The Dramatis Personae will be updated with new human names.
Thuggory grunted. "So ye be cowards jest like da weaklin'?"
All the dragons, even the Typhoomerang, growled, a low and deadly sound that resonated. Padrig moved to stand beside a calm and relaxed Steinar. Both men kept their backs to the growling dragons and both men crossed their arms over their chest. The message was not lost upon Thuggory. He moved to step closer. The growls became snarls. Neither Steinar nor Padrig seemed concerned.
Hiccup let the snarling continue for several heartbeats as Thuggory froze and went pale again. Hiccup cleared his throat once. The nest dragons immediately went silent. The Typhoomerang though not an ally or a nest dragon under Hiccup's command, fell silent as well. Hiccup was grateful the bigger dragon caught onto his ploy.
The burly man that stopped Thuggory before clamped a strong hand upon Thuggory's shoulder once again.
"We be gettin' dat eel fer yer aunt, boy," he said, his voice sounding as low and as dangerous as the dragons' snarling. "And we be leavin' dem be."
Hiccup blinked as he recognized the man. He was one of three who had not treated Hiccup with scorn the day his father publicly reprimanded him on Meathead Island. Hiccup recalled the man had actually looked like he wanted to intervene and stop Stoick.
Thuggory slung his shoulder free. "I be in charge. I be da heir."
"Heir ye may be, but yer father said iffen ye dunna follow orders and ye bother Berk den I take charge. Yer father not be wanting war wiv Berk. Ye not be puttin' da tribe in danger cause ye be jealous and childish. Ye ta be chief one day, boy. Den put da tribe 'fore wot'ever stupid thoughts ye be havin' in regards ta Hiccup."
Thuggory stared the man then turned to the other. "Bind'm," he ordered. "Treason 'n treachery. Takin' charge on me mission. Lyin' 'bout me father's words."
"He no be lyin', boy," the second man said.
Hiccup blinked again. That was another of the three that were not happy with Stoick that day.
"I be hearin' ye father clear as I hear me own father. He done said Kieron be in charge iffen ye try 'n provoke Berk."
"I not be provokin' Berk," Thuggory said. "I be catchin' up wiv me good friend Hiccup. Da Shores jest be buttin' in where dey not be wanted and I be puttin'm in deir place."
"All Viking warriors be knowin' Steinar, boy," the second man said. "He be havin' ever right ta speak when he be wantin'. And dem dragons no care fer yer 'catchin' up'." The man shrugged. "'Sides, ye be no friend 'o Hiccup's."
"Matthijs be right," the one named Kieron said. "I be knowin' wot ye did ta him. I be no one den ta stop wot be happenin'. Day yer father named me General I be tellin' da truth of da burned down smithy and yer role in it. He no be pleased, seein' how Stoick da Vast be da oldest chief 'round and be survivin' dat madman, while pullin' yer father and Steinar's father free of da rubble."
Hiccup frowned. That was new. His father only ever spoke of fighting dragons. He never once spoke about fighting a human and saving those two chiefs at the same time. Hiccup made a mental note to ask his father about that when he got back and his father got over the Eel Pox.
"Now, boy, ye leave Hiccup be," Kieron said.
Before Thuggory could answer a loud, resonating roar echoed over the island. The male Typhoomerang lifted his head.
[My sister has informed our father, the alpha of this nest. He is not pleased.]
They all heard flapping wings and turned to the source. Hiccup's eyes widen. A formation of seven Typhoomrangs headed towards the beach. At the front was a black winged one. The seven landed in a line just past the rock outcropping Moondust went behind earlier. Hiccup blinked. The black winged one was easily twice a big as the others around him. Its wings had blood red spikes extending from below them. Its belly scales and skull-like head were as white as bone left to sit in the sun for days on end. The horns that raked back from its head looked as if they were as long as Toothless' body from the base of his neck to the base of his tail. Both sported blood red tips. It let out another roar. The green Typhoomerang answered it with a trilling squawk. The black one's gaze fell upon Thuggory.
"It be best we leave, me thinks," Kieron said. "Dat one look no to pleased wiv us."
"Thuggory, actually," Fishlegs said. "The Typhoomerang's gaze is steadily upon him."
"Iffen he return ta da ship, dat one be lettin' us get da eel?" Kieron asked.
"I be no goin' back ta da ship," Thuggory declared.
Kieron wheeled upon him. "Ye be goin' back if it be da only way we git dat eel, boy."
Hiccup walked away from the group, much to everyone's surprise, since he heard draconic and human utterances of shock. He headed for the black Typhoomerang.
[What are you doing, brother?!] Toothless yelled after him.
"Sharpshot, watch my back and let the dragons know, I going to talk to the big Typhoomerang," Hiccup whispered. "I know he's mad at Thuggory after the male told him what has happened."
[You picked up on that?] Sharpshot asked as he turned around. [Humans can't understand the Old Tongue, brother.]
"I can understand actions," Hiccup said. "And for a while now, I can tell if the noises you all make in the Old Tongue are conversational, questioning, angry, resigned, and other things like that."
[Okay, that's something to for Toothless and I to talk with you about later, brother, but why are you going talk to the alpha of this nest?]
"They need that eel, same as we. They don't deserve to suffer the Eel Pox because Thuggory wants to be an idiot."
[Your honor knows no bounds, brother.]
Sharpshot then gave a series of chirps and chitters. Toothless responded with a resigned sounding huff. Hiccup grinned.
Astrid stared at Gyda. Her eyes narrowed then her shoulder's slumped again. She sneezed and curled her arms around her, shivering slightly.
"I do believe him. I just… I can't let him down again."
Gyda smiled but before she could answer Gothi wrote something in the dirt. Astrid looked down and closed her eyes.
"I will try and I will talk to him," she promised.
Gothi smiled then turned and set about brewing the remedy. Astrid continued to shiver. As soon as the brew was done, Gothi dragged a wooden tankard across the normal sized kettle she used. She then thrust the tankard at Astrid. Astrid sighed but took the tankard and downed its contents. She grimaced at the taste then handed Gothi the tankard back. The warmth of the brew seeped into her and she felt the fog that was blanketing her mind start to clear.
Gothi tapped her staff, pointed at the kettle, the pointed out the door. Astrid saw Gyda nodded and then whistle. Astrid snickered when Shadowfire, hovering just beyond the wooden walkway outside of Gothi's hut, stuck his head next to the door.
[You rang?] he asked.
Gyda let fire coat her hands then reached over, grabbing the kettle's handle. She heaved it off the hook, transferring it to her son, who gripped it with his teeth.
"Take it to Gobber, son," she said, sounding slightly out of breath.
Shadowfire grunted. His head and the kettle disappeared. Astrid heard his wings flap and listened as they faded. She focused when Gothi tapped the other kettle she had next to the fire. Gyda snorted but placed it upon the hook. Gothi moved over and began brewing the part destined for Meathead Island. Astrid, remembering what had happened to Hiccup on the island, was half tempted to stop the healer, but knew that would be wrong. The rest of the tribe did not deserve to suffer just because of actions of an idiot.
Kirika: Hehe, a magnet for problems? That's seriously accurate with Hiccup and funny. And you're right, Astrid needs those lessons from the Changewing queen, asap.