By the time the meeting to sign the alliance had rolled around that afternoon, they still weren't any closer to finding Excellinor. Hiccup stepped into the great hall with a small frown on his face, not really paying attention as he walked over to his seat. Glancing around the room, he noticed that Astrid was standing over with Snotlout and Fishlegs, both who seemed to be interrogating her in hushed whispers. Lady Tantrum looked their way out the corner of her eye, sharing a look across the hearth with Dagur, both of them sending each other questioning looks.

Clearing his throat, Hiccup gained their attention, placing a hand on his hip with a short smile. "I trust you all slept well." Without waiting for an answer, he continued, noting the way Snotlout and Fishlegs kept side eyeing Astrid. "Today marks a fine day in history. I trust you all came to a decision about the alliance?"

Handing them the floor this early in the morning seemed to put the three other chiefs on edge, but it was Snotlout who spoke up first. "The Hooligans will sign."

"As will the Uglithugs." Tantrum looked over at him and gave a smile. "I look forward to seeing what new changes your kingdom will bring to the Archipelagos, my King."

Excellent. That was two. He returned her smile before looking at Dagur with a raised eyebrow. It would be interesting to see whether he agreed or not, given his reputation. If the expression on his face was anything to go by... Hiccup rested a hand behind his back, fingers looping around the lower hilt of his axe as a precaution.

With all eyes on him, Dagur shrugged languidly, idly picking filth out from under his fingernails. "Things could get interesting, so I guess the Berserkers are in." His lips split into a vicious grin. "I want a front row seat when we go to war with the other tribes."

Hiccup's shoulders relaxed marginally, lowering his hand from behind his back as he mirrored Dagur's grin. "I assure you that you will, should they refuse the offering that the three of you have so graciously decided to agree to." With a gesture of his hand, Savage pulled out a scroll and a quill and ink bottle, starting to carry it around to the three chiefs. Tantrum eyed the scroll as it was laid out in front of her, reaching to pluck the quill from the ink well. "And with trained dragons that the dragon conqueror herself has agreed to tame for us, they will wish they had."

The scroll went around the hearth, being signed by both Tantrum and Dagur before it reached Snotlout. Taking the quill, the boy chief bit his bottom lip, staring down at the paper. Was this really the best thing for Berk? He glanced out the corner of his eye, noticing Fishlegs giving him a look that told him to sign it, even through the worry behind the larger boys eyes. The tip of the quill had just hit the paper

when the doors to the great hall opened.

"I swear it's impossible to find good help these days." The new voice caused all heads to turn in the direction as a girl walked in, the doors closing shut behind her but not before giving everyone a glimpse of the mooks trying to stop her from getting in. "Really, father, it's about time you traded some of these people in, don't you think?" She opened her eyes when no gruff reply came, staring at the gathered chiefs and their accomplices who stared back at her as Hiccup cringed a little and ran his hand down his face, causing her to raise an eyebrow at his position around the hearth. "Er, Hiccup? Who are these people? Where's father?"

"For the love of Odin, does no one knock around here?" he growled under his breath before he gave her a charming smile, gesturing around the room. "Everyone, allow me to introduce my darling sister, Heather the Malignant, returned to us after two years abroad on the mainland."

Astrid raised an eyebrow as the girl - Heather apparently - gave him a look that screamed 'we'll talk later' before she inclined her head, smiling around the table. "A pleasure, I'm sure. I'm sorry for not being here for the start of this...whatever it is."

"The start of an alliance, sister dear," Hiccup informed her, gesturing her over to him. With a tug of her braid over her shoulder, Heather walked over to him from around the hearth, eyeing all three parties as she went, her hand resting on a sword at her hip. His lips quirked into a smirk as she came to stand next to him, placing his own hand on his hip. "The beginning of my kingdom, as Grandmother predicted."

Understanding seemed to dawn on Heather's face as she glanced at him out the corner of her eye, her face going grim for a moment before she smiled sweetly. cupping her hands around his with a hard yank to draw him closer. "I'm so proud of you, dear brother." Astrid saw her lips move, narrowing her eyes as Heather whispered into his ear before she pulled away, yawning a little as she covered her mouth. "My apologies, everyone, I'm afraid my journey from the mainland has been quite tiring. If you don't mind I'll be retiring to my quarters?" She looked at Hiccup with a raised eyebrow before he nodded his consent. With a low sweeping bow, Heather exited the room, whistling a nonsensical tune.

The Outcast chief cleared his throat, brushing some hair away from his face in an attempt to look unruffled by the encounter. "Now where were we...ah, I believe Berk has yet to sign, am I correct, Snotlout?"

Snotlout snapped his head up from where he'd been staring after Heather, blinking a couple of times before snapping out of his reverie. "Oh? Oh right, right. The alliance." Fishlegs rubbed his temples with a small sigh as the slighter teen lowered the quill to the paper, signing his name and watching as the quill and scroll was taken from him by Savage and returned over to Hiccup at the top end of the hearth.

Eyeing Snotlout, he opened the scroll with a flourish, the corners of his mouth quirking into a wicked grin before he snapped it shut. "Signed and sealed, my dear friends! I shall request that you all retire to your rooms before we kick off the celebrations tonight to mark the beginning of a new era."

With minimum protest, Dagur and Tantrum allowed themselves to be led out of the room, followed closely by Snotlout and Fishlegs. Astrid, however, broke away from the two warriors who had attempted to show her there, making her way over to Hiccup as he rolled the scroll up and handed it to Savage, instructing him to keep it safe. With a bow, the lieutenant left the room, leaving them alone as Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

"So...sister, huh? First your grandmother and now your sister? Sure doesn't seem like the Outcast tribe has any women."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable as she spoke. "Look, I just...didn't want to tell you about her, that's all. Heather's never really been a big part of my life since she's been off and on raiding villages and men of everything valuable that they have ever since I was ten."

"So she's a thief then."

"Marauder, seductress, whatever you want to call her." He shrugged and sat down heavily on the bricks surrounding the hearth, leaning back on his hands and crossing his legs at the ankles. "Father...Alvin came across her out at sea when she was three and I was one. Her parents had been attacked by pirates and she was drifting on a piece of the ship. Grandmother taught her alchemy, what teas could do what. She's used those to get everywhere." He reached to pry one of her arms from her chest, taking hold of her hand. "She's dangerous, Astrid. Keep away from her."

Out the corner of his eye he saw someone in the shadows beyond the doorway, watching green eyes look at him before they disappeared into the dark of the Outcast stronghold. Astrid didn't notice, however, her face softening before she pursed her lips together, reaching up to brush her hair away from the side of her face. "I will."

Reaching to cup her hand, he stood and leaned forward, placing a kiss to her forehead. "Go and have the guards lead you back to your room. You'll be safe there with Fishlegs and Snotlout and your dragons." With a short nod, she hesitated before she walked away over to the warriors waiting at the doorway to the great hall, and Hiccup shot the other warriors looks to get out of the room. Within a few seconds, the hall was clear of everyone except for him, and once he was sure he was alone, he turned in the direction of the other doorway, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were tired, dearest sister."

Like a snake, Heather swept from the shadows, looking at her nails as though she was bored before she glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Dangerous, Hiccup? I really would've thought my reputation would have perceived me as a bit more than that." She glanced over her shoulder towards the door where Astrid had been taken. "So who's the brood?"

"The dragon conqueror. I'm sure rumors of her fame have reached even your despicable ears, Heather." He stood away from the hearth, crossing his arm over his chest and almost bristling as she came closer towards him. The look on her face suggested that Heather had, indeed, heard of Astrid, and she placed her hands on her hips.

"The dragon conqueror? Looks more like a little princess than a mighty killer of a thousand beasts," she drawled, mimicing his pose and cocking her sword hip. "And the others? Where's father?"

"The chiefs and chieftess of the Hooligan, Berserker and Uglithug tribes, and father is dead." Hiccup grinned viciously at the look on her face. "By my hand." The look she gave him was positively murderous as he continued, waving a hand elaborately. "Since you were absent, I claimed my right by blood, challenge and process of elimination to become chief of the Outcasts."

Heather saw red and for a moment it looked like she was going to draw her sword on him before she straightened her shoulders, lips pursing into a thin line. How dare he? How dare he be so arrogant as to one up her and assume the title of chief that should've rightfully gone to her as the oldest. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword before she let out a breath of air that blew hair away from her face, shifting her head to flip her braid over her shoulder. "Well since the island hasn't been sunk yet, I assume that means that Hiccup the Useless hasn't failed in one aspect of his life."

His eye narrowed, a sneer curling on his upper lip as he slammed his fist against the stone around the hearth. "Don't call me that! My name is Hiccup the Treacherous!"

Heather gaped at him, her eyes wide before she cursed him. "You even assumed his title? I always knew you were egotistical, little brother, but I never expected this of you!"

"For your information, while you were gone I infiltrated Berk, gained their trust, ripped the wool over their eyes time and time again and they still trust me enough to sign an alliance agreement even after I killed Stoick the Vast and his brother in front of their little heir's eyes!" He smirked at her, though it was wavering a little. "I think I deserve to take the name of the Treacherous for my own and claim my birthright as heir of the Outcasts." When she went to open her mouth and reply, he grabbed hold of the neck of her shirt, yanking her forward so they were inches away from each other's faces. "He chose me even before you came along. Father never wanted you to be chieftess. Age is of no consequence. You will fall in line or so help me I will show you what I did to father. The hard way."

She glared at him, lips curling into a snarl before she reached up to yank his hand away from the collar of her shirt, fingers gripping around his wrist and nails biting into skin. "Outcast Island can't have a soft-hearted fool like you for a leader."

"If you're talking about my little display of affection for the dragon conqueror, I have a plan. A plan that's already been set in motion and it will do you the world of good not to interrupt it." Hiccup ripped his hand out of her grip, stepping back away from her as he felt his wrist bleed from how hard her nails had dug in.

Raising an eyebrow, it took her a moment to realize what he was doing before a sly smile tweaked at her lips and she raised her hands submissively and turned away from him. "Fine, fine. However, if you do want tips on how to seduce someone, brother dearest, I think I'll be sticking around to see the outcome of this little enterprise of yours."

Watching Heather walk away from him and hearing one of the many doors to the hall close, Hiccup brought his hand up to wrap around the wrist she'd scratched, eye narrowing and brow drawing together in a frown.

Well that threw a monkey wrench into the works.

Author's notes: dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN