After quickly changing out of his gi, an order his father whispered to him just after the Nadder younglings came to find him, Hiccup, along with Astrid, stood with his father on the docks as Johann and another ship bearing the symbol of Hopeless came closer. Hiccup heard his father grunt and glanced up at him.
"I be sendin' a message ta Chief Ingvar 'fore Alvin be invadin'," Stoick said. "I nare thought he'd respond since he be one of the chief's callin' fer the Thing. I did hope though."
"We still hold a treaty with them, right?" Hiccup asked, recalling the lessons his father gave him and the words he had heard as he grew up in the same house as the chief.
"Aye, as we do with all the tribes in the Archipelago. We no wished ta fight each other 'n the dragons at the same time, son."
"Then if they are here to answer your summons because of the treaty at least we'll know they are like Shivering Shores and honorable. Another we can possibly trust with the full truth of the dragons?"
Stoick looked down at Hiccup and Hiccup fought the ingrained urge to wilt. Fifteen years of a trained habit did not disappear with the magic Hiccup was now learning to wield. Stoick smiled and place a hand upon Hiccup's shoulder.
"I be so blind 'fore, son," Stoick whispered. "I feared," Stoick paused. "Well we all be knowin' what I stupidly feared. Ye'll be a far greater chief than I. Than even Hamish the First."
Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, Dad," he said though he did not really believe his father.
How could he ever be greater than Hamish, who founded Berk or Stoick, who stood strong in the face of so much?
Silence fell between them as the two ships slipped into the docks and tether lines were tossed across the railings. Soon gangplanks joined the tether lines and Berkian dock workers hurried to tie off the ships and settled the planks. Johann stayed aboard his ship while the seven on the Hopeless ship climbed out and stood upon the docks.
"Ah, Chief Stoick," Johann called out. "I see you all were successful in running off that scallywag, Alvin. I look forward to the tale." He then looked up at the cliffs and hollered. "Open for business!"
Hiccup snorted but turned his attention to people from Hopeless. All took turns looking up the cliffs at the dragons Hiccup knew was perched in whatever places they could find and looking back towards the harbor and the sea stacks and Guardians where more dragons were perched and had been as the ships got close. It seemed after two invasion attempts the entire nest came out in force when an unknown approached.
"Bjarte," Stoick said. "Yer father be sendin' ye?"
One of the men dropped his gaze from the cliffs. Hiccup recognized him as the second oldest of Chief Ingvar's six boys. The man had so far not reached for his sword and that gave Hiccup hope they would prove as honorable and trustworthy as Steinar and Padrig.
"Me father be gettin' yer message, chief," Bjarte said. "Be lookin' like ye dunna need us though."
"Be good knowin' ye all came though," Stoick said.
Bjarte tipped his head. He glanced back over his shoulder then looked up at the cliffs. "Me island no get many raids from da beasts, but we 'ave our share of problems' wiv dem. Still, Outcast be 'nother thing entirely. Father said we be honor bond ta help ye fend'm off or we no expect ye ta come ta our help."
"Well, come on," Stoick said. "This be no place fer givin' the tale. We jest finished one of the longhouses fer the Thing so ye and yer warriors can stay there."
Bjarte lifted an eyebrow. "I be seein' Chief Henrik let ye know. Good. He 'n Father both be of the belief ye should know so ye could prepare places fer us all ta stay in. They and Chieftess Bertha be sayin' we be dishonorin' ye iffen we no let ye have time ta prepare."
Stoick nodded. "Come, we'll head up. We can speak more in the Great Hall."
They headed up the walkways. Hiccup and Astrid walked just behind his father and just before Bjarte.
"Young Hiccup," Bjarte said as they walked. "What did ye do ta yer leg, boy?"
Hiccup felt Astrid tense as she had made it a point to take his hand while they walked. Hiccup gently squeezed her hand, both in a silent request and a thank you. Given the look upon her face, Hiccup knew it was not the question, or the memories it sparked, that riled Astrid up. She did not like the boy comment. Hiccup also knew she would spin faster than the Typhoomerangs they met on Eel Island if Bjarte said anything else she deemed an insult or dishonoring to Hiccup in anyway. Hiccup moved to advert that. No need to have his intended brandish her axe at Bjarte just yet.
"It's part of the tale," Hiccup said, "that'll we'll give all of you once we reach the Great Hall. It deals with how all of this came to be."
Once at the top, Toothless moved to walk at Hiccup's side while Sharpshot, who had been upon Toothless' saddle, carefully crawled to his usual position upon Hiccup's back. Both dragons had waited, none to patient, with the other dragons while Hiccup, Astrid, and Stoick met the ships. Both it seemed decided their waiting was over.
Hiccup heard several murmurs from those following and glanced over the shoulder Sharpshot did not have his chin laying upon. Bjarte held a hand up, stopping a few of the men from drawing weapons. Hiccup and Astrid paused and Hiccup gave a slight cough. Stoick stopped and turned.
"Dunna fear," Stoick said. "Those two dragons only be dangerous iffen ye harm me son and his betrothed. Offer no threat and ye won't be viewed as a threat."
Hiccup smiled as he realized his father did listen to him and was even using some of the words he had said to Padrig the first day they met. Bjarte glared at the men who had their hands upon their sword hilts.
"We be guests," Bjarte stated. "Ye be respectin' our hosts or ye be dishonorin' me father."
"But Bjarte," one of the men said pointing at Toothless, "me father spoke of one like dat beast. It be a Night Fury. It be the unholy offspring of lightin' and death it is."
"And it no be attackin' any of us," Bjarte pointed out. "Dunna give'm a reason ta. We be listenin' ta their tale 'fore we be decidin' anything. Clear?"
"Clear," all of Bjarte's warriors said.
Hiccup noted one of the women warriors smacked the back of the head of the one who spoke as she moved passed him. Astrid snorted lightly and Hiccup glanced over, finding her smiling as the woman hissed at the man, telling him not to do anything foolish.
"I like her," Astrid whispered.
Hiccup chuckled.
"Come," Stoick said.
They all began walking again. Hiccup heard the warriors behind him murmur at how obedient and docile Toothless appeared to be. Hiccup knew he would have to give his brother two full baskets of fish before the dragon got over the fact he could not even grumble in the Old Tongue because Hiccup had asked him not scare the newcomers. When one of the warriors made a comment that compared Toothless to a dog he had owned, Hiccup knew that the two baskets of fish would not be enough. He was not sure three or even four baskets would be enough.