The week moved quickly. It moved so fast that the chiefs realized they had forgotten about a certain event that was approaching. Oswald sat at a table, looking through notes from the problem crates at his hut when it occurred to him. Hiccup was sitting on the other side, checking notes and sketching his new shield. He glanced up in surprise when the man suddenly began to chuckle.

"What happened?"

"I just remembered that the peace treaty signing is in a couple days. This would certainly be the oddest reason one's ever been missed. 'Sorry, Berk. I forgot to make sure our tribes had peace. I was too busy resolving Berserker problems with your heir.'"

Hiccup chuckled with him. "Well, at least it probably wouldn't seem like you wanted a war."

"True, but I doubt we should test it. We can work more on that shield of yours in the morning and we'll sail that way the next day."

The Berkian nodded and began speeding up with the sketch. He wanted to have this ready when he got back to the island. When morning came, the duo started their work and were able to get a lot of it completed. Still, there was a little remaining. Oswald could see disappointment on the boy's face.

"Maybe I'll just leave it here," Hiccup commented, looking at the incomplete project. "I can finish it when we get back."

"You should still bring it with you to Berk. I think Stoick would like to see what you've done."

"I guess I could. He didn't seem to mind those cups. Maybe he'd like the idea for this too."

Oswald smiled. "Then let's get ready for the voyage."

They began returning to the hut and packed what they would need. Along with several Berserkers, they set out the subsequent day. Within a few hours, they docked at Berk. The chiefs shook hands as they warmly greeted one another.

"Welcome back, Oswald," Stoick said. "I will admit that I wasn't sure if you'd remember about today. I almost didn't."

The Berserker laughed. "Well then, you weren't alone. We were very close to not arriving, but I can't have you thinking I've taken Hiccup hostage. Although, if I did, he'd have quite the new weapon to use against me."

Stoick's eyes widened, then he looked down at his son curiously. Dagur also was intrigued by that information.

"A new weapon?" the father asked.

Hiccup nodded and held up the shield for the Vikings to see. The boy hit a trigger on the shield, making it transform. When it did, their jaws dropped.

"Cool!" Dagur said, grinning. "You'll block attacks and shoot people."

"Well, it's not finished yet, but this is how it'll mostly look. I need to fix the compartment for arrows so that they can be stored even when I'm not using them. I'll probably add a design on the front too. I just haven't decided what it'll be yet."

"Maybe I could help you with it," Stoick offered.

This put a smile on Hiccup's face. "Yeah, that would be great."

As the group began walking towards the Great Hall, the Berkians instinctively went in front together whereas the Berserkers walked alongside each other.

"How's it been here?" Oswald asked.

"Pretty nice," Dagur said. "We explored an island not long ago."

"Really?" the chief asked, surprised. "How did it go?"

"It was fun. We found these weird animals called Grimora." Dagur's eyes twinkled. "We got to discover new stuff about them. Apparently, they burst into flames if you put them near a fire."

Oswald put a hand to his chin. "I think I've heard of those before. I've been curious what would get them out of dragons, but I haven't had a chance to learn much."

They stopped talking about the parasites when they reached the building. Both chiefs went to the table and looked over the treaty. While they did, the sons moved towards one another.

"I got your letter," Hiccup said. "It was a good idea to bond with Dad over protecting Berk. If I can make more weapons like this, it could work."

Dagur nodded. "It probably will. With all the dragon attacks, it would help a lot. What do you think you'd make?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe different kinds of swords. I think I'm getting good at forging them."

The redhead's eyebrow lifted suspiciously. "You read the last part of my letter, right?"

"I did," the boy assured him. "I don't think Oswald's going to be upset if you don't want to spend all day in the blacksmith shop. Lately, we've done that and gone around the island anyway, so I bet he'd be fine doing something else."

Dagur felt better after hearing this. "Good. I got your letter too. I've never thought about getting a pet before. I don't normally get along with animals well, but maybe a boar would be fun." He saw Hiccup cringe and frowned. "What's wrong with a boar?"

"They're kind of destructive. How about a baby yak?"

"Baby yaks grow into stubborn, adult yaks. It'll just try to eat me."

Hiccup squinted in confusion. "What?"

While he tried to make sense of what he had heard, the fathers signed the treaty. Their gazes often traveled to the boys.

"He seems less upset with me," Oswald commented quietly.

Stoick nodded. "He doesn't necessarily stay angry for long if he doesn't think there's a good reason to." A smile came to his face. "Hiccup seems more excited today."

"He really wanted to finish that shield for you to see it."

A conflicted look crossed the man's face. "I guess it's going well to have them on each other's islands."

"I'd say so…"

"But?"

"But I'm curious what would happen if we tried another switch back," Oswald said, turning to his friend. "We made more progress last time. It definitely didn't end perfectly, but you'd never invented with Hiccup before and it was the first time I'd sparred with Dagur. I want to see what'll happen this time."

"It would be difficult to see how well the experiment is going if we don't test it," the Berkian admitted. "But I'm also worried how it will end."

"We might have a few problems, but this way, we'll learn more about what we need to fix. I think it's worth the risk, Stoick."

"It just might be."

Oswald began to look almost sad. "Hiccup's found some friends on Berserker Island. Of course, you can't force friendships here. Still…"

"He might miss being there less if he had some companions his own age on Berk."

The other chief nodded. "Precisely. I know there aren't as many kids here, but I'm sure he'll be able to find some who will see how great he is. He just needs to step outside his comfort zone a little."

"I'll try to get him to do that," the redhead stated. "He's always seemed shy around them, but I would like for him to not be so worried about what they say. Confidence is a quick way to make friends."

"It is and I see it growing in him more each day. He even offered to teach some of the children how to make weapons."

"Really? He's never done that before."

"Maybe he'd be willing to try that here. He mentioned wanting to teach a lad by the name of Fishlegs. Do you know him?"

"Yes, he's a nice Viking. A little fearful, but he might help Hiccup be braver when they're around each other."

"Good! I hope it'll happen then."

"I do too." Stoick paused thoughtfully. "While we're on the topic of friends, Dagur's become friends with Snotlout and I think the twins too."

Oswald lifted an eyebrow. "He can remember which is which?"

"Hardly, but 'boynut' and 'girlnut' seem to work well enough for them to know who he's talking to."

"Yeah, that sounds like something he'd do," the Berserker said, laughing. "I didn't necessarily expect that, but I'm glad he's bonded with them."

"It sounds like he isn't too different from Hiccup in regards to struggling with that."

Oswald's smile faded as he nodded. "He's never found a friend back home. Once, he thought he had made one, but the poor lad was just too scared to say otherwise. Dagur finally found out when he heard him talking with some of the others."

"Maybe they'll fear him less now," Stoick said hopefully. "He's still rough, but I think he's becoming a little less violent."

"Would he still send someone to our healers?"

"Honestly, it might depend on the Viking. That said, he's learning how to spar with people without causing serious damage."

"I know some Berserkers his age who are good with weapons. If they gave him another chance, that might work out."

"I'd enjoy hearing how that went."

A smile began spreading over Oswald's face. "So, would you be fine with this switch? It'll be a little longer than the last time. How about a week?"

After a moment, the taller chief nodded. "Alright."

Oswald beamed and the two of them started approaching the boys. Judging by their expressions, their sons guessed what had just been decided.

"We're switching back?" Hiccup asked.

"For an entire week," Stoick said. "The next time should be permanent."

The sons glanced at one another and shrugged. A week was manageable. It might even be nice. Oswald started to head to the ship with Dagur following them. Stoick and Hiccup saw them off, standing on the docks as the vessel left. While they did, the boy thought of what the Berserker chief had advised.

"I should tell him more about why I wanted to explore," he thought.

Before the Berkian could say anything, Stoick started speaking.

"Exploring isn't a crime against Vikings," the chief admitted. "If you want to…I can't promise that I'll fully understand, but maybe I can with time."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk with you about," Hiccup said, smiling as the duo began walking back into the village. "I think it might help us keep Berk safe if we learn more about what's out there. We could find new ways to treat our sick or form new allies with other tribes. Besides, we really don't know what other tribes can do. If someone else explores and arrives here, we might not know how to defend against their kinds of attacks."

Stoick was quiet for a moment, thinking over this. "I hadn't considered it being used to protect Berk. I'm so accustomed to exploring just being a leisure activity."

"When Oswald and I were sailing, it seemed like it could be a bit of both. We stayed pretty close to the Archipelago, but I wonder who's further. Forming new alliances could even give us a chance to learn about different kinds of weapons."

The redhead's gaze was thoughtful as he spoke. "I suppose every Viking wouldn't have to leave. Some of them could remain on Berk while others left. Gobber could probably keep an eye on things if we were gone."

Hiccup's eyes lit up hopefully. "Would we ever be able to go?"

His father gestured down to the shield. "Let's get this working first. If you're going to become an explorer chief, I'll need to make sure you have something to help defend yourself with."

Grinning brightly, the boy went with Stoick to Gobber's shop. The blond was already there and smiled at the two Vikings when he saw them.

"I had a feeling you'd be coming here today," he said, proud of himself for guessing accurately.

"Don't be so smug," Stoick commented, fighting a smile. "It could've ended differently."

"But it didn't! What are we making this time?" Gobber asked, looking at the tiny Berkian.

Hiccup showed him the shield. "I want to see if I can finish it."

The man began inspecting the weapon. "I haven't seen something like this before."

"It could be good to have more of them," Stoick added.

"Really?" Hiccup asked. "It seems like other Berkians are fine with the regular weapons."

"I doubt they knew this was an option. We could test these out if there were more of them that were made." Stoick tapped his chin. "Of course, it would take a while if only the three of us made them."

"Who else would?"

"Future generations like yours should learn in case anything happens to Gobber."

"Hey," the blond said, frowning. "I don't plan on dying yet."

"I'd hope not, but it's still good for them to learn."

The man conceded with a nod. "Fair enough."

"We could get Fishlegs to do this," Stoick suggested. "He seems to like all kinds of learning."

Hiccup seemed uncertain, but he began to have a determined look in his eyes. "Okay, I can ask him."

Stoick felt a swell of pride in him as he heard the boy's confidence. "We'll be here, waiting."

The younger Berkian left to find the other Viking. Based on past experiences, he was certain the larger boy would be at home. On the way, Hiccup saw Snotlout and the twins. Their expressions turned to those of dismay.

"Aw, you're back?" Ruff asked.

"Guess I'm back to being 'Tuffnut' again," her brother said.

"When did you stop?" Hiccup asked, confused.

"It's an inside thing with us and Dagur," Snotlout told him. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"In a week."

"It's going to be a long week," the bigger Berkian mumbled.

Hiccup began to feel himself getting discouraged, but he kept his head high. "I'm going to ask Fishlegs if he wants to learn how to make this new weapon I came up with. If you three want to join and won't destroy the shop," he added, sending a significant look to the twins, "you can."

"What kind of new weapon?" Snotlout asked.

"It's a shield that turns into a crossbow."

"Woah," the twins awed.

"Can it turn into a mace?" Tuffnut asked excitedly.

"It can't yet, but I probably could make one like that."

Snotlout's eyes were wide. "That…actually sounds pretty cool," he admitted.

This surprised Hiccup who started to smile. "Thanks. So, do you want to make some?"

The other kids nodded and the smallest Viking felt excitement building up in him.

"If you wait for me at Gobber's shop, I'll see if Fishlegs wants to join and be right there."

Eagerly, the trio began hurrying to the shop. They shocked the older Berkians when they saw them.

"You're also learning?" Stoick asked.

"Well, since Dagur isn't here, I guess hanging out with Hiccup for the week won't be too bad," Snotlout said quickly.

Gobber chuckled at the boy and handed him some steel. "Whatever you have to tell yourself. Start putting this in the forge. We'll need a lot of it for the shields."

He accepted the metal while Hiccup was knocking on Fishlegs's door. The blond curiously opened it, becoming surprised when he saw him.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to teach Snotlout and the twins how to make this new shield I created on Berserker Island. Do you want to join us?"

"You made a brand new type of shield? What did you do? How did you find a way to keep it strong?"

Fishlegs thought up a half dozen more questions, making the other Berkian chuckle.

"I promise to answer all of those, but the others are waiting with Gobber and my dad. Can we walk and talk?"

The blond nodded and started following the heir back to the shop. Hiccup was reminded of his time with the builders as he led the group. It was nice to be able to have them in this atmosphere. They were in his element instead of him being the odd one out in the Dragon Killing Arena. This was something that had occurred to the other youths. It nearly made them not want to stay, but Hiccup was different than they expected. He did not make them feel like they should have known how many times the steel needed to be yellowed. He simply guided them through the process.

"Ruff, Tuff," the boy said, "you two can't fight over the steel when it's hot. It might spill out."

Begrudgingly, the twins decided to work together to carry the steel over to the anvil. Hiccup continued to lead them through the process of hammering it out. Stoick remembered from before what he had to do. It made it easier for him to focus on what his son was telling the other youths. A smile found its way to his face.

"My lad," he thought. "He's leading them just like I knew he could."

Even despite the twins occasionally causing a setback, the group made good time. The shields were finished by that evening, leaving only the crossbow functions to complete.

"We can do this part tomorrow," Hiccup said. "It takes the longest, but if we get an early start, we should be done around mid-afternoon."

"Can I put a mace in mine?" Tuffnut asked, causing him to get hit by his sister.

"We're using crossbows," she told him.

"Next time," Hiccup promised. "I still need to figure out a design that could turn something into a mace."

"See? It's happening next time," the blond said, sticking his tongue out at Ruffnut.

She plucked it, making him frown at her. Narrowly, Ruffnut avoided a tackle and got chased out of the shop.

"See you tomorrow, Hiccup!" they called behind them.

The boy chuckled at their antics and continued helping the others clean up. He was a little shocked to see that Snotlout had stayed there for this part. The dark-haired boy put the shields in a pile, then paused.

"You're…not an awful teacher," he admitted. "Today was kinda fun."

Fishlegs nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it was."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was fun too," Hiccup said.

To his further surprise, he saw Fishlegs's expression change to one of regret.

"You didn't try to make us feel bad today with any of it," he commented. "Sorry that we didn't do that for you in the Arena."

Snotlout's eyes widened in shock at hearing the apology. Quickly, he crossed his arms and turned his head.

"Well, I'm not apologizing…but you know, thanks for not being a jerk about today. If I'd gone home with a hammered hand, it would've been hard to explain."

Hiccup smiled at the Vikings. "No problem. Maybe we can just move forward," he offered.

This made Snotlout turn back to him, seeing the sincerity on his face. The boys nodded and said goodbye before returning home. When they were gone, Stoick patted his shoulder.

"It takes a big Viking to forgive."

The young inventor shrugged nonchalantly. "Seems better than holding a grudge. I'm glad we wound up doing this today."

"Maybe they'd be fine hanging out some time even when you're not inventing."

"I guess it couldn't hurt to ask."

"Wouldn't at all." Stoick began to smile. "After all, it sounds like the adventurous thing to do."

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it does. I'll do it after the shields are done."

His father smiled proudly at him. "It's good to have you back, Son."

Those words meant more to Hiccup than Stoick even realized. The boy smiled at him, melting his heart.

"It's good to be back, Dad."

The trio of Vikings remained in the shop for a little longer before retiring for the night. That afternoon when the Berserkers had set sail, Dagur glanced at his father. Oswald had a thoughtful expression. He was considering how to approach what had happened before when the boy had gotten angry with him, but he wanted to do so delicately. The chief just wanted Dagur to know that he would not jump to conclusions again. Before he decided on a way to do this, the redhead asked a question.

"Do you like chickens?"

The man's eyebrow lifted curiously. "To eat?"

"To be around. Like…a pet."

Oswald began to smile. "Did you want to get one?"

"Well, it might be fun. You like animals."

"I do," the chief admitted. "I didn't realize you also did."

Dagur shrugged. "They're okay. What do you think?"

"I think it would be a fine companion to have. What would you want to name it?"

"Death Killer," the boy answered eagerly.

Oswald could not contain a laugh. "Very well. We'll have the most feared chicken in the land."

Dagur seemed proud of this idea. The father's expression became pensive again as a thought occurred to him.

"Stoick said you enjoyed listening to questions the Berkians had."

"Yeah, it was pretty neat. There hasn't been another one yet, though."

"Well, what if we looked over some of the problem crates? I didn't get to as many as I'd planned to yesterday."

Dagur's eyes lit up. "I can look at them with you?"

The older Berserker nodded. "You'll be chief one day. It'll be good for you to learn about this." His eyes started to sparkle with curiosity. "Until then, could you tell me what else happened with that parasite?"

Excitedly, the redhead laughed. "You got it!"

They spent the rest of the voyage going over the events with the parasite and it felt like the quickest their voyage had ever seemed. Still, Dagur was not necessarily upset when they docked because he wanted to get to those problem crates. Oswald smiled at his enthusiasm, then they arrived at the one for the soldiers. The man took out some notes and handed a few to Dagur. Shortly, a frown went over the boy's face.

"They're not hitting the targets as accurately as they used to."

Oswald went over and looked at the note. "What do you mean? I don't remember them having very impressive accuracy in the past."

"Not these new soldiers," Dagur said, shaking his head. "The ones before them in Herald's group. They used to have more specific skills like Vorg with his swimming. I don't think I've seen any of the trainees have something like that."

Oswald put a hand to his chin. "I hadn't noticed. I wonder how that's happened."

The heir gestured around them. "I bet it's because there are so many of us. They're getting lazy since they think we can just rely on numbers. Even some of the younger Vikings on Berk are pretty good at fighting. They put more effort into training because they don't have a lot of Vikings to start out with. If we combine our numbers with their training, we'd be unstoppable. No one could attack us and win."

Nodding, the man said, "I think you're right."

This made Dagur blink in surprise. "You do?"

"Our numbers are a blessing just as much as they're a curse. Lately, they've only grown since we haven't had a war in years. Even the trainers can't pay as much attention to who's doing what. There are too many Vikings to properly split attention."

"Then what if we split training?"

"Hmm, split the training. We really don't need everyone to train at the same time. We could do certain groups and have them work on their own in between those times."

"Yeah! I bet a lot more skills will get shown that way. The trainers will see who's really good and who needs to get better too."

Oswald smiled and gestured towards the training area. "It sounds like they haven't started anything yet. I think you should tell them your idea."

Dagur glanced the same way, seeing the group talking. An uncertain look was on his face. He turned back to his father, seeing a reassuring smile. It made him feel more sure of himself. The redhead went over to the group. They side-eyed him when he entered, but they did not stop talking. This annoyed him, but he tried to remember that he could not let his anger control him.

"We're going to do something different from now on," he said, raising his voice enough to be heard.

The group was taken off guard and became quiet.

"What are we doing?" one of them asked.

"We're going to have one hundred of you training at a time."

"Why?"

"Because it'll help everyone get better if the trainers can see what you're doing. There's got to be five hundred people here right now. Who'd be able to see if your technique is good or not?"

The soldiers mumbled to each other, but they could understand the boy's point. They began to volunteer for who would wait until the next day. More and more, the soldiers left so that the decided upon group could remain. Dagur grinned when he saw this, but it faded slightly as one Viking went by him.

"They're just being nice because the chief's here, Dainty," Ansson said, lowly enough for only him to hear. "They don't respect you."

Dagur felt anger building up in him, but the other redhead left before it could be lashed out.

"What does he know anyway?" the boy thought. "He's never been in charge of anything. He's just jealous."

The heir's frown left his face when he saw how proud Oswald looked. He went back over to his father, grinning.

"Hopefully, that'll help."

"I'm certain it will. You should tell Herald about it. He likes to check in on the trainees. He might be home. I doubt he'd mind a visit."

Dagur hesitated and Oswald knew why.

"Lefa and Wayde might be interested in your suggestion too."

"They normally aren't."

"Give them a chance. They might have a change of hearts."

Considering this for a moment, the boy sighed. "Okay, I'll see how it goes."

Oswald smiled when Dagur began heading towards the general's hut. The redhead was not really sure what he would say if the siblings saw him. He might not have to say anything at all. They normally ran away before greetings could be exchanged. Before he knew it, he was at the door. Dagur knocked, hoping to just see the general.

"Maybe it wouldn't be bad to see their mom. She could tell them for me."

When the door opened, the redhead held in a sigh.

"Great," he thought sarcastically.

Wayde and Lefa were on the other side of the door, eyes widening.

"You're back?" the sister asked.

Dagur nodded. "I just came to tell your dad that there's something new with the soldiers. It'll be one hundred at a time instead of all of them. I figured that would make it easier for them to get individual attention."

The other Berserkers glanced at each other. Their visitor could not tell what their expressions meant and the silence did little to help.

"That was it," he said. "Bye."

He turned to leave, but he heard a voice first.

"Hold on," Wayde said. "That's actually a pretty good idea. It was yours?"

Dagur faced them again and nodded. It almost looked like they were about to smile. It made him excited and he began to grin.

"Dad and I are going to get a pet chicken. Ever have one?"

"No, but we had a pet boar piglet," Lefa said.

"I knew those could be pets! Was it really destructive?"

"A little, but we got pretty good at calming him down," Wayde explained.

"How come I never saw him around here?"

"Mom and Dad cooked him," Lefa said, kicking the dirt.

Dagur laughed before he could stop himself. The siblings looked at him in shock and he tried to stifle the laughter.

"Sorry," he said, getting it down to a chuckle. "That probably sucked."

The redhead really did not want to make them more sad than they might have been already, but the idea of a pet getting eaten by its owner was so peculiar to him. Relieved, he saw that they were chuckling as well.

"I guess it's probably our fault," Lefa admitted. "They never said the boar was going to be a pet."

Wayde nodded. "I think they actually said the plan was to eat him when he got bigger. We just thought they were kidding."

"Well, you can hang out with our chicken if you want to," Dagur offered hopefully. "I don't think Dad's going to eat her. I hope not anyway."

"How about if your pet gets eaten too, we get a pet eel?" Lefa suggested, chuckling. "Not even dragons want to eat those, so it'll be safe."

Dagur laughed again and nodded. "It's a deal! I've got to head back, but I'll see you later."

"See ya!" they said.

He waved to the siblings and began returning to where Oswald was. The father easily noticed the grin on his face.

"It went well?"

The boy nodded. "We're going to get a pet eel if you eat Death Killer."

Oswald was not really sure how this had been the outcome, but it made his son happy.

"I went by some of the farmers and they wouldn't mind giving us one of the chickens."

"Cool! We're going to get the best one."

The duo quickly went to the farmers and saw the little fowls. They flocked to the man, then started looking at Dagur. One flapped its wings and landed on his shoulder. She surprised the redhead, but he began grinning.

"I think the chicken picked us!"

"I think so too," the chief said, with a grin.

"Hello, Death Killer," Dagur greeted, petting the bird's soft feathers. He spotted the farmers and happily lifted up the chicken to them. "Thanks!"

The farmers smiled back as the boy and chief left. Oswald watched Dagur with the animal. It seemed like he was consciously trying to be gentle. This pleasantly surprised his father. They walked around the village with the new addition. It felt peaceful, but this led to thoughts returning to where they had once been. Oswald glanced back at the boy. He had to just risk saying it wrong as long as it meant he would say it.

"The last time you were here, I shouldn't have assumed you started the fight," he said. "That wasn't fair of me. You didn't even get a chance to tell your side."

Dagur continued to hug the chicken, then peeked at the man. "I get why you'd think I did."

"What really happened? I promise I'll listen."

The redhead looked away from him, turning to the bird. "Do you know Ansson?"

"The name doesn't sound familiar. Who is he?"

"One of the trainees."

This immediately made the heat of anger grow in the chief, but he stayed calm. He was going to let the boy explain this time.

"He's hated me since before I can even remember. He steals a bunch of my things and always tries to make me look bad. That day, he wanted the sword. I knew you didn't want me to hurt anybody, so I didn't."

Oswald remained quiet for a few moments, making sure that Dagur was done. He put a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to say that the boy could have told him before, but he knew exactly why that had not happened.

"I'm sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't tell me," he said sincerely.

Dagur shrugged. "It's okay. It's helped me get better with fighting."

The chief shook his head. "I'd never want you to learn that way. If this happens again, please let me know."

Looking at the man, Dagur could see he meant this. He thought Oswald would just think it was childish to bring this problem to him when there were so many other issues that could have happened on the island, but the man did not look disappointed or annoyed. He looked determined.

"I will," the redhead promised. He started to smile. "I'm glad we switched back this week, Dad."

This made a happy smile cover Oswald's face. "I am too, Son."

Oswald needed this to work. Even if it was not perfect, it needed to go better than the last time. It had to.