"Nice of you to finally join us!" My father calls out from the other side of the Grand Hall. I close the huge doors,

"Sorry we can't exactly walk very quickly," I say only loud enough for Astrid's ears. She laughs softly as we help each other to the massive round table; where everyone on the council discusses the biggest decisions on Berk.

Astrid wraps her arm around my neck and I hold her hand and hug her around her waist to help her walk.

"So, are we're all here. Let's start!" My father says as he claps his hands loudly. I nod lightly to greet people around the table. I lift Astrid up, ignoring the pain that explodes in every muscle in my body. I carefully place her onto the table; just in front of me. I step up close so I can hug her. After the events of last night, I don't want to not touch her.

Her sore, wounded legs dangle each side of my hips and she wraps her arms around my neck. She stares at me as I stare into her beautiful, piercing, blue eyes.

Stoick coughs, "Hiccup? Astrid?" We both turn to my father; but we don't smile, we don't speak, we stare and move away from each other slightly. "Thank you, you two can do that later!" He laughs out loud and a few of his closest friends laugh to. Astrid immediately lifts her legs up and turns so she is directly facing my father- she absolutely hates it when people laugh at her. I roll my eyes.

"Well, you all know why I summoned you here," my father looks around to everyone, "our attackers last night pose a great threat to us and our dragons in the near future." He leans on the table, "we must come up with a plan to protect the people, any suggestions?"

"Make the dragons leave!" A member of the council shouts, banging his fist against the wooden table.

"No, we just need to hide them somewhere safe."

"Take them to Dragons' Island," Astrid butts in with quite a weak voice.

"Good idea!"

"I agree!"

"NO! just get rid of them! They have put the people in danger!"

"NO!" My father shouts, hushing everyone, "I agree with Astrid, the people have become too attached to their dragons. I couldn't possibly take their happiness away from them, it would be too cruel."

I agree with some comments but I stay silent and I watch as everyone argues. I'm not in the mood for any of this. The arguing goes on for ages and when it comes to the point of wanting to run out of the Grand Hall just to get some peace and quiet my body decides to shut down. I lean against the table, feeling numb and my head feeling light. I inhale a few deep breaths.

"Hiccup?" I hear Astrid say as she shuffles to the edge of the table and she hugs me, "are you okay?" I take another deep breath and pull myself away from her as a thought bursts into my head, "Listen!" I shout slightly, "LISTEN!" The room falls silent immediately. "Send the dragons away."

Gasps escape from everyone's mouths as I have literally interrupted their conversation. "Hiccup?" Astrid says, shocked.

"Send them away; it's the only way to keep them safe."

"What about the people? " An anonymous face says but my father silences him,

"Are you okay son?" My father says quite concerned.

"Yeah," but automatically I get back to the point, "the people will be one hundred times safer if we send the dragons away- that's what those arseholes want," I silence myself before I shout too loudly. I breathe deeply. "We, as a strong and developed tribe, we can fight. And those who can't will be evacuated to the other side of the island."

"Hiccup, are you sure you're okay?" Astrid asks.

"No." I say to Astrid, "I don't want to see anything happen to Toothless, not again," I sign, remembering what happened to Toothless on Outcast Island. "I can't have anyone's dragon go down to those shits. They have to go," I stop limping around the table as it's too much for me. "I've seen what people like this can do, this is what they do," I take my shirt off and show everyone my very scared back caused by men who just follow orders and never think for themselves. Everyone gasps, especially my father. "WE MUST FIGHT BACK!" My weak voice rises again, "we must defend our home, our friends, our families, and our dragons." I feel a tear drop down my cheek, "we might burn, but I'd rather be burnt to the ground than watching my dragon or anyone else's dragon get taken away and used and tortured. I just can't let them take the dragons, they are people who kill for no reason; they are not nice people." I lean on the table, looking at everyone's faces. They all nod in agreement.

I wipe the tear away from my cheek and stand up straight, "I don't know exactly who these people are but I've seen their dragon traps, the mark on the side of the ships matched the ones on the traps I saw hidden on Dragon's Castle."

"Why didn't you say this before son?" Stoick asks.

"It just popped into my head." I jumped onto the table just before my legs give way. Suddenly, my head pounds and another thought comes to mind. "They work with the Outcasts," my voice shakes. "Dad, we have to send the weak ones away, now!"

"Hiccup, you can't go rushing to conclusions,"

"But, Stoick! Hiccup is right- the Outcasts never stick to what they say, they could be here tomorrow or even in a few hours. I'm with Hiccup on this," Spiteout speaks for the first time, "come on Stoick. We have to keep our people and dragons safe."

"Okay, fine." Stoick says walking towards the door, "Evacuate the children and the elderly people. Get the weapons ready and go to battle stations," I only just about catch the words from my father as I jog beside him as he walks incredibly quickly. Astrid jobs beside me, but I can tell it is causing her as much pain jogging as it is for me.

My father pulls the huge doors open, "Hiccup and Astrid get all the children and mothers and elderly people and take them to the other side of the island."

"What about the dragons?" Astrid asks.

"Our people are more important at this moment in time, but we'll sort them out, Toothless and Stormfly can help you."

I grab Astrid's hand and we jog down the steps, "I hope this plan works, Hiccup."

"Me too."

Then, as Astrid and I jump on the backs of Toothless and Stormfly, my father blows the battle horn.

Sorry that this chapter is significantly shorter than the others but it's easier and quicker to write for you guys:) I hope you enjoyed it:)

Thank you x

~TheCourageousMockingjay3