The sun slowly began to set and Stoick, along with his humans and their dragons grouped up to go over the plan to grab Gobber. Toothless and Hiccup joined them to translate for the dragons.
"Alright then." Stoick announced. "You're to tell Gobber that our ship took damage and that we had to beach it outside the village, near raven's peak. Just so that he doesn't suspect something's up when you go that way out the village. Tell him to bring rope and some wood for repairs. The rope is just in case he doesn't come willingly. Don't hurt him too much, I'd like it if he was awake when he got here."
Toothless translated for the dragons before Stoick continued. "If he comes willingly, explain to him that I'm with Hiccup and that the situation with the dragons has changed and that I'll explain more when he get there.
As for those who are staying in Berk. You are not to whisper a word on what you've seen or experienced while out here. We do not want the village up in arms about this before I can come back and speak to them myself. As you all know this alliance is fragile. And I'd like to not jeopardize this. I do understand that you all have your own opinion on this. Whether they are positive or negative. But you must know that this is how it is for now, and you're to follow what I say. For now you are to hold your tongue, if you don't there will be consequences.
Now leave when you're ready." He waved them off. "For those staying let's start getting the camp ready for tonight." Stoick walked away and into the tall grass. "Let's burn the rest of this grass down here like Hiccup said. Then we can collect wood and gather food for tonight."
"Oh look at that, he's in his element." Hiccup chuckles to Toothless.
"What's that mean?" Toothless asked.
"It means that he feels comfortable. Enough so that he'll start to give orders and not ask me first."
"The dragons won't listen to him you know."
"I'm well aware of that, but it'll be funny watching him try. Plus it'll let him discover just how stubborn the damned beasts, as he'd say, really are. He'll learn that getting most of you to do something is more about asking and not ordering. Then when he gives up and comes over here we'll ask the others to clear the grass for us. He's gonna have to learn how to interact with you guys just like everyone else."
"Does that work with humans? Forcing them to do stuff?"
"Yes and no. It depends on the person and situation. But with my dad, he's the chief of our village, the alpha, I guess you'd say. So in general what he says, goes. There are exceptions, those being when he is and isn't being the chief. His job is to keep the village running smoothly and if you have to order someone to do something, even if they don't want to do it, so be it. But then he's not always being the chief, he has friends that he speaks to very plainly and makes jokes with and pals around with. He's a regular person at the end of the day and worries about everyone he's responsible for.
The real difference between him and us is that I think it's nearly the opposite. We get to be friends with our people more than he does. In general, from what I've seen, dragons are more independent when making decisions. Because dragons tend to live with a large group, when thinking about things you tend to think about everyone. On the other hand, humans live separated from each other. You generally only live with your own family. So when making decisions, you put yourself and your family before others."
"Hmm, I've never thought about that. Though I've never had to think about how humans think so it makes sense."
"No I suppose you haven't." Hiccup laughed. Hiccup noticed his father walking up the dragons who were not being readied to leave. "Oh. Look he's about to talk to them." He pointed. They watched stoick stand in front of them with his hands balled up, resting on his hips. He was looking them up and down trying to figure out what to do with them. The dragons gave the man blank looks. Stoick started to talk and point and the dragons continued to give him blank stares.
"It's like he's forgotten that they don't understand him yet." Toothless said.
"Yeah for someone so smart he can be slow on the pick up sometimes. He's always been like that though. Can be told what he needs to hear a hundred times and won't understand until the one-hundred and first. But other times he'll get it right away. It might as well be random whether or not it clicks with him. But this is so foriegn to him i'm not surprised. But I do suspect that he will be the one that likes them the most after everything."
"What makes you say that. From what I know, he hates us, or at least used to. I guess him standing there trying to give those three orders says the opposite."
"That's basically what I was thinking. I think that once all this really starts happening he'll be the driving force making sure that they're treated right. He's strict about things like livestock and how living things are being treated. And believe it or not dragons are alive." Hiccup smiled. Toothless rolled his eyes and continued to watch Stoick struggle with the dragons.
"How long until he cracks and comes over here?" Toothless yawned.
"When he starts stomping his foot you know it's over." A few seconds later Stoick stomped his foot, turned on his heel and made his way over to the pair.
"Would you come over here and help me instead of watching me?" Stoick was red in the face. "These blasted beasts will only listen to you."
"That's not true, you just need to learn how to talk to them. Go back over there and ask them to do what you need. They'll listen to you, you just have to play their game a little."
"Hiccup they don't understand me. You just want to watch me go back over there and embarrass myself again."
"Okay you got me." Hiccup held up his hand. "It was pretty funny though." Hiccup chuckled. "Alright bud, lets get those guys helping set up camp. We should go fishing after we're done clearing that spot. All this standing around got me hungry. What about you bud?"
"Yeah." Toothless fake yawned. "Real tired too." Hiccup laughed at him.
"Alright let's go."