Chapter Four
Hiccup stared at the chieftain. It wasn't hard to tell that he was a killer. But at least he was giving them a chance to talk. Sitting up straight on his knees, he then began to answer to the apparent warlord. "I'm Hiccup Haddock." Gesturing to Astrid, he added. "With me is Astrid Hofferson. We were captured by those dragon hunters, as were our dragons. The Night Fury and Deadly Nadder."
"Your dragons?" Talen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, our dragons." Hiccup replied adamantly. "We're Dragon Riders from an island called Berk. My father is the chief there, Stoick the Vast."
"Go back to what you said about being Dragon Riders." Talen interrupted. "You all ride dragons? Your entire tribe?"
"No, not all." Hiccup explained, hoping he was at least getting on the marauder's good side. "Only a select few, but those that do ride are warriors."
"I'm not scared of a few warriors that can ride dragons, if you're trying to convince me not to attack your village." Talen replied, letting a sinister smile grow on his face. "Fortunately for you and your friend, I'm not interested in raiding or slaughtering villages, or mindlessly killing prisoners. Now, tell me why you were captured by those men on the ship."
Hiccup swallowed, seeing the man wasn't concerned about Dragon Riders or war in general. "We were tailing the ship for a few days, and decided to strike at them. Turns out, the ship was a trap specifically for us."
"Why specifically for you?"
"Their leader ordered them too. As far as we were able to figure out."
"Who is this man, and why would he want to capture you?" Talen asked, looking down at Hiccup with a sudden interest.
Unsure of why he was asking, Hiccup replied with some hesitancy. "Uh…his name is Viggo Grimborn. He's been fighting with us since we first met him and his brother, Ryker. They've been trapping dragons and we were stopping them."
"You're fighting the Grimborns?" Talen asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Turning to the girl named Astrid, he asked. "Is this true?"
Astrid nodded, seeing the chief's demeanor change at the subject of fighting Viggo. "Yes. That's why he set that ship as a trap for us. Hiccup is the leader of a small group of elite Dragon Riders, me included in that group." Turning to Hiccup, she added. "We've been at war with them for just over a year."
"How big is your group?" Talen followed up with, looking back at Hiccup.
"Uh, before I answer that…" Hiccup began to say. "We don't know if we can trust you guys yet. Why did you attack one of Viggo's ship? And how do you know him?"
"You don't ask questions!" Teeth barked, pushing Hiccup over. "You're only need to answer what we ask of you, if you value your lives!"
"Don't you dare touch him!" Astrid shouted, glaring at Teeth with fire in her eyes.
"Teeth, calm down. Do you see what I see?" Talen replied, pulling back his kid to teach a lesson.
"Information? A way to lure Viggo into a trap or disadvantage?" Teeth replied, looking away from Hiccup struggling to get back on his knees, being harder with no foot.
"No. I see allies. These two represent a group that's been fighting Viggo for over a year. Apparently with a significantly smaller group that Viggo's fleet and army can't destroy. They probably have more information about him and his tactics than we could ever get from his men." Talen replied, kneeling down and helping Hiccup stand up. Seeing that he only had one foot, he then began to issue orders. "Grange, go patch up Teeth and return to your post."
"Yes, Chief Talen, of course." Grange replied, bowing in acknowledgement.
Seeing Teeth's angry glare, Talen explained. "I know you're still bleeding from the fight. After you're fixed up, get yourself cleaned and meet at my quarters for dinner." Turning to Hiccup and Astrid, he smiled while saying. "We'll be honored to have Hiccup and Astrid as guests."
"Wait, out of my armor?" Teeth replied while looking up at Talen with wide eyes, as that was all that could be seen for any kind of expression. "You know that I don't like to take my armor off for meetings!"
"All masks off. Yes." He replied as he turned to glare at his resilient kid. "If we want them to be honest with us, we need to be honest with them; as is our custom with all those who we deal with." Then, in a colder tone, growled. "This isn't debatable. You will do this."
"As you command, Chief." Teeth replied angrily and even a little dejectedly, all while bowing slightly. Looking at Hiccup one more time, the mysterious bone clad Marauder turned and walked away with Grange, this time with a slight limp from the hits taken and the adrenaline slowing down.
"Untie them. They're friends." Talen ordered, holding Hiccup by the shoulders so he wouldn't fall over.
Two men instantly responded by slicing the ropes around their wrists and untying the gags that were still hanging around their necks.
"Uh, thanks." Hiccup replied, hobbling on one foot. Astrid quickly grabbed him and supported him.
"No problem, my friends. I apologize for the way my men treated you; and for Teeth's…gruffness." Talen replied with a warm smile. "You're enemies with our enemy. Why fight when we can help each other out, yes?"
"What's in it for you?" Astrid asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I want help fighting your enemy." Talen answered cordially. "I'll explain at dinner as to why. For now, I'm sure you two would like to rest. How long were you prisoners?"
"A few days actually." Hiccup answered, hobbling to stay up on his foot. "Uh, Chief Talen, thank you for freeing us, and your sudden hospitality, but can we get our dragons back?"
"I see." Talen replied, stroking his silver beard. "I guess they are yours by your claims. Any chance we can have them after?"
"We haven't agreed to anything." Astrid growled, only to be stopped by Hiccup.
"What Astrid said is true. We haven't agreed to anything." Hiccup began to say. "But I do like the idea of shutting down Viggo for good. I have no problem talking about the details of working with you. We just can't promise anything right now since we don't really know anything about you."
"Fair enough." Talen agreed, folding his arms and frowning at them. "You're allowed to see your dragons. But as far as I'm concerned, until we come to some agreement, you are our prisoners now." Seeing Hiccup and Astrid look at each other, he raised his hand to assure them. "You will not be treated the same as you were previously. But you will be guarded at all times when you're not locked in a cell, and will not be allowed to be with your dragons without Teeth or myself. Understand?"
"I guess we don't really have a choice, do we?" Hiccup answered, shrugging his shoulders. "We just want to make sure they're okay. We don't know if the Hunters hurt them or not."
"That's fine with me." Talen agreed to, nodding in satisfaction. "I do want to work with you, Hiccup Haddock. You would be a valuable ally to us. You and your friends."
"And we don't want to snub the fact you're willing to work with us. Also freeing us from Viggo's men." Hiccup replied. He didn't know how his dad played politics, and he didn't want to anger a chief with an army that could possibly destroy Berk. "We just don't know anything about you yet to make any promises."
"A valid concern, and a point of honesty." Talen smiled. Grabbing a spear from one of his men, he handed it to Hiccup "Here, use this. Perhaps we can make you a leg while you're on board."
"Thanks. The Hunters threw mine in the ocean when we were captured." He huffed, letting go of Astrid and using the spear to balance himself.
"Come, I'd like to see you interact with your dragons." Talen replied, turning to lead the two to the dragon cells.
Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other again, to which Astrid whispered quietly to him. "I hope you know what you're doing. We had a better chance escaping the Hunters."
"He wants to be a friend. Let's see where this goes." Hiccup whispered back. "If we don't have to fight, let's not!"
"All my life, I haven't seen or imagined anything like that dragon." Talen replied in awe, staring at the Night Fury. Then, gesturing to the Nadder in a separate cell, replied. "Neither with that Nadder. The colors blend so well with each other, and the spikes along the head are very symmetrical."
"You sound like a dragon hunter." Hiccup commented, hobbling over to Toothless' cell. "An experienced one at that."
Talen watched them pet their dragons through the bars with sincere interest. "We're the best hunters. We never came this far north before, as I've been busy maintaining my...uh, own archipelago; and for treaty reasons. You see, this area was set aside for another dragon hunter and his crew, so that we could all prosper. We created a pact with the Grimborns that we both would stay out of these waters. When we learned Viggo broke the treaty, we sailed up here to put an end to them." Looking at Hiccup, who was staring back at him, he added. "Hence, why we're willing and wanting to work with you."
Hiccup nodded, knowing he was still trying to sell the idea of working together. Turning to Toothless, he whispered. "Easy bud, we'll be fine."
Toothless let out a small growl, still having the muzzle strapped around his head. Letting Hiccup rub his head, he simply looked at his rider with a sorrowful expression.
"Easy girl, easy." Astrid replied, bringing Talen's attention to her.
Watching her rub the Nadder's chin gently, Talen watched them curiously. How were they able to tame and even train these wild beasts? The most confusing part of all, though, was how the dragons were responding to their alleged riders. "Do they have names?" He asked, looking back at Hiccup. "I assume they do, since you're apparently friends with them."
"This is Toothless." Hiccup replied, turning to face Talen. "If he didn't have the muzzle on, I'd show you why I named him that."
"Toothless the Night Fury." Talen said aloud, smiling at the thought "A funny name for a legendary dragon." Turning to Astrid, he then asked. "And yours?"
"Stormfly." She answered simply. "When I first rode her, it seemed like the perfect name."
Talen nodded, intrigued by the obvious bond between dragon and rider. Seeing Hiccup and Astrid continue to comfort their dragons, he turned to one of the cell's guards. "Go tell Teeth that we'll be having our dinner here. After that, bring in a table and some chairs, understand?"
The guards nodded, not questioning their leader. Turning, they marched out, leaving Hiccup and Astrid staring at Talen in confusion.
"I want to be an ally, Hiccup Haddock." Talen explained. "I can see that you would like to be one as well. So, I'm showing you that I am honest and can be trusted, and willing to put aside my differences to prosper in the future." At that, he reached and grabbed the keys to the cells. Walking to Stormfly's door, he quickly unlocked it. "I only ask you leave your dragons here. For the sake of my crew and ship." At that, he unlocked Toothless' door, swinging the gate open for Hiccup.
Staring at him in disbelief, Hiccup bolted into the cell. Well, more like hopped into the cell with Toothless. "Bud!" He cried out, hugging Toothless' head. Fumbling to pull off the muzzle, he grunted as he jerked it off. Toothless roared happily, tackling Hiccup and licking him.
"He is toothless!" Talen exclaimed, staring at the sight of the gummy smile. More impressively, the dragon was docile towards Hiccup. Even loyal to him. Turning to watch Astrid also hug her dragon, he couldn't help but think of how they discovered they could ride dragons.
"Oh no." Hiccup groaned aloud, pulling both Talen's and Astrid's attention to him. Talen quickly walked into the cage to see what was wrong.
"Hiccup?" Astrid asked, looking over at his cell "What's up?"
"The Hunters…they broke Toothless' tail. The fabric, rods, and even my saddle." He groaned, holding up a bent piece of metal.
"No…" Astrid groaned, walking into their cage. Kneeling next to Hiccup, she asked. "You think you can fix it? Or make a new one?"
"What's wrong?" Talen asked, looking over the two in confusion.
"Uh…" Hiccup began to say, thinking of how to explain what happened. "Toothless is missing part of his tail, and I built him a fake one to help him fly. The catch is that I need to be on him to control the tail." Gesturing to the connecter from the tail to where the saddle was, he explained. "My foot, the one the Hunters tossed in the ocean, was a special one. Not a regular peg leg or stub. It helped me control the tail. It was kind of like a hook or latch."
"I see." Talen quietly replied, seeing the Night Fury's tail. "You're both amputees."
"We are. I'm lucky I only lost my leg though. I would've been killed if it weren't for Toothless." Hiccup explained, holding Toothless' head. "We'll do anything for each other."
Toothless growled affectionately, rubbing his head in Hiccup's chest.
Talen admired the loyalty the two had for each other. If there was one thing he valued more than Teeth, it was loyalty. "I assume it's similar with you and….Stormfly?" He asked, turning to Astrid.
"Yes, maybe not as drastic as Hiccup's and Toothless' relationship, but trust is the biggest key when it comes to riding dragons." She explained, looking up at him. "It's the reason why only a few of us ride dragons."
Talen simply stood there, admiring the principles they had. It was very similar to how he united his clan and other surrounding islands. He, by no means, was a kind or merciful person. But he was honorable and honest. He never killed or raided out of enjoyment, but out of necessity; or if he needed to send a message to possible rebellions. Thinking about what they were telling him, he heard a curious squawk to his right. Looking out of the cell, he found himself staring at Stormfly, who had walked out of her cage to check on Astrid.
"Chief, where would you like the tabl-" A Marauder called out, only to stop. "Oh! Dragon's escaping!" At that he, and the other Marauder helping carry the table, drew their weapons and began to circle Stormfly.
Stormfly snarled at the Marauders circling her, bristling her spines along her tail.
"Stop!" Talen shouted, running out of the cell with Astrid close behind. "Let it be!"
"But, Chief! The Nadder's out of the cage!" One of the Marauders called out, only to be interrupted.
"Did you not hear him? He said back off!" A voice shouted.
Hiccup's head perked at the sound, not knowing why it sounded familiar, but couldn't place it. By this time, Astrid was calming Stormfly down, gently pushing her back into the cage.
"Oh, I didn- I wasn't meaning disrespect, Teeth." The Marauder stammered, turning around and staring at something out of Hiccup's view.
"Then go get the chairs." Teeth growled, finally walking into view. "I'm starving and tired. I want to sit."
Hiccup and Astrid gaped at seeing Teeth out of the armor. There, in a green, sleeveless tunic and simple brown pants, with plated kneecaps, was a red headed girl. Her hair was a mess, not combed or braided at all; if anything, it was slightly curly and dropped past her shoulders. She had a faded scar on her left cheek down to her chin. Her eyes now had color, being a brown rather than the blackness that seemed to be the only feature she had when wearing her armor or helmet. The crazy thing though, was that she couldn't be older than Hiccup or Astrid.
"Uh…yes, Teeth. We'll be real quick!" The Marauder replied, quickly marching out of the room. Stopping, he turned to Talen and asked. "Should I tell Mikael that you'll be eating here?"
Talen's eyes narrowed as he shook his head "No. Tell Mikael that he can rot in his room for all I care."
Nodding, the Marauder turned and left the room, tailed by his friend.
"Sorry about that, Astrid, but that's why I want to keep your dragons in here." Talen replied with a smile. "My men react with loyalty. They'll do anything and everything to secure our interests."
"I understand, thank you for stopping them." Astrid replied with relieved smile of her own.
Hiccup slowly hobbled out of his cell, struggling with the spear acting as his crutch. Trying to walk to Astrid, he felt himself picked up and forced to sit on the table. Taken back with what was happening, he saw that Teeth had grabbed him. Ripping the spear from his grip, she then lifted his footless leg and inspected the stub.
"Hey! I told you not to push him around!" Astrid roared, walking up to save Hiccup from her. Feeling someone grab her shoulder plate, she saw that Talen stopped her.
"Watch." He said as he gestured for her to watch what Teeth was doing.
Reluctantly, Astrid restrained herself from attacking Teeth. She just narrowed her eyes and glared at her, who paid no attention to angry Viking warrior.
Seeing the stub, Teeth then pulled out a peg leg and sized it up with his other leg. Using a knife, she began to whittle away the end and round it off to make it the proper length. The other end of the leg, she began to carve out a small cup out of the top. Working on it for a few minutes, she then measured it up to Hiccup's stub. Narrowing her eyes, she then silently made two notches in the cup. "Here, try this." She replied gruffly, sticking it on the end of his leg.
Hiccup then reached down and began to fine tune it, making sure it would stay on. Satisfied, he then jumped down and began to walk around on it. "Wow." He commented, surprised as he walked around. "It's pretty comfortable."
"I've made a few legs since I've been stuck on this ship as an apprentice." Teeth replied with no emotion. "More so now that I'm the head blacksmith. This was no different than any other time."
"Well, thank you." Hiccup replied with a smile. "Makes it a bit easier than hopping around."
Astrid let out an angry huff, seeing that she had helped him. Shaking her head, she then walked up to Hiccup, saying "Well, now that we got you a leg. What about Toothless?"
"Uh, to remind you." Talen spoke up. A couple of his men bring in chairs and some food in, to which he gestured for them to set them down. "You're still our prisoners. I won't allow you to help Toothless until we come to some sort of agreement."
"Wait, what are we doing?" Teeth asked, looking at her father with a raised eyebrow. "Are we working with them or not?"
"Well that's entirely up to them." Talen replied, walking over and sitting down at the head of the table. Gesturing to Hiccup and Astrid to also take a seat, he let out a wide smile that seemed to brighten his silvered look. "I'm more than willing to though."
Hiccup and Astrid just looked at each other, nodding in agreement. "Then I guess we better start talking about it, huh?" Hiccup replied with a small smile, looking unsure of what that would entail. Pulling a chair out for Astrid, he then took a seat next to her.
Teeth also took a seat next to Talen, sheathing her knife she used to fine tune the peg leg. Looking at Hiccup and Astrid, she then asked. "So, if you're enemies with Viggo. Why wouldn't you want to side with us?"
Talen turned to Teeth, nodding approvingly at the question. Looking back at Hiccup and Astrid, he explained. "Teeth here is the next chief in line. She's here to replace me after this trip as the leader of the Marauders. I want her in our discussion."
Hiccup just looked at Teeth, raising an eyebrow as he thought of something.
"Something wrong with that?" She snarled, glaring at his quizzical look.
"What? No! Nothing's wrong with it." He quickly replied, realizing she was thinking he didn't want her there. "I was just thinking of your name. Why are you named Teeth? You look like…a Sigrid."
Talen smiled as he turned to see her blush a little bit. "Want to tell them? Or do you want me too?"
"You're the reason why it stuck with me." She growled, glaring at him. "Go ahead, father."
"Father?" Astrid chirped up, surprised at the relation. "You two look nothing like each other!"
Talen laughed out loud, ushering more of his men to place the rest of the food on the table. Pouring himself a drink, he continued to chuckle. "I adopted her. Saved her from a drunken father and abusive mother."
"You kidnapped me." Teeth corrected, shaking her head as she also poured herself a drink. "Though I'm not complaining that you did."
Smiling, Talen handed the pitcher to Hiccup as he began to explain the story. "About fifteen or so years ago, when I was commanding the Marauders and bringing order to the South Seas with the Wrathen Clan under my banner, I stopped this very ship at a large port. While we were resupplying, I was eating on the dock watching my men work. I couldn't help but notice that every time I'd look away from my plate, it would have less food on it." Smiling at Teeth, he winked at her. "Didn't take me long to see her peaking around the corner of where I was eating. So, when she thought I wasn't looking, I grabbed her when she tried to steal some more food. She couldn't have been four or five years old."
Teeth just rolled her eyes. "I'm not sorry. Your fat gut could keep you alive for a year without eating. You were an easy mark."
Smiling widely, Talen continued the tale. "So, I took her to one of the port's guards and handed her over. Learned she's been doing that for a few years, and that was the only way she was getting a meal."
"Wait, aren't you a marauder? A raider?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why were you not fighting the town's guard? Or even caring about her?"
"What others call me, yes, I'm a marauder. A title which my clan proudly owned up to." Talen answered, nodding in acknowledgement. "But I'm not heartless. Nor a murderer. I created order in the South Seas, not by pillaging everywhere I went, but by forcing islands and villages under my banner. I would protect them, and they would provide resources for me and trade with each other. I've never been cruel unless I needed to pass a message or get something done." Gesturing to her and Hiccup, he added. "If I was, you two wouldn't be alive. Or with your dragons."
Astrid just stared at him unsure of what to think of his answer. Hiccup then spoke up saying. "So you learned of her situation, what happened then?"
His smile slowly disappearing, Talen then began to continue the tale. "Well, I was concerned that she was living like that. So, I personally took her to where her parents lived to see what her life was like. The house could hardly be called a house; not even a shelter. It was a rundown shack on the backside of the village. Found out her father was passed out drunk on the floor, and her mother slapped her when I explained what happened. I watched that witch lock her in her room, being a small closet.
Teeth's face darkened, remembering the memory. She didn't realize it then, but she hated her parents. She hated everyone actually.
"The witch then slammed the door on my face, not letting me talk or say anything else." Talen growled "As I walked away, I resolved I'd take her from that horrible place. I would be a better parent than they would ever be."
"Yeah, Mikael can attest to that." Teeth snickered, glancing up at her dad.
"Ugh, damn that brat." Talen growled, shaking his head. Seeing Hiccup's and Astrid's confused faces, he then explained. "I have one child that's actual blood related to me. Mikael. He's a pampered, spoiled brat. He's been nothing but a whiner and a complainer since he was old enough to use his family's name to get whatever he wanted."
"Honestly, the only thing keeping me from running him through with my spear is because I'm too busy running the forge." Teeth muttered sarcastically while shaking her head. "Just don't have time."
"That's aside the point." Talen huffed, also shaking his head at the subject. Bringing up the story again, he began to say. "After I learned what Teeth's life was, I vowed that I wouldn't leave without her. Good thing I didn't have to wait long to fulfill that vow. As I was walking away, I saw her slip out of her window from her little prison. She didn't realize I was trailing behind her, and when she went back down to the docks, I grabbed her."
Teeth shook her head as she remembered the experience. "He slipped a burlap bag over my head and hefted me up. I tried to scream, but he covered my mouth. The more I struggled, the harder it was to try and slip out. After what felt like an hour, he tied me up and dropped me in a barrel like a sack of potatoes. Left me in there for an entire day." Glaring at him, she let a small, sincere smile grow on her face. "Best thing that ever happened to me."
Hiccup and Astrid stared at Teeth, seeing that she was indeed kidnapped. "Sounds like you had quite the start for a new life." Hiccup commented.
"Yeah, it was definitely a new life. I went from a starving street rat, living off of scraps; to becoming a marauder and dragon hunter. And I'm good at it."
Hiccup and Astrid shifted uncomfortably, uneasy with the fact that they were still dealing with dragon hunters. "Is that why you were named Teeth?"
Talen chuckled, shaking his head. "No. The reason she's named that is because when we were out of the port, we let her out of the barrel I stashed her in. Our last blacksmith at the time was Torlund, who was the unfortunate one that reached in to pull her out. Somehow, she got the bag off her head and bit his finger!"
Teeth smiled as she recalled the memory. Shaking her head, she lightly laughed. "I couldn't throw punches, so I did the next best thing. I used my teeth to defend myself."
"Took some time to calm her down, but I raised her as my own." Talen continued to explain. "Torlund, though upset, also raised her as his apprentice. That's why she's the best blacksmith I ever had on this ship. Even better than Torlund himself." At that, Talen grabbed a chicken drumstick from off the plate and began to chomp on it.
"Heh, I was raised as an apprentice myself." Hiccup commented, finally helping himself to the food on the table. "It's how I built Toothless' tail. And that sword you took."
"Wait, the fire sword?" Teeth replied in shock. "That was your handiwork?"
"Yup. Made it a few months ago." Astrid answered, helping herself to some chicken as well. "He's made quite a few things that would amaze most people."
Teeth just stared at Hiccup in wonder and awe. "How did you get the blade to catch fire? I had to wait for it to die down before I could look at it in detail."
"It uses Monstrous Nightmare gel as a fuel." He explained, happy to share his inventions with someone that would appreciate them. "There's a track in the blade that the gel travels. That's how the entire blade gets engulfed."
"Amazing..." Teeth whispered, sitting back in her chair in disbelief. "I never even thought of using Nightmare gel as a fuel. But it makes sense!" Smiling, she then asked. "Maybe you can help me with my armor. I've reinforced the bone with iron plates over the joints to make it even more impenetrable, but sometimes it's too heavy. Do you think that instead of using big plates to cover a broader area, we could use smaller, strategically placed plates to offer the same protection?"
Thinking, Hiccup began to nod excitedly at the idea. "I think so. I'd have to look at your armor to get a better idea though."
"Great." Astrid groaned, shaking her head. "The last time Hiccup started talking about making any kind of tweaks and modifications, he wouldn't shut up the entire day!"
Talen laughed, seeing both Teeth and Hiccup shrink back, realizing that they dominated the conversation. Teeth even more so, since she was supposed to be acting like a leader and heir to the throne. "So, now that you know a little bit about us, do you still have any hesitancy's about working with us?" He asked, looking at Hiccup with an earnest expression.
"Well, I guess I don't really have any concerns regarding yourselves." Hiccup began to say, pouring himself a drink. "I guess I need to know your price. What do you expect from us if we accept?"
"I expect you to be loyal to us." Talen replied simply "In the way of being a friend and ally. I won't do anything to betray your trust, and I expect the same."
"Fair enough. Does that mean we get our dragons back?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow to add to the question.
Talen's smile slowly disappeared. "Yes, I guess I do mean that. How much do you hate dragon hunting?"
"Enough to go to war over it." Astrid answered for him, staring at Talen, feeling the sudden intensity in the air. "The reason we're already fighting Viggo."
Teeth turned and stared at her dad, wondering what he was thinking. In her mind, she already made the decision to decline any kind of partnership and keep Hiccup and Astrid prisoner, forcing them to tell them about Viggo and his strongholds.
"Tell you what." Talen replied, setting down his drink and leaning forward on the table. "I'm willing to compromise on this. But you two should remember that we both get rid of Viggo. We both benefit from that. Here are my thoughts; I'm looking to expand relations outside of the South Sea, and this is a perfect opportunity to start. So here's my proposal. We won't actively hunt dragons while we're here, to appeal to you. However, any dragons that Viggo has in his possession, we get for ourselves. Aside from your dragons, of course." Then, with his silver eyes narrowing, he growled. "This is the only thing I'll agree to. You either take this, or leave it."
Hiccup and Astrid turned to each other. They didn't like the idea of giving up dragons, but they weren't really in a position to make any negotiations. Their own dragons were caged right next to them, and they were still technically prisoners. They could easily be locked up just as quickly as Toothless and Stormfly.
Teeth stared at Hiccup, waiting for his answer. In the back of her mind, she hoped that he'd accept, as she suddenly grew quite fond of the Dragon Rider. She couldn't say the same for Astrid, as she knew she rubbed her wrong when they first met each other.
Sighing, Hiccup then asked "Is there a chance we can think about this? Answer you tomorrow? It's just that we'd be giving up the very thing that we're fighting for. Dragon's freedom."
"I understand it's a sacrifice. But tonight is all that I'll allow you to think about it." Talen replied with a frown. "You'll be separated from your dragons, and placed in irons. I'm sorry, but I have to keep you as prisoners instead of friends."
Hiccup and Astrid stared at him, knowing they weren't exactly buddies with their captors. Sighing, Hiccup nodded. "I understand…"
"Guards." Talen called out, turning to two men that stood by. "Take Hiccup and Astrid to their cell. Give them a pitcher of water and some dried fish. I promised not to treat them like the Hunters did."
Hiccup and Astrid were then grabbed by the two men and marched out of the room. Toothless and Stormfly roared in anxiety, seeing them taken away from them and unable to help.
Teeth shook her head, watching Hiccup and Astrid disappear. Turning to Talen, who was staring at his plate with furrowed eyes, she asked. "What if they decline?"
"Then we force them to tell us all they know about Viggo; though it'd be better if they were willing to give us information." Talen quickly replied, as if he was anticipating the question. Shaking his head, he then said. "I actually admire them. For not accepting right away." Looking at Teeth, he explained "They hold their values close to them. They really do have honor."
"Honor and values aren't going to help us." She huffed, pouring herself a drink. Taking a long swallow, she gasped out. "Information and cooperation is."
"Fair point. But they're acting the way I would if I were in their position. This shows their character. If they do accept, we'll have little to fear about their loyalty and faithfulness to an agreement." Talen replied with a grin. Slapping Teeth on her shoulder, he stood up. "Come, let's go review your diplomatic skills. They need refinement. We'll also go over the fight you had with those two Hunters. We'll talk about how to lead the men without exposing yourself."
"The side's fine. It was a scratch." Teeth huffed, rolling her eyes while standing up. "The armor did its job."
"Indeed, but you have to remember you only have one life. Don't take unnecessary risks." Talen counseled, standing up and walking Teeth out of the room. Turning, he took one last look at Toothless, who was just staring at him. The friendly expression he saw earlier was now replaced with anger and vengeance. The dragon knew that Talen wasn't a friend.
Teeth herself was thinking of Hiccup. Why wouldn't he just agree? They weren't going to hunt dragons, but just take the ones that were already captured by Viggo, which she thought was more than fair. But there was something else bothering her. It was the fact that there were other kids her age on the White Wake. She, herself, was unique; in the aspect that she was the only kid that ever went on trips with her dad, hence why Mikael was such a babe. Grange was still a few years older than herself, thus not exactly being a kid like her; and even then, all her life she learned how to fight and hunt, and never really spent time with others her age. Shaking her head, she then huffed out loud. "Come on, dad, I'm still tired. I ran the forge all morning and then took a ship for you. Let's get this council stuff done."
Nodding, Talen followed his daughter out, trying to read her face. Usually, he could figure out what she was thinking, but now, he really had no idea. Shaking his head too, he whispered to himself. "Guess Hiccup and Astrid affected more than just me."