This is the second of the two chapters I promise. If the email directed you here but did not say anything about the other chapter, please read it before this one. I deleted the AN about my headache and replaced it with the other chapter. Also, as said in the AN on the other chapter this is dedicated to my readers for being so awesome.
Hiccup stopped, as did the entire group. At the beginning of the walk every parent stated that they would go but that if any parent needed to stop and deal with their young the whole group would stop. They would not leave anyone behind.
[Son, what are you doing?] the Woolly Howl asked.
Hiccup heard a soft coo answer her.
[I understand that you wanted to meet the small prince, but did you have to jump onto our other prince in the process? Especially without asking him first.]
Hiccup bit his lip, knowing that laughing would not be appropriate. Sharpshot loved to tease Hiccup over Icewing's obsession. It seemed that now it was Sharpshot who had the tiny admirer. Hiccup saw mirth shine in Toothless' eyes and sent his brother a wink. Astrid and Moondust both snorted at the same time causing Stormfly to trill something that sounded amused. It also earned Hiccup a sharp gouge in the lower back by Sharpshot's paw.
A sad and scared sounding coo crossed Hiccup's hearing. He then heard Sharpshot trill a response. Hiccup waited patiently as he did not want to walk and cause the hatchling to fall. Hatchlings were not known for keeping stability while walking, even less when holding onto something or someone. He did want to reach up and gather the hatchling close though.
He felt the hatchling shift and slowly crawl around to nuzzle against Hiccup's neck. He took that as giving the hatchling a choice so he reached up and ran a gentle finger along the back of the hatchling's neck. The hatchling cooed again. Hiccup felt a dragon walk close and half turned to find the hatchling's mother. She leaned forward so that her nose was barely touching Hiccup's shoulder.
[Come, son. We need to get going.]
The hatchling nuzzled Hiccup once more. The hatchling then carefully crawled around. Hiccup heard Sharpshot trill something and the hatchling coo before feeling the hatchling's weight leave his shoulder.
[I am sorry, my princes,] the mother murmured as the group began walking again.
"It's fine," Hiccup said, with a chuckle. "It took many days to get Gyda's granddaughter to stop doing that."
[Hatchlings are usually excitable,] Sharpshot stated. [I understand.]
[Prince Hiccup?]
Hiccup frowned but looked down at the female voice. His eyes widen, finding a small Ice Terror as white as the snow above running beside him. Hiccup caught Toothless' eye as the dragon was walking to Hiccup's right and just behind Astrid. Toothless warbled something. The Ice Terror flared her wings and fluttered to land upon Toothless' back. Astrid slowed her walk until Toothless came along her right side. Hiccup shifted his path so that he walked between Astrid and Toothless. He grinned at Astrid as she immediately grabbed his hand before glancing to the Ice Terror.
[Can you bring the one you speak of next time you visit?] the Ice Terror asked. [I'm the only female in my flock. Elder Gyda's grand-hatchling sounds like she would be more fun than my brothers.]
From the middle of the group, Hiccup heard four distinct cries in the Old Tongue. He half snorted, half snickered. He still did not understand what was said but he got the impression and did not really need a translation. A frustrated and indignant cry carried over all languages it seemed.
The Ice Terror grunted. [See what I mean?]
Hiccup shared an amused look with Astrid. Sneaky, riding upon Astrid's back as Astrid's axe was strapped to Stormfly's saddle while they were in the nest, seemed to be laughing silently. Hiccup turned back to the Ice Terror.
"Her mother and father and brothers would have to come too," he pointed out.
The Ice Terror shook herself as if trying to get something unwanted off of her. She then sighed before flopping down onto the saddle.
[More males,] she muttered.
Hiccup bit his lip to keep from laughing. Thankfully Onyxwing saved him.
[Hiccup, can you come up here a moment?]
[The Great Hall would probably be the best place to house the young and the parents staying behind,] Onyxwing said as he, Hiccup, Toothless, Sharpshot, and Sunburn stood beyond the small lever room door and looked over the village.
The rest of the group waited at the massive door Hiccup had to open with his hand. They did not want any young to get the idea to run off and explore right now. This entire endeavor was to prevent whoever was coming to the island from getting to the most vulnerable of the nest if their intentions proved hostile. Given that the ship's crew tried to shoot a boulder at Heatwave it certainly seemed they were not on what Shadowfire called a 'diplomatic mission'. Letting the young explore the vast underground village seemed counterproductive to the goal.
That Gyda snorted when Shadowfire said that line told Hiccup the term came from another tale they knew from their time. He made a mental note to get them to tell him. Shadowfire seemed to enjoy the memory it brought up after all.
[Those doors look as if they will shatter with just a brush of wings much less a forceful push,] Toothless pointed out.
Onyxwing sighed and Hiccup could hear the tiny portion of sorrow in the sound. He reached over and placed a hand upon the top of Onyxwing's head. Onyx smiled.
[Thank you.] Onyx stopped then snorted. [I almost called you grandson, which would technically be true since Toothless' father named you flock.]
"But?" Hiccup asked getting the feeling there was more to that statement.
Onyx warbled a sharp laugh. [It makes me feel so incredibly old.]
Sunburn gave a trilling sound that reminded Hiccup of the belly laughs Gobber would give at times.
[Hush, you,] Onyxwing muttered.
[Didn't say anything,] Sunburn returned.
[I can hear your mind turning, so you were thinking it.]
Sunburn grunted. [You might be powerful but you're not that powerful, oh deluded one.]
Onyxwing gasped as if hearing something that he deemed unthinkable. [You would dare use my rider's way of speaking against me?]
[Yes,] Sunburn stated, staring at the Night Fury as if daring him to protest.
Onyxwing grunted. Hiccup snorted and shook his head.
"We should get them all settled," he said. "I'll get Shadowfire and Hookfang to get those doors down so that they can't hurt anyone and then we can get them all inside before Toothless' father sends a search party after us."
Onyxwing and Sunburn stared at Hiccup in silence for several heartbeats.
[Yep, so much like my rider.]
Savage regretted once more his impulse decision. The longship with his chief and others he had cowed with his position as Alvin's second in command slip into the fog blanketing the sea. The night before he awoke finding Alvin still pacing and muttering to himself the different ways he would make Hiccup repay the humiliation and defeats Alvin had suffered. The rest of the men had learned to just sleep no matter how loud Alvin got. Savage knew it was more they were exhausted than they were just numb to Alvin's rants. They still twitched. He got slapped more often than not because of that twitching.
In fact a slap was the reason Savage awoke in time to hear Alvin say he would gladly sacrifice any of his men to get to Hiccup. Savage had long come to realize his chief was unstable. One could not control men outcast from their tribe and thought of little more than the scum scrapped off boots if they were not slight unhinged. That statement pushed Savage beyond what he was willing to take. He was nothing if not a survivor. He would not die to sate the whims of a man who did not care.
So that morning he had found a place he could hide and did not come no matter how many times he was yelled for and threatened with death. In the end Alvin ordered the remaining men in the boat or that he would snap necks and feed their bodies to the sharks. Savage slipped from his hiding place in time to see the back end of the boat enveloped in the fog and realized he was now alone on an island with nothing but the clothes he wore and the weapons he carried.
Still, he was a survivor. He returned to the cave he hid in and found it extended into the lone mountain on the island. He followed it until he found what could only be described as a camp set up in a place where the wind from outside could not reach the fire pit but the smoke had free access out. Savage grinned. He was alive. There was food and shelter on this island. There were trees that he could make into a ship and leave come spring. He held no thoughts that he would die here. He was a Viking after all. Vikings always survived.