9 - Induction
Despite the fact that snow covered Berk for seven months of the year, nature has always found a way to put out trees and plants of all sorts. Iðunn, goddess of rejuvenation, has made nature to be impatient and persistent in shooting forth green sprouts at the first sign of Spring, causing everything to grow with an unrelenting vengeance for the few months warm enough to sustain plant life. The forests that were formerly a sea of brown, dotted with greens of firs and pines, erupted with leaves of willow, birch, elm, and honey-locust. The pansies that lined garden beds started to stretch out to greet the warmth of the sun.
Naturally, the Hooligans have learned from the gods by observing their works. Even as snow still stubbornly clung to the ground, most of the village was hard at work tilling their fields for kale, collards, cabbage, and carrots. Yet, despite the cold, Stoick had little trouble working up a sweat as he helped the farmers prepare their fields.
"A chief does what it takes to help his people." he would always say when they would offer payment or politely try to decline his assistance in manual labor. "Besides, gotta stay strong, somehow, so I can be ready to fight off the drag-... err, whatever may threaten us."
Stoick always believed a leader is, first and foremost, a servant to his people – not the other way around. Service was the pulse that kept him alive, the driving force that gave him reason to rise from bed every morning. A chief does whatever is needed for his village and Stoick always felt fulfillment in doing just that, even if it gave him headaches, sore arms, and calloused hands.
The chief idly whistled a tune as he guided a plow down a row in a field of dark, rich soil, churning up and mixing with the compost and manure that was laid down last fall after harvest. The yak, although resistant to get up and do work, heartily pulled the plow for fear of invoking Stoick's wrath. If it ever started to drift off its course or slacken its pace, just hearing Stoick cease his whistling was enough to inspire the fear needed to spur it toward greater effort.
Halfway through the fifteenth row, Stoick halted his whistling, but not because of the yak. The distinct sound of the Night Fury's roar could be heard in the distance, high in the sky, just off the coast.
"Ah, about time, son," he muttered to himself.
The yak, interpreting the threatening silence as a sign of imminent danger of the large Viking's wrath, picked up the pace.
"Woah there, buddy!" Stoick leaped forward and smacked the yak's shoulder with the back of his knuckles, causing it to stop in its tracks.
As he removed the harness, Stoick shouted out to his fellow farmer, "Hey, Sven, can you put him away? I gotta take care of something."
Silent Sven looked over from his adjacent field and waved, halting his yak to walk over and relieve Stoick of his charge. As the chief made his way to the town square, he shouted out for his fellow councilmen.
"Hoark! Spite! Phlegma! Gobber! Gothi! Someone go fetch her, please. I think this is it."
From the outskirts of the town square, Gobber came peg-legging it out of his smithy as Hoark and Spitelout converged, brushing the dirt off of their hands and clothing. Stoick couldn't help but feel pride for the people of his tribe. They never were especially wealthy and life has always been hard, even without the dragon attacks, but there has always been an abundance of strong backs to throw at whatever task the village needed the most.
At this time of year, the village's greatest need was for every able hand to prepare the land to grow crops that would last them through the next harsh winter. The growing season never lasted long and they would need to make use of every bit of warm sunshine that would deign to fall upon the fields. During the winter, the sun hardly rose before it set. Soon, though, it would stay in the sky for most of the day and hardly ever rest.
Stoick watched the black dragon circle the village before landing. It descended at a steep angle of attack before flaring at the edge of the town square and sprinting along the ground to control the fast landing. Stoick grunted in approval. Back in the early days, the dragons were a menace that churned up clouds of dust and snow every time they landed, but Hiccup was eager to prove his dragons as a blessing, not a curse, even if it meant either landing hard and fast or landing on the outskirts and walking in.
"Nice landing!" Hiccup crooned, earning a joyful warble from his dragon as he rubbed its thick neck affectionately. "Hardly felt a thing."
He let a little girl down from her perch before rolling himself off in one swift jump. Maintaining his momentum, he ran towards Stoick, metallic foot clanging against the stone, and jumped up into his arms.
"Hi, Dad!"
Stoick mechanically wrapped an arm around his son's back. He could never figure out a proper response to Hiccup's eccentricities. Ever since his wife was taken away, Stoick was never any good at showing his affection for his son. He so desperately wanted - no, needed - Hiccup to be the ideal Viking the tribe would accept as their next chief after himself. He was always deathly afraid that showing any approval for anything other than perfection would lead to disaster. Perhaps that wasn't the best tact, but Hiccup just would not fit in. He was always weak and clumsy. He would not embrace the Viking way, but instead was always seeking out his own mischief with his inventions.
After the dragon war ended, Stoick felt like he got an entirely new son. It was as if exposure to that Night Fury awakened inside the boy a fire that had never been seen before. His inventions stopped setting things on fire. He gained more confidence in his interactions with people. There have even been times when the boy's naturally snarky wit did not make Stoick want to strangle him!
Hiccup got over his resentments toward his father surprisingly quickly, driven by his desire to see dragons incorporated into Berk's lifestyle. He flung himself headlong into trying to smooth things out, starting awkward conversations over supper. For a while, he's been giving drawings, carvings, and other little gifts to express his love for his father. Nowadays, it was this hugging and Stoick had absolutely no idea how to deal with that.
This new Hiccup was almost enough to make Stoick forget about his greatest stumbling block with his son. Almost. Every time he saw his son, he saw the panic in his wife's eyes when she was snared by the talons of a large dragon. He heard her scream for help as she was plucked from their home and flown away. He saw that bundled infant in his arms, that accursed thing which distracted him from saving his beloved Val. His hatred for the beast that robbed him so terribly burned in his heart hotter than dragonfire and seeing the son that cost his wife only fanned the flames.
Now that the dragon war was over, perhaps it is safe to say that she has been avenged... maybe? What of the dragon that took her away? For all he knew, it could still be alive, enjoying a leisurely life at peace with the Vikings. His wife's killer could be nextdoor and how would anyone even know?
Stoick suddenly noticed the muffled gasping of his son who, apparently, couldn't breathe. He let the boy down with a mumbled "sorry" and pinched the bridge of his nose. Another headache was starting to throb in his temples.
Hatred will consume me. I have to get back to objective thinking.
Looking over Hiccup's shoulder at the little figure standing by the NIght Fury, he asked, "Who's that?"
Hiccup started to nervously scratch the back of his head. "Well, ummm, an unexpected surprise. Depending on how you look at it, she's a bonus from this rescue mission-"
"Or a liability towards our already tenuous peace treaty with our neighboring tribes." Stoick finished the sentence for his son.
The peace treaty that was, first a foremost, a show of trust and a threat of retaliation if a tribe breaks that trust. To break that trust with one tribe would be to invoke the wrath of every other tribe in the treaty until some agreed upon compensation is made.
"Yeah, I know," Hiccup sheepishly said to the stone ground. "I didn't like the surprise, either, but by the time I realized she was with Skuf, taking her back didn't seem like much of an option. Besides, she's an orphan and they have a tendency to... disappear, if you know what I mean. So, her absence shouldn't raise anyone's eyebrows. Skuf confirmed this. People simply don't look after the poor much anymore. At least, not since Dagur... ya know..."
Stoick slowly nodded. He lowered himself to one knee and looked over at the little girl.
Speaking up in his best attempt of a pleasant voice, he said, "Hello there. I'm Hiccup's father. My name is Stoick Haddock. Would you mind telling me your name?"
The little girl, still clinging to the Night Fury's neck, straightened. "Hi, Mr. Beast sir. Your son and Toothless told me all about you. I'm Tofa, but the dragons call me Little Butterfly. I kinda like it."
Stoick furrowed his bushy eyebrows. "Beast… Butterfly? What is this silly nonsense, Hiccup? Was she dropped on her head?"
Hiccup scowled and looked like he was about to snap back with something. Instead, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I think it's worth noting that Tofa can hear dragons, just like Skuf. She's not as strong as him in hearing the unspoken words, but she's getting there. And the dragons named you Beast." Hiccup toned that last part as if he didn't entirely want to be heard.
"Another dragon whisperer..." Stoick toned. "And she can talk, so she doesn't need to write every damn thing."
"Yep." Hiccup perked up at seeing his father take this news better than he feared and look at her as if she's only half insane. "She's really nice. Even as I was planning how to send her back, when I first learned she was with Skuf, my heart simply wouldn't let me."
Stoick nodded and raised himself to his feet again. "Well, we'll deal with that after the dragon... which I assume is coming soon?"
Hiccup snapped his fingers. "Ah, right!" Scanning around, he picked out a familiar face. "Astrid? Could I ask a favor?"
As she waved and started walking over from the crowd that had started to precipitate from his return, Hiccup turned back to his father and threw in, "We found a few dragons caged on that Outcast ship Skuf told us about. They're still on that ship with him, not far; just a hop, a skip, and a flap of the wings away. We're gonna set it on fire, as planned, and destroy it as completely as our dragons can, but with your permission, I was hoping we could show them the islands nearby that the other dragons from the nest have inhabited."
Stoick gave a nod as Astrid came up.
"Looks like your Rumblehorn came with a bonus," Astrid said, looking over to the lump clinging to the Night Fury's neck. "Say, where is he, anyway... and Skuf?"
"They're nestled in the Mazy Stacks," Hiccup said. "Remember Skuf talked about that Outcast ship?" Astrid nodded slowly. "Well, it turns out it did have caged dragons – a Nightmare and two Nadders. We freed them and they're friendly. They're still on the ship with Skuf and Skullcrusher. Could you-"
Astrid cut in, "Take them to the dragon safe islands? Sure. I'll get Storm."
"Thanks!" Hiccup shouted after Astrid's rapidly departing form. "Skuf is expecting you. Don't forget, Mazy Stacks."
Stoick bellowed out, "Astrid!"
The shieldmaiden stopped and turned. "Chief?"
"Don't just burn that ship. Make a hole in the deck and fill the holds and ballast with Zippleback gas. Blow it apart from the inside. Blast the whole thing into kindling."
Astrid instantly deflated. "Not the twins!" she moaned.
As if on cue, Tuffnut sprinted in, wrapping a lanky arm around Astrid's shoulder. Ruffnut joined her brother as they crowed how much destruction and mayhem they would get to cause. Astrid simply slid out of their grasps, knocked their heads together, and told the fallen twins to mount up.
Hiccup turned to his father. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Are you calling me scared, son?" Stoick bellowed. Then, lowering his voice, "Actually, I'm not so sure. I did almost scare off Gobber's dragon, after all."
That Hotburple was, indeed, quite uncertain of Stoick's floundering attempt to introduce the fire-breathing beast to the village. What made such dragon introductions difficult was that to have the dragon introduced to Berk as a resident, Stoick decided he would personally introduce it before the village. This involved touching the dragon on the head to show it was friendly. At the time he and the council established such protocol, it seemed like such a great idea, but Stoick always had a very difficult time getting himself to touch a dragon, even if he knew it was friendly.
Hiccup chewed on his lower lip in thought. "They won't be here for a while... maybe you could practice on Toothless?"
Stoick waved it off. "I've already done the hand thing on him."
"I know, I know!" Hiccup quickly said in defense. "But maybe it would help prepare you for Skullcrusher. Ya know, can't hurt to warm up.
The Night Fury looked over at the two and, seeing Hiccup's gesture, started to walk over. Tofa still clung to its neck, walking alongside like a nervous bride clinging to her entourage. The dragon stopped just short of Stoick, who suddenly felt uneasy. The massive chief took a step forward, reaching out a hand tentatively, but stopped.
Stoick ground his teeth, frustrated at himself. He had lived with dragons in his village and even one in his very house for almost two years, but the beasts always unnerved him. During the dragon war; Stoick was very calm and confident in fighting the dragons. However, this whole peace with dragons… allowing them so close without drawing a weapon… every fiber in his being screamed and shouted, "Draw your weapon, fool!".
Hiccup looked at Stoick, then his dragon, then back at Stoick. He rolled his eyes, clearly expecting something like this and dryly said, "Almost there... almost there... is something wrong, Dad?"
"Mr. Stoick sir, Toothless is really nice," Tofa encouraged as she grabbed the dragon's lower jaw. The beast rolled its eyes up, retracted its teeth and playfully gnawed on her fingers with its gums. "I promise he won't bite you."
Stoick sighed as he looked over to Hiccup. "Gods, son, why is this so hard? It's so easy for you to trust these creatures. Why can't I do the same?"
Lowering his voice so only Stoick could hear, Hiccup whispered "Because I lost a mother I never knew, but you lost the woman you loved. I have no right to suggest that this should be easy at all for you, Dad. All I can do is support you in whatever way I can."
Stoick let out a long sigh. The Night Fury trilled and warbled in encouragement.
"Great, now I'm being patronized by a dragon!"
Hiccup spoke up, a little louder this time. "Well, there's your cause, Dad. You don't see Toothless. You don't see your son's best friend in the whole world. You see..." his face twisted into a mock scowl. "a dragon."
Stoick chewed on his lip.
Hiccup suggested, "Maybe if you closed your eyes and just held out your hand? It would be a start, at least." Sardonically, "Toothless is well aware that biting you would make our father-son relationship really awkward. You can take comfort in knowing that."
He was tempted to hold onto his father's hand as he did with the other dragon riders his age when introducing them to the dragons. However, the whole point of Stoick touching the dragon was to show the village that he, as the chief, declared the dragon to be safe. He would need to do it alone.
Stoick nodded, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and held out his hand. He could sense the beast taking a cautious step forward to bump its nose into the outstretched hand. He tried to fight it, but ended up jumping back as his eyes snapped open.
"Dammit, it's all fire and blood!"
Hiccup groaned. The Night Fury huffed.
"All I see is starvation, torn and burnt flesh, and hypothermia!"
Hiccup made a face of exasperation.
"I'm not a simpleton!" Stoick said in annoyance. "I know all this suffering was ultimately caused by the Red Death. I know your dragon ended the war. Gods, this is so hard!"
Hiccup stepped over to the Night Fury, casually scratching its eye ridge, staring into its large pupils.
With a voice that came out soft, but strong enough to carry over, he said "I haven't seen the same things you have, Dad. I haven't felt the pains you endured. I haven't lost what you lost. However, when I look at Toothless, I see my best friend. I see someone who showed me a freedom I could have never imagined every time I get on his back. I see a companion who breathed meaning into my life."
The dragon cooed and pressed its nose into Hiccup's chest. Nobody could deny it was an endearing sight that portrayed the deep and powerful bond the two have forged.
Hiccup tilted his head to the side, cheek pressed against his dragon's snout. "I see a faithful friend who I would trust with my very life without a second thought – who saved me from certain death. Can you try to see that when you look at Toothless?"
The dragon gave the boy's cheek a quick lick and arched its head past his shoulder. It retracted its teeth to give a gummy smile to Stoick, who just stared as if deep in thought.
"I'll try, son. I've decided long ago that when it comes to dragons, I trust your judgment. And by extension..."
Stoick quickly took a step forward and thrust his hand, touching his fingers to the dragon's nose in a rough motion. Startled by the sudden move, it jerked its head back, but quickly recovered and pressed its nose into Stoick's palm.
The burly Viking felt the connection, the emotion from the dragon. While only Skuf - and Tofa, it would seem - can hear them, Stoick learned that anyone can feel their primal emotions when they make contact, at least on some level or to some degree. Stoick let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, feeling the calm composure flow from the beast.
After a moment, he suddenly pulled his hand back and straightened his posture. "Yep, I'm ready. See? Easy! Nothing to it! To think you doubted your old man. Kids these days!"
A din of relieved laughter could be heard from the councilmen and other villagers who had gathered around the town square.
Hiccup whispered, "Thanks, Bud. I think we're good, now."
Stoick watched the dragon withdraw to the edge of the town square, away from the people, where it laid down and curled its tail around itself.
Tofa was left standing next to Hiccup, staring longingly after the dragon. She looked up at Hiccup and said, "Mr. Firefly, sir, can I go play with Toothless?"
Hiccup motioned for her to go ahead. Stoick raised an eyebrow. "Firefly?"
Hiccup gave a wry grin. "Yeah, ummm, that's the name Toothless gave me. Skuf and Tofa told me..."
Stoick rolled his eyes. Dragon names. Great! What next? Dragon poetry? Dragon philosophy? Dragon gods?
"I think it's because I mystify and enchant him or something like that." Hiccup tossed in as if that was supposed to explain anything.
At that, the Night Fury jerked its head up and looked at its rider, ducking its head and licking its gums as if it wanted to go over and lick him, but restrained itself. Instead, it gave a quick lick to Tofa, who started to climb onto its front leg that was laid out on the ground.
Hiccup nervously went on. "Remember how Skuf said dragons communicate? They don't use words, so why would they use names? There's lots of allegory and imagery in how dragons talk. Our names don't really mean anything to them unless people think of an image while saying it – like Fishlegs or Hiccup. They catch the notion of a fish with legs for Fishlegs or an involuntary muscle contraction for my name – thanks for that by the way, Dad."
"Hey" Stoick threw his arms up in defense. "It was your mother's idea. And I haven't seen any trolls since."
'Riiight..." Hiccup intoned dryly. "So, Toothless – or any dragon for that matter – may name someone they've gotten to know based on something they understand... an animal or plant or event or temperament that they would relate to that person. So, I guess I remind him of the effect fireflies have on him when he sees me."
"Interesting..." Gobber piped up. "I wonder if Grump gave me a name?"
Hiccup shrugged and flicked a glance at the slumbering dragon. "Guess you'll have to ask Skuf or Tofa to ask him for you. I would take a wild guess and say he named you something like Landslide or Boar."
Hiccup flinched in anticipation of a well-deserved smack on the back of his head and was not disappointed.
"Sunset, sir."
Everyone turned in surprise to look at Tofa.
"He named you Sunset. He asked Toothless to tell me so I could tell you."
"Sunset?" Gobber grumbled as he stole a glance towards the smithy where his dragon lay with a single eye propped open. "I ain't that old, ya lumpy pile o' scales!"
"Sir, I think you misunderstand." Tofa raised her voice so it would reach Gobber, but it appeared she was attempting to melt into The Night Fury's neck.
Gobber smiled and took a few steps towards her. "Alright, how so, Tofa?"
"Well, sir, he named you sunset because you provide comfort to your people at the end of a weary day and direction for tomorrow. The dragon sees the mind more than the body."
Gobber chuckled. "Well thank you, Tofa, for sharing that for Grump."
Then, raising his voice over to his dragon, he shouted, "Grump, I take back that whole lumpy pile of scales comment. You are the most handsome pile of scales I have ever seen!"
The Hotburple gave out a low, pleasant trill and flashed what was probably supposed to be a grin at its rider before going back to sleep.
Their conversation was pierced by a loud roar overhead. All eyes turned skyward to see the Rumblehorn carrying Skuf as they circled above the village.
"Ah," Stoick grumbled. "About time our guest showed up."
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Stoick felt the need to assert something authoritative with his loud bellows. "Clear a space, everyone. Big space for a big dragon."
He idly watched people hastily scurry out of the way of the large Rumblehorn on its final approach. It landed with a heavy and decidedly ungraceful thud, sending a puff of snow in the air from the stone walkways. Skuf quickly disentangled himself from the impromptu saddle and slid down the side of the dragon's neck, looping an arm around the horn at the tip of its snout. He then led his dragon to the center of the village square, where Stoick and Hiccup beckoned him over.
The councilmen gathered around Stoick, who raised his voice for all to hear. "Welcome back, Skuf."
The mute smiled and thumped his chest with his right fist in greeting.
The chief decided to begin this meeting on an official note to establish the protocol. "We'll hear the details of the mission soon enough, but let's first examine your dragon and come to a decision. As we all know, this is something we do for any person we decide to induct into our tribe. After the Red Death was destroyed, the council has decided that dragons can also count as people and can also become a part of our tribe if we come to a consensus.
"However, they are very different from us Vikings and are not familiar with our way of life, nor the law and code of honor to which we are all bound, so this dragon would need to be under your responsibility, Skuf. Now, everyone, we have already admitted Skuf into our tribe, but we must decide about his dragon. Skuf, since you are mute, do you have someone to speak on your behalf?"
Stoick would have been surprised if he hadn't heard Hiccup say, "Skuf has asked me to speak on his behalf." It was encouraging to see the boy taking this meeting seriously. It reflected in his tone and choice of words.
"Proceed."
Hiccup approached Skuf and the Rumblehorn with calmness and an air of authority as he smiled at them and started to idly scratch the dragon under the chin, eliciting a rumbling warble. The very ground seemed to vibrate and many people took a half-step back while instinctively reaching for their waist. Even with the dragon war ended, old habits die hard, but they all quickly regained their composure.
Hiccup frowned nervously and took a moment to compose himself before beginning his introduction. He felt there was an odd sort of symmetry that he was one of the people called on to speak for Skuf when he was accepted into the tribe and, now, his dragon.
"Thank you, chief. This, here, is Skullcrusher. During the ship ride back from Berserker Island, Skuf told me about Skullcrusher's past and how he got to know him. Skullcrusher is a Rumblehorn dragon, characterized by his large, bulbous body, club-like tail, and heavily armored exterior. He also has excellent tracking skills with his superior sense of smell."
Fishlegs tossed in, "And a whopping knockback strength of twenty!"
Stoick groaned. "Time and place, Legs."
The bulky rider cringed. "Sorry, sir."
Hiccup exchanged looks with Skuf. "Skullcrusher's past is actually a pretty sad tale. As with every dragon you've seen your entire life, ever since the day he cracked his egg, he had been under the control of the Red Death. However, after the dragons were released from the Red Death's mind control, Skullcrusher was promptly captured by the Berserker tribe and locked in a cage... similar to..." Hiccup scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, similar to how we caged dragons here on Berk during the war.
"One main difference, though, is that Skullcrusher wasn't used for training. Instead, Dagur used him as an entertaining way to get rid of… undesirables. Skullcrusher was starved of any food for several days and then put in an arena to fight. Since he's here today, you can guess who was victorious in all those fights. It was cruel to the dragon to use him in such a way. Nothing short of depravity could describe the people who did this."
A low murmur could be heard among some of the Hooligans. The council declared that the dragons with riders could live peaceably on Berk, but it wasn't always sunshine and roses with the villagers. Still, some seemed to be genuinely upset at such treatment to this dragon. Others… didn't want to make a scene by voicing their disinterest.
Hiccup pressed on. "Skuf assures us that this violent past is well behind us. Such behavior on the part of Skullcrusher was not because he is a mean dragon, but simply because of his treatment. Before you judge him, please ask yourself how irritable you would be if starved for days and then thrown into an arena with angry Vikings trying to kill you."
A scattering of chuckles rippled around. Feeling more confident, Hiccup continued. "How Skuf befriended Skullcrusher is actually an interesting story. We've all heard about how Dagur took over as chief of Berserker Island about a year ago. Well, he was simply annoyed that Skuf was a mute. He knew that dragons were calm and cooperative for Skuf. However, because Skuf's advice could come only through a slate board, Dagur tossed him into the dragon's den."
Stoick shot Hiccup a stern look. Now was not the time to get everyone distracted on a different topic. People were already working themselves up into a fit.
"Monsters!"
"They're in our peace treaty?"
"How could people be so cruel-"
"SILENCE! " Stoick bellowed out. "We are here to decide if we want to accept Skullcrusher as a resident on our island, not to discuss the politics and ethics of the Berserkers. That can wait for some other time."
After a moment of silence, he held Hiccup with a stern glare and motioned for him to continue.
"Uhh, thanks," Hiccup sheepishly said. Collecting himself, he went on. "Anyways, Skuf was thrown into this arena with a starving Skullcrusher and not because of any wrongdoing on his part. Keep in mind Skullcrusher wasn't just hungry. Dragons are naturally lean creatures with almost no fat marbling whatsoever; I bet even I have more fat on me than Skullcrusher. His body was literally eating itself.
"Despite that, when Skullcrusher was released to attack Skuf... well, he didn't. He went over and established a bond with him, instead. They became friends when Skullcrusher was supposed to kill him. Dag- Uhhh, the Berserkers were more amused than angered, so Skuf was yanked out and assigned to feed and clean up after the dragons, which allowed him to commune with Skullcrusher more and establish a deeper friendship.
"One benefit to having Skullcrusher on our Island is that he is a tracking dragon. His sense of smell is far superior to any other that we know. He can track people based on, say, a whiff of their personal effects, for example." As Hiccup craned his neck to look up at the top of the Rumblehorn's back, he added, "And he also presents some interesting challenges in designing a saddle."
Gobber shouted, "ACH! I got some ideas already!"
Hiccup took a step back and said "So, everyone, this is Skullcrusher. Skullcrusher, this is Berk."
The dragon gave a short roar and pressed its maw into Hiccup's chest. Though Stoick had little doubt the dragon would be accepted, he decided it was time to press forward with the formalities.
"Alright!" Stoick raised his voice to cut through the chatter that had already risen up again. "We have a decision to make. Do we allow Skullcrusher as a resident on Berk under the responsibility of Skuf? All in favor, say 'aye'."
There was a resounding chorus that spoke up in the affirmative. Stoick took special note of his fellow councilmen, preparing himself for what he saw must come.
"All opposed, say 'nay'."
"Nay!"
A murmur rippled through the crowd as Stoick took note that it was Spitelout who spoke up. The man wasn't all that fond of Skuf, having managed to become more of a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist than even the chief. Skuf was far from shy about pointing out the way Snotlout running his mouth and his resistance to accept reprimands will cost his life one day. Consequently, Snotlout felt humiliated and always gave Skuf the cold shoulder. By extension, why should his father give any favor to Skuf's dragon?
This could present a problem. Only a year ago, Mildew had stirred up a bit of chaos and got the town rallied against the five dragons on Berk. The council decided to have the riders fly them to an island a ways away and then a ship would pick them up. That only ended in a fiasco when the ship arrived and the riders all refused to leave without their dragons.
Stoick was there. He saw things unfold for himself. The riders declared that they would live with their dragons away from Berk if they couldn't live with their dragons on Berk. Any attempt to get them on the boat was met with a game of hard-to-get on dragonback. Throwing axes or bolas at the beasts ran too much risk of hurting the riders, so Stoick went back home and tried to wait it out. However, the parents raised a preemptive Ragnarok in response. Stoick even crossed blades with Spitelout when he heard of the chief's "solution".
In the end, Stoick struck a bargain with the riders where he promised to twist the council's arm into accepting these five dragons on Berk if Hiccup would form an official dragon training academy to train regularly and deal with any issues that arise.
If Skuf is forced to make such a decision, too... well, he's a dragon whisperer. If he leaves Berk, he will end up somewhere else. Maybe the promise of great fortune and fame would eventually sway him and an enemy tribe will gain him as an ally. Even though there's this Tofa girl, who's to say the council will accept her? She came here because of Skuf, so it only stands to reason Skuf would take her with him. She's not a Hooligan, so who's to stop her from flying off with Skuf on the rejected Skullcrusher? What could an enemy tribe do if they gain the favor of these dragon whisperers?
Stoick noticed the noise had risen so much that nobody could be heard and shouted, "SILENCE! Spitelout, would you like to explain?"
"Yes, I would." Spitelout looked around as he composed his thoughts and spoke up. "I have no reason to doubt that Skuf and Hiccup are sincere when they speak of their trust in this dragon. However, I have one concern that I feel should be addressed directly before we consider allowing him in. I think we can all accept that any death and destruction caused by the dragons during the war can be forgiven – forgotten," Spitelout hastily added as he recognized several people on the island viewed dragons as equals or almost equals. Dragons killed Vikings, true, but Vikings also killed dragons.
He continued, saying, "They were in a trance and literally had no control over their actions. However, it seems Skullcrusher killed many people after the Red Death, when he was free from this mind control trance and able to control his actions. Now, I understand the circumstances basically forced this sort of behavior. I can't say I would not do the same thing if I were in the dragon's position..."
A chuckle spread throughout the crowd.
"Even though Skullcrusher would receive infinitely better treatment here than cages and starvation, what assurance do we have that such a violent past will not be a threat to us?"
Everyone started murmuring as Spitelout scanned the area, trying not to stare at the dragon, Skuf, and Hiccup. Skuf scribbled something on his slate board and passed it over the Rumblehorn's snout to Hiccup. After reading the slate, Hiccup raised his hand to ask the people to listen. After the din of voices settled down, he spoke up.
"That is a valid point, Spitelout, and deserves to be addressed. But here's something Skuf would ask us all to consider. How many dragons have you killed during the war?"
Before Spitelout could answer, Hiccup pressed on. "And how many have you slain after the war ended, knowing they are friendly around here? The answer is obvious, of course - for the latter question, that is. Please do not tell me the former. It would break my heart."
A nervous laugh dotted the crowd. Stoick couldn't help but appreciate the tact of his son in asserting his respect for dragons in a way that people who were paying attention would easily pick up on, but not too brash as to be disrespectful to those who do not share the same sympathies. Sometimes, the boy actually did use his brain.
"Were you being mind-controlled?" Hiccup asked. "Were you caught in some sort of trance? No, of course not! You acted of your own free will. Nobody forced you to kill a dragon, but you were still able to put the past aside and reevaluate how you see them. You see a risk in accepting this dragon amongst us Vikings and I agree that your concern is reasonable. I, too, would be very nervous about introducing you to a group of dragons as I just could not stand the thought of any of them getting hurt."
Stoick didn't quite like the insinuations, there. The dark muttering showed that he wasn't alone. Hiccup could be so easily offended by the simplest things, but running his mouth like that wasn't going to help. That was something decades as chief had taught him. One gains far more favor with a drop of honey than all the venom in the world.
"Spitelout, sir, for example, you were able to curb your instinct to reach for your ax every time you saw your son's dragon, Hookfang. Was it easy? Gods, No! And who could blame you? We all had that time of transition - confronting that knee-jerk reaction to reach for a weapon whenever we see a dragon. It took me a while to stop flinching every time Toothless made a sudden move when I first befriended him and it took him a while to even let me touch him. But we all made the transition without any heads rolling around. Was it not all for the better? If a Viking can learn to curb past habits, is there any creature in this world that can't?"
Many people burst into laughter at that last statement, but there was still that dark undercurrent that lingered.
Sensing that his son's speech was done, Stoick muttered out the side of his mouth, "Remember what happened last year, brother. If we lose the dragon whisperer, who knows which of our enemies will gain him."
Spitelout leaned over to Stoick and quietly said, "Look at your own reflection before you mistake me for a fool. It was I who voted we use a bit more tact than to head-butt the Red Death. Just wanted to get that on the table, that's all."
Stoick suppressed a growl and pinched the bridge of his nose as his temples started to throb. Again.
Drop of honey. Drop of honey. Ax in skull! Drop of honey. Sundered in half! Drop of honey. Drop of honey. Blood everywhere! Drop of honey.
He spoke up, saying, "Spitelout, you've held your peace so far. Do you have anything you would like to add or say in response?"
Spitelout took a step forward. "I have no more questions. Thank you."
Hiccup and Skuf exchanged nervous glances. The council needed a unanimous vote to accept a dragon on the island as a resident and they knew it. The other people can speak their mind, but the council cannot have any votes against. As if sensing the gravity of this moment, the Rumblehorn raised its head and swept its eyes over the crowd. It pressed its nose into Skuf's chest and received some scratches on its snout, then laid its head down again.
Stoick raised his hand to silence the people one last time. "Alright, if that matter is concluded, then I will call for a vote again. As a reminder, we are deciding if we want to accept Skullcrusher as a resident on Berk under the responsibility of Skuf. All in favor, say 'Aye'."
Stoick took special note of Spitelout as he heard another resounding chorus in the affirmative.
He then clapped his brother on the shoulder and raised his voice again. "All opposed, say 'nay'."
"NAY!"
Everyone looked over to the source of the voice to see Mildew striding forward. The dragon teeth clattered at the tip of his walking staff as he moved. What held that old, wrinkly thing together was a mystery, but he had an outspoken hatred for dragons, even the friendly ones on Berk. His foiled attempts at framing the beasts for vandalism in recent days, though, has diminished the credibility of his word significantly.
Stoick looked over at the Rumblehorn with Skuf and Hiccup still leaning on its snout. "Mildew, the council acknowledges your stance regarding dragons."
In his head, he also said, and we also recognize your insanity for what it is. Thank the gods our forefathers allowed us to vote off certain members from the council.
Out loud, Stoick bellowed, "Skullcrusher, welcome to Berk!"
Laughter and cheering erupted in the crowd as Stoick took a few steps forward. Hiccup and Skuf grinned at each other over the dragon's head. With a heroic effort, the dragon rose up to its feet and padded over to Stoick, stopping just short. The poor thing was actually trembling a bit, but it was visible only to the chief and the two riders.
Stoick reached out his hand, but stopped an arms-length away. Skuf, seeing his hesitation, wrapped his fingers around one of the dragon's teeth that extended past its lips in an overbite and wrapped the fingers of his other hand around one of its nostrils, trying to make it appear tamer and less threatening. By now, the cheering had subdued into a baited silence.
Stoick took a deep breath. He tried closing his eyes, but saw only fire and blood. He opened his eyes and stared at his son. Hope and disappointment were simultaneously written on the boy's face.
WHACK!
Something hard struck Stoick in the shoulder and he stumbled forward and braced himself against the dragon's snout. He didn't even have to look behind him to know who his assailant was. He could just imagine her leaning on her staff, smiling benignly.
"Thanks… Gothi."
Fortunately, the dragon took it all in stride and gave a lick to his hand.
Looking down to the dragon, Stoick said, "Don't worry, big fella. As long as you respect us, we will respect you. Welcome to Berk."