Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD
Warrior or Whisperer – Part Two
Word arrived that the last of the chieftains had arrived. Ragnar went to greet them, and left Ormar to bring Hiccup and Toothless to the ring when everything was prepared. They were holding the Gathering at the ring and not the Althing-House as per tradition, so that Hiccup could more easily demonstrate his skill with dragons.
When they arrived, he wished Hiccup luck and made his way to the side of Ragnar's chair. The ring was surrounded by a crowd of Vikings, with the Chieftains seated in throne-like chairs around the perimeter. At orders from Ragnar, the portcullis was raised. Hiccup took a deep breath, and stepped through with Toothless at his side.
Nobody spoke, and all eyes were on them. He reminded himself, chin up, back straight; he needed to make a good impression. Toothless raised his jaw challengingly, wings spread. His glossy black scales gleamed in the sunlight, tinged with iridescent violet and cerulean. Both of them looked confident; perhaps only one of them really felt it. Hiccup wondered if he should speak, but then Ragnar's booming voice rang out over the crowd.
"Open the cage!"
Chains rattled as the bar was raised from the doors of the cage right in front of them. Hiccup was shocked – neither Eret nor Ragnar had told him he'd be facing a dragon, he thought they had been sent to the ring to give him more space to work with!
Before it was even half open, a torrent of flame burst out of the gap, and the crowd gasped. Toothless and Hiccup had moved long before the fire swept towards them, and the latter eyed the flames trying to judge what kind of dragon it was. In seconds he ran through high power, very hot, stoker class, vortex-
*Fire-Spinner* Toothless growled. Sure enough, a long grey muzzle appeared as the doors creaked open wider, with smaller nostrils and slightly shorter fangs than a Fire-Scale.
*You win this time* Hiccup acknowledged. Next time, he'd guess the dragon breed first.
The furious dragon emerged from the cage, snarling viciously, and reared to stretch his wings as far as they could go – Hiccup's jaw dropped when he saw the Typhoomerang in the light, because he hadn't seen many of them, but there was no mistaking this one.
"Torch?!"
The Fire-Spinner had raised his head to roar at the staring crowd, but at Hiccup's incredulous shout, he snapped it down to stare at them. Slitted pupils glared suspiciously, and Toothless hackled, snarling himself. *Not you!*
Hiccup swatted his nose. "Be nice" he scolded, before looking up at the bigger dragon. *Torch, it's us! Hiccup and Toothless!*
The suspicion turned to wide eyed surprise. Torch leaned down to peer and sniff at them more closely, unable to help giving a curious croak. Hiccup approached him fearlessly and reached out a hand; the young dragon sniffed at his palm, and Hiccup pressed it against his horn.
*It is you! But you thought-spoke, humans can't do that, how did you do that?*
*Toothless and I are heart bound* Hiccup explained. Torch's eyes flicked from Hiccup's face to Toothless, and the two shared a stare of mutual disdain. *Oh, don't you two start. You're like a couple of hatchlings* Hiccup said dismissively.
Toothless glared at him with an indignant grunt. *I don't care if he annoys you; we're the adults here, okay?* Hiccup insisted. The Night Fury clearly wasn't happy about it, but he reluctantly agreed to be civil…for now. If the flaming rat got on his nerves again, he wouldn't apologise for whatever it was he ended up doing.
*Are you here to rescue me?* Torch asked, with a fearful and pleading whine. *It's horrible here! The humans, they came with nets and caught me, and I'd done nothing wrong, I didn't hurt anyone! And they trapped me and I was so scared, I thought I was gonna die, they were gonna kill me!* he wailed.
"Hey, hey, shh, shh, shh" Hiccup soothed him, petting at his snout as he whimpered until even Toothless felt pity tug at his heart. "It's okay, Torch. We're here to help" Hiccup murmured, before moving to stare in challenge at the chieftains sitting above him. "Ragnar, you need to set every dragon you've imprisoned here free, now" he commanded, fierce and sure.
The crowd grew restless; someone shouted out, "You'll be killed!"
"No, I won't! Ragnar, I have known this Typhoomerang since he was a hatchling. He's not a threat to your people, he's just troublesome. He's only twelve years old!"
At that, many people gasped; in surprise, disbelief, outrage; he didn't know, and it didn't matter. "That's right. You locked up a twelve year old in a dark cage by himself, and for what? How long has he – any of them – been here? Tell me!"
The chieftains were shocked at his audacity. "There are no other dragons" Ormar began in a placating tone, "That one was caught not just last night, and he hasn't been harmed…"
"Being locked up alone in the dark is harmful, Ormar! Could none of you see how frightened he was? He…he must have thought you were going to kill him!" Hiccup was furious; he glared up at Ragnar and demanded, "What would possibly make you think I'd be okay with this?"
Ragnar spluttered and tried to protest, "But I needed him! I needed a powerful dragon for you to tame, to prove" –
"Prove what, that I know what I'm doing? Well, mission accomplished! Now that you've seen me tame this dragon, you can get on with setting him and any other dragon you've captured go free – and that goes for all of you!" he challenged, turning in a circle to address the other chieftains. "You want to make peace with dragons, the first step is to not lock them in cages."
"How dare you speak to us like that, outsider!" a different chieftain shouted, rising to his feet. "What right do you have to tell us what to do?"
Hiccup spun around to face the speaker and replied, "When it comes to dragons, I like to think I'm a pretty good authority on the matter. Or did you not just see me calm down Torch?"
"I hardly think that counts" the man scoffed, "You said yourself, you know that dragon. If it were wild, that would be another matter entirely."
Hiccup didn't know what to retort first – that just because Torch knew them didn't make him tame, or that Torch wasn't an 'it' – but before he could, somebody screamed out, "Dragon raid!"
All eyes turned to the sky, where dragons of all shapes and sizes were descending upon them. In the lead was a large scarlet Fire-Spinner, and at the sight of her, Torch perked up and whistled joyfully. *Mother!*
"Come on!" Hiccup yelled, sprinting for the still open portcullis. Toothless met him partway and he vaulted onto the Night Fury's back, the two of them taking off and flying out of the ring. *Wait for me!* Torch yelped, scrambling after them. From the edges of the crowd, Eret and his crew flew up on their own dragons, ready to distract the attackers and turn them away from the village.
The female Typhoomerang soaring high above roared out, and dragons dived upon the crowd surrounding the ring. People screamed and fled; the dragon wranglers went on the defensive, blocking the attacks and buying everyone time to flee.
"Torch can't get out!" Hiccup cried, seeing that the frantic dragon was clawing at the now lowered portcullis and the mesh above the ring. Suddenly, they had to roll out of the way of an attack as a blue Typhoomerang shot a blast of flame at them. *Stay away from my brother, false Alpha!* she screamed at them.
"False what?!"
*Rival! Usurper! Fight me, I challenge you!* the scarlet Fire-Spinner shrieked from on high. They looked up to see her hovering there, with the Fire-Scale they'd scared off earlier coiling around her. At the sound of her roar, the dragons fell back, attackers and defenders alike.
Now, Hiccup understood everything. "Eret! Get Torch out of that ring" he ordered, when the other man flew over to join him, "Toothless and I are going to have a word with his mother."
Before Eret could ask what the heck they were doing, Toothless and Hiccup shot towards their challenger. They came at her straight on and she flamed at them, but they just kept going, straight through the vortex of fire. When it stopped, Toothless snapped into a hover mere metres from her jaws, the gusts from her great wings nearly dislodging him from the sky.
He kept his balance and on his shoulders, Hiccup did the same. *No threat!* he cried out, holding his palms up to her, pacifying. *We're not rivals!*
Flare Twirl was furious – first her son had been captured by humans, forcing her to abandon him, and then a rival – some upstart Swift-Wing – had come to take her pack. So she was deaf to Hiccup's pleas, and flamed at them again, forcing them to drop and roll out of the way.
Toothless charged a blast of his own to fire at her vulnerable belly, but Hiccup shouted, "No!" and clamped hands around his jaws. *Listen to me! We're here to help!* he pleaded with Torch's mother, who must also have been the Queen of the local pack. His old friend was just full of surprises!
*Liar! You are a rival, and I will not let you steal my pack, Swift-Wing!* she screeched back.
*We're not here to* - but Hiccup's protest was cut off when Toothless roared out, *Come and get us then!*
He fired a blast to distract her and dived away, towards the outskirts of the town. "What are you doing?!"
*She won't listen to us! We need to take her down first, then she'll pay attention!*
*No! Toothless, she's just confused! I think she thinks I'm you* Hiccup realised. She must have thought that it was Toothless speaking, not him, because he was human, and humans weren't supposed to be able to think-speak.
*Is she chasing us?*
Hiccup risked a glance over his shoulder. *Yeah, and she looks angry* he replied.
*Good. Now hold on tight!*
With that, Toothless went into a steep dive. Flare Twirl followed him, but halfway down she realised what was going on. Her eyes narrowed; she spread her wings as if to pull out of the dive, and then snapped them together fast and hard. A gale like blast of air rushed to overtake the Swift-Wing and his human pet, catching at them like swiping claws and dragging them to the ground that was now far too close for comfort.
Hiccup crouched instinctively, and Toothless fought to keep from crushing his other half as they crashed and tumbled and rolled. His restraints snapped and Hiccup fell from Toothless' back, rolling and sliding to an inelegant, winded halt in the mud. Panting, spitting in disgust as the filth he'd skidded into, he struggled to get to his feet.
Toothless moaned and dragged himself to his paws, limping over to Hiccup. Fire bloomed around them; the crazy Fire Spinner trapped them in a spiral of it, getting closer and closer. Toothless tried to spread his wings but the right one burned with pain – by the Moon, don't let it be broken – and all he could do was stand over his partners more vulnerable form…
*STOP!* a familiar voice shrieked, as Torch swept in, the downdrafts from his wings fanning away much of the fire. He landed and crouched over the downed pair, wrapping his wings around them protectively and pleading *Don't hurt them, please! They're my friends!*
Flare Twirl landed hurriedly and cried out, *Flame Whirl! You're free!* She leaned over to nuzzle him; then two more Typhoomerangs, the blue one from before and a yellow one, landed as well, both eagerly greeting Torch with affectionate nips and licks and curious whistles and concerned croons.
Sheltered by Torch's wings, Hiccup and Toothless were catching their breath, wincing in shared pain and sympathy at their bruises and the pain in Toothless' wing. "It's okay, it's not broken" Hiccup reassured him, checking where the wing curved at the 'elbow'. "I think it's just strained. It'll be fine in a day or so."
He looked up at their unexpected rescuer and said *Thank you, Torch…I mean, Flame Whirl*.
*Call me Torch, I like it better* the young dragon purred at him, even as the other three started in shock at a human using thought-speak. Flare Twirl stared in disbelief, so did her daughter, but her youngest son lowered his head to sniff at the human, asking *Did this human just think-speak?*
*You just heard him!* his sister rolled her eyes. The yellow dragon's eyes narrowed indignantly and he growled at her. Their mother snapped at both of them, scolding.
*You guys, this is the human who looked after me when I got lost on that little island up north. Hiccup said he and Toothless - that's the Swift-Wing – are heart bound* Torch explained to his siblings. He looked down at the pair and told them, *This is my mum, Flare Twirl, my big sister Fire Swirl, and my little brother Spark Spin*.
I'm seeing a pattern here Hiccup thought wryly. *It's nice to meet you all* he said, looking up at Flare Twirl. *I'm sorry about all this, your Majesty* he apologised.
*You're sorry?!* Toothless exclaimed with an indignant yelp, *Hiccup, she just tried to kill us!*
*It was a misunderstanding* Hiccup said, far too patiently for Toothless' liking. *Besides, you know stoker class dragons can be kind of…hot-headed*. A smile tugged at his lips. *Get it?*
The black dragon's expression summed up his opinion of Hiccup's joke. Then he swiped his tongue over Hiccup's face, which was the only response a terrible joke like that deserved.
Flare Twirl bent to sniff at them as well. *It is you…but you were not an Alpha then!* she protested.
Toothless met her gaze challengingly and curled his tail in a possessive embrace around Hiccup. *No, we weren't* he replied with a pointed stare, *and we are not here to take over your pack. We have our own flock to care for* he insisted. He hated when his best-beloved one was dismissed, whether by humans or dragons, and he wouldn't stand for it here.
*Then why come here?* she demanded, accusing him, *You and your human were in the cage they'd put my son in. Why play nice with those pests when they trapped you to make you fight?*
*We weren't fighting* Hiccup tried to explain.
*Don't be ridiculous* Flare Twirl growled at him, *That's what the round cage is for! Humans came here long ago to make nests in our territory, and they wouldn't be chased off and they fought back, and dragons died! My pack had to flee from this bay; I let the humans live there so long as they didn't come to attack us, but then they steal away my son! Why shouldn't we burn them all?!* she shrieked, aggrieved, when a burst of flame caught her eye and she recoiled, shocked.
The human had made flames from nothing, and wreathed them around himself like a Fire-Scale, that was what the flames smelled of. They burst from something in his hand, and they stayed burning, and he met her eyes unafraid as if he was an Alpha, an equal to her, and not a creature she could kill with the flick of a claw. *Its okay. I'm not like them, see?* he hummed reassuringly.
Spark Spin glanced up and whimpered, *Look!*
Everyone looked. Much to Hiccup's relief, it wasn't a threat, only Eret and Tinni. Riding with them were Ragnar and Ormar. Flare Twirl snarled, spreading her wings and drawing in a breath to flame at them, but that strange human cried out to her. *No! Please, they're not threats! They're our friends. Let me talk to them. Toothless…try and explain it to them* he said vaguely, limping towards the others.
When Hiccup reached them, Eret's verdict was "You look awful."
"Thank you for summing that up. What took you so long?"
"Putting out fires. Besides, I kind of thought you had everything under control until that epic wipeout. I was gonna come rescue you!" Eret said hastily, "but the big guy got there first."
"Uh-huh."
"Is all well?" Ormar asked, "The attack, is it over?"
"Of course! We drove the beasts back, and we will do it again if we have to" Ragnar announced boldly.
"I don't think that's wise, chief" Ormar advised.
"No, it isn't" Hiccup agreed, before explaining, "Toothless is trying to persuade Flare Twirl not to burn the whole bay to the ground."
"That's the red one?" Tinni assumed.
"Yep. She's the Queen of the local pack. She's also Torch's mother."
Eret winced. "Is that why she was attacking?" he asked.
"Partly. You know that dragon who attacked us when we first arrived? He recognised Toothless as an Alpha and went to warn his Queen, and she thought we were here to challenge her and take over her pack. Kidnapping her son didn't help things, though."
Hiccup turned to Ragnar, who looked somewhat bewildered. "You need to apologise to Flare Twirl" he insisted.
"Apologise?" Ragnar said incredulously, "to the dragon? What difference would it make?"
"All of it" Hiccup replied. He hesitated, and then added, "The truth is, dragons can understand us. They just have trouble showing it, but when you know what to look for…" he shrugged.
"Even if I believed you, what is it I'm supposed to be apologising for?" Ragnar demanded.
"For capturing her son, and for your people driving her pack's ancestors from the bay when they first settled here. I know, it was long ago, but they haven't forgotten. I imagine that's why they've attacked you before, trying to drive you out of what they see as their territory."
"This is our home!" Ragnar scowled, "My tribe has lived here for twelve generations!"
"Yes, but as far as the dragons are concerned, they were here first" Hiccup insisted. "I'm not saying you have to leave; this is your home, but it was their home once too. Make peace with their Queen, and it's the first step to both sides getting what they want."
Ragnar considered it. "Very well. I will trust you on this, Hiccup Haddock" he decided, and they shook hands.
Meanwhile, Toothless had been explaining everything to the Fire-Spinners. *The humans weren't going to kill you* he told Torch, *And we would have made them let you go*.
*But why did they trap me in the first place?* Torch asked, shuddering as he remembered all those chains coiling like cold metal snakes around him, fouling his wings and pinning his jaw, something biting into his shoulder, and waking up alone and afraid in a dark cage that smelled of old fear.
*The chief…the alpha, I mean, of this human pack* Toothless began, sweeping his tail to indicate the village, *told his subjects and other human alphas that my Hiccup has a magic with dragons, that he can calm even the angriest dragon and befriend them. But they wanted proof, so he wanted to catch a very big and fierce dragon for Hiccup to calm in front of everyone, so they would see it was true. That's why we came here* the black dragon explained.
Torch blinked. *They caught me because I'm big and fierce? Yes! Yes, I am!* he gloated, raising his jaw smugly. Toothless resisted the urge to roll his eyes. No, you're a giant flaming squirrel.
*What will your human do now?* Torch's sister, Fire Swirl, asked curiously.
*If I know Hiccup – and I do – he'll try and get you and the human Alpha to apologise to each other, your Majesty*.
*Me?* she snorted, dismissive. *Why should I apologise?*
*For telling your subjects to attack his nest. Trust me, it'll be easier if you just go with it. My other half might seem odd, but he's clever, and he's very persuasive* Toothless explained, with a sigh that was part fondness, part exasperation, and all love.
He shook himself and looked back up at Torch. *Speaking of apologies, I want one from you* he insisted, setting his shoulders and paws determinedly.
The much bigger but far younger dragon shied back and whined, *What for?!*
*You know what! You drove me crazy when we first found you, on purpose, and you never said sorry. And don't go whimpering to Hiccup; I told him everything, and he's seen my memories too."
Torch lowered his head until their snouts were almost touching and growled stubbornly. *I just saved your life!*
*And I'm grateful* Toothless replied calmly, not backing down, *but I still want an apology*.
Torch grumbled. *Fine. I'm sorry. Are you happy now?*
It's better than nothing. *Yes, I am. Thank you, Torch*.
Flame Swirl looked up and declared, *Your human is coming back*.
Toothless spun around and scampered up to Hiccup, who smiled and stroked him and asked, "Everything alright?"
The dragon purred agreeably and nodded, more for the other human's sakes. They came over to the four Typhoomerangs, and Hiccup led Ragnar to Flare Twirl. *Your majesty, this is Ragnar, the alpha of the human pack. He's here to apologise* he explained, before nodding to the chief.
Ragnar cleared his throat and tried not to feel foolish as he said, "Your majesty, I am sorry my men captured your son. We were going to let him go, but I now see that it was wrong to trap him in the first place".
He glanced over at Hiccup, who nodded encouragingly and motioned for him to continue. "I now know that my people drove yours away from this bay when we first settled here. I won't apologise for that" Ragnar said resolutely, "We Vikings must find places to live as well…but if you are willing to make peace and share this land, then so am I, for the good of my tribe."
Flare Twirl was amazed; she didn't think it was possible, but the human – Hiccup – really had made the human's alpha come and apologise. It would be lesser of her to not accept it. She bowed her head in acknowledgement and apology, such a clear signal that even he recognised it as such.
*Tell this…Ragnar that I am sorry also for attacking his nest, and as for sharing this land with the humans…I'll think about it* she decided. With that, Flare Twirl backed away and spread her wings. She leapt into the air and spiralled up, showering sparks. Fire Swirl followed suit, then Spark Spin.
Finally, Torch lowered his head to say goodbye to Hiccup, who smiled and petted his snout. *See you around, Torch* he smiled. Torch purred at him, backed away and took off, following the rest of his family. Maybe he's not so bad thought Toothless.
Eret clapped his hands together. "Well, I think that went pretty well, all things considered" he announced cheerfully.
"Indeed, better than I expected" Ormar agreed. "I have to say, I can almost understand where all these rumours of you being part dragon or some such nonsense are coming from. Why…it's almost as if you have the blood of one" he remarked.
Hiccup gave him an odd look. 'Soul of one, maybe" he responded, before suggesting, "Shall we go back?"