Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD

Chapter Fifteen – Rightful Places

Adulfr looked around the hut, feeling strangely…melancholy. He'd told the truth when he said this island wasn't home, but it had started to feel like it. For the first time he began to doubt. What was he returning to? A village of people who would see him as a traitor or a tyrant? His own mother wouldn't even be there. Don't be ridiculous he told himself firmly. I'm going back for Skadi, and…because it's the right thing to do. This time will be different. I'll prove that I've changed.

In a way, Adulfr was still trying to wrap his head around it. He had gripped onto his anger, resentment and self-loathing for so long. Before his imprisonment, there were ships to take and warriors to recruit and dragons to control; he'd used that festering rage to fuel his efforts. When all Adulfr had was his hatred, keeping hold of it had proven exhausting, and ultimately futile. So he'd let go.

For now. Adulfr knew that if he stayed on Berk, if he had to be around Hiccup Haddock for the rest of his life, that envy and resentment could easily come creeping back. His former nemesis seemed to agree it was for the best that he left. So now, at last, he was going home. He wouldn't be going alone, though.

Leo chirped at Adulfr from his perch. Any attempt to convince the tiny dragon to stay here was met with even more stubbornness. In the end he'd let Fishlegs let him hear thought-speak again, and demanded to know why Leo had taken such a liking to him. Leo had replied, *Adulfr was bad, now trying be good. Like me.*

"Come on, you little pest" he said with a hint of fondness. "It's time to go." The Terror flew to his shoulder at once. Adulfr looked back to make sure the fire was out and he hadn't left any of his meagre belongings, then opened the door.

It was early, the sun had only just risen above the horizon, bathing the world in shades of orange and pinkish red. If he was a sentimental sort of man, Adulfr might have called it beautiful. Leo suddenly uttered a gurgling chitter that meant he was laughing. Bewildered, Adulfr followed his gaze towards the cliffs.

Hiccup and Toothless had landed on the rocky spires, and were wrestling with each other, to Leo's evident amusement. Hiccup was flat on his back, pushing back against the dragon pawing and licking at him. Adulfr watched as Toothless pinned Hiccup and rubbed his blunt snout against the man's ribs. Hiccup was apparently ticklish, because Adulfr could see him squirming and giggling madly.

It should have seemed foolish. A grown man, messing about like a child with his dog? Yet as he watched them playing, and nuzzling each other as if they didn't care who saw, Adulfr felt a pang. It reminded him of happier times with Skadi. He hoped wherever she was, she was happy, healthy and remembered him. At last Hiccup climbed back to his feet, and made a half-hearted attempt to wipe off his dragons spit. He happened to look over at Adulfr, but didn't seem concerned or embarrassed. Hiccup simply waved. Adulfr found himself waving back, and stared at his hand as if it had come to life and moved of it's own accord. Toothless and Hiccup flew over to him. "Good morning" Hiccup greeted.

"Yes, it is" Adulfr nodded. "At long last, I'm going to get away from this insane tribe on this backwater hunk of rock." There was no real bite to his insults. Hiccup certainly didn't seem to take it seriously, to judge by his wry smile.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Have fun in your distant land of darkness; we'll just be suffering here on a tiny island that's becoming world famous" he retorted sarcastically. The other man just huffed, but his eyes betrayed how he really felt; uncertain and a little envious. Hiccup cleared his throat and offered, "We can give you a lift down to the docks, if you want. There's a ship waiting to take you home."

Adulfr nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you" he muttered stiffly. Toothless took them down to the docks, early enough that it was not particularly busy. The few Berkians already there eyed Adulfr with surprise and wariness. Hiccup's presence kept them from commenting; or perhaps it was Toothless giving them all a pointed stare. At the docks they met Astrid, Kalda, Fishlegs and even –

"Snotlout?" Adulfr raised an eyebrow, "I didn't expect you to be here. Actually I expected you to try and push me off the pier, if you did anything at all" he said.

"Ha, ha" the blacksmith sneered, "don't tempt me." Fishlegs had encouraged him to get closure before Adulfr returned to Myrkr. Personally, Snotlout was pretty sure the criminal's absence would give him closure, but whatever. "Look, I – uh – I still don't like you, just so we're clear. But seeing as you apologised for…Y'know… I guess I can appreciate that, even if I still can't accept it."

Of all the things Adulfr expected him to say, this wasn't one of them. Well, the absolute last thing he expected from Snotlout was forgiveness, and that wouldn't happen. "So be it, then. Not friends, but not enemies. A truce" he suggested, offering a hand to shake. At first Snotlout hesitated, but then shook his hand. He moved to stand by Fishlegs, who wore a small approving smile.

Astrid stepped forwards in full chief regalia. "Adulfr, son of Hauke" she declared formally, "In the view of the witnesses present, I hereby rescind your status as a prisoner of Berk and your sentence of community service, for the crimes of attempted invasion, indirect murder, intended murder and an intended conquest. When I say it out loud like that, you got off ridiculously easily."

He frowned, but didn't remark on it. "To that end, in an effort to keep the peace, as a Chief of Berk I hereby sentence you to lesser outlawry from the Barbaric Archipelago" she continued. When Hiccup first proposed sending Adulfr home, the main protest was that they had rewarded him enough already. Lesser outlawry would be a compromise to keep the people of Berk content.

"Safe places have been decided upon should you absolutely have to return to our territory. When the three years have elapsed, you can move through the archipelago at will. Do you understand and agree to the terms of your release?"

Adulfr gave a curt nod. "Yes, Chief" he replied, for once not in a mocking tone.

Returning the same curt nod, Astrid stepped aside to let the others have their piece. Kalda stepped forward and embraced her son. He stiffened, and returned the hug somewhat awkwardly. "Come now, mother. There's no need for all this weeping" he insisted, as she wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm only going back to Raudabein, after all. It's not like you'll never see me again" he pointed out.

"I know" she nodded, sniffling and smiling at the same time. "I'm crying because I'll miss you. I am so proud of you, son. You are twice the man your father was."

Adulfr hoped it was Leo warming his cheeks and not a blush. "Yes, well…" He cleared his throat. "I'll miss you too. But don't worry about me. I'll be fine. And tell Jarl Hugo that if he treats you with anything less than the utmost respect, I"-

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine" Kalda repeated his own words back to him. "I will. Better than I have been in years, I think" she admitted, smiling in hope.

He nodded, and then on impulse, leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. His mother stepped back, and he turned to Hiccup. If someone had told him but a year ago that he would one day bid a cordial farewell to his nemesis, he'd have called them insane. "I never thought it would come to this" he confessed, "all those years I spent wanting to take your life, and in the end it was you saving mine."

"I spared your life" Hiccup reminded him, "I wouldn't say I saved it, exactly."

"I would. The path I was going down would have destroyed me. Your mercy put me on a better one" Adulfr told him. Then he realised how sappy that sounded. "This doesn't mean we're friends, of course" he added, "just to be clear." (1)

Hiccup nodded solemnly, though he was grinning like a madman on the inside. "Of course. But not enemies, either; like you said, a truce" he remarked, holding out his hand. Adulfr shook it firmly, and nodded to Toothless, who did likewise.

Fishlegs was the last to come forward, holding out a copy of The Book of Dragons. "This is just in case you wanna train dragons the nice way" he said. Adulfr tucked the book under his arm and shook Fishlegs hand as well.

"Thank you; for the book, and for the advice. And the company. You are… one of the few people on this island I could tolerate for more than five minutes."

"You're welcome…I think."

Adulfr hugged his mother one last time, and boarded the ship. In his cabin, there lay on the bunk a wooden case with a simple latch. Confused, he flipped it open. Inside were several attachments for his prosthetic – a knife, a hammer, a tankard, a comb and a spare hook. There was a note pinned to the lid, in Hiccup's handwriting. I can't build you a new hand, but I hope this helps it read.

Leo sniffed at the case and its contents, chirping in approval. "Thanks, Hiccup."

When he stepped off the ship at Raudabein, Adulfr looked around at the familiar houses, the farmland, and the forests on the borders. The dragon skulls and ballistas had been removed; the chains and nets confiscated. In the village square, one of the Norwegian thanes read out a scroll detailing the terms of Adulfr's release. The villagers all gathered around to listen, staring at Adulfr. There was fear in their eyes. Once he had revelled in it, mistaking it for respect. He knew better now. So when it was his chance to speak, Adulfr stepped forwards and announced "There are going to be some changes around here." Everyone collectively and visibly flinched. "First and foremost, everyone who used to be a thrall…" He let it hang for a moment, "is still a freedman. We will no longer buy, sell or keep thralls. You're free to stay or leave, marry into the tribe. Whatever, I don't care. Where's Sigurd?" he demanded. The brown haired man hurried forwards, tailed by Onarr, whose curly ginger hair was unkempt.

"Y-yes master?" Sigurd asked reflexively, before correcting himself. "Err, Chief?"

"My mother has chosen to remain with a Christian couple, but I want to be sure that she's comfortable and provided for" Adulfr informed him. "It would help if she had a servant or two of her own, who know her well already" he added pointedly, "so if either of you know anyone who'd want that job, let me know."

Sigurd was illiterate, but he could still read between the lines. "We could do it" he said quickly, gesturing to Onarr. "We'd be happy to serve your mother, sir."

"Wait a minute" his friend protested, even as he glanced warily at Adulfr, "I like Mrs Haukeson as much as you do, Sig, but we're not thralls anymore" he said.

"I just said that" Adulfr reminded him, "and this would change nothing. You'd get paid. I don't know how much, and I doubt it's a lot, but it's not nothing." At this, Onarr was convinced as well. The two men hurried off to the docks to barter passage back to Berk. Adulfr, meanwhile, continued with his little spiel.

"Where was I? Ah, yes. The Wolf Fang tribe will no longer hunt dragons" he declared. Before he could continue, his fathers former second-in-command broke away from the crowd and strode up to him, bushy beard bristling.

"Those dragon lovers made you soft, boy" sneered Gunnhild, "making you want us to give up our livelihood. What would your father say?" he demanded.

Adulfr promptly decked him in the face. "I don't care what my father would say. He's not here, and he's not the Chief. I am. If I say we're not hunting dragons, then we're not hunting dragons. If you have a problem with that, you can join your fellow tribesmen on the gallows in Nidaros for all I care" he growled out.

Gunnhild's nose was broken. He glared at Adulfr and spat blood on the ground between them, but slunk off nonetheless. Fishlegs might not approve Adulfr considered, but I'm pretty sure he deserved that. "No matter what Gunnhild and his lackeys might tell you" Adulfr told the crowd, "this tribe does not need to hunt dragons. We have iron ore and timber in abundance to trade with" he said.

"This tribe hunted dragons for generations, and we're no more prosperous than our forefathers" Adulfr declared, "but the Hooligan tribe of Berk trained theirdragons, and now they are thriving. If that tribe can flourish with trained dragons, then so can ours. One day, Raudabein will become the richest and most well known place in Myrkr. We will go down in history!" he shouted.

A great cheer went up. Nobody looked afraid of him anymore; some looked awed, some curious, some angry. Adulfr found he didn't care. "Right! I'm going into the forest and I do not want to be disturbed, unless it's actually important" he announced. "It's not like you haven't managed without me for the last two years. There's something I need to do." With that, he headed for the tree line.

The secret paths he had once taken through these forests were overgrown by now. Occasionally, Adulfr feared he'd forgotten the way. Leo made himself useful by flying on ahead and helping to guide him until his bearings returned. At last they emerged into the hidden plains deep within the forest, with a ridge of towering rock stretching across the far side. Adulfr struck out towards it.

At the foot of the ridge, which was climbable with a lot of effort, Adulfr stopped. Skadi's pack lived above it, in a den under a massive old fir. A fir full of fur, he'd used to joke. Unless they had moved (2). Only one way to find out. He took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and howled loud as he could.

The echoes died away, and there was no reply. Adulfr ordered "Leo. Fly up over that ridge and see if there's a den, a hole in the ground beneath a big tree."

Leo jumped off his shoulder and flapping upwards. He hadn't even cleared the rim when a large grey wolf appeared on the edge. Fenrir. He stared at Adulfr, who stayed very still, all too aware of how long it had been. What was he thinking? As if they'd remember him. He would be a stranger now.

Sure enough, Fenrir growled at him. Sigrún joined her mate in snarling at Adulfr, who felt his heart beginning to break. Leo was still flying upwards – one track mind, that dragon – but he started to back away. Coming out here was a mistake. He should have left Skadi and her pack to their wilderness…then, just as Adulfr was about to leave for good, a black wolf looked over the ridge at him.

He froze. Her ears pricked up. Heart thudding, Adulfr let out another howl. The howl of a lost pack member. Fenrir and Sigrún stopped growling. Garmr, Skoll and Hati came to investigate, but Skadi was already leaping down the slope. She remembers me he realised, eyes wide, smiling a disbelieving smile. She reached the bottom and rushed towards him, bowling him over, licking and biting at him.

"Hello!" he laughed, tears of joy in his eyes. "Yes! I'm back! I missed you too! Ow" – He grabbed Skadi by the scruff when her snapping got a bit too rough. She wasn't trying to hurt him, he knew, merely greeting him in the wolf way. Skadi whined and panted, twisting in his grasp to show her belly as she would to any other high ranking pack member. He let go, but she remained on her side.

Adulfr was tempted to rub her tummy, but resisted the urge. I can't treat her as a pet anymore he told himself firmly. Speaking of pets, Leo finally came back. Skadi leapt to her paws and snarled at the Terror, who puffed himself up and bared his own fangs at her. "Stop! Both of you!" Adulfr snapped. They froze.

"Leo, this is Skadi. My oldest and dearest friend. Do not attack her, understand?" he asked sternly. The little dragon nodded obediently. "Good." He let Leo perch on his hook and stroked him until Skadi got used to Leo's presence. She crept closer to sniff at the Terror, until her tail began to wag. "That's better" Adulfr nodded in satisfaction. At long last, he felt at peace.

Hiccup and Toothless were leading Urchin to the Myrkr nest. Eclipse was accompanying them, of course; so were Valka and Cloudjumper. She wanted to see where her husband had died, to soothe the regret of not being there at the time. Valka was glad of the decade they had spent together, but missed Stoick dearly. So did Hiccup, and the two of them were still grieving his loss together.

They rested on Urchin's back for a while through the night, and when at last they reached the nest, Eclipse headed straight for the tunnels. Toothless and Cloudjumper landed on the ground outside it, not far from where that fateful struggle had taken place. Their riders dismounted, and they both nuzzled the humans sympathetically. Cloudjumper waited, whilst Toothless took to the air.

As his other half showed Urchin where to breathe ice to keep out ships, Hiccup silently led his mother over to the rune stone he'd roughly scraped out. In his hands were the tools to do it properly. Hiccup was no stonemason, and his mother even less so, but Stoick would have appreciated the effort nonetheless. When they had finished, Valka and Hiccup stepped back from the stone. They gazed at it in solemn silence. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He slipped his arm around her waist, and their heads rested against one another's. Neither spoke. Toothless and Cloud landed on either side, grieving with them.

Magnus Haraldsson, king of Norway, did not regret sending the dragons away for their own safety. However, he was irked by his advisors and other courtiers praising him for 'coming to his senses'. Now here they were, arguing about it again. "For the last time, the dragons can return when it is safe for them to do so. They are not exiled from Nidaros, and our alliance with Berk is still in place."

"Your majesty, with all due respect, your concern for the dragons is…admirable, surely, but for the sake of your good name it's for the best they're not present."

"Those dragons have improved our lives immeasurably, you fool" declared Cornelius. "Snap's tracking skills are greater by far than any of our dogs; with him I could bring in twice as much game and thwart many more poachers!"

Further bickering ensued, but just as Magnus had reached the end of his tether, the door was knocked upon urgently. When opened, it revealed a servant who had clearly run to find them. He bowed deeply and explained "Forgive the interruption, your majesty, but there are dragons approaching the castle. A few with riders, most without; and two of them are Night Demons" he revealed.

The meeting chamber had never been vacated so fast. Magnus ran out into the courtyard, shading his eyes against the sun's glare. Sure enough, there were dragons flying overhead. Two of them swooped down and landed in front of him. "Black Fire?" he asked disbelievingly, "Silver? You've come back already?"

*It's safe now* Black Fire answered, *unless…you don't want us to be back?*

"No. I mean, yes. I just don't understand – what about the hunters, and those Demoneaters?" Magnus questioned. A Nadder landed nearby, with a rider on his back, who dismounted. They both bowed to Magnus. "At ease. You are?"

"Eret, son of Eret. Dragon wrangler in the employ of one Hiccup Haddock the Third. It's an honour to meet you, your majesty. I have good and bad news."

"Does it have something to do with why our dragons have returned?"

"Indeed. You'll be happy to know that we found the hunters who tried to poison your fish supply" revealed Eret, "and we brought them here for you to lock up, or…well. You know. We've also captured the Demoneaters, and plan to send them back to where they came from before Grimmel got hold of them. He's dead, by the way. Tried to martyr himself, but Hugo and Sparkle killed him first."

"I see" Magnus said slowly, "and the bad news?"

Eret's face was grave. "Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast, is dead. He was fending off a Demoneaters and it killed him, then his dragon killed it" he replied sadly.

The young kings face fell. He ordered Garrett to go to the docks with his most trusted thanes and take the prisoners from Eret's ship. To Eret himself he instructed, "Please give my condolences to Lord Hiccup for his loss…and inform Jarl Hugo that as of now, he is no longer banished from Nidaros. I've realised I need a herald who knows and likes dragons to reach out to my fellow rulers."

Eret saluted and mounted up again. When he and his Nadder were gone, Magnus looked around at everyone reuniting with their peculiar friends. "I know you have flown far already, but if you have strength to spare – you would not believe how unbearably bored I've been the last few days" he grinned at Black Fire, who purred and gestured for him to climb on. "Welcome back, my friend!"

About a month later, Hiccup was back in England. This time accompanied by five Chin-Spikes, five Spike-Tails and two Slicing-Wings (3). The twelve dragons and their riders had volunteered to help build a new castle for the future newlyweds, Prince Godwin and Lady Adeliza. Hiccup trusted them all to behave and hoped they would show the English workers how useful dragons could be.

Duke William was in Normandy, but Hiccup invited him by proxy to the Dragon Day festival. King Harold was eager to attend. "Tis a grand opportunity for our three kingdoms to meet and forge an alliance on our own merits, not merely a suspicious truce. Besides, I'd like the chance to meet your father" he declared.

Hiccup flinched. "I - I'm afraid that won't be possible, your majesty. My father is…he…" Hiccup couldn't finish, but Harold could guess, and his brow furrowed.

"Oh. Oh, that is distressing news indeed. I'm so sorry" he offered sympathy. "I'll have word sent across to Normandy. No doubt the duke will be interested also."

"Thank you, your majesty" Hiccup said gratefully. "Ah, there was one other thing; is Archbishop Stigand here? There's something I want to ask him about."

"You're in luck. It just so happens he's travelled from Canterbury to have Mass at Westminster Abbey. As a matter of fact he should be there still; come, I'll have a carriage ride you there. Toothless would cause a stir, I fear" said Harold.

Hiccup smiled. "It's okay. He'd probably just get bored" he remarked. Through their bond, he let Toothless know where he was going. *Good luck* the dragon told him, knowing how important this was to Hiccup. The carriage ride wasn't entirely comfortable, used as he was to the smoothness of flight, but at last Hiccup dismounted outside the Abbey. The stone walls towered high above him.

As impressive as it looked on the outside, the interior was more inspiring still. Finely carved columns and arches, candles everywhere filling the place with a soft glow, rows of wooden benches facing an ornate dais with the pulpit and altar at the top. Hiccup felt a bit unsettled, as if he wasn't supposed to be here.

The church was all but empty, but there were a few worshippers praying. Hiccup was glad he'd remembered to cover his prosthetic, muffling the sound of it on the stone floor. Hesitantly, he made his way up the aisle, hoping to spot the Archbishop, but there was no sign of the man. Hiccup paused, uncertain. At last he saw Stigand emerge from the confessional booth, and sighed in relief.

Raising his voice in such a sacred place was out of the question, so he merely approached Stigand and cleared his throat. The elderly man looked around. "Hm? Oh, Lord Hiccup. I wasn't expecting to see you here" he said pleasantly.

"Hello, your Excellency. I, uh, hope I'm not interrupting anything…?"

"No, not at all. Aah, you must be here because of the new palace, correct?"

"That's right" Hiccup nodded, "but I'm here – at the church, that is – because, well, I needed some advice from you. It involves another archbishop, you see."

"Very well, have a seat" Stigand invited, gesturing to the nearest pew. Once both men had sat down, he encouraged "Now my friend, what troubles you?"

Hiccup explained, "There's a young man living in Norway, who once came to Berk and ended up forming a bond with one of our dragons, after they saved his life. Long story. They're very close, but the Norwegian archbishop didn't approve, so they had to separate. I thought since you had blessed our dragons when we first came here, you might know a way to change Tjodolf's mind."

Stigand's expression morphed from polite interest to concern. He steepled his fingers and tapped the tips against his chin in thought, considering the problem. "This young friend of yours, he is a Christian, I presume. He still wishes to have a dragon living alongside him?" he inquired. "What sort of a dragon is it, exactly?"

"A Fire-Scale; what you'd call a, a Flaming Wyrm. His name is Brannild – the dragon, I mean – and he's really not typical for his kind. He's very gentle and sensitive" Hiccup replied. He looked Stigand in the eye and declared, "I know I'm asking a lot, your Excellency, but I promised that I'd try to help them reunite. This was the only thing I could think of. I just need, some loophole, anything."

Stigand nodded slowly. "I suppose…to be perfectly honest, when his majesty first asked me to bless your dragons, I felt divided. For the first time I could remember, my service to the king conflicted with my loyalty to the Lord. I prayed all night for guidance, hoping to find some compromise as you are now, and at last in His wisdom, Christ gave me the answer. The blessing itself."

At Hiccup's confused frown, he explained "Demons and those afflicted with them cannot bear the touch of holy water, or a crucifix. Anything imbued with the Holy Spirit. When I blessed your Night Furies, 'twas a test; if they recoiled or were caused pain by the holy water I anointed them with, the truth of their nature would be plain. But nothing happened. I'll admit I was quite surprised."

Suppressing his exasperation at the man's confession, Hiccup asked "So you're saying, if Archbishop Tjodolf put something holy on Brannild and sees that the dragon doesn't react, he'll see that they're not demons?" Pausing, he then remarked, "I don't suppose you'd let me take a vial of holy water back with me."

The only reply from Stigand was a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, didn't think so" he sighed. "But thank you for trying to help. I appreciate it" Hiccup said honestly.

"You're welcome. I wish you only the best in your endeavours" the archbishop smiled serenely, "and may God's Grace be upon you. If you ever have need of me, simply send a letter. I will do my best to assist" he promised. Hiccup thanked him again and bid him goodbye, departing the church with a bit more hopefulness. He really wanted this to work, so Klaus and Brannild could reunite.

Before the Dragon Day festival could even be held at Nidaros at all, the Archbishop of Norway had to give his approval. So persuading Tjodolf that dragons were not mindless demons was Hiccup's top priority, for more reasons than one. With the kings help, he arranged to have Klaus' family visit the capital.

He didn't tell Klaus about the plan, so as not to give the boy false hope. When he was granted an audience with Tjodolf, Hiccup left Toothless with the other Furies and took Brannild with him instead. The nervous Fire-Scale did his best to look small and harmless, which wasn't entirely successful, but he tried. In his head repeated a mantra - don't flame up, don't flame up, by stars don't flame up.

"Good morning, your Excellency" Hiccup greeted politely, bowing. He'd told Brannild to follow his lead, so the dragon bowed as well. "Thank you for this opportunity. I, err, I realise we have our differences when it comes to dragons, but I hope this will help put your mind at ease" Hiccup explained cautiously. "So, err, this is Brannild. He won't hurt you. Brannild, this is Archbishop Tjodolf."

*Hello* Bran greeted, before remembering that this human couldn't hear thought-speak. He ducked his head even lower in embarrassment. *Sorry.*

*It's okay* Hiccup assured him, before saying aloud, "It's not my idea, actually. The Archbishop of Canterbury, in England? He tested whether our dragons were demonic by seeing if they reacted poorly to holy water. Or something sacred, not that in particular. So uh, if you try the same test on Brannild here…" Hiccup trailed off, since the rest was obvious. He cleared his throat and stepped aside.

I cannot do this. It is the Devil's way of drawing the weak-willed into temptation to sin thought Tjodolf as he regarded Brannild. Oh, but the king will have this festival regardless, I fear, no matter what I say or do. The uncertainty I feel about these dragons is torment; perhaps a test of their true nature will relieve it.

With this in mind, he held aloft the crucifix around his neck and approached the dragon. Under his breath he murmured a prayer of exorcism. The fanged beast lowered its head on a serpentine neck towards him. Holding the crucifix like a shield before him, Tjodolf watched closely as the scaly snout touched the tip. The dragon did not flinch, or cringe in pain. A true demon would have recoiled.

*Now what?* Brannild asked, when the old human took the cold piece of metal off his snout. They were staring at him in disbelief. *Did I do something wrong?*

Hiccup told him *No, that was perfect. Well done.* To the Archbishop he said "See? This is what I've been trying to prove. They're not monsters or demons", he reached out to Brannild, who pressed his snout to Hiccup's palm. "You must believe me now, surely" he insisted. If this didn't convince Tjodolf he was wrong about dragons, Hiccup didn't know what would. Aside from his God saying so.

"I…this is…" Tjodolf could hardly speak for his surprise. Could it be true? Could the dragon not be a demon, nor possessed by one? Was it all just another ploy of Satan's? I promised myself I would accept the answer this test gave me he reminded himself. "It would seem…that your dragons are different to most."

"That's one way of putting it" Hiccup conceded, scratching Bran under the chin.

"So be it, then. This…dragon festival of yours has my blessing" Tjodolf sighed.

"Thank you" Hiccup nodded gratefully, "and if a Christian wished to have a dragon, you would be okay with that?" he checked. Please say yes, please say-

"That is not my decision to make. Only the Lord can truly forgive sin" the Archbishop declared, "but I suppose if it puts your mind at ease…I will overlook this case. There are worst evils one could be involved in" he acknowledged. "Now, if there is nothing else you need from me, I must return to my duties."

Hiccup nodded. "Of course. And thank you, again, for your generous…okay we're going now" he said awkwardly, sidling over to Brannild and mounting up. "Uh, goodbye, your Excellency." Hiccup signalled Bran to take off, and the Fire-Scale launched into the air. He breathed a sigh of relief. "So, that went well."

Finding Klaus was easy, since Toothless had gone to lead him and his family to the outskirts of Nidaros. Brannild came to a landing in front of them. "Bran!" Klaus exclaimed in delight, running forwards. "Hiccup? What's going on?"

Hiccup looked up from where he was stroking Toothless and grinned. "Hello, Klaus. Edmund, Georgia…Mrs Karlson. We were just with the Archbishop" he explained. "I found a way to let him see for himself that dragons aren't demons. He said there were worst things you could be doing than riding a dragon, so…" Hiccup gestured to Brannild with a smile. The Fire-Scale purred like a giant cat.

"You mean…he can stay?" Klaus asked, eyes wide, "Brannild can stay with me?"

"If that's what you want. Or, maybe…I'd like to invite you to join the Academy. You could even skip a year and be in the same classes as Magnus. Err, our Magnus, that is" Hiccup suggested. "So, what do you think?" he inquired.

The idea was tempting, to be sure; but Klaus looked over at his mother and siblings, thinking of how much they meant to him. "Hiccup, thank you, for everything" he replied, "but I have to decline. I can't join the Dragon Academy."

"Oh, thank the Lord" muttered Rebecca, "you've come to your senses, at last!"

Klaus wasn't finished. "I can't go to the Academy because my family needs me here. Now that our father is gone, I'm the man of the house" he explained. Then his face fell. "Um, Toothless told me about what happened to your dad. I'm sorry, Hiccup" he said sympathetically. He would not wish that fate on anyone.

"It's okay" Hiccup murmured, "and I understand. But Magnus – our Magnus, that is – told me to ask you if she can visit sometime; and of course you're always welcome on Berk." Klaus smiled. Impulsively, he rushed forwards and embraced Hiccup tightly. Hiccup gasped in surprise, before returning the hug.

At last they broke apart. "We need to help with the festival preparations" explained Hiccup, vaulting into the saddle. "See you around, Klaus, Brannild." With that, Toothless leapt into the air, soaring high in seconds. Edmund and Georgia cheered. Grinning ear to ear, Klaus turned to his dragon, who briefly burst into flame with sheer excitement. They had a lot of time to make up for.

"This is Berk, son. It was the home of your grandparents, and their parents before them. Our tribe has lived on this island for over three hundred years."

"Wow…"

"Heh, heh. Now, it's my job to protect us; and one day, when you're all grown up, that job will be passed on to you."

"Okay, dad."

"He was right" said Finn. Hiccup looked down at his son, who peered up with big blue eyes, his reddish hair flying about his face in the wind. The little boy's favourite Terror, Daydream – one of Sharpshot's grandkids – was curled around his neck. "Granddad was right, wasn't he? You do protect Berk" he declared.

Hiccup smiled fondly. "That's right. At the time he thought I'd grow up to be chief. It didn't quite work out that way, but I like to think your mother and I have done a good job between us." Father and son looked out over Berk, the island and the village all filled with life. Finn's gaze wandered over to the statue of Stoick the Vast, carved right into the cliff side, that was there all his life.

"Dad?" he asked quietly, "do you miss granddad?"

His father sighed. "All the time. Your grandfather was the greatest man I've ever known; and I always wish you could have known him too" Hiccup confessed, putting an arm around Finn. "And I know that he loved you, as much as I do."

"And me!" called Astrid, sitting astride Stormfly who glided effortlessly on the updrafts. "You boys fancy one last flight before the sun sets?" she inquired.

Hiccup grinned. "What d'you say, Finn?" he asked, only to realise his son was already heading towards Astrid. "Okay, we'll meet you up there" he waved, before taking a running leap off of the cliff…and straight onto Toothless' back.

We fought dragons, when I was a boy…until one day, my best friend and I fought the Queen of them all, and ended the war. Now the dragons are part of our tribe, our families. We've come a long way, and there's so much further to go.

Stormfly flew on Toothless' right, their riders grinning at each other, Finn perched in front of his mother. Selena, Shadow and Asha soon joined them. Suddenly a black blur flashed past Toothless-Hiccup on their left. "Hi dad!" shouted Helena as she and Ebony raced by, calling over her shoulder "Bye dad!" The pair were racing against their cousins, Storm and Nyx, and well in the lead.

There was never any doubt which dragon their daughter would ride. All of her friends had dragons of their own, now; Kyrre rode Winter, the Skrill. Cammie had bonded with a Changewing, of all things, named Harlequin. Ozzie was chosen by a Shovelhelm called Calico. Aegir, who had become quite adept at thought-speak, rode Maelstrom, a Thunderdrum; the irony was lost on no-one.

All five of them, the next generation of dragon riders, attended the Academy, which had been rebuilt bigger and better on Dogshead Island. There was a church for the Christian students from Norway, England and Normandy, so they could practise their faith even far from home. Skulder's cryptid museum and dragon health clinic were both always busy, though for very different reasons.

Every day, we show people that there's so much more to these beautiful, amazing creatures than meets the eye. There might always be those who call us cursed, or crazy; what matters are the ones who are willing to try and change.

The last Hiccup had heard, Klaus was doing well. He and Brannild had helped introduce dragons to Borgund; now there were Gronckles in the forges and Shovelhelms helping to plow the fields. Mags had a job as a mail flyer and went out that way often, though not always with letters. Eret and Safira were happily married, and Nicole's crew had helped set up dragon-mail stations in the Med.

There were a few more 'dragon rescuer' ships plying the waters, and a network of mail stations spreading along the coastlines of Europe; some were even manned by former hunters. Hiccup's words had gotten through to some of them in the end; they were more willing than most to be around dragons at all, and so long as they could make a profit, they didn't feel the need to go hunting.

Adulfr had also reached out to these men, the same ones he'd recruited into his armies all those years ago. He understood their side of things more than Hiccup; he could teach them the lessons he'd learned. Once he visited Berk at the same time as Eclipse, there to get her tail-fin checked. The two of them had gotten on quite well, even to their surprise. They weren't partners yet, but…baby steps.

My life changed forever the day I spared my dragon. So long as I'm alive, I'll keep fighting for a world where dragons and humans can live in peace. It won't be easy, but it's worth it, because I wouldn't give this up for anything. Would you?

Hiccup looked around at his friends and family, heart so full of joy, and as Toothless surged up towards the sun he knew this was where he wanted to be.

(1) Idk if there's a platonic version of tsundere but if there is Adulfr is one lol.

(2) Reality is not on my side, cos it turns out wolves move dens a lot (the dens are only used for rearing pups), but let's assume this den is often used.

(3) Slicing-Wings are Timberjacks.

Four years, and 154 chapters (if you count the side stories) later, here we are. I want to give a massive thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews. You guys rock! I've had a blast writing this saga, and I wouldn't have had so much fun with it if not for the feedback and encouragement from all of you. If you review this last chapter it would make my day!

Now, I'm sure the question you're all wondering is, what's next? Not gonna lie, I've gotten quite attached to this world. I have ideas for a sequel series, that would branch out and look at Toothless-Hiccup's adventures in the wider world. For now I'm going to put this to one side, apart from maybe a few vignettes, and focus on other non-fanfic projects, so people have a chance to catch up with the series. If I did write another series in this world, there's a high chance it would be a reboot/au; that way I can explore new ideas without worrying about continuity.