Waking up on Berserker Island again sent immeasurable happiness through Hiccup. No expectations from Stoick that were too high for him to reach. No feeling like he would be dismissed as nothing special. Just peace. The boy never would have thought the most relaxed he would be was on an island called Berserker. He got ready for the morning with a smile on his face. This became brighter when he thought of what they could be doing that day.
"Maybe Oswald and I will make something new. I bet he'd have a lot of ideas for inventions."
Hiccup left his room and started stuffing papers into his satchel. He and the father would need a lot to make their sketches. To help set everything up so that they could begin their inventing sooner, the Viking put out some fruit for the man. He was nibbling on berries when Oswald left his room.
"Good morning, Hiccup," he greeted. The Berserker's attention moved to the fruit. "Thanks for preparing breakfast."
"No problem. I figured afterwards, maybe we could head to the blacksmith shop and work on some new inventions."
"Actually, there have been a few matters in the tribe that I'll need to handle. I was hoping you could join me."
"Oh," Hiccup said, failing in his attempt to not sound disappointed. "I could do that."
Oswald smiled and grabbed the fruit bowl. "Great. Then let's head out."
The chief began exiting the hut, being followed by the Berkian.
"What types of matters will there be?" the boy asked. "A question day?"
Hiccup desperately hoped that would not be the answer. To his relief, Oswald shook his head.
"Not at all. With our numbers, we'd never get through everyone. It would become a question month and I honestly don't have the patience for that."
"Then what are we going to be doing?"
"We'll be going to the problem crates," Oswald stated. He saw the confused expression on Hiccup's face and elaborated. "In each area, we have a crate where pieces of scrolls are put with questions on them by the Vikings of that group. For example, there's a crate designated for issues related to our cooks and another for the farmers. Every so often, I'll go to a few of them to see what the problems are."
The Berkian nodded and continued to follow the chief as they went into the village. They stopped once they reached a crate near some homes. It was simple for Hiccup to see that this was for the builders since several Vikings were already in the process of doing just that. Oswald opened the lid to reveal a large pile of letters. Hiccup's spirits sank as he saw this.
"It's far from my favorite part of the job either," Oswald admitted. "I'd rather explore."
"How can you still do this?"
"Because life can't just be about adventure–not as chief. We still have a responsibility to our Vikings. Whether we're finding new lands or tending to the problems they're having, we need to consider what's best for the tribe."
A thoughtful look went over the boy's face. Maybe he could balance it as well. Hiccup did not need to have such extremes. His life neither needed to be spent always on the seas or always in the village. He could do a bit of both and help the Berkians that way. The heir noticed as Oswald grabbed a handful of papers. He passed a few to Hiccup who was surprised to receive them.
"I'll check these and you look over those. When you're done, let me know what you suggest."
Uncertainty melted away as Hiccup heard Oswald's sure tone. He really seemed to trust him in the tribe just like he did out on adventures. The boy dutifully began reading over the issues. Some of them were very minor such as wanting more paints, but one stood out to him. Oswald finished with his papers first and took a couple more. After a few minutes, Hiccup went over to him.
"What's wrong?" the father asked.
"They're having a hard time keeping the roofs from leaking. We've worked on strengthening roofs back on Berk since they also need to be strong enough for dragons to land on them and not cave in. It sounds like you probably need some more barriers…or you could use metal instead of wood," Hiccup added, looking at the buildings. "It won't be a permanent fix, but they can last for a while, so the builders won't have to keep doing the same repairs over again."
A smile appeared on Oswald's face. "I like the sound of that."
He called over to one of the builders, getting her attention.
"Aye, Chief."
"Hiccup here is suggesting that we use some metal roofs to have them last longer than our wooden ones."
"They'll have to be sealed properly," the boy informed them, "but they should work."
The builder considered the idea. "I think that could be a good way to fix our problem. I'll tell the others and have them start work on it."
"I could probably help with making the roofs," Hiccup offered.
A grateful smile crossed the newcomer's face. "That would be greatly appreciated, lad. Thanks. Can't have you doing all that alone, though."
Oswald nodded. "I agree, but there could be a solution. Since you've made these before, Hiccup, think you could tell them how to do it? We'd get more done and faster if there are more people working on the task. While you do that, I'll work on more of the questions."
"Yeah, I can help out with that."
Hiccup started to feel some excitement as the Vikings began heading to the blacksmith shop with him. He realized why the area had to be as large as it was. Twenty Vikings accompanied them, groups of two being prepared to share each of the forges. Hiccup saw the workers looking at him, but the expression was not what he was accustomed to seeing. They did not look bored or upset. He had their undivided attention and they wanted to follow his lead. It was almost daunting, but it was also encouraging. If they could have such faith in his ability to show them how to fix their problem, then maybe he really could.
The Berkian started leading them through what he had told Oswald during their first day in the shop. They were quick learners. Only one Viking had to be told to yellow the metal longer and he did not need this to be reiterated when they went through the process the later times. Hours passed and the finished the first roof. Before they could get to another one, Hiccup stopped them.
"Let's test this out first," he said. "If there are any adjustments we need to make, we can do that for the others."
Agreeing with this plan, the Berserkers brought the roof over to one of the buildings. They removed the older covering and replaced it with what they had just made. After using the sealant, the Vikings gave happy thumbs up to the boy.
"It looks like it's working," one called over to him.
"Okay, great! We can finish with the others."
The group headed back and they spent more of the day doing this. By the time night came, just over two dozen roofs were completed and attached. The Berserkers grinned and congratulated the boy on a job well done. They were still talking about how well he had done even as they began heading to the dining hall. Oswald started to approach, having finished checking several crates, and patted the boy on the back.
"I saw the roofs. You did great," he complimented. "Soggy Berserkers don't make for happy Vikings, so thanks for saving me from quite the headache the next time we have a heavy rain."
Hiccup chuckled. "No problem. I'm happy I could help. It was neat to do something like that."
"Get used to it. Leadership can be challenging, but it can be very rewarding."
The duo went to get their plates, but one of the Vikings approached Oswald.
"Chief, there's a problem with one of the trainees."
"I'll see what's going on." The man turned to Hiccup. "I'll be back after that's settled."
The Berkian nodded and the chief headed off. While he did, Hiccup went to fill up the plate and sit down at one of the big tables. On Berk, he might have tried to just bring the food back home so that he did not have to sit next to anyone or get elbowed out the way. Here, he did not mind having table mates. Brightening, he saw Herald waving him over to where he and his family were sitting.
"Hi, Hiccup!" Lefa and Wayde greeted, excited.
"Hey, guys!"
"Heard that you helped the builders make roofs today," Herald stated.
"Already? Word travels quickly here."
Lefa laughed. "Yeah, it can be a good or bad thing, but it's definitely part of having so many people."
"I'd say it's a good thing this time," Wayde said.
"I agree," Ingrid added, smiling. "Always makes me happy to see the lads and lasses getting credit for the work they do around here."
"Plus, it's cool that you got to do it," Wayde chimed in again.
"We missed you when you went back to Berk," Lefa informed him.
"I missed you too. Honestly, I missed everyone. I wish I'd just stayed."
A slightly concerned look crossed Herald's face. "But I'm also sure Berk misses you while you're here."
The boy did not look so sure. "I guess my dad kind of does. He said he did, but I couldn't tell. Only one Viking really did. The rest wouldn't care if I never came back."
"You don't know that," Ingrid said. "They might surprise you."
"Maybe…" The boy sighed. "I just don't want the experiment to end any time soon. I really like it here. If I got the chance to stay, I doubt I'd pass it up."
"Lad," Herald stated, a sad look in his eyes, "I get that things are different here, but I'm sure Stoick really did miss you. If you stayed, he'd be heartbroken."
A slight frown came over Hiccup's face. He did not want his father to be sad, but at the same time, why should he only return to make Stoick happy if it would make him miserable in the process? That was unfair to him. He deserved to have Vikings around him who appreciated what he could offer and wanted him there. One day, despite how much he hated to think of it, Gobber would no longer be around. When that happened, who would that leave him with? A father who understood him as little as he understood the man? It was possible that he would not even be the heir anymore. Maybe someone would try to take the position like Astrid or Snotlout. Both of them were warriors. They could be respected by the Berkians. They already were. Well, Hiccup was starting to be respected by the Berserkers. Maybe he was just better there. Guilt hit him as this thought crossed his mind.
"I just sent Dagur that letter to help out," he thought. "How am I going to do that and then try to replace him? This is his home, not mine. I might like it here, but Oswald's not my dad and this won't be the tribe I lead. I'll just have to enjoy it for as long as I can."
Hiccup began talking with the kids and their parents more until Oswald came to join them. That same day, Stoick and Dagur were still on Dragon Island. The boy had woken up a little earlier than the chief. He was perched on a tree branch, watching a Monstrous Nightmare and considering if he was going to wait for Stoick to attack it with him or go alone. The sound of man stirring spooked the dragon who flew off. Dagur was not even upset. What reason did he have to be? He was about to return to Berk. Sweet Berk. Land of dragons, ruthlessness, and Vikings who could get behind a so-called crazy idea. He loved it.
"Dagur, ready to head back?" he heard Stoick call.
"Yeah, I'll be right down."
The boy gave one parting glance to the island before joining the Berkian over by where their fire for the night had been. They boarded the ship and Dagur noticed something different about Stoick. The look in his eye was extremely pensive. It made the younger redhead wonder what was going on in his mind.
"Are we going to check on stuff in the village?" he asked.
"Yes, but I have a specific task for you."
"What is it?"
"There are three kids who always seem to get into some type of trouble."
"That sounds fun," Dagur said, grinning.
"It isn't when they get hurt or cause others to."
The boy's smile fell. "Yeah, that does sound a lot less nice. What do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to keep an eye on them. While Hiccup was back, I didn't get to do as many tasks as I should have, so I'll have to tend to them now. If no one's watching them, at least one will get in the way. I'll come around to make sure nothing's going too wrong."
"Who are they?"
"Two of them are twins. You might've seen them. Ruffnut and Tuffnut. The other one is younger and his name is Gustav." Stoick let out a soft sigh. "His mother's tried to trade him to Johann for the past few months."
"He's that annoying?"
"Most of the time, but with all three of them, you'll have to stay calm."
"Why do I have to be calm? I thought I just had to keep them out of trouble."
"You'll keep them out of trouble better if you're calm."
Dagur's expression turned perplexed. "But you said the one's so annoying that even his mom's trying to give him away!"
"Yes, and you'll face irritating Vikings, Dagur. What's important is learning how to deal with stressful situations without lashing out at people. It'll help them trust and respect you more. You'll be a better chief for that."
Reluctantly, the boy nodded. "Fine, I'll try to be calm. No promises, though."
Stoick smiled slightly at him as they continued sailing. It did not take much longer before they arrived back on the island. When the pair disembarked, Dagur stopped.
"Wait, I don't know what they look like. How do I find–"
He stopped when he heard some devious chuckling and pitter patter of feet. Dagur turned to see some Berkians yelling at two blonds who were running away.
"That's how you find them," Stoick said, gesturing to the twins. "Follow the sounds of chaos. They're normally not too far behind."
Dagur nodded and began running after the duo. He quickly caught up with them and they stopped.
"Hi!" they said in unison.
"I heard you're Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Which one's which?"
"I'm Tuff," the boy said. "She's Ruff, but she's also tough a lot."
"But I'm still rougher than he is," Ruff added. "Even though he can be rough sometimes like when he tries to steal Aksel."
"He's mine!"
"No, he's mine!"
The twins began arguing back and forth and Dagur realized any hope he had of actually knowing who was who had been thrown off the island. Annoyance bubbled up in him from their continued argument. He was not even really sure why it had begun in the first place.
"Shut up!" the redhead yelled.
His tone made the Berkians flinch.
"Oh right," he thought. "I'm supposed to be calm." Dagur took a breath. "New names for now. You're Boynut and Girlnut."
"Nice to meet you, Boynut," Ruff said, extending her hand.
"And you too, Girlnut," Tuff responded, shaking his sister's hand and grinning.
Dagur was not sure if they were mocking him for not knowing their names or if they really were having fun with this.
"Why were the Berkians yelling at you?" he asked.
"Because I took a mace to stop Girlnut from having Aksel. Then everything fell off the table and I was breaking in anyway, so they were mad."
"And I went there to get an ax to stop Boynut, but the same thing happened to me."
"Who's Aksel?" Dagur inquired, feeling lost. "Is he some friend of yours?"
"He's my best friend, but Ruff–Girlnut–keeps stealing him."
"No, I don't!"
The Berserker shot them a look to warn them against starting another argument. "If this is all because of Aksel, let's just find him and see who he likes to hang out with better."
"Okay!" they agreed.
Ruff and Tuff started leading Dagur deeper into the village. As they did, he kept an ear out for other sounds that could tell him the whereabouts of Gustav. Nothing so far, which he hoped was a good sign. They reached a hut and the siblings went inside. Dagur looked around for some people, but it was quiet.
"Mom and Dad are out fishing," Tuff explained.
"Alright…then where's Aksel?"
"He's right there," Ruff said, pointing at the wall.
There was a stuffed yak hanging. Dagur stared at it for a few moments before turning to look at the blonds.
"Seriously, where is he?"
"He's there," Tuff insisted.
"He's a yak?" Dagur asked.
"A stuffed yak," Ruff corrected.
"That's not better!"
They flinched again and Dagur began pacing.
"Don't lash out," he mumbled. "Stay calm even if they dragged you out here to solve a dispute over a stuffed animal." Suddenly, he stopped walking and lit up. "You both want the yak, right?"
"Right."
"Then let's make it, so you can both have the yak." He chuckled maniacally. "Pick which half you want."
The blonds thought this over and Tuff raised his hand.
"The back!"
Ruffnut shoved him. "Weirdo. I get his cute face, so I win."
Her brother realized where he might have chosen poorly. "Oh yeah…I actually–"
"Nope, you've already made your pick," Dagur said, twirling his ax. "Can't go back on your word now. Two yak friends coming right up."
With a clean slice, the Berserker cut through the toy. He handed the back half to Tuffnut and the front to Ruffnut. They grinned and hugged the animal.
"Do you know where Gustav is?"
"He's probably following Snotlout around," Tuff said. "He really looks up to him for some reason."
Ruffnut nodded. "He does whatever Snotlout says."
Dagur cackled at the thought. "Snothat's got a lackey? I've gotta see that." The boy started heading out of the hut, then stopped. "You two, tag along, so I'll know you aren't angering anybody else."
Ruff and Tuff started to follow the redhead as they looked for the other Berkians. They found them in the forest. Snotlout was cutting some trees and Gustav was trying to mimic his technique, but he was failing. An ax slipped out his hand and nearly took the Jorgenson boy's head off. Snotlout yelped, but the handle of the weapon was caught before it could kill him. Dagur inspected the ax, finding it to his liking.
"You saved me!" the shorter Viking exclaimed. "We're friends then, right?"
The Berserker scratched his head with the blade. "Eh…maybe."
Despite the noncommittal answer, Snotlout still looked happy. The twins went over to him.
"We're his friends too. He gave us two yaks!" Tuff informed the other Berkian.
Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You muttonheads can't be his friends because of that. We got to go on a super secret mission to mess with Gobber. You probably just complained until he ripped the stupid yak apart."
"Aksel isn't stupid," the twins pouted.
Dagur half-paid attention to the trio as he noticed that the smallest Viking was trying to swing another ax. It was about to take Ruffnut's leg out. The heir claimed this weapon as well and Gustav frowned at him.
"I'm trying to cut lumber!"
"You're doing it badly."
"Nuh-uh, this is what Snotlout was doing. I'm going to be a strong warrior too. Just watch."
Gustav swung a sword and it got stuck in a tree trunk. Turning red, he tried to pull it back out of the bark. When he finally did, he lost his grip and it nearly impaled Tuffnut. Dagur growled and caught this one too. He pointed the sword at the kid.
"If I have to stop one more blade from stabbing someone, the next one's going into you," he threatened.
A look of fear covered the smaller boy's face. Dagur saw this and thought of Stoick's words. He attempted a comforting smile, but it really only scared the Berkian even more. Dagur grunted before catching a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye. Stoick was approaching and the Berserker was hoping he would go back.
"Give me a second," he told the others.
Grabbing the blades in case Gustav tried to use another, Dagur went over to Stoick.
"I'm starting to understand Gushat's mom," he grumbled.
Stoick tried to not chuckle at him since he knew laughter only made him angrier when he was already upset.
"Honestly, I haven't figured out what his skills are yet, so I can't advise you on what works so much as I can recommend you try to not let him get you too worked up."
"How do I do that?" Before Dagur got an answer, his eyes twinkled with an idea. "Actually, I just thought of something. Wish me luck!"
"Good luck."
The boy returned to the others and stopped in front of Gustav.
"You want to be a warrior, don't you?"
"Yeah!"
"You'll have to work hard for it. You should start learning how to make spearheads. Don't use them. Snotlip can do that to see if they're good, but there are plenty of rocks around here. Sharpen them until you have a hundred."
Gustav looked doubtful for a moment, then he nodded. "I'll start now!"
He hurried off deeper into the forest.
"That should keep him out of anyone's way for a while," Dagur said, grinning. "Not sure what we'll do when he's finished, but it's a start."
Snotlout nodded. "Yeah! Good idea."
The twins voiced their agreements and Dagur's grin widened. They spent a little more time in the forest, each coming up with one activity after the other until they were making traps with tree bark. In between their challenges, Gustav would come back to check if the spearheads were of acceptable quality. To the other youths' surprises, some really were. When the sun started to go down, Snotlout got Gustav's attention and they all started heading back into the village. The youngest Viking waved goodbye before starting to go home.
"Apart from Gustav being here, the four of us should hang out again sometime," Snotlout said hopefully.
Dagur thought about this before nodding. "Yeah, we should."
The other kids brightened at the plan and said good night as they parted ways. Dagur started looking for Stoick, but he saw Gobber first.
"Hey, Gobber," he greeted, eyeing a mallet the man was making. "Nice weapon."
Gobber smiled. "Thanks. Stoick told me it was going well with you and the other kids."
"It was! They didn't kill each other–although that might've been cool to see. They even said they wanted to hang out again. Not Gushat, though. He's not invited unless he has to be."
The blacksmith chuckled. "Sounds like you're enjoying yourself here."
"I don't know how I couldn't. Home sucks in comparison. Sucks even without comparing it too."
Gobber's smile faded slightly. "Is it that bad?"
Dagur shrugged. "It's just–well, yeah kinda." The boy started to frown. "Nobody likes me…Dad included."
"I'm sure that's not true."
There was a pause before the Berserker sighed. "Doesn't matter either way. Here, I'm making friends. It's fun. Stoick and you are cool too. I don't see why I'd go back."
"You'll have to lead the Berserkers just like Hiccup will lead the Berkians."
Right, Hiccup. Why had Dagur sent that letter again? He might have sabotaged himself. There he was, wanting to stay on Berk and he was telling Hiccup how to get along with Stoick so that they could switch back.
"Even if we are going to be back on our islands, it doesn't mean I have to like it," he grumbled. "I'm going to try to find Stoick. Night, Gobber."
The Berserker started walking away from the blacksmith shop. Unbeknownst to him, the reason it was difficult to find Stoick was that the man had already gone to his hut. He was in the middle of writing a letter.
To Oswald the Agreeable,
I put Dagur with some of the most stress-inducing Vikings on Berk today. Only one other Berkian can compare, but he would have been more cruel than irritating. Judging from how quiet it is outside, I doubt that any of the kids were killed by Dagur or each other. That really is quite the feat and you'd agree if you knew them personally. I've seen that temper you're concerned about. I won't say it couldn't be a problem, but I don't think that Dagur's as hopelessly aggressive as you believe he is. There was more to the story with his bruises on Berserker Island than you heard. I'd suggest you ask again and just let him tell you. His first response can be anger, but he also can learn to control it. I think he wants to be able to do this, so if you help him, I'm sure it'll improve your relationship.
Your friend,
Stoick
Oswald was also writing a letter to the Berkian at that same time. He had begun working on it after the meal at the dining hall.
To Stoick the Vast,
I've been thinking a lot about where potential conflicts could begin with you and Hiccup. To me, it seems like you don't think he takes his role as heir seriously. Maybe it's because he wants to explore and hasn't become as athletic as those his age. Despite that, I believe he does still want to be the best chief he can be. Today, I had him join me with answering questions around the island. When I gave him some problems to solve, he was able to do it. You should have seen him. Hiccup led the builders through how to create roofs like those you have on Berk. I've never seen them get so much work done in a day. I think he'll tell you more about why he wanted to explore. That's connected to his desire to help the tribe too. I'm sure some of what he wants to do sounds dangerous and unconventional, but that doesn't make it bad. I hope you'll hear him out and work to find a compromise for the tribe's future.
Your friend,
Oswald