"Hiccup?"

[Brother?]

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup's soul twisted at Gyda and Toothless' worry. His heart shattered at the concern in Astrid's voice. Gyda had pledge her loyalty to him. Toothless was bound to him. Astrid was promised to him and said she loved him. Yet he was a monster and he did not deserve them or their feelings, friendship, and devotion. A monster only deserved death, but even that justice could not be metered out against him. His death would kill Toothless. He had already done enough to that dragon.

The thing within him tried to rise. It tried to fight. Hiccup viciously shoved it down. That he could hold in slavery. That he could seal in chains. It served no other purpose. Hiccup would not let it wrench the dragons' obedience any longer. He would keep it locked away.

He lowered his hands when both Nadder siblings shifted closer to him. He did not look at them. He did not deserve to. Out the corner of his eyes he did notice the female slept with a smile upon her muzzle.

Hiccup felt his spine straighten. Fire burned within him. That thing tried to rise. Hiccup savagely shackled it.

He was no longer worthy of the staying on this island of peace. He would step aside. His father could find another heir. Snotlout was his cousin. It would just mean the Haddock line that had ruled Berk since Vikings landed upon its shores now ended here, but Hiccup knew it had to happen. He would find a way to honorable dissolve the betrothal so Astrid was not chained to a monster for her entire life. He would create a new tailfin for Toothless that would let him fly without a monster forcing the fin to work. He would inform Gyda she was free of her promise. The dragons could find a new leader that would not enslave them.

He would then move to one of the sea stacks. Far enough away that no one was harmed by whatever rested in his soul but close enough that Toothless did not die. He had no idea if distance affected the bond Gyda spoke of and he would not test it to find out. He would not harm Toothless anymore. He would not harm anyone on the island anymore.

Before he did any of that, though, he would ensure the island was safe. He owed that to the young of the nest. He owed it to everyone. The Speedstingers had proven themselves a threat. They had to go, one way or another.

"Gyda," he began, keeping his gaze on the ground. "Where are they?"

"Where are who?" she asked and her tone suggested she was surprised and still worried.

Hiccup cut his eyes at her. He found her staring with a furrowed brow that quickly changed into a narrowed eyed look.

"No," she said firmly. "You are not."

Hiccup looked at her in full then. She had said her magic did not let her read minds, but it seemed she knew the plan forming in his. She seemed to know he would confront the Speedstingers on his own. He had no right to ask anyone else to risk their lives alongside him.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," Gyda said in a tone of voice that had everyone Hiccup could see, and himself, freezing in place. "Don't you dare think that this power makes you like that Red Death. You. Are. Not."

Her statement caused a flurry of noise and responses from the others gathered around. Hiccup could not pinpoint any single one to know the detail of what was said. They all combined into a din that had dragons and Vikings turning towards the group. Hiccup did blink when Frostfire flew off his brother's back and landed just to the left of Hiccup's still bent knee.

[Quiet!] he bellowed, his voice rising to be heard over the cacophony.

The others quieted down, though Hiccup felt heat from where Astrid sat and knew she was mad. At him or the knowledge she had fallen for a monster, Hiccup did not know which but he suspected the latter.

[Alpha, please lean forward. I wish to tell you something Uncle Ombra taught Shadow and I.]

Hiccup did as the Ice Terror asked. He was not the dragon's alpha anymore and had no right to refuse anything anyone commanded of him. He watched as Frost placed his right foreleg out in front of him.

[Do you see my claws, Alpha?] Frost asked.

Hiccup frowned. "Yes," he answered, not understanding where the dragon was going.

Frost lifted his paw until just the tip of his claws touched the dirt under it. He then flexed his paw slowly and Hiccup saw a small pebble roll with the same measure of speed as the flex. Hiccup jerked when Frost then slammed his paw down and back, his claws gouging tracks in the dirt that exposed a wiggling worm sliced in half. Hiccup watched as both halves of the worm disappeared into the dirt to either side of the gouge it had been unfortunate to be in.

Frost then turned sideways, his head in the direction of his mother. He curled his neck so he could still look at Hiccup then lifted his tail. Where Terrible Terrors had a pointed tail that resembled a sharp shovel Hiccup once saw, the Ice Terror's tail flared into a shape of a leaf laying flat upon a surface yet left jagged along its edges. Hiccup knew each jagged point contained a retractable spike. Frost and Pale had showed him and Fishlegs that feature when they were putting the Ice Terrors into the new Book of Dragons. They said it helped their kind navigate snow and ice covered terrain, or any terrain that required anchors to aid in keeping traction.

[Do you see my tail, Alpha?] Frost asked.

"Yes," Hiccup said, still not sure where this was going.

With the spikes retracted, Frost gently brushed that same pebble from before towards Astrid. She picked it up. Frost then chittered something that had Toothless hissing. Frost chirped, lowering his head. Toothless grunted but warbled something that sounded both resigned and intrigued. Hiccup had little time to wonder what was said. Frost cocked his tail. The spikes extended. He swung. The spikes clanged against Hiccup's metal leg. Astrid hissed, hand extended but she checked herself when none of the dragons moved. Toothless hissed. Shadowfire and Palewing grunted. The young chittered questioningly. Stormfly and Windwalker squawked. The other Night Furies just watched in silence though the male looked as he could not believe what he was seeing.

Frost turned and bowed, wings outstretched.

[Forgive me the strike against you, my alpha,] he said, straightening and sitting down.

He then opened his mouth and Hiccup saw vapors of snow gather in the small dragon's throat. Toothless snarled. Frost just lifted his head and Hiccup watched as the cloud of snow puffed out and softly fell to the ground around the dragon. Frost then lowered his head, his eyes boring straight into Hiccup.

[Do you understand, my alpha?] he asked.

Hiccup frowned, still confused. Frost smiled.

[My claws and tail have the power to gently move a pebble but they also hold the power to cause pain and destruction. My breath can provide a hatchling a cloud to chase or a blast to freeze a threat. It is all in how I use them. Your power is the same, my alpha. It does not matter that it is there. It matters how you use it. And you have done nothing with it that is evil or remotely like what that fallen queen did to her nest.]

[How is that you know almost the same exact teaching Father gave myself, the one your alpha calls Toothless, and our sister?] the male Night Fury questioned before Hiccup could respond.

Prince: Hiccup hates slavery and does not want to put anyone, dragon or human, into it. That this power he has can force obedience has hurt him. As for help, well, he has that, if he'll listen. Hn, I'll say this: Hiccup has forgiven a lot when it comes to dragons and their actions. He will not offer that to the Speedstingers.

Kirika: Yep, we're going north. I do hope you have warm weather gear. It'll be an icestorm. And yes, that was written that way for a reason.