Hiccup stood on the small island south of the hatching nest. He watched the splash and the wave the Submaripper caused as she dove into the water. It had been a full three days since he had arrived and as he had promised, he and Astrid would fly to the small island to speak to the Submaripper at least once a day. She had even consented to allow him to sketch her so that she could be put into the new Book of Dragons and Hiccup had not missed the delight her eyes that his nest would remember her and all she did for the hatchlings and their parents. He wondered as the sea began to settle where the rest of her pod was as she had not mentioned anyone else helping her.
A sudden shrill cry caused him to jerk and spun. He saw Astrid staring across the narrow channel of water at a sheer cliff. Hiccup's gaze followed hers. He jumped onto Toothless, clicking the tailfin, without thought. Toothless shot into the air. Raced to the cliff. Hiccup grunted under the impact. A terrified trill echoed in his ears. He ignored the pain, pulling the hatchling he just caught closer. Toothless rose, landing amongst a nest of dragons staring at him in wonder. Hiccup dismounted and placed the Nadder hatchling down. It chittered and ran to a pair of Nadders that cooed and nuzzled it. Hiccup straighten as a Nightmare shuffled forward.
[Thank you,] the Nightmare said, its voice female. [I hold the honor of queen of this nest. I understand you hold the honor of being alpha of yours.]
Hiccup tipped his head. "Greetings, queen of the nest. I am the alpha of mine."
[I must be honest, human alpha, I was unsure when I heard your nest speak of you. I was more unsure when I realized that meant a human would stand upon this island. Humans have not been a source of safety for dragonkind in many a season. I feared that you would give into the bloodlust we were taught humans had and kill every hatchling here. I am thrilled that is not the case.]
"I understand. To the humans, dragons have not been something we could be safe around either. The humans in my nest have learned the truth and the fallen queen who ordered her nest to attack and steal from my tribe has been dealt with."
[Yes, I heard your brother and the others in your nest give the tale to the Water-twister. My nest is small and further south of here so none in my nest were subject to her cruelty. It did not stop the humans from fearing us and seeking to kill us though.]
"I am sorry you have to endure that. I can only speak for the humans in my own nest. I know not why the humans near you fear dragons. It is my hope that we can teach the truth of dragons to all humans and the truth of humans to all dragons so that no hatchling or human child need to fear death of themselves or their flocks."
[You are truly like no human I have ever come across.]
Hiccup chuckled and heard Toothless, Astrid, and Stormfly, both of whom had landed beside Toothless, laugh.
[I said something that was funny?]
"It's just that I've heard that from many dragons since I gained the ability to understand the Common Tongue."
[I suspect you will hear it from many more.]
Hiccup smiled. "I'm sure. I shall return to my nest. I promised the hatchlings some stories and time to play."
One of the Nadders the hatchling ran to, the green and purple one, trilled something that had the Nightmare curling her neck and looking over her wing. Hiccup saw her nod her head. The Nadder moved over and tipped its head to Hiccup.
[You saved my first hatched,] the Nadder began, its voice male, [before I or anyone else in the nest had time to react. For that I owe you a debt. Name it and I shall pay.]
Hiccup stood straighter. He knew this was serious. It was serious to Vikings and the Changewing king had explained it was serious to dragons as well. He could not dismiss this no more than he could Heather's father believing he owed Hiccup a debt.
"I can not think of any thing right in this moment, Spike-thrower," he said. "I try to make no decision of such importance without speaking to members of my nest that I trust. I give my word that I will let you know and allow you to exercise the debt before I leave. I understand that the word of human might not mean much given all the has transpired between humans and dragons, so will the word of an alpha do?"
Hiccup saw both the Nadder and the Nightmare blink. He glanced at Toothless unsure if he had something wrong. Toothless and Stormfly were smiling so his shoulders relaxed.
[Thank you, human alpha,] the Nadder said. [I shall wait.]
Hiccup smiled. "You all be safe and may the wind forever be under your wings. If you, or any of your nest, ever find yourself in the north and are in need of place of rest, my nest is open to any who do not cause harm or insults to its members."
The Nightmare tipped her head. [I offer the same to you and yours, human alpha. May the wind forever be under your wings as well.]
Hiccup smiled and climbed into Toothless' saddle. He and Stormfly rose into the air. As they banked to head back to the cliff edge his nest rested upon, he saw the Bewilderbeast with half the number of hatchlings his nest boasted resting upon his back. Hiccup noted that the parents of those hatchlings hovered above the Bewilderbeast and that the dragon was speaking to the Submaripper. Hiccup sighed when the Bewilderbeast gave a grunt he could hear from here, half an island away and up in the air, and started swimming east. The dragons hovering over him, following. Hiccup dropped his head.
[Don't brother,] Toothless said as they flew onto towards the nest members. [Do not blame yourself for that dragon's decision. It is not your fault he chose to take his nest and leave.]
They landed just at the edge of the cliff. Hiccup slipped out of the saddle and walked towards the cave, his shoulders and head down. The hatchlings chittered at him and Hiccup winced at their hopeful and excited sounds. He knew what he had promised them but right now he did not feel cheerful enough to fulfill those promises.
[Dad, what's wrong with Alpha?] he heard the Nadder youngling ask as he was currently the only one of Toothless three children on the cliff.
The other two were out with some of the nest getting fish and stretching their wings. Hiccup did see Toothless' sister was still with them even if she still stood away from the others. He saw her sensing lobes lift as Toothless began speaking.
[The Tusked-king that insulted him has taken his nest and left the island. Alpha feels it is his fault, even though I told him it was not.]
Hiccup stopped and spun. "Toothless, he said that with me here it made this island unsafe for his nest members. I know how important it is for the dragons who come here to remain here. Those in his nest now have to leave because of me."
[No,] Toothless' sister said. [They have to leave because their alpha told them to.]
"Because he feels they are unsafe because of me."
Toothless' sister snorted. [No insult intended, human, but there is little you could do to his nest members while he is with them. You are smaller than his smallest claw. That alpha left because he could not handle change.] She took a deep breath. [I almost made his same mistake. I almost left. I still don't understand why my brother chose to follow you, but I realize now you are not like the humans who tried to capture and kill me. They would have not moved those hatchlings from the danger of the waves. They would not feel as if it their fault that Tusked-king took his nest and left and they certainly would not feel bad about that belief. They would not fly to a small nest so the Water-twister who guards this island did not have to hover out of the water so she could speak to them. They would not have cared hovering caused a strain upon her wings.]
Hiccup grunted, still upset over what he had seen. His eyes widen when the Night Fury female bowed her head but did not spread her wings.
[I know you said it upon our first meeting, but I do ask your forgiveness for my words, human alpha that my brother follows.]
Hiccup blinked then walked closer to her. "Please look at me," he said softly.
She lifted her gaze and Hiccup smiled.
"You have my forgiveness."
[I see now why the elder of my nest said you were unlike any human ever known,] a deep, male, voice said.
Hiccup turned to his right and his jaw dropped slightly. His gaze lifted to a point just a bit higher than Shadowfire's head reached when the dragon lifted his neck. A Nightmare with deep red scales slashed with deep black markings stared down at him. At the Nightmare's side, Hiccup noted as his eyes lifted, were a Gronckle the color of cooling but still dangerous lava and bigger than Boulder and a deep orange colored Nadder that stood taller than Stormfly and sported way more spikes than normal.
"Hi," Hiccup said as he heard several of his nest members land behind him. "You are the alphas of the nests that stayed in my mine, I take it?"
The three new dragons had no chance to respond as Hiccup heard Hookfang, who had also been out fishing, gasp.
[Uncle?]
Kirika: Amazement? Really?
Prince: Aye. They haven't gotten Hiccup's "It's gone. The alpha forgives you" speech yet.