Hiccup's eyes widen. "Did you just say cousin?"
Belch dipped his head while Barf grunted.
[Our parents,] Barf began.
[And our sister,] Belch continued.
[Died to that-]
[Fallen queen.]
[Our uncle on-]
[Father's side-]
[Survived.]
Hiccup turned back to the blue and green Zippleback.
[Their parents,] Blue Head began.
[Left the nest,] Green Head continued.
[When we were-]
[All fledglings.]
"Then you do not know what Barf and Belch have went through," Hiccup stated. "What most of the dragons that call this nest home have been through. The monster that ate this one's sister in front of him, that ate Barf and Belch's flock, was a dragon not a human. Humans gave her species the name Red Death, but the dragons say her species is called Lava-dweller."
Hiccup saw all eight eyes from the two Zipplebacks widen. He nodded his head.
"I know of the time before Civility Laws. Both my dragon brother, Toothless, and the Head Elder of an Illusion-scale nest we are allied to told me some of the tales of that time. That Lava-dweller seemed to have reverted back to those days."
[And while Toothless aided,] Meatlug began, [it was our alpha that ordered the shot that killed that queen. Your alpha may deem him untrustworthy, but if you speak to the dragons who live here and to the allies we have gained because of our alpha, you will see that your alpha is wrong.]
The two Zipplebacks began conversing with each other. Occasionally, one or another of the nest dragons would add a comment or respond as if answering a question. Hiccup waited, unphased by the fact the entire thing was happening in the Old Tongue. He trusted his nest. He knew any one of them would tell him if the topic was something he needed to hear and respond to. It also gave Hiccup a chance to speak to his nephew.
"I know you are probably mad at me right now," he whispered, "but the right thing is not always the easiest or the one that makes everyone happy. I can't keep a dragon child from their parents anymore than I could a human child. Children do deserve to be with their parents so long as those parents are not harming them."
The Sand Wraith shifted enough he could lay the top of his head against Hiccup's leg. [She is our friend and…everyone left us… our blood parents…our sister…even Dad left us. I don't want to lose anyone else.]
"Ah, young one," Hiccup whispered. "I wish I could tell that will never happen, but I can't."
[But you're Alpha. You gave Dad back to us. You gave him the skies again. You killed that monster and I just knew she could never be killed.]
"I'm just me, little one. I'm just a human. If I kept Pepper and Piper here against her parents wishes, I'd be stealing her and that's wrong. It'd be no different than if I told you and your brothers that you can't have your father because he's my brother."
[Alpha of the nest,] Blue Head said, pulling Hiccup's attention from his nephew.
[We shall go see,] Green Head continued.
[If our alpha has indeed-]
[Left us. We and our mate-]
[Have agreed our daughter-]
[Should remain with her mother here-]
[If you will-]
[Allow it.]
"Sure," Hiccup said, feeling Pepper and Piper and the Sand Wraith jerk. "All who have no ill intentions to the nest are allowed to find a place of safety and rest."
Both heads of the male Zippleback nodded. With a quick nuzzle to their mate's heads and to their daughter, though Hiccup was avoided in the endeavor, the male's wings flared and he rose into the air, banking around to head southeast.
[Well, this look like a party. Not sure quests are supposed to leave like that though. I could be wrong. Shadowfire hasn't really explained that part of human culture yet.]
Hiccup snorted. Toothless seemed to be an extra cheerful mood. Hiccup turned his head as much as he could and out of the corner of his eye saw the reason. Moondust stood rather close to his brother's side and though Toothless' wing was not covering her, Hiccup could well believe it soon would. Hiccup smirked. Sharpshot and he had so much to pay Toothless back for. Then Hiccup noticed the glow of a Fireworm upon Moondust's back and frowned since it was glowing green and yellow instead of orange.
"Time?" Toothless question. "Uh, time for what?"
Moondust stared at him, head tilted. "You've never been around a Tiny-fireglow female as she changed from a princess to a queen?"
Toothless blinked. "Um, no. In my hatch nest and in that monster's lair, there never was any Tiny-fireglows."
"Ah," Moondust said. "My father and mother and I would watch the nest nearest to my old nest. Each full turn of the seasons, the Tiny-fireglows in that nest held a ritual where a princess became a queen. My flock would gather to watch it. It was always beautiful to watch, even if would not hear everything going on due to the distance."
Toothless looked from the Fireworm, and he still wanted a day to come where he could say that word instead of the other, to Moondust and back again. "So, you are turning into a queen?"
"Yes, and I have bowed to Alpha. I must change in front of him and redeclare my allegiance."
"But the Rock-biters," Toothless began, "they translated for the ones who came to help Hiccup and Astrid fend off the cold. The next morning, the Tiny-fireglows said if one of you became a queen in truth, that new queen left. Won't you do the same?"
"I have bowed to Alpha," she answered. "I cannot renounce my allegiance to him. I would face dishonor if I tried. Besides, he is a wise and generous alpha and I would love nothing else than to continue living under his rule."
Toothless grinned. He understood that statement and he was happy and proud she thought so. Everyone should see how great his brother was and have the chance to be under his authority and as Shadowfire would say, Toothless was not biased at all.
"Well, we are going right now to find my brother. Would you like to come along?"
"I cannot fly in this condition. My body cannot handle the strain."
"Sit upon my back," Moondust offered. "You might catch Toothless' saddle on fire if he rode upon his."
Moondust then lowered her head so the Fireworm could hop onto it and make her way to a place she could sit. Toothless waited until both Moondust and the Fireworm said they were ready before bounding out of the cave system. He heard Moondust following and soon they were back in the humans' territory.
Toothless frowned as a blue and green Zippleback flew into the skies just as they arrived. He looked down, finding a gray and silver one staring at what looked like Pepper and Piper tightly wrapped around someone. Given that his son sat next to the person and Toothless could barely make out the shine of the fake leg, Toothless knew who the person was. He was just not sure why his brother was in this position. He decided to try humor, as he was in a great mood, than strict demands of what was going on.
"Well, this look like a party. Not sure quests are supposed to leave like that though. I could be wrong. Shadowfire hasn't really explained that part of human culture yet."
He saw Hiccup turn and saw the moment Hiccup realized who was standing close to his right side. Toothless groaned, seeing the smirk and knowing he was doomed.
Kirika: Hehe, Stoick is going to love this and may or may not try to call for a feast.