This one is long but it is important so I did not want to split it. Enjoy. :) Also the Dramatis Personae will be updated.

They found Stoick and the Changewing king facing an irate Bearspit. Hiccup groaned as they landed. He knew what the man was mad about.

"Me cage, Chief! 'Dey done stole me cage! Yer boy's no more den a thief. I demand satis'facti'n, Chief."

Stoick's eyes narrowed. Hiccup watched his father's hands clenched. Hiccup quickly dismounted Toothless and rushed to stand between his father and Bearspit. He held up his hands in a placading manner.

"I'm sorry about your cage, Bearspit. We needed a way to secure the chief Speedstinger so we could get all of them off the island. You were stung so we couldn't ask but your cage was the only thing we had to put him in."

Bearspit stared down at Hiccup. "Where is me cage now, thief?"

Hiccup heard many growls and recognized two came from humans. He did not turn his gaze from Bearspit though he appreciated his father and Astrid obvious hatred of Bearspit choice of words. Still, he had to answer the man. He did owe it to Bearspit to tell him the truth.

"It shattered while we were moving the dragon. I'm sorry. I can build you another one."

Bearspit's eyes narrowed. "How long?"

Hiccup frowned. "If we have clear weather… two weeks from now. Gobber and I will have backorders to get to and it's still my job to keep the nail and hinge baskets full."

"Ye stole it. Ye broke it. Ye ain't gonna fix it 'fore that?"

"I can't jump the backorder, Bearspit. You know that."

Bearspit snarled. "Ye usele.. erk!"

Astrid stood between Hiccup and Bearspit, Hiccup not even seeing her move. Her axe rested against Bearspit's throat. Toothless moved to stand near to Astrid. The non-mated female Night Fury moved to the other side of Astrid, keeping Hiccup behind Astrid. Hiccup heard a squawk and saw Stormfly move around and lift her tail, spikes extended. He heard Sharpshot hiss and leap to Toothless' saddle, placing his front paws upon Toothless' head and snarling at Bearspit. Sneaky, also snarling, sat upon Astrid's shoulder.

[Walk away,] Toothless snarled, his wings lifting and unfurling slightly. [Or be carried away. Your choice, human.]

Bearspit stepped back but looked over Toothless' wing at Stoick. "Ye allow 'dis 'sault, Chief?"

"They be the only reason ye ain't thrown over the cliff, Bearspit," Stoick snarled. "Hiccup is my son and no thief. If he have need of yer cage ta save this island an all who live here, he can take it. He offered ye a replacement. Ye chose to insult him. I suggest ye wait fer it in yer home or ye can wait fer it in jail."

"Ye weak 'n…."

A hand appeared upon Bearspit's shoulder. Bearspit spun. Fell. Steinar, the helmsman that brought Hilda and her family home, and the heir to Shivering Shores, stared down at the man.

"Terribly sorry," Steinar said, shifting his gaze to his hand. "Me mother forever be tellin' me I no know me own strength. Ye unhurt, right? Snow seems soft 'nough ta keep ye from 'njury."

Bearspit stared up the man then looked to Stoick. Stoick must have not acted as Bearspit wanted because he stood, turned, and walked away. Steinar watched him for several heartbeats before turning and staring at all the dragons. The man crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze boring straight into Hiccup's.

"'Dere be more ta yer tale then ye gave, young Hiccup," Steinar said. "I have dogs. Loyal. Lovin'. Raise'm from pups. 'Dey would die fer me. None would do what 'dese dragons have done. Yer dragons worked like posted guards in 'dat cove, with shifts and reliefs, jest like me father's warriors trained fer da job. They obeyed ye like ye 'dere king. I heard da noises when 'dem dragons help us out of 'dat cove 'n back ta da village. 'Dey weren't da noises of jest animals. 'Dem dragons were talkin' ta each other."

Hiccup turned, looking up at his father. Stoick placed a hand upon Hiccup's shoulder and nodded his head.

"It be yer choice, son. I'll stand by what ye decide. I will say, I trust'm as I trust his father."

Hiccup took a deep breath. "We need Gyda here," he said.

[I shall get her, brother,] Sharpshot said, flaring his wings and rising off of Toothless' saddle.

Steinar watched for a while then turned to Hiccup. "'Dat dragon spoke ta ye, didn't it? It offered itself to obey yer request."

"He," Hiccup said. "Sharpshot is a he and he and Toothless are more than just my dragons. They are my brothers."

Steinar's eyebrow lifted. "Ye call'm brothers? Like battle brothers?"

Hiccup shook his head. "More than that. They are my brothers."

Steinar's mouth opened but Gyda, with Sharpshot on her shoulder and Shadowfire beside her, walked up the hill, stopping halfway. Hiccup frowned until the Changewing king chittered and a ring of Changewings appeared in front of Gyda, Sharpshot, and Shadowfire. Two moved aside and as soon as the three were in the circle the two dragons closed the gap. Hiccup noted that Steinar watched everything.

"Is something wrong?" Gyda asked.

Hiccup slipped between his father and Toothless' wingtip and walked over to her.

"Steinar is the heir to the Shivering Shores," he whispered. "He's here to give a non-Berkian voice to the Thing about our dragons. He suspects they can talk. Dad said he trusts him."

"Do you?" Gyda asked, her voice low.

Hiccup paused. That his father trusted him gave weight. That the man came to stay a winter with no idea what he was getting into just because Berk and the Shivering Shores were long standing allies and the chief wished to help Berk in the upcoming Thing gave more weight. Hiccup also felt no ill will in letting the man know. Not like when he contemplated Mildew getting his memories back. In fact, Hiccup felt his gut resting peacefully at the thought.

"Yes."

Gyda tipped her head. "Then I shall unlock his ability if he wishes," she whispered.

Hiccup turned, finding Steinar watching them, his arms still crossed. Hiccup took another deep breath and walked over to stand before the heir. Steinar straighten, arms falling to his sides.

"You were right," Hiccup said, looking up at the man. "There is more to the story but it's something we hold close because of what it could imply for everything and everyone if it was wildly known."

Steinar stared down in silence. "I give me word of honor, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, the Third, as a Vikin' and as heir to me father's seat, I will keep yer secret from those who need not know." He sighed. "Me father will need ta know if wot it is be wot I suspect it is."

Hiccup sighed. "We planned to address the Thing and see who could handle the truth of the dragons and what really happened when Toothless and I killed that Red Death. I already knew your father would be one who would be able to handle that truth. He has always been kind to me whenever I visited and is honorable."

Steinar cut his gaze at Stoick. "Me father and I never did feel ye be wot some of 'de others say ye were, young Hiccup."

Hiccup smiled. "First off, you were also right. The dragons were talking to each other. And they talk to us. Dragons aren't animals or monsters. They are living beings who have a culture and laws and have leaders and followers. Families. Friends. All just like us." Hiccup paused and gestured to Gyda. "She's a mage. She's the reason we know all of this. She unlocked our ability to understand the dragons."

Steinar blinked. "Volva," he whispered. "But none were ever here."

Hiccup tilted his head. He knew that word from lore lessons from Gothi but his understanding of them had them being lore from the Viking tribes still on the mainland far to the south. He never thought to associate Gyda's magic with those women, mostly because Gyda had stated she was a mage while standing in her dining hall for one and she was not old for another.

"I am a mage, sir," Gyda said. "Nothing more and nothing less. I have pledge my life in service to Hiccup as he has saved my life."

Steinar blinked again. "He save ye?"

"Aye. A man of a noble birth back home sought to coerces my allegiance. He put things into place that got my father killed and I feared my refusal would drive him to kill me. Hiccup saved my life and thus I owe him my life."

Hiccup felt relief flood him. With that explanation Gyda's origins could remain a tribe secret. Knowing a mage lived was one thing. Knowing that mage came from the future was another thing entirely.

"Ye have ta use magic ta unlock the ability, don't ye?" Steinar asked.

"Yes," Hiccup said. "It's called the Common Tongue. It allows us to understand the dragons' noises and lets them understand us."

"Ye brought her to unlock me ability?"

"If you want," Hiccup said. "We..I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do. I will say our own elder, Gothi has stated Gyda's place in the tribe is the will of the gods as is the fact this island now has dragons living upon it."

Steinar grew quiet and still. He stared at Hiccup, then Gyda, then the others standing around. His face took on one of understanding.

"I knew it," he said. "I knew I did not imagine dat dragon."

Hiccup frowned. "I'm sorry, what dragon?"

Steinar took a deep breath and held out his arms. Hiccup looked down and only because he had saw his own scars from the battle with the Red Death, he did not flinch at the sight of the man's wrists. Marks that looked like shackles had eaten into flesh scared the undersides of both of Steinars' wrists. Steinar twirled them and Hiccup realized why he gave him the side of his hand he had back in the Great Hall. The marks almost encircled both wrist. Hiccup looked up at Steinar.

"I be captured when I be no more older 'den ye, young Hiccup. Me father sent us out 'gainst some tribe 'dat be thinkin' 'dey could take our home from us. 'De tribe be no more. A dragon no bigger 'den da Terror wot get her helped me escape. In me anger at da capture I killed 'dere chief and da chief's second. Me father and many warriors arrived 'fore de other men of that tribe try anything. Me father gave'm one chance, surrender or all would be killed. 'Dey surrendered. Dad believed me 'bout da dragon, but no one else." Steinar looked to Gyda. "Unlock me ability. I 'orever be wantin' ta thank dat dragon but never found'm 'gain. I want ta ask 'dem if 'dey know who it be."

Gyda, in response, looked to Hiccup. He nodded. Gyda tipped her head and stepped closer to Steinar.

"Please hold still," she said, lifting her hands.

Steinar froze. Hiccup watched as Gyda place her hands upon either side of Steinar's head and whispered words Hiccup did not understand. Steinar flinched but remained where he stood. Gyda lowered her hands and stepped back. She gestured and Shadowfire lowered his head until his muzzle was even with Gyda's shoulder.

[Hi,] he said.

Steinar's eyes widen.

Kirika: Hehe, yep. Toothless is an uncle. And of course you can suggest names. I love that name and it actually fits Toothless' sister-in-law, so that's gonna be her name.