There was a buzz around the village as they prepared themselves for the attack, both from the flurry as the vikings went about their business and from the rumors flying around. Many were talking about the unexpected return of the chief's son, especially those who had been there during the ceremony fifteen years ago. There was talk about who would take over as successor when Stoick finally retired. Would it be Snotlout, or was Hiccup going to challenge him for the title?

It was questions like that that boiled Snotlout's blood.

He was the one who had been here since birth, the one who had been chosen to be the next chief through his relation to Stoick via his father. It really didn't help that the twins were joking about it as the trio rounded up the livestock and herded them into the barns, ready to put them into lock down if need be. Astrid and Fishlegs were discussing battle strategies in the great hall. Hiccup...well who knew where he was. Far away, Snotlout hoped.

"So, who do you think would win anyway?" Ruffnut asked as they herded the last of the livestock into the barn and closed the door behind them, looking at her brother with a raised eyebrow. At Tuffnut's expression, she continued with her train of thought. "Personally, my bet's on Hiccup. I mean he's already kicked Snotlout's butt once, it should be easy for him to do it again."

"Hmm...yeah, gonna have to go with you on that one."

"He caught me by surprise, okay?!" Snotlout ground out as he threw his hands up. Things were a little different now to when the Outcasts had first invaded Berk anyway, all things considered. The twins sniggered behind their hands at his indignation, making him scowl all the more. "Fine! I'll challenge Hiccup for the title of chief, then we'll see who's boss around here!"

"Someone's testy," Ruffnut said with a small sigh as she crossed her arms, watching the boy storm off, rolling her eyes. Boys, honestly. She didn't understand them sometimes, and her sibling was one. She looked out the corner of her eyes at him, watching him pick at an ear before they started walking in unison almost on an unspoken cue, heading over to Barf and Belch. Snotlout had already taken off on Hookfang, so there was no way they were going to catch up to him anytime soon. "So we're done here...what do you wanna do?"

Tuffnut made a thinking face before he grinned at her. "Wanna go see how many people we can make angry before nightfall?"

"I bet I can make more people angry than you."

"You're on!"

Hiccup, oblivious to his soon to be challenge for the title of chief of Berk, was busy climbing the hills around the outskirts of the village. Even though he was very much their prisoner due to being a "former" Outcast, it was still very much innocent until proven guilty. That much had been made clear to him during his "trial", if you could even call it that. Mostly it had been the council staring at him until Stoick made his decision.

Turning his head to look over his shoulder at the village below, Hiccup leaned against a cliff face, watching the vikings run around like headless chickens. Watching them scramble to put up their defenses was relishing to say the least. "How pathetic," he said to himself, sneer curling on his upper lip. He didn't want to think about what his life would have been like if he had grown up here. The vikings of Berk were hardly vikings anymore, since they surrendered their lives to the dragons. They said that they worked in harmony with them now but from his vantage point, he could hardly say that was the case. They hardly held onto any dignity.

A noise sounded behind him and the Outcast heir took hold of the ledge he was leaning against, hefting himself up before whoever was walking along the same path came upon him. He crouched, watching an old man walk past with a sheep tucked under his arm, staff in hand and muttering under his breath about dragon menaces.

Hiccup smirked to himself, watching the elder walk underneath him and towards the town, leaning back from where he was pressing himself against his knee and slipping his knife back into his boot, back into its hidden compartment. "So it seems like not all who live here in Berk are happy with the way things turned out," he murmured, teeth splitting his lips as his smirk widened into a grin before he started following. Things just got interesting.

Languidly making his way back into town, Hiccup began to overhear the crowd that had gathered outside the food storage building, at which the old man seemed to be at the head. He raised his eyebrow, listening closely. The Outcasts were coming tonight, the silly people couldn't begin to be falling apart now, could they? He ignored the looks he got when he stood at the back of the crowd, arms crossed over his chest. The old man - Mildew apparently - was complaining about a rogue dragon and Hiccup's eyes lit up.

"If that blasted Night Fury does any more damage to me crops, I'll be taking matters into me own hands!"

"Now, Mildew, you know as well as I do that we don't do things that way anymore." Stoick was too busy concentrating on settling the matter at hand to worry that his estranged son was in the crowd, and he raised a hand to his temples before he sighed into the palm. "I'll have the kids take care of it after the Outcasts are taken care of."

"Oh sure, leave everything to a bunch of iteenagers/i. Why back in my day, we..."

"I'll take care of it." That caused a hushed whisper to fall over the crowd and Astrid frowned in his direction where she stood near the small set of stairs leading to the food storage, her hand resting on Stormfly's neck. Mildew gave him almost the exact same expression, though with a bit more curiosity than he probably should have. Stoick refused to meet his gaze. Hiccup shrugged, placing a hand on his hip. "You need every able hand you can get tonight, believe me. If this Night Fury attacks while the Outcasts are, you won't stand a chance. While you've been reveling in your little peace treaty, my skills are up to scratch."

"This isn't Outcast Island," Astrid spoke up amidst the murmurs of agreement that seemed to be in Hiccup's favor. She tilted her head, looking down at him with a cock of her hip and mimicking his pose. "We treat dragons with respect here."

"Obviously the Night Fury missed the memo," he drawled, eyebrow raised, but he didn't move from his spot. "But...I suppose I could do things your way. All I need to do is take the Night Fury down and take him back to your arena, right?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Fishlegs spoke up, crossing his arms behind his back nervously when he realized everyone was looking at him. "W-well technically speaking, we have no idea what a Night Fury is capable of, or looks like. Nobody's seen one in recorded history aside from some glimpses in the dark. It strikes and then leaves. It has a specific target every time, and now that the raids have stopped it seems like it's just as directionless as the others used to be before we gave them new purposes." He drew his hands around and twiddled his fingers together. "M-maybe if we managed to catch and train it..." He quieted under the look Astrid was sending him with a small noise, sliding closer to his Gronckle.

Stoick looked at the boy before he pinched the bridge of his nose, brows drawing together as he spoke, shoulders deflating. "Very well. Mildew, you'll take Hiccup to where you last saw the Night Fury, where you'll wait until nightfall. Astrid, I want you to teach him what he's going to need to do. The rest of us will continue with preparations for the invasion."

Murmurs rose up from the crowd before Hiccup overheard Gobber's not so whisper of "Now that's killing two birds with one stone." The boy crossed his arms and held out one hand. "I'll need my axe."

"You're not killing the Night Fury. You're containing it," Astrid quipped as she came closer, her own arms crossed and Stormfly close behind her. Mildew made an uncomfortable noise before he slipped behind Hiccup, looking as skittish as a newborn kitten. He looked out the corner of his eye at the older man before turning his attention back to the viking girl, head tilted coquettishly as she continued. "Like Fishlegs said, it's unpredictable."

"That's every reason why I'm the best man for the job." He grinned viciously, watching her frown deepen and her dragon growl. "What's the matter, princess?" he purred, leaning forward. "Don't trust me?"

"You know very well that I..."

"Hiccup." Stoick's voice made him lean away, looking at the chief of Berk with a scowl. "I will let you have your axe back. On the condition that I don't see Night Fury blood in my arena."

"Bah. A little blood spill never hurt anyone." Mildew rolled his eyes, leaning heavily against his stick. "Besides that, the boy will need a weapon anyway. Unlike your little house pets, this one's as nasty as they come. Ate me entire cabbage crop in one night it did! No to mention knocked hole into me roof!"

"No blood. And that's final. Gobber." The blacksmith ambled over from where he was talking to another amputee, bushy blonde eyebrow raised. "Get Hiccup's axe from the armory."

With a nod, Gobber made to move past Hiccup, patting him on the shoulder bare from its usual armor guards and gesturing for the trio to follow him. "Ye've taken good care o' that beauty. Never really had a good chance to study Outcast weapons before..."

Watching them walk off, Stoick shook his head as his old friend chatted aimiably even as Hiccup only gave him silence. For a moment he almost wished that he could see what Hiccup would have looked like if he and Val had defied tradition and kept him, but then he shook himself out of his reverie and continued on making preparations.

There was no use dwelling on the past.