Stoick stared at the Changewing still reeling a bit at his story and how close it ran to his and Hiccup's past. Stoick took a deep breath. Monsters indeed. This dragon above all proved they were no different than humans in many regards. Stoick knew more than his fair share of men whose minds snapped when their wife, or another of their family, was killed and they felt themselves powerless to prevent it. Stoick also knew it had been the fact he had to lead the village and raise his son that kept him from diving off a cliff after Valka was taken.
Stoick felt guilt fall like a stone onto his heart. Valka had seen this. She had noticed the dragons were not the monsters everyone believed them to be. He had not listened to her, certain in the teachings he had been given by his father and grandfather, and he had lost her. Hiccup had seen the same as Valka and Stoick knew he had made the same mistake as before. And he had almost lost his son to that same blind grasping of how things had always been. How different things would be had he once acted in the manner he always said he did: listening to everything his entire tribe said, weighing their words carefully, and never dismissing out of hand a concern any member had.
"Ye came ta me?" Stoick asked in an effort to drag his mind from those thoughts.
They would do him no good anymore.
[The dragons may have named him alpha, but he is still a youngling and you are his father. Had he been an adult, I would not have come to you.]
Stoick frowned. The dragon's words gave rise to things that had perplexed him since all of this began.
"Do ye know why those dragons named me boy their alpha if he be so young in yer eyes?"
The Changewing blinked. [I was not there when your son was named alpha. I only know the tale he and his Wind-shrieker brother gave and I suspect there were parts they left out due to time and a reluctance to voice events personal to them.]
Stoick realized right then that had he not seen the gods' images in Gyda's cave, he also might not know the full story of how Hiccup and Toothless met and became the team they were. Stoick sent up a silent thank you to whatever god was listening at that moment, and not only for allowing them to view those images. He thanked the gods for Gyda being allowed to come live with them. Vikings did view magic with more distrust than dragons but with the memories came the knowledge that Gothi had accepted what had happened in Gyda's home. The elder also accepted Gyda's place in the tribe. The gods spoke through Gothi so her etched out runes held more weight than even his own spoken words.
[Your son and his brother said the dragons who now live on the bigger island used to relieve themselves upon the humans' territory and would steal food from you all.]
The Changewing's voice pulled Stoick from his thoughts once more.
"Aye. My son gave'm mercy after we learned why they be actin' that way."
The Changewing tilted his head and then shook it. [No, your son forgave them. To dragons, mercy and forgiveness are two separate things and forgiveness is the greater of the two.]
"Oh? How so?"
[Mercy only drops the offense but allows for its remembrance. It allows for the offense to be brought up again at the whim of the leader who offered mercy. Forgiveness erases the offense completely. It says the leader who gives forgiveness will never again remember the wrong done them no matter what happens.]
Stoick blinked. "So, Hiccup forgiving those dragons…"
[He told them their actions never happened according to his memory.]
"He told me he extended that forgiveness to the raids while the war was goin' on."
[And by doing so, he told those dragons that they never violated civility laws against him before or after the war.]
"He said those laws be important ta ye dragons."
[They are all that kept us from killing ourselves long before that fallen queen's parents were thoughts in their parents' minds.]
"Ye were at war with other dragons?"
[If individual species fighting other species was not bad enough, back then massive dragons who held power in their voice to command a multitude of dragons would pit their followers against the followers of other similar dragons. There would be no dragons now if elders of that time did not react.] The Changewing paused. [And many still do not believe this to be true, but those elders acted because they befriended a small flock of humans and learned how to love like humans did.]
"Ye dragons did not love like ye do now?"
[No. Back then the dragons were too arrogant in their belief they were superior to everything and everyone. That's what caused those massive dragons to pit their followers against others. They sought to be the only alpha every dragon bowed to.]
"So, I'm guessin' that since ye said others nare believe humans helping be the reason dragons nare extend civility laws to us 'fore me boy killed that monster?"
The Changewing smiled again. [Your way of phrasing words fascinates me.] He blinked and cleared his throat. [Sorry, my mate is forever telling me to keep my mind on the task at hand. I keep telling her that there are too many things at times that like to pop into view and go 'Hi, look at me.' She never likes it when I say that.]
Stoick cackled. "Sounds like some of the complaints I hear from men in the tribe 'bout their wives."
The Changewing laughed. [Oh, I am so glad your son freed mine. I am enjoying meeting you and the rest of this nest. But to answer your question, yes. It took many seasons to bring the relative peace dragons now have with each other. There are still flocks and nests that cling to the old ways, like the Tail-stingers who invaded here. They have tried to invade my nest several times. I believe their attack now was because they grew embolden by the lack of raiding dragons that frequented this island during the war. Those dragons would have easily taken them if it kept that fallen queen from eating them. Two working together would have kept both from getting stung.]
Stoick frowned. "Never in all me days did I think I'd be happy fer them raids."
The Changewing snorted. [Indeed,] he said then tilted his head. [The elders of my old nest were of those who did not believe the tales of humans helping to bring civility laws and the peace those laws ensured. The elders of the nest I now lead do believe and will frequently repeat those tales. They say the leader of the human flock did not wish acknowledgement for his actions or the actions of his flock and that's why many dismiss the humans' involvement.]
Stoick looked out over the village, noting those heading for their homes as the sun began to slink beyond the edge of the world. He watched with a smile as Toothless, Stormfly, and the three new Night Furies took to the skies above the Hofferson's home and headed for the harbor sea stacks. He turned back to the Changewing.
"Ye have given me much ta think on. I would enjoy speakin' with ye more." He took a deep breath and because he knew it would help Hiccup and, that helping Hiccup meant more than anything, gave his answer. "Ye can teach me boy. Jest…he's me boy and …"
Stoick's voice trailed off. He and the dragon might have more in common than he ever realized but Stoick was still a Viking and did not show weakness easily.
[Your son said you and he were working things out together. I told him that should that ever change I would be the father he needed. I said that because of how much he and his story touched me. I see now that I shall never had to step into that role. You are his father, human flock leader. You will always be his father.]