Why did I ever think this one would be shorter than Two Worlds: One Family? Guess what, it's not.
The next morning, before the sun even peeked over the eastern sea, the nest dragons tasked with ensuring the Speedstingers returned to their island and the ice connecting the two landmasses was removed, came home. The Changewings, that went with them and who were led by the prince, returned as well. Stoick called for a celebration as no one had lost their life during the entire ordeal and the only food stolen had been easily taken items, such as Mrs. Larson's meat breads set upon her windowsill to cool before her family ate them. The village's two bakers also lost bread, both sweet and savory, from their windowsills. The food storage buildings remained sealed by iron latch bars, but talon marks showed the Speedstingers had targeted them.
Hiccup knew he and his father would have to come up with a better storage system. The buildings were too exposed within the village. While his father finished announcing the celebration during morning meal, Hiccup pondered if they could fashion more than a nursery in the cave systems under Berk. An underground food storage would keep them from being targeted so easily. He opened his journal, flipping to a clean page in order to record his thoughts and draw the design he saw in his mind. He would bring it up to his father later that night.
Astrid sat down beside him. He glanced up at her, finding her looking at his food and frowning. Hiccup turned back to his journal. He had to get this written and drawn. He would find out why she was frowning afterwards.
His eyes crossed when a whalebone spoon laden with some of Mrs. Hofferson's honey mush was shoved between his nose and the journal. He blinked, his gaze lifting. Astrid stared at him from the other end of the spoon, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. Hiccup smirked. He opened his mouth and slowly ate the mush off the spoon. Astrid's nostrils flared as she snorted. Hiccup winked at her. He winced a second later as the back of the spoon rapped across the tip of his nose. Astrid lifted an eyebrow, staring at him as if to challenge him to respond. He heard their dragon chaperones snicker. Hiccup leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. He intended to get her to kiss him back and immediately pull away. A voice from on the other side of the table prevent that.
"Ugh, not while we're eating."
Hiccup pulled back, finding all of the friends placing their food upon the table and sitting down. Snotlout held his hand over his mouth and shook his head.
"It's way too early for all that lovey-dovey nonsense," Snotlout said. "A warrior needs nothing like that to keep him from eating properly."
"We have a warrior at the table?" Tuffnut asked, looking around wildly. "Where? I don't see this warrior. Ruff, are you hiding him?"
"Yeah," Ruff said, smirking. "He's in my helmet."
Tuff gasped and crossed his arms. "How dare you keep such a courageous person in your helmet? What?" Tuff asked, looking at everyone at the table. "It's too small a place to keep a warrior."
Hiccup blinked. "Uh, Ruff, Tuff," he began, "what.. what was that all about?"
The twins both smirked at the same time, which Hiccup found a bit creepy, but he said nothing.
"Practice," Ruff said.
"Super secret practice," Tuff added.
"We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you," Ruff continued.
"And we like you, boss man, so we won't tell you and won't kill you," Tuff finished.
"I appreciate that," Hiccup said slowly. "You two aren't going to cause trouble are you?"
"Who us?" Ruff asked, holding her hand over her chest. She looked at her brother. "I am offended," she said. "Our boss man thinks we would cause trouble."
"It's okay," Tuff said. "I don't mind you getting offended."
Hiccup glanced at Astrid as Ruff began to chuckle. Astrid stared at the twins then looked to Hiccup and shrugged her shoulders. Hiccup turned his gaze to Gyda, finding her holding her hand over her mouth and crying.
"Gyda?" Hiccup asked, worried.
Hiccup blinked when he heard the mage make a sound like air rushing through a thin opening. Gyda's hand fell away and she cackled. Shadowfire, laying on the floor behind her, Fishlegs, and Snotlout, chortled.
"Oh, that's perfect you two," Gyda said.
Ruff and Tuff grinned before eating their morning meal of leftover yak stew and flatbread. While most families ate in their own homes, with a few exceptions, Stoick had gone by early enough to gather everyone into Great Hall, telling the ones cooking to bring their food with them and even aiding them, so he could report the status of the village after the invasion attempt and announce the celebration. This made for a variety of food being offered for everyone. Hiccup, having grown to love his future mother-in-law's honey mush immediately chose it. The twins seemed to be addicted to yak stew though.
Hiccup turned from those two and stared at Gyda, an eyebrow lifted. Gyda grinned, taking a piece of dried fruit off her plate and eating it before answering.
"Your father was smart to keep you and Astrid from the wiles of chiefs coming in the spring," she whispered. "But there were more than just you and her on that field of battle at the Red Death's lair." She gestured to Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs. "Any contract signed with them would have their wives coming here. Ruff, though, would be removed from Berk should that happen to her."
Hiccup's eyes widen. Then narrowed as he wanted to kick himself for not realizing that. If the chiefs coming sought an alliance of marriage to keep themselves safe from an imagined dragon army, then not just himself and Astrid would be affected. All of his friends could face the same, especially now that he and Astrid were betrothed.
"Ease your worries," Gyda continued. "Ruff and Tuff's parents were made aware of the problem and we have worked out a solution. Ruff will become my apprentice. The act you just saw was something they thought up and I found it a hilarious way to ensure no one decided to weasel their way around the law of allowing a Berkian the right to refuse a marriage proposal. No sane chief would want their son, daughter, or fellow tribe member married to someone slightly insane."
"What does weasel mean?" Fishlegs asked.
Gyda blinked as Shadowfire cackled.
[So, mother, you gonna explain this one? You made me explain smack down.]
Gyda snorted but stared at Fishlegs. "A weasel is a creature. The phrase comes from its character of being sly and crafty. Sometimes too much for its own good."
"Oh, are these creatures common in your home land?" Fishlegs asked and Hiccup was grateful Fishlegs remembered to phrase it that way.
Too many people who did not know Gyda's true orgin were in hearing distance.
"Eh, they are widely known," Gyda answered. She frowned, looking up at the rafter then back down. "If you have ever heard of a stoat, it's the same creature."
Hiccup snickered. He had heard of the creature before. Johann, on the long flight from his ship to Berk, had told Hiccup many tales. One was of a crafty stoat that outwitted the hunter seeking is white fur. The creature had led the hunter on a merry chase before turning and giving itself up just before the sun fully set. Due to the low light, the hunter cuffed it upside the head and the creature pretended to be unconscious. The hunter placed in a crudely made cage and went to sleep, thinking he would kill and skin it in the morning. While the hunter slept the awake creature slipped free of its poorly made cage and raced into the night. That had been the only story Johann had told on that flight that Hiccup actually enjoyed.
Hiccup glanced around the Hall, reminded that with the ice gone, he would probably have to take Johann back to his ship. The merchant would not want his goods left alone for long. He frowned, finding the merchant speaking with Bearspit. Hiccup closed to his journal, placing it in the pocket Dervla had sewn on the inside flap of his fur vest and went to stand. Astrid's hand upon his wrist stopped him.
"Eat," she said. "Then go."
Hiccup snorted but sat down. He remembered the haunted look upon her face when she informed him he had thrown up the broth they gave him while he recovered from the battle with the Red Death. He also remembered the guilt upon her and Fishlegs' face when they were at the Changewing's nest. He would sit and eat for her, for his friends, then he would see about getting Johann to his ship.
His hand brushed against his journal as he picked up the spoon. Sometime today he would also finalize his idea about an underground food storage. He was certain that once he got that worked out there would be more ideas that appeared in his mind. Now that he could actively pursue them the ideas would not stop, unless he was stressed over something.
He glanced at Astrid, making a point to show her he was eating. She smiled. He knew that later he would be able to run his idea by her. She actively asked him about them whenever they had time to themselves.
He settled into his seat, eating and laughing with his friends, and listening to them when they spoke. They returned the favor and listened to him when it was his turn. The idea of being a monster never entered his mind. The knowledge he was heir to Berk and the alpha according to the dragons seemed distant. Seeing his father and the Changewing king only reminded him he needed to tell Astrid about the king's offer but threw no weight upon his shoulders.
It was only at the end of the meal and he was going across the Great Hall towards Johann, that he realized he had enjoyed a meal with others. Granted he now ate more often with the tribe since Baneson's words had been revealed to be the reason he stayed away, but the last time he remembered appreciating a meal with that many humans had been in Gyda's dining hall.
He had actually sat with his friends with no issues weighing him, or them, down and enjoyed himself. He wanted more moments like that.
"Ah, Master Hiccup," Johann's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I was just about to come over and ask if I could drag you away from your friends. I waited because you seemed to be having a swell time and I did not wish to intrude, but I must get back to my ship."
Hiccup grinned. "I was just heading over to see if you wanted to fly back or be taken via a fishing ship."
"Oh, a flight, please. Your dragon made the ride so smooth, even with our friends joining us at the end. And I dare say it was a shorter trip than I have ever made across these waters."
Hiccup chuckled. "Then let's go get Toothless' saddle and we'll be off."
Kirika: Yep, we are getting closer and closer to Snoggletogg. Expect some surprises along the way and while there. Also, the last part when I translated with my phone said birthday but when I did the same with my laptop it said years. If you did indeed mean birthday: Happy birthday.
Prince: Well, they are Hiccup and Astrid's chaperones. Their parents did task the dragons with keeping them honest. There gonna interrupt them often until they are married.