The group greeted the pair while they joined around the dead fire.

"So then." Hiccup said as he sat down. "I think we have something interesting to do today."

"Oh? And what's that?" Stoick asked.

"Well Toothless and I have realized that since you've decided to stay there hasn't been a while lot to do with your time. Given that there hasn't been much to do for anyone here since calling everyone back. Can barely move around with how many of us are here right now."

"Not used to how many people are around?"

"It's not really that. It's just that normally about a quarter to a third of our people don't live here regularly. If everyone wasn't under strict no fighting orders." Hiccup paused. "I'd probably be tending to a lot of hurt dragons."

"Don't dragons heal really fast?"

"Yeah in general. Like from cuts and stuff. But when they break bones it can be a complete nightmare.

Toothless broke the big bone on the leading edge of his wing. It broke clean so at least we didn't have a healing issue. But it didn't want to stay in place and I had to keep resetting the bone. And then he slept for nearly two weeks while it was healing." Hiccup ran his hand up and down Toothless' leg. "It made me realize that as a human you think of these guys as unkillable monsters. When you fight them they seem to never run out of energy. They come at you hard and fast and don't stop until one of you loses.

What we didn't get to see was them coming back and licking their wounds. You can imagine how long it would take to heal a wing with a huge cut in it.

But that's where I come in. I may not be a healer like Gothi. But I've learned how to stitch up just about anything. And it's why I'm trying to make stuff for them as well. I don't get much time to smith much. But things like those plates I made to test on Skull Crusher are meant to help them. Plus now I have more ideas, I could make replacement legs or even wing bones maybe." Hiccup stopped to think for a moment. "Though I tend to focus on things that help out everyone. That's why I'm trying to make a garden up here. Since they mostly only eat meat they don't get a lot of certain things that could help them. I'm actually working with Trader Johann to get fruits and vegetables that I can't regularly get around here. I don't believe they'll need much of what those could provide them so I'm thinking a good sized garden will more or less be enough for what I want."

"That's a lot of work for one person." One of the group commented.

"Mmm. Yes and no. I've found that over all dragons don't need a whole lot. Really just food, shelter, and others to socialize with. They don't need the technologies we make cause it doesn't apply to them. They don't need things like clothes or boots. Which makes things like the fireplace useless to them. While they do like to sit in front of a fire, it isn't completely necessary for them. They don't need tools cause each one of them is so different from another that they can team up and use each of their unique trails to make things.

If anything, if you're born a dragon, whatever you come out with has already determined what you're good at. Then if you want to try to help out with something else you get that luxury. Cause even if you aren't very good at whatever it is that you're trying, you can fall back on."

Stoick hummed.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh nothing." The large man shook his head. "Just trying to figure out how someone so smart started with me." He laughed.

"Come on dad, it's not like that." Hiccup tried to help his dad save some face in front of his people.

"Oh it is. You've been smarter than me since you were ten. You're just like your mother in that way. But I think she'd agree that you've even surpassed her. Though don't ever tell her I think that." Stoick winked at his son. "To do all you do. At your age. With your people." Stoick paused. "All the great leaders who have come before must be sitting in Valhalla looking down at you, in a great shame of themselves. Even Odin himself must look down on you in envy. And all those alive today, and those who'll lead in the future, much like this place casts a great shadow over the sea, you cast one on all who lead their peoples." Stoick smiled at Hiccup.

"Dad? It's not like that…" Hiccup's voice trembled.

"Yes it is." Stoick countered. "There's no denying that you're the best there's ever been. And before you say it, I know you didn't do it alone. No great leader has. The thing about being in our positions is that you're just the face and the name. All the stories will be about Hiccup The Dragons Tamer, and his efforts to bring the world together. But as a chief I know damn well you're just a piece of the puzzle. Arguably the biggest but a piece nonetheless.

Something tells me that the big beast behind you has pushed, pulled and otherwise stretched you to the point of being the biggest piece. And it's made you who you are."

"How? How do you know that?" Hiccup asked nervously. Stoick readjusted himself and sat up straighter.

"It's because you two are never separate from one another. Now I'll say this, I do think that if your dragon, your mate right? Your husband basically wasn't there, you'd be just fine. In regards to leading your people. It's likely the same the other way around. But because of the circumstances of you and your people you need him to be around. Even just so that he can translate to those who can't understand you.

Hiccup, do you think that Toothless would lead these people better than you? Overlook everything that would prevent you from doing so. Do you think he'd do it better?"

Hiccup nodded.

"Would you believe me if I said I already knew that?"

Hiccup clenched his jaw a bit and deflated. Toothless shuffled a bit, moving himself around Hiccup more and moved his leg so that Hiccup's hands had something to do.

"There it is." Stoick called out. "You see how when you started to feel bad he moved into position? That's how I knew that. When you feel bad or don't know what to do, he's always in your ear. Always there to help, always there to make sure that what you're saying gets heard.

Seems your mother was right, as per usual. 'All Hiccup needs is someone strong enough to stand behind him and continually push him forward. Then one day he'll stop needing a push.'"

"But if I don't need a push then what happens to them?" Hiccup asked, concerned.

"That's the best part of it all. Nothing happens to them. You'll walk forward, maybe even run. Suddenly everything makes sense and you feel like nothing can stop you. But one day, and it will come out of nowhere, a hand will land on your shoulder, or paw in your case. And their mouth will be against your ear. And without realizing it, you're being pushed again, realigned and stretched.

Cause while you've been running ahead, they've been watching you. They've seen what you've been doing and maybe they approve and maybe they don't. You'll definitely hear about it if they don't. But what they've been watching is you slow down.

The thing about the pusher is that they move at a constant speed, sometimes a little faster, or a little slower depending on what you need. But their greatest ability is that they never for any reason stop moving. And if you get a really good one they won't even give you a chance to be left behind.

And that's why you're the leader Hiccup. Not because you couldn't do it by yourself but because you've got a great pusher, son. One that seems to know where you want to go even before you do. One that obviously knows you inside and out and the second you need him, he's there.