Banished, chapter 5, A new tribe

[Autumn, year one]

"I'm Cuyler." The father said as he stood tensely in front of Hiccup and Toothless. "And this is Heather, my daughter." He added as he gestured to the girl who stood a few paces behind him.

Hiccup calmly leaned on Toothless, trying to get some weight off his leg. It was probably just badly bruised, since he was able to walk on it. But that didn't mean that it had to be pleasant. Cuyler eyed him nervously, still wondering whether to trust this boy or not. He looked like a nice kid, perhaps a bit roughed up by the way he was living, but when he looked at his eyes he could see a calm and gentle soul.

The problem was the fire-breathing and very deadly creature next to him. "A dragon?" Cuyler slowly began, not sure how to formulate the sentence. "You have a pet dragon?" He asked carefully, not sure how the boy would react.

"Well, yea." Hiccup responded awkwardly as he patted Toothless gently on his back. "I, eh, I met him in the woods back home." He explained, it was probably best to just be honest and calmly explain. He was too nervous to worry about lying. "It was a rocky start, but we grew close."

"You grew close?" Cuyler asked surprised, trying to imagine a friendship between dragons and humans. "Like, friends?" He asked, really having trouble with the idea of the dragon being friendly.

"Yes, friends." Hiccup said, gently scratching Toothless. The dragon immediately relaxed, letting out a soft purr. This unnerved Cuyler a bit, the noise startled him. It felt strange to see such a large beast act like it was a dog that was scratched, turning in and exposing its neck to allow Hiccup better access. "He's basically like a big dog." Hiccup explained, scratching Toothless more, he scratched Toothless more underneath his chin, searching for the special spot that would make the whole dragon just drop.

He found it with ease, and Cuyler watched with wonder as the large and fearsome reptile dropped down to the ground, a content smile on its snout. It rolled softly, calmly enjoying the lasting feeling of that one spot, which he couldn't really reach himself. And even if he could, the human hands were much softer and much gentler than his claws. And they were capable of scratching just right, applying just enough pressure.

However, as Toothless dropped, Hiccup lost his support, and was forced to balance himself using his foot. He winced softly, Toothless quickly snapping out of its ecstasy and rolling over on its feet, offering his head for support. "Thanks." Hiccup muttered softly as he tried to stand upright again.

"You're hurt." Cuyler observed softly. His had to restrain himself from letting his instincts take control over him and carrying the boy back to their camp. He might be hurt, but perhaps it wasn't that bad. "What happened?" He asked, he himself had quite a history of bruises and injuries, so he had a good idea how back a hurt leg could be, and if it required some kind of medical help.

"I landed wrong." Hiccup explained calmly as he lifted his leg. "Yesterday when I was collecting firewood." He told as he tried to put it on the ground, the pain slowly rising as he placed it flat on the ground.

"Could be sprained." Cuyler muttered as he tried to take a look at his ankle. He still had it in his boot, so he couldn't observe it properly. "Have you taken a look at it?" He asked, trying to diagnose the boy properly.

"Haven't had the time." Hiccup answered. He had fallen asleep pretty quickly, hoping that the pain would be gone in the morning. "But it feels a bit tight in there." He added.

"It's probably swollen." Cuyler explained. He had sprained his ankle a couple of time, and from what it sounded that was exactly the case here. It would be over in a week or so. But that was a long time if you lived on your own out in the woods. "From the way you walked I can tell that it's not broken." He explained, Hiccup releasing a sigh of relieve. He had guessed so, but didn't feel like checking. "It might take a week or so for it to heal, if you let it rest at least."

"A week?" Hiccup asked surprised, looking at his ankle. That was too long. He couldn't hunt or gather with this foot, and he couldn't just send Toothless out there alone, that was also very dangerous.

"At least." Cuyler said. "And you can't walk on it." He stated sternly. He hoped the boy would take his advice. His foot would need time to heal, and it would heal more quickly if he allowed it to rest. "It's best."

Hiccup looked at the ground, thinking. "Thanks." He said as he looked up at Cuyler, also shooting a glance at Heather. "For the advice." He added as he looked at the cave, there was nothing there but some firewood. So he'd need to catch food before the evening. "But I still have to gather food and firewood."

"I understand." Cuyler said as he watched the boy climb onto the dragon with trouble. Trying to find a way how he could get onto it without using his hurt leg. He felt something hurt inside him as he watched the boy struggle. He knew it deep down, the boy would have extreme trouble surviving on his own, especially once winter would set in.

He looked at Heather, who looked at her father expectantly. He shot her a stern look. Cuyler knew what she was trying to tell him, and he did agree with her. He couldn't leave the boy behind. He should take him back, the others could help him, they could take care of his foot and he could have something to eat. One more mouth wouldn't be that much trouble would it?

But then there was the dragon, and besides the possible trouble of the large beast going berserk in their camp, there was also the matter of food. The dragon would probably daily eat the amount of fish a person did in a week. And they simply didn't have those supplies.

"We could help you." Heather said softly, loud enough for Hiccup to hear. He turned around, looking at Heather with a surprised expression. Cuyler also looked at Heather, but with an angry expression, he was still contemplating what to do, and what if the boy's intentions weren't as pure? He did have a dragon. "We have food and shelter, and someone could look at your leg."

Cuyler turned back to Hiccup to apologize for his daughter's outburst. He wanted to explain that although this was a possibility he had to discuss it with the rest first, especially with their leader. But when he looked at Hiccup he felt his heart melt. The boy was leaning half on his dragon, frozen mid-climb as he tried to get into the saddle. He looked at him with a pleading expression, like he knew that he was about to take to offer back, and he was begging him to let him accept his daughters offer.

"I guess that is a possibility." He said softly, trying to avoid Hiccup's gaze and man himself up. "But there is the dragon." He stated calmly, perhaps he could convince him that he could come, but without the dragon. "I don't know how the others will react."

"He won't do anything." Hiccup explained. "I'll keep him calm, and he won't be any trouble."

Cuyler looked at Hiccup. He knew the boy wasn't going to leave the dragon, he felt foolish to think so. "We don't have the food to support him." He explained honestly. "We simply can't feed him."

"I'll pay you back." Hiccup offered. "He can hunt, he can catch a lot of fish in a day, but I do need to fly him." Hiccup explained. "Something I can't do with my foot."

"How much can he fish in a day?" Cuyler asked curiously, in the wild dragons would also have to supply themselves, so it did make sense that they were able to do so. "A basket?"

"Usually." Hiccup explained. "About a basked as big as this." He said as he stretched his arms about half a meter from each other. "And this high." He said, again indicating the size with his hands. "But that's in one haul, we haven't fished for a full day, we can't eat that much."

"So if you were to fish a full day?" Cuyler asked. A small spark of hope starting in his chest. It might be strange to propose it, but their fishers could fill three baskets a day, and that was with four men fishing from dusk till dawn, if the dragon could fill one basket on his own in just a small part of a day. They might be able to double their food stock. "How many baskets can he fill?"

"I'd guess," Hiccup began, thinking heavily. "Four, five, at least." He started, slowly continuing to think. "It's heavy work, so he'll need a bit of a rest." He added softly, continuing with his calculations. "At the end of the day he might have ten baskets." He finished.

"Ten baskets?" Cuyler asked surprised, his mouth ajar. If one person and one dragon could get that in a day he could supply the entire tribe for almost a week. "Ten full baskets."

"He's not made for catching large amounts, so it's not that much." Hiccup tried to explain, hoping that they'd accept the offer for his help, after he had rested of course. "Maybe a tidal dragon can catch more."

"A tidal dragon?" Cuyler asked surprised. "You think you can tame one of them too?"

Hiccup thought for a second. "I wouldn't call it taming." He began. "But perhaps we can convince him that he'd catch some fish for you." He said. "Perhaps he'll do it, in return for a scratch or something like that."

"You can train dragons like that?" Cuyler asked with hope. If they had two dragons, catching ten baskets each their food supply would be so much larger that the others wouldn't believe it. It could even mean that they wouldn't have to hunt during the winter. When storms and snowfall made it very dangerous to go outside.

"I guess." Hiccup answered sceptically. "I've befriended a few, they usually flew with us for a day or so before going their own way."

Hiccup finally managed to get on Toothless, he calmly sat in the saddle. Toothless had lowered his head all the way to the ground to allow Hiccup to finally climb on, and as soon as he lifted his neck Hiccup reached about as taller than Cuyler.

"Alright." Cuyler began. "I'll take you to the rest, but you have to keep the dragon calm." He said.

"He won't be a problem." Hiccup promised. "I'll just ride him there and keep him calm." He said, really liking the offer for some help with his leg and a bit of food.

"Alright." Cuyler said with a heavy sigh ad he walked over to the deer. He wasn't going to leave it. "Let me get this and follow me."

"Toothless could carry it for you." Hiccup offered, sliding a bit back in the saddle to make room for the dead animal. "It would safe you the trouble."

Cuyler looked curiously at him. He calmly placed the deer on his neck, using its feet to keep it stable. "I'd rather carry it myself." He said as he looked at Toothless. "No offence."

"Oh, I see." Hiccup said, a bit surprised. He understood that people weren't too quick to trust dragons with their food. "None taken." He added, wanting to make sure that Cuyler knew that he didn't mind, he was just trying to help.

Cuyler walked silently, using one of his hands to keep the deer in balance while using his other to guide Heather, he didn't want her falling too far behind. Especially since the dragon was walking behind them.

He didn't know what he was doing. How would the rest of the group react? What would they think about the boy and the dragon? They would definitely be against an extra mouth to feed, let alone one the size of a dragon. But they also wouldn't leave the boy to die alone in the winter. The dragon was a different story though.

Their tribe hadn't seen much trouble with the winged reptiles, they usually stayed clear of them, probably unsure if they were even proper prey for their usual attacks. It was good, they had heard stories about villages who had lost almost their entire supply of food, and only barely managed to catch enough to get through the winter. They needed a full year to be able to build a large enough supply to make sure not everyone died during the coldest months. If dragons only raided them once during a year they would all be doomed.

That didn't mean that there wasn't any hostility towards the beasts though. Terrible Terrors often stole some food, and larger dragons could render parts of their usual hunting ground inaccessible. Which in return both lead to shortages in the long run. Most people still saw the dragons as pests. Creatures that only existed for the sole purpose of tormenting them. Making their lives difficult and harsh.

He carefully walked through the woods, calmly stepping over branches and watching out for slippery stones that he could trip over. The deer was rather heavy, which meant that if he fell he would also have the entire weight of the dead animal on his back. He noticed that Heather looked behind them often, but it probably wasn't just to check if the boy was still following them. He could clearly hear the heavy footsteps of the dragon, as well as the occasional words the boy spoke to the large beasts. He talked to it like it was his best friend.

"Heather." Cuyler said softly, his daughter looking at him questioningly. "Eyes front, you'll trip on something."

"Right." Heather said, looking in front of her just in time to notice a root over which she would otherwise have tripped. Cuyler kept walking calmly, but noticed that Heather still occasionally looked behind her.

She couldn't help it. She had never seen the large dragons so close, let alone a Night Fury. She had heard stories about them, how they were these large evil creatures, which could destroy the defenced of towns with just a few shots. She had seen a few dragons in her life, they would run across the occasional Nadder or Gronkle in the woods, but they would usually scatter as soon as they came close, or they would avoid them. Terrible Terrors could often be seen in the treeline, carefully eyes their camp to look for unguarded supplies of food.

But this Night Fury was different, it was so sleek and actually pretty small, she had expected the dragon to be big and deadly, with large wings to support his body. She had expected the dragon to be fearsome, multiple rows of sharp teeth ready to rip anything apart, and eyes that bore straight into your soul.

The only thing the dragon behind her was slowly boring into was her heart. The dragon was like a large kitten, or horse. It slowly walked with its rider on its back. Occasionally wining a soft sound between from its gummy mouth. It looked like an oversized doll, or a soft toy to play with.

But the saddle changed him even more, this transformed the once dangerous beast into an item of utility. It changed this wild and fearsome monster into a way of transportation, a way of hunting, or a helpful aid in gathering.

She looked forward again, otherwise she would definitely trip at some point. Or get another hint from her father that he didn't want her eyeballing the dragon so much. Cuyler felt really uneasy about it.

The forest thinned. Some of the trees being swapped for mere stumps, obviously the work of woodcutters, since the chips of axes could be seen in the logs. Hiccup looked at it calmly. They were probably close to the tribe. Hiccup began to grow nervous, if something went wrong all they had to safe themselves was Toothless' speed in running. He could run pretty fast, but he still felt like it wasn't the best way if things went south.

"Anything I should know before we head into the camp?" Cuyler asked as he stopped, turning around to look at Hiccup. "Anything we need to do, or don't need to do."

Hiccup was surprised by the question, it popped his worries thoughts and made him focus on Cuyler. "I don't know." He began, thinking. "He doesn't like weapons, so it's best if no one points sharp things at him." He said, noticing how Cuyler slowly nodded. "He relaxes when you pet him, or give him some fish." He continued. "And if no one does anything he won't harm a fly."

"I'll take your word for it." Cuyler said, still unconvinced that the dragon would be truly harmless. The beast sure looked kind of calm with the rider on top of it, occasionally sniffing some of the stumps around them. He kind of looked like a dog, discovering new smells and scents.

The forest cleared, and Hiccup was greeted by the soft glow of the sun, which still hung low on the horizon. The low and dull sun shone weakly, almost as if it had lost most of its power and was using the winter to recharge for a new year. As his eyes adapted to the sudden light he looked around, and saw the camp.

It was incredibly small, a bunch of huts, made with wood, stone and basically everything they could find. Some roofs were made of twigs and planks, but most were covered with thatch. They were all small, and a few of them had smoke exiting from a hole in the roof or from a small stone fireplace in the side, crudely build with loose rocks and wooden beams.

It kind of looked like they were preparing an assault, tents scattered across the clearing and people walking around with water and building materials. People were sawing planks and cutting firewood, while others were cutting meat in pieces or bringing in baskets of fish.

So far no one had seemed to notice them as they slowly emerged from the treeline. Cuyler sighed heavily, reading himself to guide Hiccup through the camp. This would certainly be the word of the day, perhaps of the week.

"We'll need to go to the elder to clear your stay with him." Cuyler said as he noticed the first nomad looking up, his face turning to a mixture of surprise, shock and horror. "Follow me."

Cuyler calmly began to walk, perhaps he should just have gone in alone and let Hiccup wait for his return, that was probably smarter. But it was too late for that now. He calmly walked through the camp, using one hand to keep the deer in balance and using the other to greet the other nomads. He felt extremely nervous, as more and more people started to stare, looks of shock and bewilderment, mixed with fear and distrust, and sometimes curiosity.

Hiccup felt uneasy, he could hear the soft whispers from the people around him, and he knew that everyone was looking at him and Toothless. Perhaps this had been a bad idea, perhaps they should have just stayed in their cave, or moved somewhere else. He could hear the occasional gasp, and he could see how fathers and mothers pushed themselves in front of their children, ready to protect them from this vicious beast that walked through their village.

"Calm down people." Cuyler said calmly, trying to give the example. But also trying to convince his own racing heart. "He won't hurt anyone, trust me." He walked over to one of the villagers, Toothless stopping to wait for him to continue leading them further.

"Wait here." Cuyler said as he motioned Hiccup to stop. He copied his words, telling them to Toothless as he gently patted the dragon's side. He walked off and handed the deer over to another Viking. Which earned a smile from many of the villagers, more food, before they looked back at the large dragon with worry.

"Alright," He said as he returned to Hiccup, keeping a safe distance from the dragon. "Come."

Heather walked calmly behind the two, making sure no one accidently stepped on the tail of Toothless. She could now clearly see the true purpose of the saddle, which also incorporated an artificial tailfin for the dragon, which had apparently lost one. In the dark cave and in the forest she hadn't noticed the piece of leather that served as the replacement. But on the soft grass it stood out like a sore thumb.

They slowly continued through the camp, and a large group of Vikings was gathering behind them, following them closely to see what was going on. The group was slowly growing bigger and bigger as everyone dropped their work and wares to see the strange beast and rider walk through their village. Some had their hands rested on the hilt of their weapons, but none had unsheathe them so far.

That was a good sign, Hiccup thought, any other sensible Viking would have already grabbed his sword as soon as he heard about the chance of killing a dragon, let alone having one walking calmly right through his village. These people were calmer, and probably had less hatred towards the beasts.

They arrived at a large hut, made from half a tent, some stone, wooden planks and thatch. It was the closest any building here was coming to an actual house. Cuyler took a deep breath as he stood at the entrance, he turned to Hiccup. "Wait here." He said as he looked at the boy and his dragon. "I'll talk with the elder." He said as he grabbed the cloth that served as a door for the hut with one hand. "Don't go anywhere."

He disappeared into the hut, and Hiccup looked around. Not going anywhere wasn't going to be difficult since the nomads had effectively surrounded him, everyone wanting to get a good glance at the strange dragon and the even stranger boy on top.

Toothless was growing wary, he didn't like being surrounded by so many people who could potentially hurt him or his rider. He slowly started to tense, backing up towards the elders hut, his back raised.

"Calm down bud." Hiccup said as he patted Toothless on the head, but the dragon kept looking around his warily. Hiccup was also in no position to stop him, he couldn't do much from his head, only pet him and talk to him. He couldn't stop him if he decided to walk away.

He realised that it would also make him less of a threat if he dismounted from his dragon. Currently he was this strange boy, perched on top of a dangerous monster. But if he dismounted he was a little less strange, standing beside said monster. It made sense in his head, and he hoped it would work. He swung his leg over Toothless' head, preparing himself to slide of the side of his neck, preparing himself to land on one leg.

"Do you need help?" He heard a calm female voice ask. Heather stood at the front of the crowd, and was looking at him with calm green eyes, pleading him to accept help instead of trying on his own.

"I'm good." Hiccup said softly as he prepared to push himself off the dragon. "Thanks though." He pushed himself off, but as he slid down one of his protective wired snatched on a part of Toothless' saddle, which immediately caused him to fall face forward. He tried to break his fall with his feet, and sunk through his knees and fell as his sprained ankle hit the ground. He hissed softly, Toothless immediately turning around to face him. His sudden movement startled most of the Vikings around them, but they seemed to calm down once the dragon let out a soft moan to check if he was okay.

He immediately felt Toothless' wet nose pressed underneath his arm and he absently clawed at the saddle, trying to find something to hold on to. His fingers hooked behind some leather straps, sturdy enough to support his weight. Without thinking he pulled himself up, his mind still cluttered by the searing pain of his foot. With one shaky leg he tried to push himself up, while he used his hand to pull himself up with Toothless. He had come to expect the dragon to be at his side if he tripped or fell, and in the past few weeks it had become a habit to feel to his side as soon as he felt the wet nose pressed against his arm.

What he hadn't expected what the other help he received from his left though. He felt gentle hands grab his arm tightly, and he was lifted up from the ground. He looked left, seeing that Cuyler's daughter, Heather, was helping him from the ground. He decided not to question it, instead focussing his mind in placing his good foot on the ground. He kept his other foot slightly lifted, making sure it didn't hit the ground.

Toothless let out a low growl as he noticed someone was touching his rider, which triggered a fearful reaction from the group and Heather. Almost everyone did a step back, some gasping as the Night Fury barred its Teeth.

"Calm down bud." Hiccup said softly as he wrapped his other hand around the dragon. Trying to get the large beast to focus on him instead of the curious Vikings that surrounded them. "She was just helping me, calm down."

Heather was amazed to see how the dragon was slowly calmed by Hiccup's words, his back lowering as the tension left his body. The monsters slit green eyes turned large and big. Almost cute and playful. Toothless turned his head to Hiccup, looking at him while letting out a questioning moan. He was trying to protect him, protect them. He was hurt, so someone had to protect the two of them. The large dragon was confused why his rider didn't agree with his warning, but his rider probably understood Vikings better than he did.

The Nomads were surprised when they saw that the dragon could calm as quickly as it got angry, all by the soothing words of a young boy. Hiccup was still talking to Toothless, the dragon warbling some inaudible things back. It was a strange contrast. A small boy, balancing on one leg, slowly petting and scratching such a large beast. Toothless' eyes rolled back, enjoying the attention that he was getting. For a moment he forgot about the people around him, just enjoying the way his rider's nimble fingers massaged his scales, gently rubbing and scratching which game him an almost insatiable itch wherever his fingers touched, and would always leave him wanting more.

Heather left out a soft giggle as she noticed how Toothless began lifting one leg and started kicking the air absently in ecstasy. He really looked like an oversized dog right now, calmly enjoying the gentle scratches from his owner.

She felt herself compelled to it, to the two friends. Dragon and human, sworn enemies. It was a strange kind of interest, a fascination for this new and daring idea. This boy, Hiccup, was probably one of a kind. A special sort of human that could manage to enjoy the company of dragons, and which dragons accepted as a friend and ally.

She was curious why her father had lead him to the camp. She knew he was a kind man, and that he wanted to help the boy. But he felt like if it was any other boy he might not have done it. She had overheard the subjects of recent conversations, the lack of food and firewood for the winter. She knew what the either of those meant, but she had never experienced a year where both where already such a pressing concern so soon.

But her father was also protective of the group they had, and she knew that he wasn't trusting towards outsiders, since nomads were easy prey for marauders and barbarians. So why did he allow this boy in, especially when said boy was travelling with a dragon.

Perhaps he was thinking the same thing as her; that this boy, 'Hiccup' as he had called himself, was somehow special. That he perhaps he thought that he could help them somehow. She wasn't stupid, she knew that the amount of fish that the boy claimed his dragon could get was incredible. If the winged reptile was truly that efficient they could pull men from the boats and shores and get them into the woods, getting firewood to supply them with enough for the winter.

Hiccup looked around him warily. So far he could manage to distract Toothless, but the large dragon was also slowly getting used to the petting and scratching. He didn't want to overdo it, since the stares from the people around him still gave him the idea that he might need to make a quick escape at some point, and then he would need Toothless to be ready, and not a limp pile of ecstasy filled reptile.

His thoughts were broken when he heard movement behind him, from the hut. The flap of the hut opened, and Cuyler stepped out calmly. He stopped at the side of the door, and earned the eyes of almost everyone.

Hiccup looked at him with worry. Cuyler didn't meet his eyes, instead he looked at the crowd, using one of his hands to keep the flap of the hut open, probably for the elder of the group.

Hiccup prepared himself for the judgement of the elder. He seemed to be the leader of the group, so probably comparable to Stoick, his father. Big, strong, and filled with hatred towards the beasts that steal and destroy. He calmly continued scratching Toothless with one hand, but the dragon had also noticed the change in their environment. It had regained its posture and was looking at the opening in the hut with interest.

Thin, almost bony fingers wrapped around the side of the doorway. The sunlight illuminating the many wrinkles that covered them. The hands looked like small pieces of soil, broken after long years of drought, infertile and dead. They looked like fingers that had seen many winters, that had lived through a long and proud life, and were now slowly drying, life seeping through the pores of the skin, until nothing was left.

Hiccup only needed a second to prepare for the rest of the elder. A man walked out of the door, well, shuffled. He was probably as tall as the average Viking if he stood up straight, but his back was bent forward. He was clearly old, if you didn't pick that up from the way he carefully and painfully walked towards Hiccup then it could clearly be seen by his face. He was balding, the only hair he had was thin long grey hair on the back of his scalp and a short but thick beard that covered his chin and the bottom of his cheek. His eyes were squinted, probably still accommodating to the bright sunlight of the day. Hiccup realised that the men was slowly making his way around him, the sun was behind him, so he wouldn't be able to see Hiccup otherwise.

Cuyler walked next to the elder, offering his arm for support, but the elder didn't even look at it. It was the picture of the perfect old Viking. He might not be able to wield an axe, or stand at the bow of a ship during voyages, but he would still sternly refuse help.

Hiccup wondered if he'd ever see Stoick like that, if he would have ever seen him like that. Probably not. He'd probably lose his father in some dragon raid or during an attack on the nest. Chances for that happening weren't exactly slim.

His thoughts were broken when he heard the elder clear his throat, and try to speak. Hiccup looked at him curiously but he didn't hear a sound. He saw the man's thin fingers raise, pointing at the flask that Hiccup carried with him. Hiccup quickly grabbed it, removing the cork before handing it to the elder.

It was probably good that it was half full, since the elder already looked like he was struggling with the weight of the flask. The elder took a few swigs from the sack, careful not to spill any of the water. When he was done he calmly handed the flask back to Hiccup.

He licked his lips, and cleared his throat again, before he spoke with a still dry and raspy voice. "So," He began, eyeing the boy carefully, not even paying interest to the large dragon behind him. "Who might you be?"

"H-Hiccup, sir." Hiccup said nervously, he knew to respect elders, so he added the sir after it. He saw the corner of the Elders lip raise just a tiny bit, so it was probably the right thing to do. "And this is Toothless." He said as he pointed at the large black dragon behind him. "He's my, well, my dragon."

Toothless bared his teeth when he heard his name, but retracted them and took a more relaxed stance when Hiccup placed his hand on the side of his nose. Which for some reason also earned a soft smile from the elder. "Thor's beard." The elder muttered softly, looking at the young boy and the dragon. "Now I've seen everything." He breathed softly as he looked at the interaction between the boy and the dragon.

"Well, you seem to be well raised." The elder said with a smile. "So you're probably expecting introductions." He said as he slowly gestured to the group that had gathered in front of the hut. "I'm Novark, and these are my sons and daughters." He said with a soft and gentle smile as he extended his hand for Hiccup to shake.

Hiccup carefully took Novark's hand, acting like it was an ancient handle for a ceremonial axe, since he felt like even he could break it if he held too tightly. He shook it calmly, looking around the group. He could see how most of the people's faces were now curious, at least no longer hostile now that they he had been greeted by the elder.

"So, Hiccup." Novark continued, his voice slowly growing less raspy. "What brings you to our humble camp?"

"Cuyler thought you could help me." Hiccup answered carefully, fearing that there was a wrong answer too. But instead Novark smiled warmly at him.

"Always protective for the children." Novark muttered softly. "A good trait to have in a group like ours." He continued, Hiccup following his movement as he headed back towards the hut.

"Stay and rest, young boy." The elder said as he lifted the cloth that served as door aside. "And feel welcomed in our camp." He said as he looked at the rest of the villagers. "We don't want to anger a dragon master."

Hiccup gulped softly, was this wat they thought of him? Like he was some barbaric monster that would attack them if they didn't help him? That he was some kind of marauding murderer, and that he would level their huts and tents if they refused to give him aid? The thought itself sickened him. He looked around, seeing that the group had already began to disperse. A life and tame dragon was certainly something special, but that didn't mean that there wasn't any other work that had to be done, so most of the nomads calmly continued their work.

"What now?" Hiccup asked Cuyler from besides Toothless. The large man was calmly watching the last of the people walking back to whatever they were doing when they came in.

"Now you rest." Cuyler said gently as he kneeled in front of Hiccup, noting that Toothless didn't growl or move. Apparently the dragon already trusted him enough to be near his rider. "Your leg needs it." He stood up, looking at the far side of the village, where a medium sized hut stood a bit taller than the rest. "You can sleep at our hut." He said as he helped him on Toothless' back, motioning him to follow. "We'll find some space for your dragon."

"Thanks." Hiccup said as he followed on Toothless' back. The dragon calmly following the hunter. Heather walked on Hiccup's other side, a bit more in front. Which wasn't surprising, since she probably knew very well where she lived.

"What will mom thing of this?" She asked, shooting a sceptical look at her father. She knew how her mother could react to things, and she already had a good idea of how she'd react to this.

"I wish I didn't know, darling." Cuyler said with a soft smile. Looking at Hiccup who now wore a worried expression. "But it's two against one if she's against it."

"When she's against it." Heather corrected, earning a chuckle from her father. Hiccup followed the conversation carefully, and couldn't help but feel nervous for the mysterious woman he was soon to meet.

The small hut slowly grew bigger, and Hiccup grew more and more confident that the hut was indeed Cuyler's and Heather's home, along with Heather's mother. It was tiny compared to the house he was used to on Berk. But he had been the chief's son, which living wise did come with some perks. But even then he realised that the hut that they were heading to was even smaller than the average storage shed on Berk.

The walls looked like they were made from wattle and daub, the light brown colour fitted nicely with the small puddle of mud in front of the door. The door was an actual door this time though, build from a couple of planks, and some fabric to fill in holes. It seemed effective against holding the cold out, and Hiccup hoped it indeed was.

They closed the distance slowly, and Hiccup noticed that he was still getting some stares from the people around him. Some were still curious or surprised to see the strange image of the young boy riding the dragon, but a few looked at him with a small hint of fear.

He looked away and focussed on the hut in front of him. Toothless had stopped when Cuyler and Heather did too. Heather looked at her father with a questioning look, and Cuyler looked like he was deep in thought.

He was thinking about the most tactical way of bringing the news to his wife. It wasn't every day that you came home with a random child who would be staying with them for a while. He needed to be subtle, subtle and smooth. He would need to play this clever, and even if everything would go according to plan there was still a large chance that he'd have to make up for this. Since she really wouldn't like it.

"Well." Cuyler said as he sighed, looking at Hiccup and Heather, shooting them both a soft smile. "Now or never." He said as he slowly opened the door, the wooden object creaking softly as it turned on its hinges, and the smell of warm stew reaching his nose.

"Honey." Cuyler began, his eyes adjusting to the darkness inside. "We're home."

Hiccup stood outside, calmly listening to the conversation inside as Heather also stepped inside. "Wait here." She said to Hiccup before she entered. Hiccup calmly waited, listening to the voices inside.

He heard a soft female voice, different from Heather's. He immediately linked it to the mysterious mother he was soon to meet. "Hey," He heard her say, her voice carrying joy and a small hint of relief. "How was the day?"

"Good." Hiccup heard Cuyler say, pausing shortly before continuing. "We got a deer." He explained, remembering Hiccup of how they had just met that morning.

"Oh dear, that's amazing." The mother said. Once again he could hear the relief in her voice, food probably was a really big concern for them. "Did you hand it to Jonas?"

Hiccup perked up, that was a new name, but it was probably the guy who Cuyler handed the deer. He listened carefully, trying to pick up whatever he could.

"Yes love, I gave it to him as soon as we returned." Cuyler said calmly. Hiccup was glad that the house was so noisy, otherwise he would have never been able to hear this all. But that also meant that he could hear the silence that now hung in the air.

"There's something else too." Cuyler began calmly, and Hiccup felt like he was thinking about how to formulate it as he said it. "We found a boy, in the woods."

"You found a kid walking around in the woods?" He heard the mother's voice ask surprised. "Was it one of us?"

"No, he wasn't. I don't know where he's from." Cuyler explained. Hiccup wondered if he was aware that he could hear everything. "He was wounded though, had a bad limp."

"What did you do?" He suddenly heard the mother say, only her tone had changed dramatically. It was now sharp and clear, and had a very slight edge to it. "Cuyler?"

"I couldn't leave him there." Cuyler said, his voice raised a bit to defend himself. "I was sure he wouldn't survive."

"You took him here?" Hiccup heard the mother say. "Oh gods, Cuyler, why?"

"He needed help." Cuyler said sternly. "Help we can offer him."

"Sure, another mouth to feed, more people to worry about." He heard the mother say agitated, before she let out a large sigh. "I understand that you want to look out for others, it's a good trait. But sometimes you need to stop and think about yourself for a moment." He heard the older woman say. "We don't always have to help."

"I know that, it's just, this boy, he's, different." He heard Cuyler say, hearing a small giggle from Heather. If only her mother knew how different he really was. "Perhaps he can help us too."

He heard Heather's mother sigh again, this time it sounded more defeated then annoyed. "Where is this kid?" She asked, and Hiccup knew that he'd probably be introduced soon.

"He's waiting outside." Cuyler said from inside as Hiccup heard people move. "But there's one more thing you need to know."

"What is it?" Hiccup heard Heather's mother ask as she opened the door a bit. Hiccup could see her fingers on the edge of the door. They were thick and strong, but most surprisingly, clean. They looked like the hands that could provide care and love for a family. But would also wield any weapon to their access to defend them.

Basically your typical Viking woman or man.

The door opened further, and Hiccup could now fully see the mother. She was sturdy, just like Cuyler. She wore a blue clothes, along with a green and red dress, the two separated by a thick belt. The belt supported a small pouch and the sheath, holding a knife. She had black hair, and Brown eyes. And wore a small helmet, with thin, long horns.

She stood in the doorframe, one hand still on the door and the other on the hilt of the knife. Probably more for convenience than the intention to use it. At least, that was what Hiccup hoped. Her mouth hung slightly open, and Hiccup could see how her eyes scanned him and Toothless.

"Cuyler." She said softly, her voice calm, but Hiccup could feel tension in it. "What is this?"

Cuyler appeared behind her, a troubled look on his face. "Helga, meet Hiccup." Cuyler said calmly, hoping that introducing them would be a good first step. "Hiccup, meet my wife, Helga."

"Hi." Hiccup said sheepishly from the back of Toothless, raising his hand to greet the Viking woman. Helga still stared at the boy dumbfounded. She was already irritated that Cuyler had decided that it was a good idea to bring an extra mouth to feed back home. But she hadn't expected anything like this.

The boy was sitting on the back of a dragon for Thor's sake.

She snapped out of her thoughts, and tried to look at Hiccup and his dragon without focussing too much on the dragon. She could see he was young, relatively young. Probably fourteen or fifteen, and he was wearing strange clothes. Clothes which had strings connected to some sort of saddle that was strapped to the back of the dragon.

"This is the boy?" Helga asked for reassurance. "The boy you brought home?"

"Yes." Cuyler said calmly. He wanted to fill in more blanks, but decided he'd answer them when his wife asked for them. He didn't want to drown her in information all at once. He'd wait for her signal.

"And that is?" Helga asked as she moved her hand from the doorframe to point at the Night Fury. The dragon didn't act, by now it understood that the Vikings here meant no harm. They were just curious and didn't understand.

"That's his pet." Cuyler said. "His pet dragon." He continued, looking at Hiccup for some help explaining it.

"Toothless." Hiccup said as he leaned down and scratched the dragon's chin. "Come on, do the trick." Hiccup said as he took a tight hold of the saddle. And Toothless leaned back on his back legs. He slowly pulled the sides from his mouth up, forming the gummy smile which had surprised Hiccup one of the first times they met. He could see Helga, Cuyler and Heather in the door opening from behind Toothless. Cuyler had a soft smile, Heather a large one, and he couldn't quite place Helga's expression. It was like she was still trying to understand what was happening. A giant dragon was standing in front of her house, smiling at her. So Hiccup guessed that it was quite a bit to take in at once.

Toothless landed back on all fours. Helga did a small step back as he did, the dragon was large after all. Hiccup sat on the dragon's back with a small smile.

"Alright." Helga said as she looked at the dragon, before looking at Cuyler. "Why did he have to stay?"

"His leg's hurt." Cuyler explained, gesturing at Hiccup's hurt foot. "He can't hunt or fish in his current state."

"Can't the dragon do that or him?" Helga asked, placing both hands on her side. She really wasn't looking forward to having the two sleep in their house.

"Apparently he needs his foot for that too." Cuyler said. "Hiccup can explain it better."

Helga sighed deeply, and turned to her husband. "Why should we do this?" She whispered softly, making sure Hiccup nor Heather could hear. "One good reason."

Cuyler thought deeply, what could he say that would convince his wife that this boy should stay? He had a good feeling about the kid, but that wouldn't convince his wife. What would, what would convince her that helping this boy was a smart choice.

He turned his head to her ear, and whispered softly. "Imagine the fish that dragon could catch." He hoped that this would convince her. "Once that boy's foot is healed he can repay us by getting us fish."

Helga still looked sceptical, but the idea of extra food was welcome. She had also heard the word that had spread throughout the group, supplies were quite low, and winter was approaching fast. She sighed deeply, and looked at Hiccup.

"Come in." She said calmly. "But make sure he doesn't break anything." She added while she shot Toothless a stern look.

AN:

Well, here it is. The next chapter. Chapter 6 is halfway done. So I think I'll be able to have it up by next weekend. But we'll see.

Thanks for all the reviews and the feedback, it really helps. It's just a giant boost of motivation when you see that someone likes what you're writing. It's addicting, which keeps me writing :P

In the reviews there was a question about how Hiccup, Heather and Astrid would work. In short, the main paring is Hiccstrid. That'll really be the only romantic interest for Hiccup. I do wanna build a strong bond between Heather and Hiccup though. But it'll be platonic and friendship-focussed, perhaps almost sibling-like. Depends on how well it goes.

Anyway, I got some school stuff to finish. So I'll see you all later!

Take care!

- R4y