Having laid against his brother while the female talked, Hiccup merely shifted so that he could look up at the Typhoomerang. He smiled.
"Sure. I don't mind visitors so long as they aren't trying to take over."
The Typhoomerang tilted her head. [You have had visitors that tried?]
"Some Tail-stingers," Hiccup replied. "A nest of Illusion-scales we are allied to said that same group has tried to invade their nest several times before. They aided us in fending them off."
[You are allied with Illusion-scales?]
[Them and at least one pod of Scaulding-spitters,] Shadowfire said chuckling. [Probably two when that female finds hers and tells them of the human run nest that saved her life.]
[I am surprised your alpha did not reprimand you for answering for him.]
Hiccup's head lifted. His eyes narrowed and the thing within him rose at the tone in the female's voice.
"I don't have to be the one to answer everything," he said. "I trust them. They know they are free to speak their minds. They let me talk when the need arises anyways."
The female dragon blinked. [A human that knows what honor and humility means. I never thought I would see the day.]
Hiccup frowned.
[I meant no ill by that statement, young alpha. I simply have never met a human like you before. Most humans I have met have tried to kill me.]
"It has been three hundred years since that monster first sent a raiding flock and started that war," Fishlegs said. "I will take time, much time, for the peace our alpha brought about to become the norm."
[You speak wisdom even if you do speak in one breath.]
Fishlegs rubbed the back of his neck then tapped two fingers from either hand against each other. "They other dragons seem to think I'm an elder-in-training."
[That would explain the one breath thing.]
Hiccup chuckled as Fishlegs grunted. Hiccup turned to Gyda, remembering she had asked him a question.
"Go ahead and take the eel back. Tell Astrid we'll be home soon."
Shadowfire backed away and bowed, wings spread. Gyda bowed at the waist then turned and climbed into the saddle. Hiccup noted she carried the kettle and saw the bitten end of the eel Toothless threw up dangling over the side. He nodded. Let that thing serve a purpose instead of making his brother sick. Hiccup's eyes widened, and he turned to the Typhoomerang as Shadowfire ran down the beach and took off.
"You said the green one was your brother?" Hiccup asked the Typhoomerang.
[Yes. Your brother's illness interrupted his nap.]
"Is he still nearby? I need to speak to him if I may."
The female titled her head for a long moment then lifted it and gave a resonating trill. One from behind the trees near the rock outcropping Moondust went to answered her. The green dragon Moondust and Sharpshot faced off against rose over the trees. He glided over, settling to the right of Moondust. The fledgling, still playing with Moondust's sliding tail, chittered at him then returned to their game.
[I see you have stopped spitting red fire everywhere, young Wind-shrieker,] the male said.
Hiccup's eyes narrowed but the female Typhoomerang's glare caused the male to bow his head.
[Be nice brother,] the female said. [He ate a large water worm in order to save his brother and his alpha.]
The male lifted his head and blinked. [I'm guessing the alpha was the bigger dragon that just flew away. I have never seen dragons bow to a Tiny-fang or a Rock-biter and the other two here are females.]
The female Typhoomerang hissed. [I know your hearing is better than that and I know you were close enough to hear the young human speak with the voice of the Ancients.'
[I thought it a trick of the wind. No human can be an Alpha.]
[It was not a trick and he is an Alpha. I heard the power in his voice. I felt it's call.]
Hiccup frowned. He turned to Meatlug, standing with Fishlegs and Boulder next to Toothless' tail.
"I thought only nest dragons were affected by this."
[All dragons will hear the call of an Alpha in their souls,] Meatlug answered. [Only those who have submitted to your authority will respond. Others can choose not to.]
Moondust lifted her head and placed her chin on Hiccup's knee. He shifted to look down at her.
[Remember, Alpha?] she asked. [Myself, Toothless' blood brother, and sister-in-law all heard your call but none of us felt compelled to respond.]
"Yes," Hiccup said. "I heard you. I was listening… it's just learning my voice made dragons freeze…"
His voice trailed off. Moondust cooed and nuzzled against him.
[I understand, my alpha,] she said softly. [You had a lot on your mind. It's normal some words got lost to the winds.]
Hiccup shook his head. "I don't want anyone to feel like I'm not listening to them. That I'm not hearing them." He sighed and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I know what that feels like."
[Hmm, a human with compassion,] the male Typhoomerang said. [Can such a thing be?]
Hiccup jerked, reminded of why he asked to speak to the male.
"I'm sorry," he began, looking up at the dragon. "When I saw you facing off against Moondust and Sharpshot I called you a thing. I thought of you as a thing. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
The male blinked. [You are not human. I don't know what you are, but you are not human. No human would ever apologize for speaking bad about a dragon. For thinking bad about a dragon.]
"Maybe not before, during the war," Hiccup said, nose scrunching up. "But now… the humans of my nest, with a few exceptions, will. We know the truth about dragons and the true cause of the war."
The male tilted his head then chuckled. [You are forgiven, young alpha who acts like a dragon and speaks with voices of the past.]
"Thank you," Hiccup said, smiling.
[So why were you here to be attacked by a water worm?] the male asked.
"Humans back home are sick and a bloodbane eel is the final ingredient our version of a dragon elder needs in order to make the remedy. I was fishing one out when I slipped into the river. Toothless bit the eel when it lunged at me. He swallowed it when we crashed onto the bank."
The female Typhoomerang looked to Fishlegs. [If he is an elder-in-training why did the human female and her son fly the water worm back?]
"Hiccup is promised to another female," Fishlegs answered. "Some in the nest do not know dragons can talk and have a culture of their own. Nor do they know that Toothless and Sharpshot are Hiccup's chaperones. They don't know he is the alpha of the nest according to the dragons. They believe he is merely the son of the chief, uh, our version of a flock leader. Were Gyda to remain and I fly the eel back, they could question things and since one does not like Hiccup, might spread tales that he is dishonoring his intended."
"And her parents have placed a lot of trust in me," Hiccup added. "I will not abuse that."
[Again, you show honor I had not seen humans show,] the male Typhoomerang said. [The ancestors truly blessed us with your hatching.]
Hiccup coughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Lorekeeper said pretty much the same thing."
[You have said titles like Moondust, Sharpshot, Toothless and now Lorekeeper,] the female said. [Young alpha, I am curious, what do they mean?]
[That may have to wait,] the male suddenly said, staring down to the beach and the ocean beyond. [A human water den just threw its long metal claw into the water.]
Kirika: Merry Christmas to you as well. And yep, Hiccup does need to learn both how to use his power and what it truly is and how it came to be.
Guest: Hehe, the authoress couldn't resist adding that line and the situation so called for it. Yep, Steinar and Padrig have already headed out. If wasn't clear with Gobber's POV they left an hour after Hiccup and the other Riders left.