispered, "Hiccup."

"Wanna do that for me?" Hiccup asked quickly and the boy nodded fervently. "Thank you! Thanks from Toothless, tell him bud!"

And the Night Fury gave him quick nudge with his snout before shuffling backwards and spreading his wings wide. The boy watched in wonder as the dragons took several bounding steps forward, and their wings lifted them into the sky. The man who rode upon the black dragon twisted in his saddle and waved, and he raised a little hand in goodbye as well, clutching the rolls of maps to his chest.

Below, the village shrank as the Riders ascended, the lights of fires and shapes of buildings melting to black. Toothless pumped his wings against the strong ocean gale, and any conversation between Hiccup and Astrid would have been lost in the wind and the chorus of waves crashing below. The dragons turned their noses to where Rodric and his ship were waiting an hour's flight away, putting distance between themselves and the Mainland.

Hiccup twisted in the saddle to steal one last look upon the mass of the continent before it receded into the darkness of night. And he ached.

Hiccup knew that he should have accepted it long ago, that his friend was dead. And yet, as he returned to the saddle and faced the night sky ahead, he still found himself praying to the Gods: Snotlout, if you are out there, I hope you are okay.

Present

"You're sure? You can't tell?" Snotlout asked anxiously as he and Hiccup ascended the steps to the Great Hall.

Hiccup laughed and playfully nudged Snotlout's arm, but he could tell that the Jorgenson was not amused by his words, "You look fine, no one is going to know. But if you ask any more, I'll personally announce it to everyone."

It had to have been the third time Snotlout asked if it was apparent he was crying not fifteen minutes before.

Snotlout had taken time to gather himself on the overlook after his funeral, not speaking and appearing very much humiliated by what his cousin saw. Hiccup had suggested that they leave his parent's things there, as a tribute of sorts, and Snotlout had nodded in agreement sadly. It was then Hiccup made a bit of a compromise with his cousin: you can stay on Berk, but you have to eat something first.

Snotlout, as he had expected, immediately denied the offer but Hiccup would not relent. When he had initially visited Snotlout in his late parent's home earlier within the evening, he noticed the untouched food sitting beside his bed and was not pleased. He had already come to the island looking quite thin in the face despite his apparent growth, and appeared downright sickly as of today. "I'd offer for you to have some dinner at my house," Hiccup had said, "But Astrid is introducing the kids to the world of cooking with fire tonight, and I'd hate to be partially responsible for burning your hair off."

It was true, the children had been insisting on learning to use the spit hanging above their fireplace for weeks and that was a potential for disaster. But there was some other reason he preferred the Great Hall, and he felt horrible for it - he was wary of bringing Snotlout into his home.

Though the person walking beside him looked in every way to be his younger cousin, Astrid was the first to voice everyone's thoughts the moment he ran off three days ago to find Hookfang: "I don't know who that is, but it is not our Snotlout."

Hiccup tried to tell himself that it was the love and extreme protectiveness over his children, the kind that could sometimes be irrational, that decided against taking Snotlout to his home. But he knew Astrid was right. To some extent, this person seemed to be a complete stranger, and quite frankly the way they behaved was alarming. And when Snotlout was having his funeral, back bent from crying and his cloak falling to one side of him, Hiccup saw old, dried blood in the cracks of the back of his armor. As if he had missed a spot when cleaning. And at the time, though Hiccup felt deeply for his cousin and his loss, hating to see his long lost friend in this state (especially having gone through the very same thing with Stoick), he also had the thought: What does someone have to be doing to get blood in such a place?

Even though they were the only words he spoke, Hiccup was relieved to hear Snotlout ask whether the crying was apparent several times. So far it was the closest thing to his cousin that he recognized - the person who was always so concerned about his image. Maybe there was hope, after all.

Now the two arrived at the Great Hall, Hiccup pushing the heavy doors open. There was a decent crowd inside, all chattering and eating their dinners, human and dragon alike. From the corner of his eye he saw Snotlout falter, and was certain that his cousin wanted to be anywhere else but this place, but Hiccup was just as stubborn as his father. He stepped inside and gestured for Snotlout to follow. "Come on in, make yourself at home-"

And he immediately realized the connotation of his words and winced. "I mean. Make yourself at home, again. In your home."

Hiccup started walking again before he had time to see Snotlout's reaction, wanting to smack himself upside the head.

As far as he had come in maturing into a competent and trusted Chief, protector of dragons, husband and father of two, there were still some things that would always remain constant in Hiccup - he would always be that slightly awkward boy from Berk. It was something his friends still teased him over, and many of the elders gave him grief about it, and it was all in good fun.

In this moment, trying to welcome Snotlout back into his old home, he felt just as every bit of that fumbling teenager again.

"Evening, Hiccup!"

"Hello, Chief!"

He was given nods of acknowledgement and greetings as he, Snotlout and their dragons strode through the path between the tables. It was a normal occurrence for him to be acknowledged so formally, though it did take some getting used to initially. He could not help but notice the eyes rest on his companion just a little bit longer than necessary, and the whispers between the villagers as they passed. Hiccup turned to his cousin, but he just looked ahead and appeared exhausted. It was odd, and for what felt like the hundredth time, Hiccup found himself asking himself who this person was - the Snotlout he knew would be basking in the attention. His arrival certainly was the most exciting thing to happen to Berk for some time and would stay that way for awhile, but this person seemed to dislike it, if anything.

Hiccup spied a table that was filled with a few people from his usual crowd of friends - Fishlegs and the newly Ruffnut Ingerman, Tuffnut Thorston, and their newest addition, Rodric. They had taken Rodric in with ease… he was quite the character, and had been more than helpful to Hiccup in one of their most trying times. His Terrible Terror, endearingly named Lambchops, rested upon his shoulders as the group spoke and laughed with each other animatedly. Astrid would have been there as well, but was probably having her own hectic night at home with the kids and open flames, and he wished that he could be with her - he knew the children could be quite the handful sometimes. If Eret and Gustav were not off doing a routine check of the edge, they likely would have been amongst the crowd as well.

"Looks like some of the gang is here," Hiccup said and Snotlout looked apprehensive as they approached the table. So he put a big smile on as he went to meet them. "Hey guys! How's it going?"

He might have said it a bit too enthusiastically, because Tuffnut just frowned and said, "What's wrong with your face?"

They had not noticed Snotlout, for he seemed to have faltered and was trailing farther behind. And when the company did realize who was there, they fell into a surprised silence, and Hiccup took a deep breath. "Okay, guys," he began, "Snotlout is going to stay with us. So if you all could-"

"Snotlout! Come on down!"

It was Ruffnut, and she scooted her husband to the side and patted the seat beside her with flourish. "Someone get this man a beer!" her twin shouted into the Great Hall, and when he was ignored (as Tuffnut usually was), he stood, "Don't worry, I'm on it!"

Hiccup called after him to grab some food as well, and shared an appreciative look at his team. They were accepting Snotlout still, after all of this time... And he was foolish to think that may not be the case, no matter how short the thought lasted.

"We've been wondering when you were gonna come out," Ruffnut commented, "It's about time!"

"Yeah, we were concerned," said Fishlegs. Hiccup frowned at how meekly the words left his mouth. He still blames himself.

There was a terribly long pause in the conversation, and Hiccup was aware just how out of place Snotlout looked - dressed in a suit of armor as if he were ready to go into war at any moment. Even the Riders did not wear their dragon scale suits unless they were flying or on missions.

Tuffnut then returned to the table with food and drink, and the way he managed to carry four tankards in one hand and two bowls in the other was quite impressive. "Beer all around! Some of Caldera Cay's finest! Sorry, Ruff, but you know…"

"Thanks," Snotlout said a little too quickly and immediately took the drink - did Hiccup see his hand was trembling as he took it? Snotlout had downed half of his tankard before Hiccup even had the time to lift his spoon to his stew.

"Nice," Tuffnut said and took this as an opportunity to knock the rest of his back. Rodric made an interested sound and immediately followed suit. Hiccup groaned and rolled his eyes - of course these two would turn things into a drinking game. They slammed their tankards down with a bang, and Snotlout flinched at the sound.

"Tuffnut, remember the last time you drank too much of Caldera's mead?" Fishlegs offered, "Maybe take it easy?"

"What?" the male Thorsten twin grinned, "Those yaks were practically asking to be shaved!"

"Wish I could have been there," Rodric said beside him with a little sigh.

"Nah," Tuffnut said and was already on his feet, "Things have gotten way more interesting since you came over to Berk, my friend. Snotlout? Another?"

To this, Snotlout finished the last gulp of his. "Please."

His sister made some sound of discontent, and Fishlegs rubbed her back. "I know, sweetie, but Gothi said you can have mead again after the baby comes."

"And when are you due?" Hiccup began to make conversation as if to include his cousin, knowing full well when the baby was due, but Rodric didn't hear him over his own enthusiasm.

"So! Ralof," he began with a grin and raised his empty mug to him, "I didn't know I was sailing the famous 'Snotlout Jorgenson' to Berk! Had I known I would have made a bigger entrance!"

Hiccup noticed the pause in Fishleg's actions and Snotlout's neutral expression faltered just a perceptible amount, and all he said was, "Sorry about that."

"Who the hell is Ralof?" Ruffnut questioned.

"No, no worries at all!" Rodric said in response to Snotlout and giggled.

Hiccup was not quite sure what was going on, but Rodric probably didn't either. The newest addition to the Berk family had instantly become a close friend to their group, but was often oblivious in his own good-natured humor and found everything to be a joke. At that point Tuffnut had returned with a new round for everyone - including Hiccup, who had not even touched his drink yet. "What! What's going on?"

"Can someone please explain to me who Ralof is?" Ruffnut whined again, looking upon the drinks with disappointment. As if to show his support, Fishlegs slid his tankard to the side and put his arm around his wife in solidarity.

Rodric giggled again, and Ruffnut turned her head to Snotlout waiting expectantly for an answer. He made a small sound in his throat upon realizing everyone was looking at him, and Hiccup saw that he was nervous. "Um. Before I came here, I uh-"

"DADDY!"

The shriek was loud enough to startle several people and dragons - Toothless was the only dragon that didn't appear ready to take off in flight. The Night Fury was much too used to it at this point. Hiccup grinned, and there was a second shrill voice yelling out, "Dad! Dad!"

He bent to his knee at the two children sprinting at him, and they hurled themselves into his arms. Hiccup smiled and squeezed them tight, ruffling the hair of the boy and planting a kiss on the little girl's cheek. "Wallop! Bryn! I didn't expect to see you two here."

"Daddy, we made dinner!"

Astrid was trailing behind them with a smile, and when she got closer Hiccup could see much of her left eyebrow and bangs were singed. "So, how did it go?" Hiccup asked, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Good! We're just here for 'dessert stew'," she said and when he stood to give her a quick peck on her temple, she whispered into his ear, "I tried to eat their food, I really did."

"Half an eyebrow is a good look for you," he teased, earning him a light punch to the shoulder.

Astrid must have seen Snotlout the moment he walked in, and was doing exactly what the others were - acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Hiccup certainly appreciated it. "Snotlout," she said, "You made it out."

Wallop - his youngest boy at the age of four years old - was currently saying hello to his favorite dragon Toothless, who had stepped away from his dinner to happily greet them. The Night Fury didn't protest as his cheeks were pulled this way and that to imitate human smiles, Wallop giggling and cackling. Bryn, the older girl of eight, was currently getting attention from all of the Riders, and basked under Fishlegs doting on her - she was absolutely dragon-crazy, and knew that he was the most knowledgeable man on their subject.

At the table, Hiccup noticed that Snotlout's gaze was averted, as if he was afraid of interrupting some private moment. Well, it couldn't hurt now, Hiccup supposed.

"Snotlout," Hiccup said and bent down to let the little boy climb atop his shoulders, "There's someone I want you to meet. This is my son, Wallop."

The Jorgenson flicked his eyes up and clearly had no idea of how to interact with children, but Hiccup couldn't blame him - he himself was a father of eight years and even wondered what went on in their little heads sometimes. "Hi."

"Wow, look! Can I see?"

Wallop was now attempting to crawl over Hiccup's head and was pointing a finger at the sword sheathed on Snotlout's back. Hiccup struggled to get a hold on Wallop as the boy squirmed and pulled at his hair, still pointing. "Okay, down you go, then."

"Can I see?"

Snotlout appeared quite uncomfortable and Hiccup saved him by replying, "I don't think so, buddy."

Hiccup then called Bryn over, and kneeled down to her height. Unlike her brother, she had taken after the Hofferson custom of giving their children more traditional names. She looked at Snotlout in quite a scrutinizing way. "Bryn, meet Snotlout. He's an old friend of mine."

"Snotlout?" the little girl smiled a bit. "That's a weird name."

"Remember me telling you about the Jorgensons?" Astrid asked her daughter. "They gave funny names out to all the boys. Snotlout is one of them, one of the Jorgeson warriors. Do you remember me telling you about them?"

Bryn seemed to think on that, and shrugged. "No."

Astrid laughed at that. Bryn was a very direct child. "Of course not. It wasn't a story about dragons, after all. Your favorite."

And they went off to gather their 'dessert stew.' Hiccup was still smiling at his children's antics as he returned to sitting at the table. Snotlout was looking after Astrid with a strange expression.

"They're getting so big," Fishlegs mused, "To think that Bryn is going to have her Rite of Imprinting in just a few years."

Hiccup translated to his cousin, who did not understand. "It's a custom we've started in the past few years."

"Once Berkian children reach the age of ten," Fishlegs explained, "On their birthday, they meet the dragon fledgling that they will bond with. We don't start any actual training as of then or allow any riding - it's just the start of a relationship. We call it the Rite of Imprinting. It's a very important day. For the rest of your life, the fledgling that chooses to bond with you will be your companion, best friend, protector, soul mate-"

"Unless you're Gustav Larsson," Tuffnut snickered. Fishlegs had been getting a bit emotional towards the end of his explanation of the Rite but snapped his mouth shut with a hint of annoyance. Ruffnut chuckled in between a bite of her stew.

"Let's not talk about that," Hiccup found himself saying. Though the incident Tuffnut referred to happened years ago, he was still sore on the subject and wished to change it. "You know, Rite of Imprinting aside, there's quite a bit that has changed for you around here. Maybe we can give you a bit of a tour and show you how things run now. Your friend Adelaide can join us."

Adelaide, Hiccup thought. It was the name of the woman who answered their call for a Healer. He had met with her briefly, but with all of the excitement and concern over Snotlout's return, his mind had been elsewhere when they spoke. Hiccup had already made a note to speak to her more properly - she may be their future Healer, after all - and this could be a great opportunity. "How about tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow… oh, Gods," Snotlout started and then winced as if remembering something.

"What is it?" Ruffnut asked.

"My horse... Adelaide said she ran away days ago," he explained and appeared worried. "Where can I find Adelaide?"

It was the most he had spoken since Hiccup had dragged him from the Jorgenson home earlier that night. Fishlegs was the one who answered. "Gobber mentioned the other day of setting her up on Mildew's old site since they've restored the hut. Because it is so far out from where the dragons tend to gather."

"Yeah, what's that about?" Ruffnut chimed, "Your healer girl is scared of dragons. How can she live here if she's afraid of them?"

Snotlout faltered at this comment as he rose from the table. Hiccup noted that he had polished off both his and Fishleg's tankards of mead, and perhaps it was the drink that was making his tongue a bit more loose. Hookfang, who had gulped down the last of his fish, saw his Rider begin to leave and shadowed his human.

"It isn't her fault. It's just... different over there."

To that Rodric thoughtfully nodded and gave Lambchops the Terror a scratch on the chin. "I can attest to that."

And what have you been doing 'over there?' Hiccup wanted to ask but refrained. Instead, he put a smile on and said, "We'll be seeing you tomorrow, I hope?"

"S-sure. I need to go," Snotlout said and without any other goodbye, made his way to leave.

Hiccup's gaze followed Snotlout as he and Hookfang exited, and it was as if all the other patrons of the Hall did the same. When the door closed shut behind the two, conversation returned to the Great Hall in hushed voices. Snotlout's return would be the talk of town for months, Hiccup was sure of it.

"What in Thor's name was that?" Ruffnut was the first to speak.

"Yeah," Tuffnut agreed, "That's not my Snotlout. Did you hear him? He said 'please' earlier. Madness."

Astrid was returning to the table with some food and took a seat beside her husband. Wallop and Bryn distanced themselves to the other side and mischievously whispered to themselves in the way children do. "Give him a chance you guys," Hiccup emphasized, "We don't know anything about what's happened to him. And ten years is a long time, people change."

"That is true," Fishlegs offered, "People's tastes change, or some might pick up a new hobby… but an entire personality shift can't be explained away by people change."

Astrid was listening intently to the conversation as she ate her dinner but did not contribute. Hiccup would ask for her opinion later - she always knew what the right thing to do was.

"Really, can it be that much of a difference?" Rodric asked with a weak smile as if to lighten the mood. "The guy can't be that different from when you last saw each other."

"Oh, you have no idea," Ruffnut said. "Not the same person."

Hiccup frowned as he idly stirred his spoon through his stew. "Come on you guys. We have to at least try."

But as much as he did not want to acknowledge his own hesitation, he knew that the concerns of his friends were not unfounded - something was not right.

Snotlout took a moment to pause and take a deep breath, gathering himself.

Unlike the land he had just recently left, the season in Berk had not quite transitioned entirely to spring and the air still carried a bite. There was a chilled sea breeze rustling his hair, and upon looking up he saw that Aurvandil's Fire was visiting that night, the lights of the sky arcing in a slow, spectral display. He was captivated and spent a long time gazing upon them, temporarily forgetting the escalating discomfort he had experienced as he stood on the steps of the Great Hall.

It was all so overwhelming. He had already been emotionally exhausted from saying goodbye to his mother and father. Seeing his old friends all gathered together once more, when just less than a year ago he was sure that they would never cross paths again, had him feeling like a nervous boy. And they all had their own families now… Fishlegs and Ruffnut with their baby on the way, Hiccup and Astrid with their two children, and even it seemed Tuffnut found himself a new best friend in Rodric. All of this was happening as he was lost in some land far away, being tortured and struggling to survive. It just… was not fair.

And he hated himself for thinking in such a way.

"Let's go, Hookfang," he said and he dropped his face from the lights.

The Monstrous Nightmare leisurely paced beside Snotlout as he began walking, but he was not heading towards the path that led to the farmer's fields and Mildew's old cabin. He knew when he had excused himself from the Great Hall that he was not truly going to find Adelaide. At this moment, he just wanted to be alone, and he was well aware that looking for a lost horse in the dark would be no good.

His thoughts repeated the conversation in the Great Hall over and over again. Snotlout could immediately tell that his presence had the Riders acting peculiar. Rodric was the only one who seemed to be remotely acting like himself, or at least from what little he knew of the mariner so far. He had immediately noticed that Tuffnut and Ruffnut were unusually subdued and seemed to be biting their tongues. The few times Snotlout had made eye contact with Fishlegs, the Ingerman would immediately stiffen and poorly attempt to hide his nervousness. He did not even know what to think of Astrid and her comment about the Jorgenson Clan to her daughter… she had spoken of his clan bitterly as long as the two knew each other, but did he detect some veiled compliment in her remarks tonight? And Hiccup was the worst of them all - Snotlout always knew that he was a bad liar, but his attempt of overt hospitality tonight was laughable.

Snotlout always knew that he was not the brightest, but if the riders thought that they could fool him with that act, it showed that their opinion on his intelligence had not changed much either. Or, perhaps, was it possible that they changed just as much as time had passed between them? And that he was the stranger who did not know his friends any longer? In all of his time spent away, he never considered that things would work out in this way, and it was all confusing and exhausting, and he just wanted to run away from it all. Maybe it was a mistake to try and stay.

In his deep thoughts Snotlout was not aware of where his feet took him until he stood outside the doorway of the Jorgenson home. Upon entering, it was as if he was really looking at it for the first time, at the dust on every surface and his parent's things abandoned. He had a thought - this house is a tomb - and a chill swept through his bones. He found himself taking several long paces back and closing the door.

"We're camping tonight, Hookfang."

The Monstrous Nightmare did not seem to have an opinion on this and lowered his neck so he could mount. Snotlout hesitated. "Let's walk instead."

Hookfang cocked his head, and snorted in confusion. He bobbed his neck closer.

"No, Hookfang."

Snotlout's heart broke a little as Hookfang snapped his teeth at him, not in a threatening manner, but out of impatience. He knew it had been quite some time since his dragon had a proper flight, having been cooped up in the Jorgenson home for so many days. He was nudged again, and Snotlout held on to his snout so he could look his dragon in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hooky. I'm just… I don't think I'm ready. Ready to know if this has been ruined, too."

The last time he flew, it was when he and Hookfang fled from Berk days ago, to escape the overwhelming reality that he was faced with. And he barely seemed to remember it. He had been shocked and numb, and it played in his head like an event that happened in his sleep.

Flying had always been such a treasure to him, and in his years spent away he had longed for it and missed it dearly. But now, he was afraid. Was that joy taken from him as well? He did not want to find out… it might be the only memory from Berk that was not yet soiled.

Hookfang was confused. If they were having this conversation at any other time in Snotlout's younger years, he probably would have just snatched his rider up in his mouth or talons and flown off anyway. But now, the Monstrous Nightmare looked deeply into his eyes and rumbled - there was melancholy in his deep throated growl, but he understood. Snotlout sighed, and pet the spot between Hookfang's nostrils. He never expected for things to be this hard. "Thanks, Hooky. I'm sorry."

The two walked through the quiet streets of Berk, into the pastures beyond the village, and to the forest's edge. Aurvundil's Fire gave them plenty of light to see beneath the trees, and Snotlout gathered wood from their path as they made their way in. He and Hookfang were probably half an hour into the forest before they stopped. There was a slight opening in the trees, one large enough for Hookfang to lay comfortably in, and a wide stream trickled nearby. It was here Snotlout set up the fire with the help of his dragon's breath, and the Monstrous Nightmare settled to the ground with a sleepy sigh, curling his tail about his face like a cat.

Snotlout found himself smiling and took a moment to look over his dragon before going to take a rinse in the stream. He had missed his best friend.

The water was cold, and the bathhouse in Berk would have been much more satisfying, but there was a familiarity in it's icy touch that calmed him. Despite being home, it was the hardness of the Earth and the cold elements that brought him the most comfort since he arrived - at least this was familiar.

Clean and pulling his shirt over himself, Snotlout went to Hookfang and rested his back against him. The Monstrous Nightmare's scales were warm to the touch and the giant rib cage rose and fell beneath him. It was a way he had fallen asleep so many other times before, but never had he been more appreciative of it. Hookfang had already fallen into sleep and began to snore rather loudly, blowing smoke with each exhale. It used to drive him absolutely mad, but now Snotlout gave the dragon an endearing pet and lifted his face to the lights in the sky.

Aurvundil's Fire did not extend to where he had been living before - what the Berkians seemed to refer to as 'The Mainland' - and he was hypnotized at its sight. It was an uncommon occurrence on the Isle of Berk, usually only appearing a few times a year, and it was only every ten cycles that the Flightmare would emerge alongside it. Above the treetops, high in the sky they shone and wavered in brilliance.

There was one night ages ago in the early days of dragon riding when the lights appeared, and Hookfang and Snotlout attempted to fly as high as they could and touch the very lights themselves. But they could not reach the shifting waves of green, for the air grew thin and the cold froze his hair and eyelashes, so instead they soared peacefully beneath them, jade light cast onto their skin and scales. They did not bicker or fight for control of the flying as they had done all throughout their early relationship… just soar in awestruck silence at the rippling colors around them. It was one of his most precious memories.

Snotlout held it close to him, and it was looking into the sky's fire and feeling the rumbling breaths of Hookfang beneath him he fell into sleep.

A/N. Hey! So there's a bit to unpack here… first off, to explain some terminology: Utgardar is the land of giants, according to Norse mythology (as a quick summary) and sits on the edge of the world. Aurvandil's Fire is taken from a Defenders of Berk episode and is the Northern Lights. Now that that is taken care of… I said it about 125 pages ago in my Google Docs that there will eventually be multiple POV's and that Hiccup will be a main character, and we're finally there! It's about time, right? Primarily this story has been adventure-based, but for some time it will take on some new themes, such as hurt/comfort, and tackle issues such as post-traumatic stress. There's also going to be quite a few time jumps and flashbacks, hopefully I can articulate these things without it being confusing. I had plans for this fic long before the Hidden World came out so Wallop and Brynn were already names I had in mind for Hiccup's children. But honestly, when I write them, I picture them looking the exact same as THW characters. I also shipped Ruffnut and Fishlegs before that became official in Homecoming as well... I apologize that it took two months for this update. With the pandemic that is happening, I have been without work for three months (service-industry) and have been using all of my creative energy to make visual art that sells, so unfortunately Steel and Spice isn't the highest priority. But, we're all affected by what is happening and I hope everyone is staying healthy out there! As always, if you have time I appreciate any feedback. Cheers! (also have I said that Rodric belongs to me yet? Yeh that's my character...) - Rummybones