"He'll be fine." Hiccup looked through his monocular again at the set of ships.
"I'm not worried about him, kid." Gobber stated.
At the ships Black and Blue moved slowly, and hid themselves, along with Stoick close to the ship's hull so as not to be spotted. Slowly Stoick unpacked the bag Hiccup had set up and pulled out his clothes. Putting his shirt on, Stoick hoped that the dragon under him wouldn't randomly dive under the water. Luckily for him, he was able to guide his mount to the rope ladder on the side without getting noticed. He did his best to get his pants on but ultimately had to climb the ladder with his pants half down and bag in his mouth. When stoick reached the top deck he pulled his pants up and people began to surround him. They called to him and to the other ships telling them that Stoick magically showed up.
Hiccup looked for his father again but couldn't find him. He looked around for any sign of them but nothing. "I lost them." Hiccup murmured to himself. Then he spotted Black and Blue moving away from the ships.
"Well I found Black and Blue but I don't see my dad." Hiccup refocused on the ship and saw the crowd forming on the deck. "I think he made it."
"Can you see anything wrong?" Gobber asked. He moved up closer to Hiccup.
"I don't think so, can't tell."
"Lemme see." Gobber stuck out his hand. Hiccup handed over the monocular and Gobber put it to his eye. "I can see the top of his 'ead. But not much else." He panned to the other boats to see what was happening on them. He watched as boarding planks were being set up and people crossing over to the middle boat.
"What's going on?" Hiccup asked. Just then Gobber spotted something and mumbled to himself. "What is it?"
"Spitelout is there. Astrid and that lot too. Insufferable them."
"Really?"
"Did you have to go on and kill that boy of his? Gobber asked as he continued to watch the ships.
"It was me or him." Hiccup defended himself.
"I ain't sayin' you made the right choice in the moment but gods above did it ever put a chip in their shoulders. Came back hootin' and hollerin' bout some monster that took yur' skin and killed Snotlout. Not too happy with your dad about that either, letting you go the way he did. But sounds like it was the right decision on his part, given what we know now." Gobber nodded to himself.
"But it was only me and Toothless back then, we didn't have anyone back then."
"Don't matter, son. I saw what you did to that boy. Punched right through that armour I made him, damned fool. Made me make him that heavy crap, and could barely even stand upright when he had it on. Gods, and the others. Ever since then I can't get those other four out of my damn shop. Always making insane demands about new ways to kill dragons." Gobber handed the monocular back to Hiccup. "What they failed to realize was that our best dragon killer, that wasn't your dad, had already left us. And hadn't even killed one yet."
"Yeah, yet." Hiccup whispered. He put the monocular to his eye again and looked for Black and Blue. He figured they were headed back but as he panned back towards the board he saw them. He watched for a minute trying to figure out what they were doing. Just swimming a large circle around the ships. Just then an arrow was fired from one of the crossbows mounted on the ships. Nearly hitting the Seashocker. Black and Blue dove under the water to hide themselves and just after Hiccup swore he could hear his father yelling.
On the ship Stoick held a man by the collar of his shirt.
"What do you think you're doing?" Stoick's grip tightened.
"Th-there was one circling us. I-I-I was, was just..."
"Just nothing." Stoick interrupted. "None of you will fire at any of the dragons around here, do you understand?" He let go of the man's shirt and turned to address the rest of the crew. "Do not fire at anything around here. You're lucky to be alive as it is." Stoick growled.
"How is it you're even here? Where did you come from?" Spitelout asked.
"I was brought out here by the dragon that idiot just shot at."
"You were brought here by a dragon? You?" Astrid crossed her arms.
"Since leaving I've met who leads this place. You all know them too. As of right now my safety is all that is keeping them from sinking these ships and killing us all."
"So what do we do?"
"You listen to what I have to say." Stoick said calmly.
"And if we don't?" Spitelout tightened his grasp on his weapon.
"Then you die here fighting for something that has no meaning."
"Then speak."
"Firstly you'll take down the flags on each ship. Then you'll drop your weapons and when they come down here you'll make no sudden movements."
"You expect us to do that? Just lay down our arms and submit to them?" Astrid growled. "Would you like to lay on our backs as well, so they can cut open our bellies easier too?" The people on the ship began to cheer and chant. Stoick clenched his jaw.
"Quiet!" His voice boomed and ice ran through their veins. Everyone stood stock still and their breathing matched. "You do not understand what you speak of." Stoick's voice was loud and even. "They will not attack us. It's not what they wish for."
"H-How do-do you know?" A brave soul piped up.
"If they wished you dead, it would have already happened. We've known you were coming for days. Your every movement and heading change, relayed to us."
"How do we know you're telling the truth? That they won't attack us?"
"Because they want to be friends." Stoick said, as though it was common sense.
"You've gone off the deep end. They're monsters. They don't make friends." Spitelout said, confused.
"Oh they do. We just didn't know it. But I've seen what a little bit of understanding can do. I admit that it's hard to accept that our enemies are not what we thought but even I can't deny what I've seen and experienced. They were slaves to something they couldn't fight. And now they're under the command of people who actually care, and do not wish to fight any longer." Stoick calmly explained.
"You've lost it, Stoick." Astrid challenged. "There's no way that's possible."
"And why's that? Young Hofferson. What do you know that I don't? Because from where I'm standing, all you have to stand on are old books written by those who had no idea what they were looking at. Knowing how many teeth a nadder has doesn't mean much when they aren't being used against you.
I've lived with the beasts for how long now? Seeing what they're like. Learning about the damned things for how long? Tell me, did any of you know they could talk?"