"Bearspit!" Hiccup growled. "Put that hatchling down!"
The man just stared over Icewing's head. One hand held the back of her neck. The other held an eating knife. The point near enough to prove his threat but not touching. Snarls and hisses echoed Hiccup's words. Bearspit's eyes narrowed.
"Ye kill me boy. I kill dis."
Roars and growls answered him, and not all from the dragons. Bearspit laughed. He raised the knife. Icewing squealed. Fought to get free. Wings fluttered. Jaws snapped. Bearspit howled in pain. The knife dropped. He tossed Icewing. The air rippled. The Changewing princess caught Icewing. Frost and Pale raced over. The Changewing landed, standing on her hindlegs. Frost and Pale landed upon her forelegs. Comforted their hatchling. Hiccup faced Bearspit. The man laid flat under Shadowfire's paw. The dragon dropped his head, grown bigger since they first met him. His horns flatten against his neck, flashing sliver in the light of a standing torch. A low snarl rumbled through Shadowfire's bared fangs. A Terror Hiccup recognized but was surprised to see sat next to Bearspit's head, snarling. Blood dripped from the Terror's jaws.
"Hold," Hiccup ordered, walking over.
Both dragons snarled but did not move. Hiccup stared down at the man, eyes narrowed. Fire smoldered within. The thing in his soul lashed and snarled. Hiccup let it go. Let it coat his words.
"You threatened one of my dragons."
Bearspit jerked. Shadowfire snarled. Pressed down. Bearspit coughed. The Terror lunged. Fangs drove into fingers reaching. Bearspit howled. Hiccup watched. He did not call either dragon off.
"Why?"
"Me boy die on Outcast Island. Ye sent'm dere. Ye killed'm."
"Your son exiled himself. Your son fought a man twice his size. Your son paid for his own actions."
Hiccup's fists clenched. His mind won the battle with his desire. He looked to his father standing back with the rest of the tribe. A tribe with hands upon their weapons and snarls upon their faces. Stoick tipped his head. Gave him the lead. Hiccup turned back to Bearspit.
"Hoark, Brynjarr, Spitelout, stuff him in a cell."
Shadowfire kept him down until the three men walked over. He snarled a warning. Lifted his paw. The Terror released Bearspit's hand. Hoark and Brynarr snatched him to his feet. Spitelout held a sword point at his neck. Hiccup looked at Gothi. He tipped his head once. She nodded, tapping Hilda's shoulder. The men began to drag Bearspit away.
"If he tries anything," Hiccup said, the thing in his soul still coating his words, "no mercy."
"Aye, lad," Spitelout said.
Hiccup spun. He ran to the Changewing. She now stood on four legs. Gyda held Icewing. Frost and Pale sat upon the mage's shoulders, crooning down at Icewing. Hiccup stopped in front of Gyda. Icewing saw him and trilled. Gyda, without a word, laid the hatchling in his arms. Hiccup held her close. Frost and Pale fluttered to his shoulders. Sharpshot jumped down. Hiccup murmured to Icewing. He heard purring and did not know if it was the thing within him, the Ice Terror parents, or the hatchling. He did not care. Icewing snuggled into his hold. Her breath fell upon his neck, calming and slowly. Hiccup lowered his head and nuzzled against the hatchling. He heard two chirps. He looked over his own arm and saw Wildfire and Snowfire sitting by Gyda's legs, looking up at him. Hiccup sat down as best he could while still holding Icewing. Gyda had to help him.
"Come," Hiccup said and the two other hatchlings jumped into his lap.
Hiccup placed Icewing down between her brothers and curled his arms around all three. He pulled them close to his chest. Frost and Pale, having hopped off when he sat down, jumped back onto his shoulders. Hiccup saw a blue blur. Astrid sat down in front of him. She leaned over, one hand upon his knee, the other arm wrapped around the hatchlings. Hiccup shifted, leaned at an awkward angle until the side of his forehead rested against her forehead.
Gyda sat down at his right side. She placed a hand on his forearm, her gaze upon her grandchildren. Hiccup heard shuffling. He spied his other human friends gathering close and sitting in a close ring around him and the hatchlings. Sharpshot and Sneaky edged in between them. Sneaky laid beside Astrid's leg. Sharpshot laid against Hiccup's left leg. Toothless and the other bonded dragons surrounded them, with Shadowfire laying behind his mother, Toothless laying behind Hiccup, and Stormfly sitting behind Astrid. The rest sat behind their riders as they were able.
The Terror looked up at Hiccup. Hiccup tipped his head, allowing it to remain. A discussion about its appearance could be done later. The Terror laid down next to Gyda. The Changewing princess shifted, laying down in a way that did not block Fishlegs. Silence fell, except for a low rumbling purr coming from all the dragons and not just the ones Hiccup could see.
Steinar blinked, staring at the sight before him. Hiccup and his friends were lost the middle of what looked like all every dragon currently upon the island. At least the ones who could gather around them in the area in front the hut Bearspit exited from midway through the celebration. Other dragons roosted upon roofs as close as they could. All stared at the middle and Steinar's jaw dropped when all the dragons began to make a low, rumbling purr.
He heard a shuffle of bootsteps and looked right as Stoick came even with him. The chief stared at the sight and Steinar detected a shine to Stoick's eyes. Steinar took a deep breath. He knew why the chief had tears in his eyes. He had heard of the chief's wife being taken. No doubt the man wished the woman was here to see her son.
The air rippled at his left and he suppressed the jerk as a Changewing appeared. The dragon merely stared forward.
[Your son's power is growing.]
Steinar still found that a bit unsettling even as Stoick simply grunted. The air rippled on Stoick's right side. Another Changewing appeared. Steinar noted Stoick did not seem to mind.
[I see what you mean, my king,] the new Changewing said, its voice showing it to be female and Steinar was reminded of the elders of his tribe when they wished to impart some wisdom. [I shall look into this, father of the young alpha. I will find out what this is and why it is happening.]
"Thank you," Stoick whispered. "It would devastate Hiccup if it turned out to be somethin' like that Red Death."
Steinar's eyes widen at the implications of those words. He was no fool. He remembered the story of the monstrous queen. He remembered the power she was said to hold over the dragons. Steinar stared at the big black dragon that flattened Bearspit but did not really see him. His focus lay upon the young man he could not see but knew to be there. That young man's actions stopped a three hundred war, but Steinar knew that if anyone crossed the young lad, he could start another one. A far deadlier one. Steinar also knew the Archipelago would not survive such a war.
Kirika: Yep, Astrid's gonna learn from the Changewing queen while Hiccup learns from the king. And yep, it's nesscessary for reasons I can't go into yet. And they'll have fun. They get to go to an new island and learn new things, plus only Gyda will be allowed to follow and you'll see why that is later.
Prince: They are a very curious dragon. Cute too. Astrid will be viewed by the dragons as Hiccup's queen. To some degree she already is. At least with the bonded dragons and their mates. When they marry though, the entire nest will see her as having Hiccup's authority is all things. The Changewing queen recognizes this and knows she'll need to know how to deal with a nest of dragons as well.