The next morning found a somber scene within the Great Hall. Padrig glanced around the room noting who stood where and with whom. He might be a farmer by trade, but he was also one of Chief Henrick's trusted generals. It did not matter that this tribe was allied to his. It did not matter that the heir of the tribe seemed to hold a power over the dragons. Padrig could no more stop the ingrain urge to observe everyone and learn their place in the tribal order and the influence they held than he could stop breathing. There had been too many times on the field of battle where that knowledge had saved a battle brother or sister's life.
Stoick, Hiccup, the two dragons that were always with the boy, the elder Hilda was apprentice to, and several men Padrig only knew in passing stood upon the wooden platform near to the back of the cavern. The robe wearing woman that gave Padrig the distinct impression she was a volva and held more secrets than all of the tribe members combined, stood upon the platform as well. Two blue Terror-sized dragons sat upon her shoulders. She held two hatchlings in her arms. Hiccup held the third. Though most dragons tended to blur together for Padrig, he noted the hatchling Hiccup held was the one almost killed by the chained man standing under guard by burly men with swords and a Nightmare and a Nadder. The big black and silver dragon that flattened the shackled man lay in the floor in front of the platform. Padrig did not need Hiccup to tell him the big dragon would love nothing better than to burn the shackled man alive.
Padrig looked around the room again tuning out the blacksmith as he began to read the charge against the shackled man. Padrig frowned. Three older men who held themselves like nobles of the tribe stood far enough of away from the platform that their bearings did not reflect those around them. The men must have been regulated to that position due to a shift in power and influence. Padrig noted the three did not glare at the man on trial. Their glares rested upon a family standing just to the right of the platform. Padrig's gaze moved and he blinked. Hiccup's future in-laws were the ones being glared at. Padrig wondered if Hiccup knew.
Padrig may let anger run him at times but he was no fool. His father died at the teeth of dragons but after hearing Hiccup's story, Padrig knew he could not blame the dragon. Padrig knew the difference between a monster that acted without remorse and a soldier that acted due to orders. Dragons were animals but intelligent and crafty ones. Their ability to last in a three-hundred-year war proof of that. Still, Padrig knew the raids had been done under the orders of a queen who punished her soldiers with a fate no sane Viking would contemplate. Padrig could hold no ill will to an animal that only wanted to live and yet faced death wherever they turned.
Padrig also knew that to ensure a tribe's survival in this post-dragon war era, one had to form strong allies or strengthen already established ones. The Hooligans with their dragons and an heir that seemed to have become the dragons' new master would be strong allies for Shivering Shores to keep.
Padrig marveled at the wisdom of his chief once more. Henrick went against the other chiefs and told Stoick in advance that the Thing would happen and what it was to be about. He further proved the tribe as steadfast allies by sending two people with high status and influence to witness and observe the truth of dragons upon Berk. Padrig noted the old man and his friends continued to glare at Hiccup's future in-laws and realized another chance to strengthen the ties between Berk and his tribe. He would approach Hiccup after this trial and tell the young lad his betrothed or her family might be in danger.
His gaze found his nephew glaring at Hiccup and realized another way to prove the Shivering Shores were allies. Baneson had said Hiccup was weak and a nuisance. He had told Padrig many times how the lad caused destruction every time he walked out his front door. He blamed Hiccup for the death of his father, but Padrig knew the stupidity his late brother-in-law had a tendency to show. It had been one of the reasons he had argued with his older brother to deny the marriage contract.
Padrig was seeing that same tendency to be stupid in his nephew. Padrig vowed to correct that. Baneson would not dishonor his mother and by extension her family and their tribe by holding onto a grudge that did not have merit. Baneson would not jeopardize Shivering Shores place as allies to the Hooligans. Baneson would not be the reason Hiccup turned his dragons upon the Shivering Shores.
The morning held a somber and shocked mood, that not even Bearspit's exile had cleared. Midday seemed inclined to follow the morning's footsteps.
[Don't look so glum, young alpha,] Toothless' older brother said, surprising Hiccup by nuzzling against his head. [This isn't a goodbye. I will tell Father and Mother all you have told me about Toothless and how you two came to be brothers. I also extend an invitation to you, your future queen, and those you wish to bring. Come, visit us. Toothless knows the way. Father and Mother will welcome you all with open wings. Just stay away from my sister. She will take issue to Toothless getting hurt, no matter the reason or the outcome.]
Hiccup smiled, scratching the older brother's chin, earing a coo. The male was shoved aside by his mate. Hiccup chuckled as Toothless' sister-in-law used her tail to keep moving her mate away but kept her head close so that Hiccup could scratch her chin.
[Hey,] Toothless protested. [My Hiccup. Go get your own.]
His sister-in-law snorted but removed her wing from around Hiccup's frame. She walked away, joining her mate near to the pond in the cove. Her friend sat between them and Hiccup, looking at both groups. The sister-in-law smiled and left her mate long enough to all but shoved her friend towards Hiccup. The friend trilled a protest that the sister-in-law silenced with a swat of her tail.
[I know you wish to stay,] the sister-in-law said. [So, stay. I'm sure the young alpha would not mind.]
"Not at all," Hiccup said, sending his dragon brother a smirk.
Toothless, having spend too much time around Gobber, rolled his eyes and snorted.
[See?] the sister-in-law said. [Stay. Come with them when they visit.]
[But….]
[No. I know. It's okay. You have your own wind current to fly in now, my friend, and the freedom to chose it. So, go for it.]
The friend sighed before nuzzling against the sister-in-law.
[Thank you,] she whispered.
[Anytime. Now ask him.]
The friend turned to Hiccup and bowed, wings outstretched. Hiccup tilted his head.
[The nest I come from is wonderful, much like yours, young alpha. Our king is wise and kind. My parents aid in gathering food for the nest.] The female paused then sighed. [I can never return there. I refused a male of high standing within the nest. He has made it clear he would punish me for that refusal.]
Hiccup's eyes narrowed and he heard several low growls.
[I will not bore you with long details, young alpha, but I have enjoyed my time here. This nest reminds me of my old one before that male decided I should be his. I find I do not want to leave. May I stay? My I call you my alpha?]
Hiccup smiled and placed his hand upon the female's nose. "Stand," he said softly.
The female did but did not remove her nose from Hiccup's hand. Hiccup began scratching. The female cooed.
"You reminded me of a story," Hiccup began. "We have a human who frequently visits the nest. His job has him traveling and trading many wares to many humans. Some who are not Vikings like us. One group he encountered told him a story of how their gods made the moon. They said a man threatened death to another over a prized gemstone. Their gods, angered by the man's actions, shattered the stone into dust and reformed it high in the night sky as the moon." Hiccup paused. "That male acted with the same dishonor that human in the story did. Thankfully the gods have seen fit to bring you here instead of turning you into moon dust. You are welcomed to call this nest home for as long as you want." Hiccup tilted his head. "Hmm, Moondust," he said softly.
[Is that to be my name?]
"Do you want it to be?"
The female closed her eyes and for a long moment did not move. Her eyes opened and she shifted her nose out of Hiccup's hand in order to lay the top of her head against Hiccup's chest.
[I love it, my alpha.]
Prince: Hn, not really false information, just information falsely believed. Bearspit blamed Hiccup for Dogsbreath exiling himself and since Dogsbreath died when he chose to fight the helmsman that piloted Heather's family's ship, Bearspit blamed Hiccup for that. So to Bearspit, Hiccup took away his son, a person he loved, thus he would take away the hatchling that spent the most time around Hiccup. Though it was not stated yet: the trigger for Bearspit deciding the celebration was the time to do this was Hiccup's refusal to jump the backlog in the smithy and make the new cage. Steinar doesn't see Hiccup as a threat. He sees the threat Hiccup could be if crossed. He sees the potential. He hasn't spent enough time around Hiccup to know that war is not even a nano-thought in Hiccup's mind.
Kirika: Aye, you got it. It marked and extremely important fact.