"Alpha," Gyda began, her voice soft and she tried her hardest to hide the confusion she felt.
She knew what Hiccup would do, what he would ask, if he even thought she was concerned about that Bewilderbeast who simply bowed its massive, white head and dropped back into the sea after Hiccup backed Astrid's order for him to leave. She knew Hiccup would want to know what bothered her. He had already told every Rider that they were to no longer hold things in that could fester. Yet Hiccup could not know. Not right now. Stoick still did not want the path told and even with all the changes, Gyda could not see how Hiccup would avoid finding out about his mother.
Gyda also knew that Bewilderbeast was the alpha Valka now followed. Unless something was extremely off, there had only been three known Bewilderbeasts in the entire How To Train Your Dragon franchise. The one at Valka's Sanctuary, the one under Berserk Island, and the one controlled by Drago. Drago's was a grey color whereas this one was white. The one under Berserk Island was presumably female considering there was an egg involved. This one, male and white, fit the one in Valka's Sanctuary. Sadly though, his words, his actions, were a stark contrast to the way he behaved in the second movie. A polar opposite of how Valka described him. Gyda had no idea what possessed the Bewilderbeast to say those words. She would love to find out.
"May my son and I take a flight for a bit?" Gyda asked, turning to face Hiccup, who was still surrounded by the hatchlings.
So much for the babies listening to no one.
"Uh, sure," Hiccup said, though the look in his eyes told Gyda he knew she was upset over something and he would seek her out later to find out.
Gyda sighed but moved around the hatchlings. Shadowfire lowered until his belly touched rocks and shifted his leg out. Gyda climbed into his saddle, securing herself by rote rather than by actually thinking what she was doing. She saw Shadowfire bow to Hiccup and remembered to bow to him as well. Toothless' sister still needed convincing that the human who gave her forgiveness even with her repeated insults was the chosen leader of the nest after all.
Shadowfire then stepped to the edge of the cliff and dove off. He caught an updraft and gained altitude. Powerful flaps of large wings had them continue to rise though no where as fast as Toothless or even Stormfly could. Shadowfire was not built for blazing speed. His greatest assets in the air being his ability to fly for long distances without tiring and the fact that only stray tornadoes or rocks flung from catapults and hitting him directly could knock him from the skies.
[Mom?] Shadowfire began when they were far enough from the island that it was a small speck on the horizon. [That was him, wasn't it?]
"I believe so, son."
[Then.. why? If he thinks that about humans..why let Valka stay in his nest?]
Gyda sighed. "I don't know, son."
[Can we go ask him?]
Gyda ran her hand over her face. "If we do, Hiccup cannot find out. He is not happy with that dragon. I'm not happy with that dragon right now."
[Then maybe we shouldn't go speak to him,] Shadowfire said. [You become a bear when you're grumpy.]
"I beg your pardon?"
[Well, you do. You got real grumpy at that Tiny-icespitter that tore up things and got Frost in so much trouble. You almost roasted that teen alive when he tried to break my wing back when I was a fledgling.]
Gyda grunted. "He was lucky his father got him to let you go."
Shadowfire chuckled. He flew along for several minutes in silence then sighed. [Mom, we have to tell Alpha and Stoick about Valka.]
"I know, son. I'm waiting until that Terror gets back. With everything that has changed, I can't be sure she's even there still."
[And if she is?]
"Then we tell them both. And hope both forgive me for not telling them before."
[Us, Mama.]
"No, son. If it comes down to it, the blame will fall upon me. I'm the parent. You, Frost, and Pale are the children."
[That know as much about her as you do and had similar chances to speak. If you face a punishment over this, we will as well. We are flock, Mama.]
Gyda patted her son's neck. Silence fell until a dragon shot up from below and shifted to a hover. Shadowfire quickly hovered as well. Gyda blinked.
"Another Night Fury. Where did you come from?"
The other Night Fury did not look at Gyda. Green eyes focused upon Shadowfire and every hair on the back of Gyda's neck rose. She lifted her hands away from the saddle handles, fire and lighting coated both at the same time. The Night Fury did not heed the warning. It screeched something that had Shadowfire's horns flaring.
[Where is who?]
"Do Vikings always argue over small things like that?" Sharpshot asked from Stoick's shoulder as the man left the den of the human he had called Ager.
[Tis not a small thing,] Stoick said, making his way along a worn section of ground that looked like the winding water Hiccup called rivers except the ground was brown instead of blue.
"But all animals mate and have hatchlings," Sharpshot said. "Why was that Ager so mad that his lumbering creature is having hatchlings from the other human's lumbering creature?"
Stoick chuckled. [Those be yaks and they be Ager and Tadhg's livelihood. Both men use the calves fer barter when we have a surplus and Trader Johann is in port. Both men pride themselves upon havin' a pure bloodline they can trace all the way back ta the time 'fore we Berkians found this island. If 'nother male gets with a female their owners no be knowin' who the offsprin' be and who be holdin' the right ta the trade.]
"I still don't understand. Dragons don't keep our food like you humans do. We just go hunting for it."
[Ye not need ta understand, my son. I don't understand half of the complaints I be gettin'. Jest know it be important ta them men. Since ye and Toothless be with me boy for the long haul, ye can help'm when he be chief in me stead. So please be rememberin' this and how I handle it. Ye will 'ave ta tell Hiccup when he gets back.]
Stoick stepped onto the thing Hiccup called a bridge and seemed to be the only way the humans could reach different parts of their territory before the dragons were allowed to live in the nest and some let humans ride them. They were met by Gobber as the funny man ambled across the same bridge.
[Chief, da Council and da dragons be in the Great Hall,] Gobber said.
[Thank ye, Gobber. So, Sharpshot, wanna come ta the meettin'? As Hiccup's brother and me third boy, ye 'ave the right.]
Sharpshot purred. "Yes, please."
Kirika: Hehe, Astrid got mad and Hiccup always backs his queen.
Alpha Mayhem: Hi, welcome and thanks for reading and reviewing. I like to do things that my readers don't expect. It's fun.
Prince: Hehe, yep. That Tusked-king did not know who he was making make did he?
Dark: Not challenging, so much as not believing Hiccup is an alpha and thus has the right to be there. Kinda like the Submaripper. There is also another reason that dragon was acting like that and that will be revealed later.