"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R Tolkien – The Hobbit
Frostfall
It was late in the fall when Hiccup noticed the change. Something was in the air. The trees were already well on their way to shedding their leaves, and the clouds had started to change to a duller color. The mornings were colder, and the households were regularly burning firewood for warmth at night. He had awoken on several mornings and found frost on the grass outside or puddles frozen over.
Despite all this, the change in the weather was not directly what was bothering him.
The problem was that he had almost no energy. He felt himself getting sleepier with every passing day. He woke up later and later every morning and started to get concerned that something was wrong with him. Especially after he spent an entire admittedly dreary afternoon inside doing nothing but dozing on the bed.
He also realized that he had been eating a lot in recent weeks. Enough that his belly even had a rather unseemly bulge to it. In his defense though, even Toothless was looking very well-fed.
He finally worked up the courage to broach the topic with his father after struggling out of bed late one morning.
Do dragons get very sleepy in the winter
His father rubbed his beard while considering the question.
"I suppose so. At least, that is what other families have said about their dragons, that they tend to do very little other than sleep during the winter. Why do you ask?"
I am very sleepy
All the time
Stoick had certainly noticed that Hiccup had been staying around the house a lot more recently.
"You are getting enough to eat, right?"
Hiccup pointed at his own belly and gave him a look that clearly said 'Are you serious?'
Stoick thought for a few moments, trying to figure out what might be the matter. This was not a problem that he had foreseen. He had noticed that both Hiccup and Toothless seemed to be sleeping and eating more recently. But why?
"Well, bears sleep all through the winter and eat a lot of food in the fall. Maybe this is something like that."
Hiccup did not especially like that explanation. He would have to sleep for months straight? That would mean missing far too much.
I hope not
I will ask Toothless
He should know
"Ok, let me know what you find out."
Hiccup wandered down the hall. Toothless was naturally splayed out on the bed without a care in the world.
"Toothless, do kin sleep much in cold-seasons?"
Toothless yawned once before answering.
"Most go to warm-places. Dams heavy with eggs go to egg-island. Any kin that stays in a cold-place in cold-season would need sleep much."
"Why?"
"Because we should. It is bad to use life-fire when there is little food. Why do two-legs not go to warm-places in cold-seasons?"
"They not fly. They want their den-caves. If they leave, others may take their nests… like your old cave in big mountain."
Toothless growled at that reminder.
"Grr, I will get it again after I get big…"
He still did not understand why two-legs would not go to warmer places and get away from the cold. It seemed much easier than building the nest-caves out of dead trees. Especially since two-leg bodies did not have any natural protection from the cold.
"We sleep much?" Hiccup asked him.
Hiccup seemed worried by the thought.
"Why are you afraid?"
"I not want sleep long. Bad."
"No Hiccup, not bad. Good. Sleep makes us get big."
"Toothless, I want do things. Not sleep much," Hiccup huffed.
He thought back to last cold-season and life in the two-leg nest-cave. It was warm with the place of fire always burning and the animal skins to snuggle in. It was like its own warm-place. There had been no lack of fish, even during the deepest parts of cold-season. And they were both beyond being mere hatchlings that need only food and sleep.
"I think we not need only sleep. We have fire and much fish."
Hiccup thought about that, gave a sigh of relief, and ran back to relay the message.
He says that we can sleep a lot
But we do not need to
He also said that most dragons go where it is warm
"That makes sense. Last winter it seemed like all the wild ones left but came back in the spring. Ours stayed here, of course. Did he say where they go?"
Only somewhere warm
And some go somewhere to lay their eggs
"Hmm, I've wondered about that. They never lay any eggs here. Why would they need to go somewhere else?"
Hiccup shrugged.
Maybe have Astrid and some others follow them
"No, that is too dangerous. What if the wild dragons got afraid and attacked them? What if a snowstorm hit while they were out flying? They would not live. No human could survive such cold for long."
That was certainly a fair point. Berk winters could be very dangerous even for people who knew what to expect. An accident at sea was a likely death sentence. Dragons defending their nests could probably be as vicious as a mother bear defending her cubs.
No human did not mean no dragon could go though.
I could
"What!"
I can fly with them and find out
"Hiccup, that is crazy! You… sure you have grown a lot in one year, but you are still very small. What if you cannot fly far enough and crash into the ocean? What if another dragon thinks you would be a tasty snack? No Hiccup, I will not allow it. Do you understand?"
Hiccup sighed.
Yes
"Good."
Hiccup grumbled to himself, slightly put off by his father's objection, as he wandered back to his room.
On the one hand, he was eager to get off the island and see something new. To do something like what Astrid had been able to do. Finding the place where dragons go to have their babies would be amazing. But even he knew that his dad's concerns were valid. He had no idea how far he could actually fly before his wings gave out. As to the other fear, the mountainside attack by the feral Zippleback still gave him occasional nightmares. Maybe next year he would be big enough that it would not be a serious concern. There were other questions though that needed answering.
"Toothless, why kin need go to other place for eggs? Why not here?"
"They go where they broke their egg. It is what they know. They feel their eggs are safe there."
"Why safe there and not here?"
"Their sire and dam had them there. That is why."
It made some sense that a dragon would feel most safe with its babies in the place where it itself was hatched.
"How long they stay at that place?" Hiccup wondered.
"Different for different kin. Stay until hatchlings fly away or they take with them."
"How take with?"
"In mouth."
Hiccup could not help but shiver at the thought. Being carried around in a dragon's mouth just felt wrong even if the dragon did not mean any harm. The hatchling probably wouldn't think anything of it though.
"Where you break your egg, Toothless?"
"In nest-cave. Nest-cave far away where sire, dam, and nestmate dead."
That killed the chipper conversation.
"Bad," Hiccup muttered.
"Yes, much bad."
Hiccup still wondered about the happier topic of the egg-hatching place. How far exactly would it be to where the other dragons fly? He stretched his wings and rolled his shoulders. If only there was some way to know how far it was in comparison to something like Dragon Island.
"Toothless, how many season-cycles were you?"
"Before we break new-life-egg?"
"Yes."
"Ten and four."
Hiccup blinked in amazement.
So was I! Wow, we were the same age. Still are actually!
"How many for you get big? For me get much big?"
Toothless hummed in thought for a moment.
"I was biggest after five season-cycles. We get big fast next season-cycle."
Hiccup hummed to himself.
That is reassuring, I guess.
Depending on how much they would grow, he might not have to worry about his safety again. He would certainly be able to fly much further too.
He wandered outside and flew up on top of his roof to soak up some sunlight. Only five years? It seemed a very short time in which to become a full adult, if that is what Toothless had indeed been. That was obviously far faster than humans could grow up. But there was a winter to make it through first. Not that surviving was a real concern. Boredom was more likely to kill him than the weather. Being stuck inside for the entire winter was not something anyone looked forward to. At least last winter he had an entire language to learn. There was nothing to occupy his time like that again.
Maybe dad can get more scrolls and books for me.
He saw a Nadder soar by far above with a happy trill, and it gave him an idea. There were other people who likely knew more about dragons than his father and could tell him what to expect from the winter.
"You are worried about what?" Astrid exclaimed.
He pointed to his previously-written concern and ignored her incredulous look.
"They did sleep a lot last winter. At least Stormfly did."
Tell me everything
"They basically stopped flying after the first freeze. Stormfly helped a little with fishing, but she mainly wanted to stay inside near the fire. She only really went outside… when she had to. It helped that my parents built a big enough door inside the stable for her to use."
Not a problem for me
"Not yet, no. Umm, I see that you've been… eating well."
She sheepishly grinned and looked away when he gave her his best withering glare, punctuated with a grumble.
How could she bring that up?
I noticed
He grumbled and bounced in place.
I just want to eat and sleep
Grr.
"Hiccup, don't worry about it. I'm sure it is something normal."
Easy enough for you to say, Astrid. It's not happening to you…
Did any of them fly away last winter?
"Did any of our dragons fly away from Berk? Not that I know of. The wild ones did though. Why do you ask?"
Toothless said they fly to an island
To have their babies
"Oh… no, I don't think any of them did. None of the wild ones brought back any babies. I think we would have noticed if they had. That is one thing that we still don't know about them. Maybe we will find out this time."
Now time for the real request…
Can you get books for me to read?
I want something to do
"Of course I will. There is normally another trader who stops by before the winter; maybe they will have something I can get."
He gave her a small grin.
Thanks, he nodded.
He returned to lounging on his roof and relaxing in the sunlight. People were coming and going about their usual business. There were several dragons flying out above the bay or around the snow-capped peak of Mount Thor. As usual, the sight was stirring and touched something deep inside. A yearning that in hindsight he had always had to fly, only made stronger now.
He looked up at the clouds far above. Despite being a cool day, it was not a bad day for flying since there was very little wind. In all his flights with Toothless before and after, he had never come close to touching the clouds themselves. With an entire free afternoon though…
Maybe I should try. Might not get another chance soon.
He got up and stretched his wings. The urge to fly was becoming too great to resist, an itch in his wings that only flight could relieve.
I don't need Toothless to be able to do this. I can do it myself.
He took a deep breath and perched on the edge of the roof. A moment of hesitation followed and then he was off.
Swimming through the air was a useful way to think about it. Especially after he angled himself into what little wind there was. Keeping his lessons in mind, he kept his limbs tucked tightly and allowed his tail and wings to act naturally.
His ascent traced out a spiral as he soared. When he finally looked down he was shocked to see that he was already above the highest peak on the island.
It was also getting steadily colder, and he had not yet reached any of the clouds.
No turning back now.
It was harder going without the thermals and ascending winds to help him. He had to pump his wings harder to keep ascending towards his goal, a puffy white cloud.
A couple minutes later and he ran into an obstacle that he could not have foreseen, literally.
The wind was far stronger up here. It certainly helped to push him higher after he turned into it, but it also began to push him out to sea. Further, it was getting colder.
He paused to catch his breath and looked down towards Berk. The buildings that made up the village were far too small to see. None of the island's inhabitants were large enough either except as a spot of color.
This was certainly far higher than any dragon would normally fly. They would have no reason to do so. And with how cold he was already feeling, it could hardly be pleasant for a human up this high on dragon-back.
He pressed on with belabored breath and aching wings. It was several more minutes before he caught up to the level of the cloud that was floating right toward him.
His heart thrummed in anticipation.
He stretched his wings to their fullest and glided smoothly into the white fog, the roar of the wind dying somewhat as he only glided. His vision cut out and was reduced to only a few lengths ahead at best.
Clouds were cold and wet.
His wings traced a visible cut in the mist which he saw outstretched behind himself. Who knew that clouds could flow?
This is amazing!
At least, it was amazing until he noticed something strange on his wings. Something sparkling.
Ice.
The mist was freezing on his wings.
It didn't seem to be hurting his ability to fly, but something still felt a bit wrong as he emerged from the other side of the cloud. The faint concern was briefly forgotten by the fleeting sight of a rainbow seemingly all around him. Then the glorious spectrum was gone as fast as it had appeared.
He tried to flap, but found his wings too painfully stiff. One more time he tried before he realized that something, possibly the height of his flight, the extreme cold, the water on his wings, his exhaustion, or maybe the combination of all of these together, had left his wings cramped.
Uh, that can't be good.
His breath caught when the horrible realization struck him. He was far out over the ocean and unable to fly well, if at all.
He angled himself back toward Berk. Too steep of an angle of descent and the wind would push him straight down while trying to glide in belly-first would send him tumbling head over tail with every gust. It took every bit of concentration to avoid either extreme.
Several minutes were spent in this manner before he tried his wings again with a growl and a whimper of pain. It felt as though hundreds of nails were piecing every tendon at once as he stretched his muscles.
It was going to be close, very close. The tempestuous waters of the north seas around winter almost surely promised a watery grave for any small dragon that fell into their clutches.
Despite the cold air, the direct sunlight and lower elevation were slowly warming his wings.
Please…
By the time he was only a mast's height above the water though there was no choice. Fly or die. Either the waves splashing water on his belly or the frigid sands of the shore only a stone's throw away, one of them would welcome him.
Surely his wings were being ripped from their sockets.
The yelp of pain could not have been his.
His muscles, completely spent, stopped.
And he was tumbling in the ocean, being pitched head over heels over tail. His eyes were tightly shut, but the roar of the surf and crashing waves echoed all around him, muffled slightly by the water itself. It was impossible to tell up from down. Was the water rushing inward toward land or dragging him out to sea?
His wings hung limp in the water, completely unresponsive. The frigid waters were quickly sapping all remaining strength from him.
The need to breathe was so strong that he inhaled freezing water in his panic.
It would be easy to sleep, to close his eyes and forget…
So easy to sleep…
A strange blue light seemed to look at him through the gathering haze.
No!
Without knowing up from down, he kicked and struggled toward the blue light for what felt like an eternity.
He broke the surface of the water only for an instant before being dragged back under. Too short a time to breathe. Had it happened at all?
Everything started to fade to black.
And then he could feel sand dragging across his back as the current was sucking him back out to sea.
Land.
He quickly rolled over and dragged himself a couple steps up the shore with the last of his strength.
Then he vomited out all the seawater he had swallowed along with most of his lunch.
He lay on the shore like a dead thing.
One deep gasp of life-giving, glorious air after another.
He didn't even bother getting up when the surf roared behind him and tickled his tail. He just stayed still, drew deep breaths, and cherished the fact that he was still alive.
He shivered and glanced back at the water that was gently, almost innocently, lapping at the shore. It had felt like a true tempest, but it was only the normal surf.
A humbling reminder of how helpless he still was.
Then he got up, shook himself of the seawater as best as he could, painfully folded his wings away, and began the very slow task of walking back to town, his tail dragging from exhaustion as he went. Flying was completely impossible and would be for a long time, judging from how much he had strained his wings.
Maybe flying through a cloud was something dragons knew not to do. Maybe he had just flown too much in the cold and overexerted himself.
But he had gotten back home in the end. It had not been glorious or a flight worth telling about, but it had been his own little misadventure. Certainly there was no chance that he would be telling his father that he almost drowned in the ocean while trying to fly. Dad was sure to ground him for good if he heard about that.
By the time he got back home a couple hours later and nudged open the door, his paws were themselves hurting from walking so far. He should have been hungry by this hour but had no appetite. He dragged himself over to the fireplace, as it was still burning with a small, flickering flame, and eagerly collapsed next to it.
The heat warmed him like nothing else could. He could almost feel the knots and strain in his wings and joints loosening by the minute. The crackle of the fire was the only sound echoing in the house.
He cried himself to sleep without shedding a tear.
Stoick could feel it in the air and see it in the clouds. After decades of living here on Berk, it was an unmistakable feeling. The dark bellies of the clouds far above threatened to coat the land with ice and snow, and the frost coating the grass was merely a harbinger of what was to come.
As was almost second-nature to him by now, there were several things he had to attend to as the Chief before the weather turned in earnest.
He put on his Chief's cape. He had killed and skinned the bear himself shortly after becoming Chief in order to prove himself to his people. It was very comfortable and kept him very warm in even the coldest conditions.
The storehouse was the first thing to check on. He ran into Sador carrying an empty basket back from the storehouse.
"Sador, how does it look?"
"Our best haul ever this year, Chief."
"Do you think we have enough for the winter?"
"As long as all the beasties don't stay here, sure. I'd guess that they helped put over half the fish in here. It'll definitely be better than all other winters were."
"Good to hear, man, carry on."
"Yes, Chief."
Frozen and salted fish would fill the storehouse and be gradually drawn down through the winter. The first freeze would ensure that they would keep from spoiling.
He made his way over to the farm stables to check on the livestock. All the goats, sheep, and fowl were already stowed safely inside or were having their stables worked on. It had been a good year with the goats and sheep not being terrorized, and as a result there were many new lambs and kid goats.
It was good to see that his people were already attending to their tasks without being told. Each task attended to was one less thing for him to have to worry about.
He found Astrid heavily bundled up and leaving from the Hall.
"Astrid!"
"Chief! What can I do?"
"Relax, I just wanted to hear about the dragons. How are they doing? Any idea how many of them will stay here?"
"Hmm, they seem fine to me. They were all eating a lot this last month. And I think a lot of them have left too. It's only ours and a few of the friendlier wild ones here now."
"And where are they going to stay? Do we have any stables for them?"
"Well, the families all have stables for their dragons near their houses. Some of those with smaller ones keep them indoors. There should be enough extra stables for those others that stay."
"Do make sure of it. Gods, such a strange thing to plan for even now," he gruffly added.
"One of many changes we have made sir. I'll be sure to show the wild ones to the stables, maybe they will like them and will stay there. Your dragons are going to stay with you, of course."
"Yes, they will," he answered curtly.
She turned to leave, but then she paused and reconsidered something.
"You don't happen to have any extra books, do you?"
"More books? Is this one of Fishleg's plans?"
"Uh… yeah, you know how he likes to read," she stammered.
"I'll see what I can do, Astrid."
He left her and returned home to attend to some housework that needed doing.
Both Hiccup and Toothless had initially slept on the ground near the fireplace. Indeed, it was the warmest place in the house when the fire was burning.
He went into Hiccup's room and began to collect the pillows and blankets. Then he rearranged them in the same nest shape next to the living room fire pit but far enough away that they couldn't catch fire.
They'll be more comfortable now.
As for himself, he would move his bed into the living room eventually. There was no great rush.
How did dragons fare in the winter? It was something that he had wondered about. They had never been active at all during the winter back when they were still at war. Could they survive out in the open by making their own warmth, or did they need to seek shelter?
It was just one more question that no one had thought to ask before.
With that taken care of, he had some free time to kill. He walked outside and wandered over to the sea cliffs from where he could look out over an entire horizon. It was one of his favorite places to go to think and escape the activity of the village. The wind coming off the sea was just cold enough to make him shiver, but the solitude was still pleasant enough.
He also liked this location because he hoped that he might see a ship approaching. As a part of the treaty negotiations, he had arranged for a few essential supplies to be shipped. And there was also the possibility that a different ship may arrive and carry news of some arcane hope for Hiccup.
"Hey there big guy."
The Nightmare regarded her calmly and allowed her to approach and rub its chin.
"You want somewhere to stay for the winter? Somewhere warm probably."
It blinked at her. She stepped back and beckoned it to follow.
"Come on, I'll show you where you can stay."
It rumbled curiously for a moment and began slowly following her. Stormfly saw her leading the other dragon and hopped over to her, only to begin squawking at her in annoyance. The Nadder did always get a bit jealous whenever her human gave attention to another dragon.
"Don't you worry about me, miss bossy. I'm just showing him the stables."
Stormfly glanced at the Nightmare and kept a close eye on both of them.
Astrid led the wild dragon to the stables that they had built to initially house their own dragons. They were old storehouses that had no further use, or they had been homes of those who were no longer welcome on Berk. She swung open the door to the stable and stepped aside. It was easily large enough to accommodate any of the dragons on Berk.
The only complaint that she could have was that the stable was necessarily made of wood.
The Nightmare looked around suspiciously, sniffing at the ground before looking back at her.
"Go on," she encouraged it.
It rumbled at the ground and slowly slunk into the stable where it sat down and looked around. It was only after it started rolling around and rubbing against everything possible to mark its territory that she was sure that it decided to stay.
Stormfly started nuzzling her from behind.
"Hey girl, just showing him to his new home."
Purr.
They walked back to home with Stormfly casting the occasional suspicious glance back toward the Nightmare.
It was the fourth of Vetr.
Stoick stood down at the docks and supervised the unloading process. The last of the trade vessels had finally arrived, and it carried with it special cargo. Golden cargo that was essential to the survival and existence of any northern people.
Barrels of mead and ale.
It had relieved him that the captain had not been too afraid to come to the island. It turned out that the vessel was coming from the Vaina and the captain knew in advance what to expect.
Not only that but the ship was carrying letters from several other tribes. Letters for him no doubt as they carried the seals of the Vaina and the Berserkers.
He thanked the captain and paid him for his services and wares. The captain finished unloading everything and turned his ship for the south.
Just in time too.
Everyone could see the dark clouds billowing in from the north. There was no mistaking what clouds like those portended. The fabled Berk weather would not hold off any longer.
"Get those barrels up to the Hall, not a drop for any of you. Make sure it gets there!"
"Aye sir!"
"And hunker down! Winter is coming."
He brought the letters along with him back to home, sat down at the kitchen table, and lit a candle.
The first letter was from Svana of the Vaina.
'Chief Stoick, things are much better now since you sent Miss Hofferdottir. We now have four Deadly Nadders. Astrid showed us how we can train them to help us catch more fish. I'm even working on winning over one of them myself. I won't say that everyone here has been happy with the changes, but no one wants to keep fighting the beasts. One of my men, Grommash, got angry and kicked at a Nadder. Helgrid's Nadder burned his rear. Helgrid was so worried that I would punish her dragon. Grommash got what he deserved, I say. I'll send someone to Berk in the spring when the weather gets better. I heard about Osvald. Real shame. It would have been better for both of us if that had not happened. Svana.'
He put down the letter and sighed.
Well, they seem to be doing well. Svana is a reasonable sort.
He was a little more nervous about the Berserker's note. Sure enough, it was not Osvald's writing.
"Oh great Stoick, surely you have heard that I am now the Chief of my tribe. My father's time came for him after he decided to abandon the old ways. Well, I am not going to abandon the old ways. What old ways? Hunting ways. Dragons hunt us and we hunt them. That is the natural way. Don't you ever think of stopping us. If you do… you will learn where our name comes from. I'll invite you over to celebrate after I kill my first Night Fury. Oh right, you wouldn't be happy about that. Too bad! I don't care. Sorry about your lad, I really miss playing with him.'
He crumpled up the letter and hurled it into the fireplace. Vivid images of a young Dagur tormenting Hiccup in secret assailed his conscience. Far worse though was the apparent obsession that Dagur seemed to have with killing a Night Fury. What would happen if Dagur could get his hands on Hiccup now was too terrible to think about.
Surely Dagur would not be dumb enough to actually make an incursion onto Berk. Making the threat of violence was one thing, but actually carrying it out was another matter.
And what was he supposed to do if he learned that the Berserkers were killing off dragons for sport? Was it any of his business what they did on their own lands and seas? Was it right to force his own beliefs and ways on those of other tribes?
The door swung open and both of the dragons walked inside, Hiccup only pausing to close the door behind him. Then his son hopped over to him.
This is it
"Yes, the first snow of the year. Should be a big one too."
Guess we better get used to staying inside
"It will be the usual fun that we have every winter, I'm sure."
Hiccup blinked in surprise.
Was that my dad trying to be sarcastic?
Get anything from the ship?
"Some leather, lots of paper and ink, a few books, and… I actually heard from another tribe."
That really got Hiccup's attention, judging from how his ears went up.
"It was a message from the Svana of the Vaina, they are the fishing tribe I told you about. They now have several Nadders in their village. I'd say that Astrid did a very good job with them."
That is good
I like that they are changing
"They… did, yes. I don't know if everyone will be like them."
They just need to see dragons are not bad
I will help with that when I am bigger
"We will see about that. Hiccup, I know you won't try to do anything, but don't go near any Berserkers if you see them. They are… very good dragon hunters."
But
"No. Just promise me, Hiccup."
Ok, Hiccup glumly nodded after a moment of consideration.
"Good, I'm going to go grab a bit more firewood while I still can. Get comfortable."
His dad left the building a moment later. The wind was starting to whistle outside as the storm front moved in.
Toothless was standing in front of the fireplace with his head tipped back and wings unfurled. He was purring very happily.
That looks nice.
He hopped down and went over to the crackling fire. Basking in its warmth was one of the more relaxing things there was to do, even if it did make it hard to keep his eyes open.
Relative silence ensued. There had to be some way to pass the time.
"Toothless, you tell me a story."
Toothless just warbled his confusion.
"Two-legs talk about what they or others did in past. Do for fun or learning," Hiccup explained.
"My sire and dam did not give me many other-kin-stories. But they did give me one for where all kin come from."
That definitely caught Hiccup's interest.
"I want hear it."
"All things are on the shell of a great-all-kin-egg. The all-kin lives under the ground and waters, trapped by the shell of ground. It breathes out of the ground and makes the living winds. Many living things were, but no kin were. Water and ground wanted living-kin. The water and the ground were good... and had many eggs. Much life."
"But air was angry that it had no mate, so air sent winds and blew the eggs across the lands. Some went into the waters and made water-kin that do not fly, but most became the flying-kin you know about. Fire-scales-kin's eggs landed in mountains of fire-water-rocks, Sharp-big-wing-kin's eggs fell in very big trees, and Rock-belly-kin's eggs fell in piles of rocks."
"What about Night-Fury-kin?" Hiccup asked in fascination.
"We were different. The night-sky-rock looked down at all the kin and saw that they were good. But they never looked up at her and wondered. Night-sky-rock wanted a kin that was new and could see her. The night-sky-rock and the cloud-storms made a new egg, an egg for a new kin."
"Water was not happy that there was a new kin that it was not sire to, but there was nothing it could do to us since we are not water-kin. Water did not like that Night-Fury-kin were different, so it made more new-kin to be Alphas of nests. Kin like the monster and the Big-mouth-horn-great-tusk-Alphas."
"What are Alphas?"
"They are the biggest and most dangerous kin in nests."
"You see these kin?"
"Only the dead monster. They much dangerous."
"Why did water make other kin to be Alphas?"
"So we would not be Alphas."
"We could be Alphas?" Hiccup wondered aloud in surprise.
"Not like the big Alphas. Do you remember when I said that the Monster tried to make me… do bad things?"
"Yes, I not understand that."
Toothless hummed in thought.
"Hiccup, close your eyes and do not move."
Hiccup complied.
"Now you hear and feel something in your head. Telling you to do, pushing you to do. And if you do not do, then it will gnaw at you like a crawling thing under your scales. With enough time, you want to do what you did not want to do. And you just flew out to attack a two-leg nest and carry off the four-legs to bring back to Alpha. The thing in your head stops for some time and you can sleep. You are happy and have good night-visions. Then you wake up and feel the gnawing, crawling thing again."
.
"Open your eyes."
He did. Toothless was looking right at him with a very solemn look.
"That is what big-Alphas can do."
It was quite disturbing how vividly Toothless described it. To seemingly not even be aware of ones actions, or to imagine that something else was influencing ones thoughts was terrifying to think about.
"Not us. Night-Fury-kin do not have that life-will-power. We could only be nest-Alphas if the other kin bow to us and want us. We could be Alphas that are wanted by the kin but not forced-Alphas."
I imagine that would be a sight to see. A bunch of dragons all bowing to another.
There was one rather significant element that Toothless had seemed to have left out of the story so far though.
"What about two-legs? Where they come from in story?"
Toothless grumbled and thought for a moment.
Stoick chose that moment to hurl open the door while carrying several large blocks of firewood over to the corner of the room. The door swung in the wind, allowing a barrage of snowflakes to blow inside on the rapidly-freezing air.
Stoick ran back and pushed the door shut, shivering in the process. His bushy white eyebrows and red beard began to visibly thaw by the second.
"Not going back out there today," he muttered to himself while taking off his excess layers.
He picked up the pile of papers from the desktop and set out for his room when he noticed that both of them were looking at him from their places by the fire.
"Let me put one more log on for you two… there, should last all night. I'm going to go to bed now, staying warm is hard work," he added with a yawn.
Hiccup nodded once in acknowledgment and waited as his father left. Only after he was gone did Toothless answer.
"Two-legs were the great not-kin. Prey and predator. Clawless and with false-made-claws. Furless and with taken four-leg fur. The story I know tells not what sire and dam two-legs hatch from, only that they were. Water, ground, air, night-sky-rock, and cloud-storm all knew that two-legs were smarter than kin and had cleverer paws, so they gave some kin life-will-powers."
"Like Night-Fury-kin and the big-Alphas?"
"Yes. Only a story though. No reason to think it real."
It certainly sounded like a tall tale indeed.
"Is there more?"
"No more."
Toothless got up and hopped into the bed, wiggling himself under the blankets.
There was another question that Hiccup had been meaning to bring up again and that he probably needed to ask now before Toothless nodded off.
"Why you not want learn two-leg-picture-talking?"
Toothless wiggled his head back out to face him.
"I do not want that. Why do I need to talk to them?"
"Some of them want to talk. Legs-of-fish is good to kin. You know Astrid."
"What can they say that I want to know?" Toothless wondered.
"Still good hearing them. And it is way of showing two-legs you smart."
"You do that. I do not care what they think."
Toothless hid himself back under the covers, effectively ending the conversation.
There was something admirable about not feeling beholden to others. It made sense for a dragon who had apparently been solitary for many years. On the other hand though, it was not helpful to keep avoiding interacting with humans. To not think that learning how to communicate was worth the effort was disappointing. Even aside from learning, being able to talk could be a lifesaver.
Maybe he could eventually change Toothless's mind. But that dragon had a very Nordic stubborn streak.
He climbed into bed and looked around the room. Up at the rafters, to the pile of books and paper in the corner, over at the hanger where his dad hung his coats and capes, and the furs from old hunts hanging on the walls, all of this being cast in a red glow by the light from the crackling fireplace.
I better get used to this.
Then he snuggled under the covers alongside Toothless. The whistling wind, the crackle of the fire, and the warmth from the fireplace quickly took their course and had them both sound asleep shortly thereafter.
The next few days fell into a predictable and very boring routine. Wake up at dawn and stay under the warm covers for as long as possible. Hiccup didn't even mind snuggling up against Toothless if it meant that they stayed warmer. Wait for his father to rise and put frozen fish or salted meat in a pot to cook over the fire. Eat. Look out the window at the whipping wind or the snowbanks. Crawl back into bed and do… nothing. Toothless seemed content to do nothing but eat, sleep, and flap around a little whenever Stoick was away. As for himself, the most exciting thing he could do was reread some of the books already in the house. Beyond that, there was nothing to do.
The same awkward matter arose again, though in a slightly different way this time. He and Toothless had to be able to come and go when nature required, but the weather did not always cooperate and Stoick was not always there. There was one day in particular which was so bad that all they could do was hop a short distance away from the house through the snow, quickly do their business, and run back inside. It left Hiccup feeling absolutely mortified even though no one was there but Toothless, who unsurprisingly appeared to feel no shame about it.
It was not the first time that the harsh Berk winter required hard choices to be made and it certainly would not be the last.
He spent far too much time staring out the window. He never saw anyone walking outside, except for when his father went to the storeroom.
The days themselves were very short with the sun, when its light could be seen at all through the clouds, only rising partway into the sky. It never even came close to being warm enough to melt the snow. It was as though the island itself and all life on it paused. Toothless certainly seemed to.
The sky looked exactly the same from day to day. It was all very depressing.
If only Astrid or someone else would come and visit.
"Hello sir, mind if I come in?"
"Sure Astrid, get in here," Stoick answered.
He shut the door against the swirling wind. Astrid was completely covered from head to toe in a thick bear-pelt coat and a wool scarf around her head. Such extremes were necessary to endure the Berk winters.
Both of them went over to the fire to warm their hands.
"Can I get you anything, Astrid?"
"No, I'm fine right here by the fire."
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
"Just wanted to let you know how things are going out there. All the dragons are basically sleeping all the time. No one has had any problems."
"Even the wild ones?"
"Sleeping like logs, sir. The only problem was that they were not as well trained as ours to go out when they needed to."
"Well, I'm not surprised. You're doing a good job as usual."
It was impossible to tell if she was blushing at the praise or if her red cheeks were only the result of the weather.
"Thank you, sir."
Hiccup had been awake the whole time but hadn't given any sign of it. He chose that moment to get up and let them know.
"Oh, hi Hiccup."
She knelt and slowly stroked his neck, to which he purred in content.
"Are you two doing ok?"
Yes.
"You are both getting big."
He grumbled, slightly abashed. Though now that she mentioned it, they were both noticeably larger than they had been even at the start of winter. He had to always curl his tail in to keep it within the blankets.
"It must be very boring being stuck here with nothing to do."
He slowly nodded.
"Well, I'll see if I can get you some new reading."
She stood back up and addressed her Chief.
"Sir, the midwintersblott is coming up soon."
The ceremony marked the deepest part of winter. It was a celebration of toughness and defiance, that the worst that the elements could throw at them would not break their northern spirit. Everyone would drink, be merry, tell stories, and honor the gods for protecting them through the year. And of course they had to choose the worst possible time in the year for the feast precisely to show their defiance.
"Yes, I had some special ale brought up here from the last merchant. That should help everyone."
"I'm thinking we can bring some dragons this time. Nothing special, just let them inside and sit. I really doubt that Stormfly or some of our others will be a problem."
Stoick considered the suggestion.
"I think we can do that. No reason why not. Eh, especially these two here."
"Everyone would like that sir. Actually, there is something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh, what is it?"
She gave him a solemn grin and glanced down at the Fury contentedly resting by the fireplace and watching their discussion.
"Something we should have done long ago."
Hiccup woke up with a start to a strange hacking sound and struggled to throw off the blankets before he saw the cause of the noise.
Toothless was facing the smoldering remains of the fire with his mouth open. It sounded like he was trying to hiss at the fireplace but was only managing to cough at it.
"What are you…?"
Toothless growled at the fireplace in apparent frustration.
"Want to make fire."
Oh, obviously.
Of all the strange and wonderful things about being a dragon, being able to breathe fire was easily the most difficult for him to imagine. Wings and tails he could see, feel, and therefore understand. But whatever inside body parts were used for that action were completely unknown to him. Though, knowing how to make fire could be very useful in many situations.
"How you do it?"
Toothless sighed and considered how to explain it. Just like flying, this was something that it was hard to explain since kin know without being told.
"We have can-be-fire-air in our bellies. We can let that air into our mouths and make it fire."
"How? I not know."
It just happened. He wanted the can-be-fire-air to be fire and it would happen. He could not explain it any other way.
"Just do, like flying."
Hiccup thought that over, his tail swishing as he thought. No amount of Toothless explaining it would help with this. He would have to experiment on his own eventually.
"What is your problem now?" Hiccup asked.
"It is not something little-kin can do. Need more season-cycles."
So they would have to wait before it would even be possible.
"Why you try if we are not big enough?"
"I not know we still much-small for this. It is different for different kin, and I do not remember when I first made fire."
That makes sense.
He settled back down exactly where he had been sleeping. More of the same to look forward to. Except that he was now reminded that there was a chance he would eventually be able to breathe fire just like Toothless.
"Rise and shine!"
Both of them groaned and grumbled. Hiccup at least forced open his eyes enough to see his father.
"Get up, we can finally go outside. The worst has passed."
Now that he mentioned it, there was no whistle of wind outside.
"It's still going to be cold but not as bad. No idea when it will start snowing again."
He reluctantly followed his father to the door and shut his eyes against the dazzling whiteness that greeted him.
Everything was covered in snow. The winds had piled up snow in drifts that reached all the way up to the tops of buildings while leaving the paths barren between the buildings. In contrast to the last few weeks, there were some people up and about. The men were heavily bundled and were either hauling firewood or were heading to the forest to chop down firewood. There were a few women carrying baskets, presumably of fish since they were coming from the storehouse. None of the dragons were out though.
He followed his father outside.
"What you doing?" Toothless called.
"Come Toothless."
Toothless hopped over and followed him outside.
"Why you want be cold?"
"I want get out of home-cave."
Toothless couldn't really argue against that. It was refreshing to get out of the two-leg-den and be out under the calm, blue sky again. And not just because he needed to dart outside to relieve himself from time to time.
One way to stay warm in the cold was to be active, to be on the chase. And he did feel like he had a lot of built-up energy.
"Hiccup, I am monster! You run."
"What?"
Toothless roared and pounced. He barely missed Hiccup's tail as his prey leapt away just in time. And they were off.
Hiccup jumped over a snowbank and turned to dart between a couple houses. The tightly-packed ice where people had been walking made him slip and slide. He looked around wildly, but his pursuer was nowhere to be seen. Knowing Toothless, that did not bode well.
Where would he be? Would he fly on the roof?
He heeled and came to a stop. Maybe it would be better to set a trap instead of walk into one.
The snow piled on the sides of the path was very deep from being shoveled there, but it still looked fluffy. He quickly dove into the nearest pile, worming his way into the man-made snowbank. He dug until he felt his nose reach the open air at the other end of the drift, then he wiggled in just enough to be able to see out the other side too. He pulled his tail inside his snow-den, trusting that the snow which collapsed in his wake would hide his entrance.
Time to wait and listen.
This is what it is like to hunt, I guess.
He waited, perfectly still, for several seconds before he spied a black shape approaching from in front of him. Toothless was supposed to come from behind him! He would be able to see his head if he looked to the side.
He slowly pulled his head back inside and winced when a small chunk of snow rolled down right where he was hiding. It was too close to tell whether or not Toothless could have seen that.
Toothless's padded footsteps drew nearer and nearer until he stopped right next to the same snowbank. Something was making him suspicious.
Maybe he can smell me but he can't see me.
He heard the whoosh of Toothless taking off.
Whew, I can't believe that…
Something big crashed into his hideout, and a set of jaws clamped down on his neck. A tangled and thrashing mass of limbs, they rolled down onto the barren, frozen ground as snow chunks tumbled down around them.
He tried pushing Toothless away, but there was no escaping the vice-like grip Toothless had on him. Especially when Toothless growled and started softly shaking him.
It was just real enough to be a little bit scary.
"No! You catch me."
Toothless let go of him and stood proudly. He waited as Hiccup rolled over and got to his feet.
"Why you go in snow-trap?"
"What?"
"You go in trap there, you not able to move. Easy catch."
"I try make trap for catch you."
Toothless gave him a look between amusement and disappointment.
"Bad. Do not go in trap. Need to be able to run or fly."
Ugh… he's right. That was rather dumb. But how did he know?
"How you know I there?"
Toothless just grinned.
"You see thing that show I there?" Hiccup asked.
If he thought that Toothless had seen a disturbance of the snow, he was surprised when Toothless shook his head.
"No? How?"
Toothless opened his mouth as if to speak, but he then paused in obvious thought.
"You still need to learn about Night-Fury-kin. Now you are monster!"
With that cryptic message and declaration, he turned tail and ran. Hiccup lost only a moment before he ran in pursuit.
He never really had a chance. Toothless was far too fast and too agile. He knew how to turn corners very tightly with a single flap, never seemed to stumble on ice, and had a longer stride with each jump.
The only thing he took some heart from was that Toothless did look very exhausted by the time he gave up a couple minutes later.
"You did not…" pant "catch me…" Toothless sighed.
"No, you much fast."
"Hiccup, you need learn how to fight."
"Fight! Why?"
"Because I would have eaten you if I was bad. You need be able to fight."
Hiccup's pace slowed as the implications began to catch up to him. What Toothless was saying went against much of what he believed in. Was it really necessary that he learn violence?
"If I was fighter... you would not be here Toothless."
Even Toothless seemed struck by having that pointed out to him. He remembered it all very clearly. Hiccup had not had a fighting-two-leg's courage. His strength was of a very different kind as it was mixed with other-feeling.
"Still, you need to learn how to fight for yourself now. I will show you when we bigger."
Panting and heaving with every breath of frigid air, they made their way back home together. Not wanting to wait to see if his dad had returned, Hiccup stood up and opened the door on his own. Properly securing it against the weather was something that only his father would be able to do, but for now closing the door behind him would be enough.
Both of them collapsed right at the fire's edge without even bothering to crawl into bed. Blissful, warm sleep took them in seconds.
He heard his father storm inside a while later while calling out for him. Apparently, Stoick saw them both because he didn't say anything else.
I need to find out how Toothless saw me.
After more sleep… and food.
Another dull week passed with only the promise of the winter festival to look forward to.
Then it was time.
His father got bundled up and waited at the door.
"Hiccup, are you two coming?"
Hiccup practically flew out of bed and to his feet in his excitement.
"Toothless get up! We go now!"
Toothless just opened an eye and blinked at him.
"Why? Where?" he grumbled.
"Go to biggest two-leg-cave."
"You go."
"We eat much food!"
The promise of a large meal was encouragement enough to get Toothless off his behind and ready to brave the winter outside. Stoick opened the front door, and the frigid wind started whipping and blowing snow inside. The three of them made their way through the snow drifts and to the Great Hall with Stoick leading the way.
The cold was as uncomfortable as expected. However, his thoughts of the cold were driven away the moment he saw the Great Hall. It was the most bizarre sight. The massive building was practically glowing from inside, and it had great patches where there was no snow on its roof, the snow having been melted away. Even before they entered, they could hear the sounds of revelry from within.
Stoick threw open the door and the three of them quickly slipped inside.
"There they are!" "Here's to the Chief!"
It seemed that the entire community was gathered here in the glowing warmth. Men and women were interspersed at the tables and mugs were everywhere. The firepit in the middle of the Hall had a massive boar slowly turning on a stake. Plates of fish, lamb, chicken, and venison were at every table.
Hiccup could remember previous festivals that he had been compelled to sit through in the past. He had never really enjoyed them before. This one looked more carefree, more jovial than any one before.
Perhaps the greatest difference though was that some of the other people had brought their dragons too.
Flame was curled up in a ball next to Gustav and Snotlout while gnawing on an old bone. The Nightmare had grown several feet since joining the Berk family but was clearly still a juvenile.
Both Fishlegs and the twins brought their dragons as well, but their beasties were very busy dozing in the heat of a bonfire.
Stormfly was stealing the show though. The Nadder was carefully prancing about the entire Hall while nudging at people to get scratches and sniffing at the cooking food with a happy gurgle but never trying to eat. Astrid was making sure of that. It was made easier that Stormfly didn't have to with all the thawed fish that people were gladly hurling at her.
"… I tell you all. I really saw it!"
"Gobber, you don't think we actually believe that, do you?" Tuffnut asked.
"Yeah, a dragon that wears bones and has a personal vendetta against you? Sounds like one of our stories," Ruffnut teased.
That sounds like quite the story…
"It's true! It needs just one more bone to complete its armor and then…"
Both he and Toothless quickly forgot about everything else when they arrived at the Chief's table. Their two special seats, usually only with a bowl of fish soup or a plate of raw fish, had plates with several kinds of juicy meats. Goat, chicken, and fish as well. The smell was absolutely captivating.
So much so that Toothless started drooling on the table.
"Toothless, no! Bad!" Hiccup yipped.
Toothless closed his mouth.
"Why do we need to wait? I am hungry now!"
"It two-leg thing. If you eat when Alpha not eat, it is a bad thing to do."
Toothless just grumbled and fidgeted in his chair, his tail swishing back and forth on the floor with impatience.
Stoick took his place at the head of the table and raised a cloth-covered hammer to the gong that had been rolled out for this very purpose.
Clang… clang… clang…
All the conversation ceased, and all eyes went to the Chief.
"By the will of the gods and the All-Father, we have endured another year! Now, we give thanks and celebrate! Let the Blótt begin!"
Everyone grabbed handfuls of the meats from their plates and started feasting.
Toothless looked around and took that as his cue to start as well. Hiccup watched, slightly impressed at the rate with which Toothless made the meats disappear. He took more time with his own food and savored the taste of each meat. He avoided the fish as much as possible, not because it wasn't cooked well, but because it is what he had been eating for the entire year. Chicken, goat, and the eventual boar were certainly far, far tastier.
Mugs were emptied and refilled, jokes were told to raucous laughter at each table, plates were cleaned and replenished, and those of a venerable age told stories to the younger audience.
"Hiccup, you eat the fish?" Toothless asked with a glance at the fish on his plate.
"No, you can have."
Toothless was more than happy to comply.
"All done there?" Stoick asked when he saw the encounter.
Actually dad, I could do with some more.
No, he shook his head and licked his chops.
"Oh, you want more? We can do that."
"What is he doing?" Toothless asked when Stoick collected their flat-wood-meat-holders.
"He is getting more food."
"More food, that is good," Toothless purred in approval.
With Toothless so obviously contented, it seemed like a very good time to ask the question.
"Toothless, how you see me in snow?"
"I see your life-fire."
"My what?"
"You have life-fire. All living things have life-fire. We can see it."
He still wasn't sure what Toothless meant by life-fire. Maybe it was like warmth? Dragons could see warmth?
I certainly can't, or maybe I just don't know how.
The second plates came back loaded with juicy chicken and lamb. He had never seen Toothless's eyes as wide as they were at this moment.
Stoick looked around the feast and thought it was an appropriate time to start to get to business. He stood up and clanged a drum to get everyone's attention.
"Elder Gothi had no immediate family of her own. We cannot be without an Elder forever. One of you must take over for her. We need an Elder to perform our rituals."
Everyone looked around at the older members of the community who were generally considered to be wise in the ways of the world and the gods. The Elder had to understand the powers that the gods put in plants and be able to commune with the spirits. The Elder also needed to be familiar with the tribe's traditions and had to have the prudence to know when traditions were more like guidelines than actual rules. Further, they also had to be able to give advice on a world involving dragons.
A consensus was eventually reached after a short debate. A bald, elderly man with a reputation for having good sense stepped forward.
"Vuulthir, son of Skuli," Stoick addressed him, "you would serve your tribe again? Would you be first and last among us? Would you take responsibility for getting our souls to Valhalla? Would you perform the rites of passage?
"Yes, my Chief."
"All hail the Elder Vuulthir!"
"Hail!" everyone roared.
He made sure to invite Vuulthir to his table immediately afterwards.
"Elder, what do you think about us now? The rebellion and our sharing our dragon knowledge with other tribes."
The Elder stopped sipping his soup and considered the question.
"The idea that any dragon can be good and friendly is still something strange to me. I see it with my own eyes and won't deny it, but it is still hard to get into my bones for someone of my age. But I remember what life was like before your boy and Astrid. They've both made us better off with the dragons not being our enemies now."
"I am glad that you approve of this. You indeed have wisdom, Elder."
"Bah, I know my place in the world. All I can do is share what I know with the future until I take my place in Valhalla."
"About that, Elder, I've been wondering some things about the hereafter. Those of us who die in battle have a place in Valhalla or Freyja's Folkvangr plains. What if there are no battles? The Berserkers have threatened us, but what if they didn't? How could anyone warrant one of those honors?"
Vuulthir grinned at him.
"That would be a problem if you think about dying in battle that way. What about dying to yourself?"
"What?" Stoick rubbed his beard in confusion.
"What if the glorious death that is needed is actually the death of whatever parts of yourself need to die? To spend your life overcoming your own failings and weaknesses. That is another type of battle that will not win any gold, ships, or cattle, but is no less glorious in the eyes of the gods."
"Hmm, no one has ever put it like that before."
Vuulthir nodded.
"It's more useful to emphasize the life of battle and glory to the young people because battles need to be fought and the old like me certainly cannot do the fighting."
Stoick fiddled with his mug for a moment before continuing.
"Do you think a dragon could go to Valhalla?"
"A dragon? Why?"
"Well, some people are quite fond of their beasties and wonder if a dragon's soul can follow them. Odin has his horse Sleipnir."
"True, he does. I suppose that a dragon could follow its master as a pet."
"But what about on its own?"
"I don't know about that Stoick. They are not people after all."
"Even the Furies here?" he waved at the two lounging and feasting dragons at his table.
Vuulthir rubbed his beard with a tired look in his eyes.
"They are special indeed, but I don't know. Hard to believe that you taught them to write but certainly undeniable. You are mighty thoughtful for a Chief, Stoick."
"I've had plenty of time to think about such things. In fact, there is something else we need to do."
He stood up from the table and waved Gobber over. The smith carried a large, rolled-up cloth.
"Stoick, I've got it ready for you."
"Good, I think it is about time."
"Let's do this then."
Gobber smirked and returned to his table while Stoick took the cloth in hand and got everyone's attention again.
What is this? Hiccup wondered.
"Everyone!" he roared.
The conversations, laughing, and attempts at dancing quickly died away as everyone turned to face their Chief.
"It has been a good year. The gods smile on us. We have a new Elder. Our animals multiplied, and we have so much food that we will not go hungry!"
"Hear! Hear!" everyone cheered.
"This was the first year that we did not lose anyone to dragons."
No one cheered, but they all nodded their heads respectfully.
"But we did lose some. We lost them to anger, arrogance, and betrayal."
Again, everyone had their eyes slightly downcast at the reminder of Mildew's betrayal and the Outcasting.
"Look around you, look at them," he indicated all the dragons present, his own included.
"They are part of our tribe."
Everyone nodded and muttered in agreement.
"There are other tribes that are changing too. The Vaina now have some Nadders of their own, and the Volsung… well, they were having some problems. A little bit too stubborn, right, Astrid?"
"As dumb as hammers, sir!" she answered.
Everyone chuckled and slapped their tables.
"The Berserkers, under Dagur, are sure to keep hunting dragons, even ours if they can. We all know that things are better our way."
"Yes!" they answered with one voice.
"So why do we still have that?" he pointed up above the central fire-pit.
The Berk colors, illuminated from the fire-pit below, hung from the pole. On the flag was emblazoned a serpentine red dragon impaled through the mouth on a large spear, with Nord warriors holding their axes high in triumph.
Total silence followed as everyone absorbed the sight. How many times had they gathered around the flag and cheered after a repelled attack? At hearing the number of dragons they had killed? To plan an invasion of the nest?
No one had thought to take it down.
"We've had the same flag since shortly after we got here many generations ago. But we are different now. That," he pointed up again, "is not us anymore."
He held up the still-rolled up cloth in his hands.
"We need a new flag."
He unrolled the cloth and held it out for everyone to see. It depicted a dragon, most resembling a Nightmare, in flight against a red background with someone sitting on its back. The someone was holding an axe in one hand and the saddle-reins in the other.
A good bit of muttering of approval followed and more than one mug was raised in salute.
"Take that one down!" he ordered.
The pole was lowered and the old standard was untied. A great many memories were recalled by those present. The fires that the standard had endured through were spoken to by the singed threads on its edges. The old tears, roughly sewn back together, further indicated the violence the material had seen and survived.
Stoick held the two standards in his hands. Both a link between his tribe's past and future and also a stark reminder of the differences between then and now.
"Astrid, you should do this."
She proudly marched forward, took the new flag in hand, and tied it to the pole. The new Berk standard then hung over the entire tribe moments later.
Standing there next to the fire and holding the old insignia, he wasn't sure what to do. Toss it in the fire to further complete the break with the past, or keep it for future generations?
How many stories of myth were there that taught the lesson that people do not learn from the past? That they do not readily change and need constant reminders, else they forget and make the same mistakes.
He set the old flag down on the table.
"We will keep this with the other relics of our tribe. We will make sure that the future does not forget what life was like so that they will know how good their world is!"
He paused and made a show of looking around the Hall at the tables.
"I see that you've gone through most of the mead… Don't you worry!"
Stoick turned to the attendants.
"Bust out the new ale! These people are thirsty!"
Everyone roared at these words. Massive barrels were rolled out and hauled onto tables. Foaming, golden liquid flowed from the barrels and refilled many an emptied mug. Everyone gathered around the central fireplace halfway through the night to celebrate the recognition of this year's group of young people being formally recognized as adults by taking on their real names and shedding their hideous childhood name. Each man and woman so recognized was given an ashen sign on their forehead by Elder Vuulthir to mark their passage after being sprinkled with water.
Once the renaming ceremony and the feasting was mostly over, the boar excepted, most of the people who were not already asleep at their tables began gathering for the dance.
It was a very informal process. As in each dancing pair decided what to do, how fast to dance, and how long to dance. No one was keeping time or playing music.
Gobber was dancing alone. More like spinning and teetering actually. But after several mugs of ale, he evidently did not care what anyone else thought of him. Or for that matter whether he could walk or dance.
Hiccup was happy to stand on the table and watch, whereas Toothless lost interest, collapsed on the floor, and started dozing off in his food sleep.
It was a new experience for him, as he had never seen this part of the festivities. There had certainly never been a chance for him to dance in the past, nor had he truly wanted to dance.
He could not help but feel wistful at seeing Astrid out there in her plain dress and obviously enjoying herself as she was dancing with her father.
He purred in happiness. His father returned from the kegs with a couple mugs filled to the foamy brim, then he sat down and looked out over the festivities. Gobber wandered over to the table.
"Stoick… a good Blott!"
"Aye it is, my old friend."
Gobber turned to the two Furies.
"And how about you two? Looks like Toothy is done, huh Hiccy?"
He nodded.
"How was the food?"
He licked his lips and smiled.
Gobber slapped his belly and laughed.
"Good! I'll tell Britte and Fjola that you approve, that'll make their day. Hey, you had anything to drink?"
Not really. Uh…
"Gobber, don't be silly."
"Oh, come on Stoick, he's a big boy… er… big dragon. Well, you get what I mean."
It was also a tradition that fathers and sons would down a mug together at the mid-winter festival once the son had come of age.
"Do you want one?" he incredulously asked Hiccup.
Hiccup didn't especially care for the taste of drink, it had always been too bitter for his liking. But this was an opportunity to share an experience with his father.
Can't really refuse, I guess.
Yes.
His dad took one of the mugs and set it down before him. They both watched as he wrapped his claws around the handle and carefully poured a bit of the amber liquid down his gullet. It didn't taste half bad, though it was odd and smelled very sharp.
He licked the foam from his lips and looked at Gobber and Stoick.
"Soh? Whadya think?" Gobber slurred.
He grumbled at the mug and took another slow slurp.
Gobber laughed out loud and slapped Stoick on the shoulder.
"F'anyone doubted he's one of us, shee that! Ha, ha! Gotta be the firsht time a drraegon drank wth us! A drunk draaegon! Ha, ha!"
"Alright Gobber, sit down."
"I'm good… I'm good. Need to go dance this off…" he said as he stumbled away.
Hiccup spared his father a knowing glance. They both firmly expected Gobber to take a tumble or need to be helped off the floor. Amazingly, neither happened.
He continued sipping at the ale, which gradually became more palatable as the evening went on.
Then the boar was served. He walked over to the table where Britte was carving up the boar. She saw him looking up with his wide eyes and she grinned before slicing off large haunch of leg and handing it to him.
If he thought that he had no more room in his belly, the smell of the boar made him find the room. It was easily the best boar that he had ever eaten. At least he had the presence of mind to take it back with him and eat it at the table.
Too bad Toothless didn't stay awake… for him…
Someone eventually started beating a drum to provide music for the dancers. He happily watched everything. It was all so good. No one was anxious or afraid, even when Stormfly trotted over and looked out over everyone.
Then he saw something that made him freeze in alarm. Snotlout was dancing with Astrid. They were not actually touching, but it was the principle of the matter!
No you don't!
Fortunately for him, she did not appear very enthusiastic about it and was looking around at the crowd. She spied Fishlegs and called out to him, only to start dancing with him.
That he was ok with. He was sure that Fishlegs did not have any intentions toward her. With him it was truly just dancing for fun.
With a tiny growl deep in his throat, he watched as Snotlout wandered the dance area. His cousin didn't seem especially interested in anyone except Astrid.
It's not fair! She is not his! Who does he think he is?
Snotlout was a young man in the pangs of young love, or at least desire. It was no different from what he himself had felt when he was… still human. At least he could take comfort from the fact that Astrid was not interested in his cousin.
Between the drink and the copious amount of delicious food he had eaten, the natural consequence was that he became very sleepy, just like Toothless. There was no telling how much longer everyone was going to stay at the festival.
They might as well head home now. While dragons were welcome in the Hall, there was nothing for them truly to do. Stormfly was just sitting off to the side and watching Astrid.
He hopped down from the table and nudged Toothless.
"Get up Toothless."
Grr…
"I want go."
Toothless grumbled but reluctantly got up anyway.
"They're leaving…" "Bye…" "So cute…"
At least no one tried to pet him this time. They let themselves outside the building and slowly made their way back home through the cold and dark night. The sounds of revelry followed them as they left the building behind.
Then it was just him and Toothless walking alone through the darkness. The soft wind and clear skies left them both feeling very cold, mostly by contrast to the warmth they had left behind. He walked a little slower when he saw a familiar green-blue light in the northern sky.
What the auroras meant though was anyone's guess. Were they the smoke from the fires in Valhalla? Dragon's souls flying free for eternity? Could he one day fly high enough to touch them?
Toothless bumped into his shoulder.
"That meat was good. Ground-bird and four-leg-small-horn… mmmm…"
"Good you like. I not know you eat them."
"I not only eat fish. I was very good at catching ground-birds in old two-leg and kin fights," Toothless grinned.
What! I thought he never stole food! Or no one ever saw him…
"Why? I thought you not take food for Monster."
"For me, not for Monster. I was not a two-leg eater and there was not always much fish."
Fair enough.
They got back home and slipped inside. The fireplace had burned rather low. It needed another log and he had no idea when his father would be getting back. He went over to the firewood that his father had brought inside, grabbed one of the smaller ones, and dragged it over to the fireplace.
They were both snug in the warm blankets moments later. Toothless was already sound asleep and would probably sleep until late in the morning judging from how much he had eaten.
Hiccup's thoughts briefly wandered over everything he had seen at the feast and that had happened throughout the year. So much had changed for the better.
Winter was almost half over.