Hiccup sat silent for a moment. Trying and mostly failing to hold his tears back.
"I wish I had something to say. Something witty but deep so I could ease your worry about me. So that I'm not just sitting here crying again. Making the same promise over and over to you, just to break it and have to promise that I'll be better. Or get better again." Hiccup sniffled
"Answer me this. Do you believe you've made progress? Think you have gotten a little better? Gotten a little more confident, a little smarter? Not that you needed that. Have you improved?"
"I don't know." Hiccup whispered. "I'd like to say I have. But then I go and do something that I have no reason to be doing. Like going under to try to save that last one. I wanted to help but I was probably just a huge hindrance at a real final attempt. It's hard not to lead by example." He laughed through his nose. "My only real point of reference is my dad. He can do anything and everything he puts his mind to. Able to show people what to do and when there's a real problem he can show up and actually make a difference. And here I am sitting among my people and when there's a problem I'm no more help than a juvenile." Toothless shook his head and hit Hiccup a little harder than necessary.
"You're doing it again. You must stop thinking you're useless. Not a leaders are like your father. I understand that he's the leader you've seen the most and you saw how he leads, and you saw that it works. But that only works for him because even amongst his people he's huge. One of the biggest if not the biggest person on Berk.
But you're not that, especially here. But somehow you sucked up every last bit of brains from that archipelago and are pretty easily the smartest of them all.
What I'm saying is, you don't have to lead with your brawn. You can lead with your brain and we'll be fine with that. Hiccup your more cut out to be a king or a general than a war chief. And I know that makes the think I'm comparing you The Queen. The difference is she was a tyrant who didn't care for her people, while you are pretty much the exact opposite. And that's maybe what we need more. Someone to tell us where to go and not so much show us. So do that. We have the strength. We just need someone who knows how to use it effectively."
"You don't think people will judge me if I just did that? Like you said they'll compare me to The Queen. Will that be okay? Or will people start to not trust me because of it."
"I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think that anyone would compare you in the first place and if they did then they can leave. Like they always have. They know they're allowed to live how they want. And if people want to pick fights with you, they know what happened last time. You won't be any less of a threat because you lead from behind, you just won't get as many opportunities to show it off.
Listen Hiccup, do what you think is best. If you think you lead better from the front then continue doing so. But please do think about leading from the back. And if anyone says anything they have to go through me, and you know I won't let that happen.
Plus it'll make it less likely that I'll lose you to something stupid." He nuzzled into the back of Hiccup's neck. Hiccup wrapped his arm around the dragon's head.
"You worry too much."
"You have no idea." The couple chuckled to themselves. Hiccup began to move and stood up.
"Ohkay." Hiccup stretched. "Let's get everyone back into the sky and check out these guys." He thumbed to the group of recovering dragons. Hiccup slowly moved towards the edge of the platform they were on and Toothless swiftly joined him. "Would you make the announcement please." Hiccup asked. Toothless cleared his throat.
"Attention." He announced. "The enemy has been dealt with and you are free to fly again." In an instant the mountain was a beehive. Dragons moving around and the buzzing of people taking at their regular volume.
Hiccup and Toothless stepped over to the group of saved dragons. Hiccup looked over a few of them before speaking with the Fireworm Queen.
"How are they?" Hiccup asked the normally quiet and solitude dragon.
"They'll be fine my king." She said. "You're lucky you got them when you did. Much longer I may not have been much help."
"That's a relief, thank you for your help."
"Anything for my king." Hiccup grit his teeth at that but didn't say anything, knowing that even if he asked she wouldn't change what she called him.
"Before you leave, how's your area? Is everyone leaving you alone, have people been moving in on your location?"
"I'm fine my king, thank you. People have been moving closer to me but with so many here it was inevitable. Though I do not like it, I suppose it is something that I must take in stride. Though the ones who have moved close to me only come to ask me if I need to eat, and will bring me it if I request. A 'payment' I believe you humans call it, for keeping the area so warm all the time. The only ones who truly disturb me are the hatchings that don't know any better or are curious of me. They obviously don't understand that I wish to be alone."
"That's good to hear, thank you again for all your help." He turned away from her and back to the group of survivors. He picked the one closest to him, a gronkle. "How are you doing?" He asked as he kneeled down in front of it.
