Hiccup smiled. He stepped back to his brother's side and scratched Toothless behind one of his ear flaps. Toothless arched into him and purred, still playing it up for Hilda's benefit. Hiccup watched the woman stare in awe before her gaze rose to meet his. Hiccup's brow furrowed as Hilda's expression turned sad. Hiccup sighed. He looked away.
He did not know what the fight was or why his father was standing between an unknown Viking and the Nadder that had accompanied him to the Changewing nest. He only knew that loud, angry voices had awoken him. It took a moment for his brain to register anything beyond the fact that Astrid was buried in his arms and tucked under his chin and that Icewing had decided to sleep on his head.
Then he realized one of those angry voices was his father. He got up, placing Icewing next to Astrid, and turned to find his father drawing a sword. He watched the swing. He saw the axe blade fall. He watched his father slide between the Nadder and someone. He heard his father's declaration that the other person would not harm the Nadder and heard the other person call his father a fool. Before Hiccup knew what happened next, the thing within him rose and he yelled.
To his shock the room fell silent, except for the Nadder's smug chirping. All the dragons surged to their paws. His friends got to their feet. He moved away from the group and came even with his father, to find out that Baneson had returned. Hiccup still did not know what was going on, he only knew the man with Baneson had been the one to swing an axe at the Nadder and his father defended the dragon.
Hiccup did not know where his words came from. He did not know where he found the courage to stand and tell Baneson that he could tell the Viking what to do. When his father ordered Baneson taken to jail, Hiccup was still clueless. All he did know was that he had to apologize to Hilda. The lady had been someone who was kind to him. She trained with Gothi to take the mute elder's place as tribe healer one day and never had a harsh word to Hiccup, despite her husband dying when Hiccup failed to convince the man to let him repair his axe. Hiccup watched her son be lead away and by his father's words, Hiccup knew he was at fault.
So, he had apologized but the Nadder moving had spooked her. Hiccup did not think when he gestured for the dragon to walk away. He just did not want the woman scared anymore. When Toothless came over, acting more like a big cat than a fearsome dragon, Hiccup saw a chance to calm Hilda and show her that the dragons were harmless.
Now though, it seemed he had only managed to make her forget he was at fault for Baneson being imprisoned. A forgetfulness that seemed to be over.
"Hiccup," Hilda began softly. "I be so sorry, lad. I ne'er knew me boy told ye that. It not be true. Ye ne'er made da tribe ill."
Hiccup blinked, his gaze rising to meet hers. He frowned before looking to his father. Stoick stepped close and placed an arm around Hiccup's shoulders.
"Fishlegs told Eydis what Baneson said ta ye, son. She told me."
Hiccup froze. He never wanted his father to know about that. He really did not want the others knowing. It was all in the past. Nothing could really change it and it only seemed to serve no other purpose now than to cause everyone to feel guilty.
"I am sorry, son," Stoick said. "I should've seen it. I should've noticed."
"Dad, it's-"
"No, lad," Stoick said. "Don't say it be okay. It's not. I can't change it, my boy, but I vow to ye it won't happen again. No one will ever deny ye yer place, son. Not while I draw breath."
Hiccup sighed. "Thanks, Dad."
"How?" the unknown Viking asked. "How be it, dis slip 'o boy controls dat dragon?"
"Padrig!" Hilda hissed. "Hiccup be da heir ta Berk. Speak ta'm wiv respect."
"But ye boy," Padrig protested. "He be sayin' dat lad be nothin' 'n a nobody."
The dragons, even Toothless, snarled. Hiccup placed his hand upon Toothless' head and then slipped free of his father's arm.
"Easy," he said, looking at the dragons. "Calm down."
[Alpha,] the Nadder said, from is place next to Windwalker. [He is insulting you. He is breaking civility laws.]
Hiccup heard Hilda's gasp. He heard Padrig's grunt. He heard the helmsman's hum. He remembered what Toothless and Sharpshot said those who did not understand the Common Tongue heard. He walked over and placed his hand upon the Nadder's beak. The Nadder purred, nuzzling into his palm. Hilda gasped again, but this time sounding as if she was awed. Padrig and the helmsman grunted though the helmsman sounded friendly and as if he was amazed and intrigued. Padrig's sounded gruff as if he was unsure and that caused him to be angry. Hiccup sighed. Vikings did seem to get angry when things unexpected where thrown into their face.
"Easy," Hiccup said to the Nadder. He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They don't know me. They don't know you can speak. They don't know what's going on. Let's not scare them."
[Aye, alpha,] the Nadder said.
Hiccup smiled and scratch the Nadder's chin. The dragon cooed. Hiccup turned, finding the helmsman watching him intently. Hiccup moved to walk back, but heard Astrid shift her weight. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder. She stared at him. He smiled, reached for her hand and gently tugged. They were not at another dragon's nest. She did not need to keep an excited dragon calm so it did not offend a queen and he wanted her at his side. She smiled and walked with him back to Toothless, who had not moved from between Hilda and Stoick. He felt eyes follow his every movement.
Prince: Hehe, there's still time. Baneson has yet to really learn his lesson.
Kirika: Hehe, well considering Astrid and the dragons are not going to let that happen, it will be poor Baneson if he ever finds himself alone with a few of Hiccup's friends.