The hoard of dragons flew around them. Dragons yelped and snapped at each other playfully. Hiccup stood on Toothless' back and another dragon plucked him from his spot. Toothless looked up but Hiccup was lost. He could hear his human laughing and screaming. The Alpha looked over to the Night Fury. Toothless slowly closed his eyes.
"I'll be back." The black dragon mumbled. He tilted his wings allowing them to snap taught and fill with air. He rose up and twisted his way through his people until he was above them. He scanned for Hiccup. He saw the boy's hair and dove for him. Before he reached him, Hiccup disappeared. Toothless growled to himself before rising up again. Again he looked for his human.
A Monstrous Nightmare broke away from the pack. Hiccup waved to his mate before slipping off its back. The Alpha watched as Hiccup fell. He began to chase after the falling boy but was quickly overtaken.
Toothless caught his idiot.
"One day I'm not going to catch you." Toothless said. Hiccup laughed as he climbed up to Toothless' back.
"If I believed that for a second I wouldn't do it. You're the Night Fury. You don't mess up." Hiccup said smugly.
Toothless flew down into their home and landed on their shelf. He tossed Hiccup off his back.
"Hiccup I don't know if something is wrong but you need to tell me." Toothless growled.
"Wh-what are you talking about? There's nothing wrong." Hiccup shuffled away from Toothless slightly.
"Don't lie to me. You haven't been acting normally since we left. You're acting like a hatchling. What. Is. Wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. I promise." Hiccup pleaded. "I don't know what you think is happening but nothing is wrong and I don't know what you're talking about. Please Toothless. Trust me."
Toothless sighed to himself. "Okay. I'm sorry. But you've been acting like I don't pay attention to you. Ever since the Change Wing Alpha mentioned mating season you've clung to me like I'm going away. Maybe you don't realize you're doing it but you are. And that thing outside, making me catch you like that. That's fine when it's you and me. I know the danger of it is fun but we both know I can get to you. What happens when I don't get to you? What happens if I didn't see you? You die. You fall to your death for no reason other than because you need my attention more than what I give you already. And you can't make some excuse like 'you're the Night Fury. You don't miss'. That's some shit. Don't do that to me. Losing you would be devastating."
Hiccup curled into himself. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Toothless chuckled.
"You don't have to apologize. Hiccup please look at me." Hiccup looked up, tears streaking down his dirty face. "I need to clean you. But listen Hiccup, I love you and I'm not going anywhere. If you need my attention just ask me. I will devote my whole day to you, I can give you what you want but we have people to lead. There is nothing I would like more than go out to some island and mate all day. Make sure that by the time we come back we don't wake up for days." Hiccup leaped forward and wrapped his arms around his dragon.
Dragons began coming back inside. Toothless and Hiccup watched and be listened as their home was filled with its inhabitants. The Alpha landed next to them.
"Is everything okay? He asked. Toothless looked over to his human, who was nodding. Toothless rubbed his head against Hiccup's side.
"I'll show you around once everyone has settled down ." Hiccup said. The group sat and chatted while the other dragons calmed.
"It sounds like everyone is ready let's go." Hiccup jumped to his feet and the Alpha followed. They began their way down to the other shelves.
"I'll be here if you need me." Toothless called down. He laid down on the edge, watching as Hiccup climbed to each shelf.
Hiccup and the Alpha began talking to each of the groups and species. The Alpha talked and ask questions, having a good time. They eventually got to the Change Wing group.
"Hey guys." Hiccup happily called. "Look who I found." He pointed to his companion.
"Who's that?" One asked
"I'm the Alpha of the Change Wing territory." He said.
"Really?" Another asked. "You don't look like an alpha to me." A few others chuckled.
"What? I don't look like an alpha? But he does?" The Alpha asked defensively. "He's not even the same species."
"Hiccup and Toothless gained their status fairly. The Queen was a monster and they stopped that. I, along with almost everyone else here would gladly follow those two. And many of those followers would give their lives not only for this place but for them. They've made this place a safe haven." The Alpha looked around the shelves and dragons moving around.
"Are there still scouts out?" Hiccup asked. The scout leader started to count her party.
"I'm only missing two right now. But they should be back soon." She informed Hiccup.
"Have you seen if the hunting and fishing parties came in?" The scout leader shook her head. She looked back at one in her group and motioned to him.
"He'll go see if they're here and he'll return shortly."
"So you're the leader of the scouts here. How many do you have in your charge?" The Alpha asked.
"I have twenty in my command. Half of us are our kind, three Nightmares, three Nadders, and four Terrors. Even these two join us sometimes. But they normally go further than us." She informed him.
"I'm not surprised of our kind but the others assigned to your group doesn't make sense."
"My scouts weren't assigned to me. Like all the rest of the party leaders I chose my group. They're the best scouts on the island. Like the best hunters are in that group, the fishers are their group, and so on. This island works on that system. And it works well." The scout that was sent out came back.
"All parties have returned. I saw two of us reporting to the hunting party about some new potential hunting grounds. I think they'll be reporting to the fishing party then returning." The scout told them. Hiccup thanked him.
"Well, ready to go see the rest of the mountain?"
