The Dramatis Personae has been updated as Boulder and Rockmoss' mother is named in this chapter. Thanks to SnowBriar for the name suggestion.
The Nadder tilted his head. Hiccup heard a soft thump and saw Toothless pad closer, sitting down and curling his tail around behind Firestorm. The four young Nadders lifted their heads to see over Firestorm and chittered to Toothless. He warbled back and they settled again. Toothless looked to the parents.
[Our resident mage said my brother has the soul of a dragon.]
The male Nadder shook his head. His mate chittered. Hiccup stared at them then looked to Pinpoint and Skysinger for a moment before his gaze found Willowing, Skysinger's sister standing in the crowd next to Pebblefire, Boulder and Rockmoss' mother. Hiccup turned back to the Nadder parents.
"Why don't you rest here, in the nest, for a few days," Hiccup said. "Reconnect with your daughters, and new son-in-law and then we'll see what you think of all of this."
[You would allow non-nest members to rest in your territory?] the purple Nadder asked, stepping to her mate's side. [We will need food for our younglings and ourselves.]
"So?" Hiccup asked, resisting the urge to tilt his head.
Ringfire's bigger hatchling still had his chin in Hiccup's hair and Hiccup was loathe to disturb him.
[You would give provisions to non-nest members?] the male Nadder asked.
[Alpha,] Willowing began, [may I approach?]
"Sure," Hiccup said. "They are your family."
Willowing chirped and walked closer to her mother. [Mother, Father, our alpha is unlike any other. He forgave myself and many of the dragons you see even after we violated civility laws against his nest. He welcomed us and gave us a home here.]
The purple Nadder squawked. [You violated civility laws?! I raised you better than that!]
Willowing sighed. [My sister and I have a long tale to give you and father. Please, will you take our alpha's offer and rest? You can stay in my cave.]
The two Nadders looked Pinpoint and Skysinger.
[Where is your cave? Is it near your sister's?] the mother asked.
Pinpoint shook himself and chittered before taking a deep breath. [We have no cave yet. My love was taken and when I first met our alpha.. I… well, I did more than the others in violating civility laws.]
[What did you do?] his father-in-law asked, eyes narrowed.
Pinpoint swallowed.
[Father,] Skysinger said, nuzzling her mate, [that is all part of the tale Willowing and I have.] She sighed, looking down at her talons. [It's not a happy story even if the ending is joyful.]
[Willowing?] the father asked.
[Me,] Willowing said.
The father blinked. [What kind of title is Willowing?]
[It's not a title,] Willowing said. [It is my name. Most of the dragons you see have names.]
The father turned to Skysinger.
[Mine is Skysinger.]
[Who gave you these names?] the mother asked.
[Our alpha or those closest to him,] Pinpoint said. [For the record, mine is Pinpoint. Our alpha's father felt the name fit me.]
The parents turned to Hiccup.
[Why Skysinger?] the father asked.
"My brothers and I fly often," Hiccup began. "Once, while flying around the northern part of the island we heard singing. We followed the sound and found your daughter, well, Toothless said she was playing with the wind and singing in the Old Tongue. I had already asked if I could give her and her mate some names as there are a lot of dragons living in the nest. They agreed and I told them I would offer names and let them pick the one they like. I offered Skysinger and she said she liked it."
[And Willowing?] the female Nadder asked.
Hiccup grinned. "I think I'll her tell you that one, ma'am."
Willowing snorted. [Our alpha is showing his silly side again.]
[Our alpha loves to,] Toothless said.
The two Nadders looked between Toothless and Willowing. Willowing grunted.
[I got what the humans call an arctic willow leaf stuck on my wing and could not get it off. Alpha and his brothers were out flying with his intended and his brother's intended and aided me. Alpha's intended suggested the name.]
[What is this arctic willow leaf?] the mother asked, slowly pronouncing the new words.
[The wound plants elders use when we are in pain. I recognized it from my lessons with our flock elder and tried to get some for the Spike-thrower Elder. A single leaf stuck to my wing in a place I could not reach and I was trying to get it off when they found me on the hill above my cave.]
[She was doing some impressive spins to get that leaf off too,] Sharpshot said. [I thought the name Spikespinner would be good but my intended and Lady Alpha rejected that idea.]
[You are not naming any hatchlings by the way, love,] Sneaky said from where she sat beside Astrid's right leg.
Sharpshot squawked softly. Hiccup chuckled. The Nadders blinked and looked at their daughters then to Toothless, Sharpshot, and finally Hiccup. Hiccup smiled.
"Ma'am, sir," he said, "the offer still stands. You all can rest here and reconnect with your family."
[Thank you, alpha of the nest,] the father said. [I think we will take you up on that offer. I feel that my daughters and son-in-law have much to tell us.]
He then chirped something in the Old Tongue. The Nadder younglings grumbled a bit but got up. Firestorm lifted his head and the Nadder younglings chittered at him then at Toothless before moving to stand by their mother's legs. Ringfire chuffed and her hatchlings slithered back to her. She nuzzled the bigger one, softly chirping in the Old Tongue. Sage chittered and Sunset and Sunrise glided back to her and Blue and Star. Hiccup stood, aided by Toothless, Pepper and Piper, Firestorm, and Rockmoss as he still held Wildfire and Snowfire against his chest and still had Icewing on his shoulder. He turned to the younglings as Sharpshot climbed back to the clawholds.
"Thank you," he said, softly.
[Welcome,] Pepper said before either Firestorm or Rockmoss could respond.
[Alpha,] Piper finished.
"You're getting better," Hiccup said, smiling.
[Elder Gyda and Sha'wfire,] Pepper began.
[Help,] Piper finished.
She nuzzled Hiccup once more, earning a squawk from Icewing. Frostfire chittered sharply. Icewing cooed. Pepper and Piper's heads tilted as Firestorm and Rockmoss bowed to Hiccup and moved back to the crowd.
[Hat'ling think,] Pepper began.
[You hers,] Piper continued.
[But you,] Pepper added.
[Is Lady Alpha's] Piper finshed.
"And he knows it," Astrid called down.
That comment earned laughter from many dragons and Vikings in the crowd. Hiccup saw Skysinger's parents look up at Astrid and then back to Hiccup. He smiled.
"After your family tells you their tales," he said, "Toothless and I will tell you ours so that you can understand how this all came to be."
[Thank you, alpha of the most unusual nest I have ever come across,] the father said. [My mate and I are very confused. It was our understanding that humans and dragons in this part of the world were at war with each other. When our daughter and son-in-law found us they insisted we come meet their alpha. They said he had stopped the war. I admit, I was not expecting this.]
Hiccup's brow furrowed. "I didn't stop it on my own, sir." He looked to Toothless then up to his friends and their dragons. "I had help."
[Help that followed your every order,] Toothless said.
Hiccup sighed. "You all still helped me."
"Hiccup," Stoick said softly.
Hiccup nodded. He looked to Pinpoint and Skysinger. "There is to be a small celebration held in honor for all who left and returned. You and your family are welcomed to stay."
The adult Nadders looked at each other. Pinpoint, Skysinger, and Willowing faced Hiccup and bowed.
[The younglings have had a long flight, Alpha,] Skysinger said. [I believe it would be best if we got them to Willowing's cave and told our parents how we all ended up here. Thank you for welcoming us back.]
Hiccup smiled. "This is your home," he said. "Of course I would welcome you back. May the wind forever be under your wings."
[Yours as well, Alpha,] Willowing said.
[Pinpoint] Windwalker called down before the family could fly off, [since Stormfly's father requested we stay with them, you can have my cave.]
[You're sure?] Pinpoint asked.
[I'm sure.]
[Thank you.]
The nine Nadders flared their wings and rose into the air. They banked north. Their flight inland was slowed due to the younglings but soon they were out of sight. Pepper and Piper watched them then looked to Hiccup and chittered something in the Old Tongue. Hiccup heard Gyda's sons and daughter-in-law chirp in what sounded like surprise. Hiccup looked up at them only to find the three staring at each other. Hiccup lowered his gaze to Toothless.
"What did she say?" Hiccup asked his brother.
Toothless shifted his gaze from where it had rested upon Gyda's children to Hiccup. [She said this nest is better than the one she's from. There are more nice humans here where as there's only one at her previous nest. And here humans and dragons can talk to each other. There the human could not converse with the dragons.]
Hiccup blinked. "There's another nest where at least one human lives with dragons?" he asked.
Toothless lifted and lowered his wings. [Apparently. It's likely a mated pair of dragons found a human hatchling and took it in. That has happened before according to my previous flock elder. It was a long time ago though.]
"Huh," Hiccup said. He turned to Pepper and Piper. "We may need to find your old nest soon, young one. I'm sure your parents are worried about you."
[Find parents and see if,] Pepper began.
[They live here,] Piper continued.
[We not want,] Pepper added.
[To leave,] Piper finished.
Hiccup smiled. "We'll ask them when we find them and if they want to, they are welcomed to live here."
Pepper and Piper chittered excitedly. She nuzzled against Hiccup and Sharpshot before scooting around Hiccup to nuzzle against Toothless. She then turned and rushed back to Blue and Star, cooing at her guardian. Blue and Star nuzzled the youngling. Hiccup smiled before turning around and heading back up the stairs.
SnowBriar: Hey, you, welcome back. Glad you found the story. Yep, the Flightmare should be interesting. Hehe, I hope you notice one of your names got used for a dragon :)
Kirika: Hehe, I'm sure their minds are a bit blown by this nest and it's members. Now though, they'll at least get the story. Not sure they are going to like parts. I'm glad you are liking this version of HTTYD and I can say this with certainty, though it won't appear in this tale as we are not going that way, the DeathSong will appear in this version of HTTYD cause we will go to the Edge :)