Gold has great worth - worth that is of no use if it remains in one place, in one pair of hands. It may be used for many things: multiplying it, gaining an edge... or helping those in need.

Stoick sat in the council room alone; there were no drinks or snacks this time, only a small chest before him. As expected, he was joined by an Ingerman; as not expected, however, it wasn't Herring, but Fishvoice. The Blitz refugee strode confidently towards the table and sat at its opposite end as if it was where he belonged.

There was no need for a verbal question. The refugee from Blitz's rampage spoke. "Herring is a practical man, not giving much weight to things that do not bring profit; however, the first-generation artefact was an honour for our clan and its loss was felt greatly. He had seen a replacement as not worth the price we would have to pay; others disagreed, and they elected me."

The chief nodded. "Do we have a deal?"

Fishvoice scoffed. "Besides the fact that you demanded thrice our previous artefact's worth?"

Stoick shook his head, then opened the chest and lifted the item inside it. Fishvoice's eyes widened at the sight of the ancient device. It looked like a really little crossbow, except pitch black, without a bow and made from no material known to modern humanity.

It took a while for Fishvoice to compose himself. "I see; the price you asked for seems more reasonable now."

The Haddock patriarch shook his head. "We both know that is not the case, just the other way around than you expected."

The Ingerman's gaze was visibly troubled; he didn't even try to make a poker face, but he did scrunch his brows with emanating stubbornness. "Still, if you want Pebble, you have to pay off her debt."

Stoick nodded. "Or wait till the last kind of slavery is outlawed with your clan's assistance and she is set free."

Fishvoice shook his head. "We are not going to agree for debts of current indentured thralls to be forgiven, even for this. We insist on a way to ensure debts are paid back. And so even then, she is going to have all her possessions taken away for the rest of her life, and then pass the debt onto her descendants."

Stoick frowned, a dangerous edge, nearly a growl, entering his voice. "Debts of parents will not be passed onto their children; that is a hill I am willing to die on." Then he gave justice to his name; not one muscle went out of order of a perfectly neutral facade. "But I am willing to spare Pebble from such a life."

They both knew that for a dragon it wouldn't be that big of a problem to lack any possessions. She could spend her time performing clan chores and be fed by the clan without technically owning a thing, when a human would need clothes at the very least. That would tie her to the clan in a way not so unlike actual servitude though, and take away the choice of her own path. She deserved better.

Fishvoice nodded, now opting to stare at the item and not the chief. "Payment will be spread over the next century, each rate delivered on tomorrow's exact anniversaries."

It wasn't a question; as ridiculous as this length of time was, anything less than that would cripple them, and even that wouldn't be sufficient time if not for the end of the Dragon War and the opportunities it opened.

Stoick allowed himself a small smile, concealed by his mighty beard in any case. "We will seal the deal tomorrow then, with my clan, whomever you bring and the Lawspeaker as witnesses."

They stood up and gripped each other's hands, Fishvoice swiftly cringing at the incredible strength of Stoick. The man could have crushed his bones if he wanted to, here and now.

Then it was time to go home for both of them. Stoick greeted the anxious Pebble with a warm smile; she seemed to have waited for him all this time. "Tomorrow you will be a free dragon again." She purred deeply and laid her head at his feet, but he delicately lifted it by the chin again. "There is no need to bow, no one has done it in a long while, especially candidates to Clan Haddock."

Pebble gasped. "Me? You... invite? I..." His hand shifted to the side of her neck and he allowed himself a chuckle before turning serious again. "Better think it through; you still have three months before you will have to either leave or join one of the clans. Ours isn't as big as it used to be; there may be more opportunities if you joined others. I will vouch for you to the patriarch of whichever you wish to be part of."

She looked confused, and he gestured for her to speak. "I... not... join flocks? Or... alone?"

Stoick shook his head. "You see, people that aren't part of any of the clans can stay on Berk only six months, and only once to get evaluated by patriarchs; otherwise they need to have some business here to so much as set foot on the island, or be granted hospitality."

She just nodded, not questioning the custom despite a slightly, likely unconsciously, cocked head. "Are you wondering why?" She nodded again. "Due to what was happening in the south twenty years ago a lot of people were fleeing everywhere they could. We are a small town; we simply couldn't take all that many in at once, so this law was established to smooth things out... and choose those that would be worth it."

There was a sad glint in his eyes. He just knew it. The dragoness didn't dig deeper though, and he turned to the rest of his clan that were sitting out of the way, avoiding interrupting the conversation.

" Sho we have newh clahnhmhate. Fhourh Haddhocks total." said the Night Fury with his now-characteristic accent. His heir—son—smirked. Uh, out of chief mode now, please.

"And maaaybe fifth coming soon."

Toothless looked at Hiccup and shook his head, oblivious to the teasing.

"No, it isn't fast for us; "We would likely get through dozens of eggs before any will hatch."

Toothless tilted his head, his eyes narrowing and an ear-flap half-extending. " And I don't think I whould enhjoy doibg it sho much. I didn't do it in dhecades, rrrrrr, acthually..."

Hiccup groaned. Stoick, meanwhile, had a big, fatherly smirk. "Shall I start preparing the wedding?"

Hiccup groaned again. Toothless twisted his nose. " This cheremonhy? No, shome little fhun won't make us mhates."

Stoick's smile descended into a frown. "Toothless, you don't mean fornicating, am I right?" The dragon could easily see Stoick's emotions, added two to two, and was surprised by the sum.

"Doeshn't thaht meanh playhing with otherhs matesh?"

Stoick nodded and added, "It also means 'playing' without marrying first."

Hiccup groaned and started to walk away. "Tell me when you are finished with this conversation." But they paid him no mind. Stoick sighed when he realised that Toothless had no idea what the problem was.

The dragoness chimed in, looking uneasily at Toothless, Toothless responding to her with identical confusion as to him in the dragon tongue. "See? She agrees with me." Toothless shook his head. "Humans andh otherh dragon kindhs bechome mhates befhore mhaiting bhecause they chan ghet offsprhing eashily, bhut for Night Fury to ghet offsprhing it requirhes houndreds, even thousabdths of atthempths, and then pair is as good as mated alrheady."

Even Stoick felt that this conversation was getting awkward, and that said something, so he decided to cut it short. "Toothless, if you want to mate with someone, you have to marry them."

The dragon scoffed. Stoick felt a headache building up before he even spoke.

"Dhecide to be with shomeone fhor life to mhate? What kind of nonshensh ish thish?"

The chief glared the dragon down. "The kind that you have to respect."

Toothless looked like he was about to argue, but swiftly deflated after Pebble said something. "Okay, if you don't whant to without being mates, then sho be it."

It was not respect for custom or law, but for individual wishes. Stoick shook his head but didn't comment. It was as good as he was likely to get from this stubborn reptile, at least without stretching this conversation any more, and he was tired from the long day and yearning to spill more good news.

...On that matter. "Hiccup, come over here." After he came back from his room, sighing and muttering that it better be important and that he really wanted to continue with his project, Stoick smiled broadly and clapped both Berk heroes on the arms.

"So! A third of the artifact's price comes to release Pebble, and it leaves a neat pile of gold delivered for each of you per year!"

Hiccup shook his head. "Whoa, whoa, you want to give me that much money? I don't need that; you'd have much better use for it."

Toothless donned a thoughtful expression and said, "That should be useful." But went unanswered.

Stoick just chuckled at his son's refusal. "Hiccup, you earned it. I am sure that you can think of something to do with it, another of your projects perhaps?"

"Dad, none of them cost even a fraction of what you want to give me."

Stoick sighed, his expression turning morose. "I won't keep money coming from my friend's treasure."

Hiccup hesitantly nodded. "Okay... And I can actually think now of one use for so much gold."

Stoick clapped him on the back lightly, still managing to stagger him with this. "Now that's my boy."

The following morning, Toothless sprung up from the stone slab he used as a bed, Hiccup still in his clutches and waking quickly. He was carefully deposited on his own bed and nuzzled affectionately. "Frhiend, I wihll be awhay forh todayh, okhay?"

Hiccup blinked, rubbed his eyes, then blinked again sleepily at his buddy. "Umm, okay? I guess I can continue with my project. What will you be doing?"

Toothless shrugged. "You know, now that we wihll have thish... money, I can ghet shome things." Then, contrary to what he just said, Toothless took the saddle up from its hook. Hiccup frowned. "Weren't you saying you will be away for the day?"

The dragon laid the gear down and scoffed. "There ish shtill time until Fishvoice comes with money, andh I whant to take Pebble andh buy her whatevher she whants besidhesh what I whant too, andh I won't have anyone thinking she ish there to servhe me for a shecond."

Hiccup shook his head groggily, then nodded. Why, Toothless thought, did human communication have to be so inconsistent? "Okay, let's go. Also, did you think about breakfast?"

Toothless's expression was an answer of its own. Hiccup snickered. "Yup, good thing that there is a meal served for every freed thrall. It used to be more elaborate than that, but when thralls were freed en-masse then we could no longer afford to slaughter a sheep for each, or hold so many ceremonies with only one Gothi."

The Night Fury trilled happily... and teasingly. "Looks like Dragon War hadh shome good reshultsh; forching you to throw awhay thish human nonshenshe."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, appreciating the attempt at humour. The fact that he could joke about it so freely said a lot about just how long a way they had come in the last several months. "You know, since we are no longer at war, we can do as much human nonsense as we want! I think that passing some laws on modesty would be in order; we can't have our new citizens walking around naked after all."

"Only reashon humans wear anythhing ish for protection, andh attracthing mhates just like Naddhers preen themselvesh, don't invent any more of thish nonshenshe."

Toothless shuffled uneasily as Hiccup chuckled because as far as he could tell, his friend was perfectly honest. "Sorry to break it for you, bud, but not everything people do has anything to do with logic."

The dragon thrust his paws into the harness's straps just a little too fast, then kept still as the gear was attached around his belly, tail and neck. Hiccup mounted him and they were up in the air.

Now, let's hope it never comes up again... And that those ridiculous thoughts will get lost from his head... Though when he thought about it, that drawing had looked good...

The morning flight took around an hour, as usual. Hiccup didn't realise it though, so Toothless was tempted to not mention it, until he spotted several people trudging towards their den, that is.

He paid little mind to humans posturing and calling for their Starborn-equivalent; what he did pay attention to were two things: the wretched collar being removed and food. Those were the only things besides 'human noises' that happened if you were to ask him.

The feast wasn't all that big in the end, but it was more than sufficient for breakfast, and as it ended, he approached Pebble, the dragoness wearing a stunned-yet-happy expression.

Pebble, do you want to go shopping?* She blinked at him, then shook her head, her eyes narrowed and zeroed in on the metal collar.

I have something to do first.* She took the item into her mouth and strode out of the den. Toothless stood there for a second, then huffed, took the sack of money from his half, and went upstairs to retrieve a certain drawing before leaping outside.

The clan houses were all relatively near each other, on the same plaza that had stairs leading to the great hall that towered over the whole town. It took a scant few energetic half-leaps to reach the lean-to housing the Hoffersons' family of dragons.

He barked a wordless greeting and was soon welcomed by the sight of his Nadder friend opening the door, awkwardly holding up a hinged wooden log by the handle on it, even as he went in and she closed the doors; she was speaking, countless subtle sounds of dragon speech soaring through the air easily.

Welcome, welcome! I will serve with whatever you wish, superior.*

Toothless froze. Superior? It was meant to be just a dumb mistake; it shouldn't be that bad! He needed to act quickly. The dragon let the sack of money and drawing fall from his mouth as he thought.

Toothless did something he never did before of his own volition. Eyes closed, snout touching the stone floor, wings splayed wide, forepaws stretched all the way to his stomach and hind legs crossed on top of his tail.

I am sorry I didn't visit you. I just… forgot about you after my memories resurfaced. Please, forgive me!*

He couldn't see her reaction, but the flabbergasted squawk was very audible, even with ear-flaps pressed tightly to his neck. *Toothless! Don't do that! It is inappropriate! Since when do you care about tiers of hierarchy? On top of that, you are higher in it than me!*

Since never and I never will. But I treated you like an item that can be forgotten about and picked up at any time. After doing something like that, it is a very appropriate position for me to take.*

The most humiliating bow that made it impossible to get up gracefully or react quickly, leaving himself free to be subjugated. If she pressed her leg onto his head and the other onto his back, he would be pinned down hopelessly, beyond any chance of freeing himself. Alas, she didn't do that. Maybe there was still hope?

Get. Up.* He didn't budge. *Toothless! This is how the absolutely lowest on the hierarchy address others!*

His reply was level, yet full of guilt. *It is what I deserve for treating you like that.* Okay, maybe he overcompensated a bit…

This thought left him as something nudged his neck, and he cringed, preparing for humiliating treatment. But what he didn't expect was being picked up by the neck like a hatchling, and he squeaked in surprise as he was lifted up, then shaken firmly.

He fell to the ground with a thud when she released his neck from her maw. *Don't be stupid! Well, you were stupid to think I would humiliate you and not think about me for months, but honestly, it isn't that big a deal, really. You are just an overgrown hatchling sometimes!*

Toothless got up, shook his head, then pounced at the Deadly Nadder all of a sudden with mock-anger. *Hatchling!? I will give you hatchling!*

The brief tussle that followed somehow ended up with him nestled between Stormfly's paws, shielded by her wings on all sides and with her tongue going down his head. *Yes, hatchling, silly one at that.* The dragon fidgeted, but she pinned him well. There was no way out other than turning it into a real fight. Toothless sighed and slumped, resigning himself to a session of teasing. Still, curiosity got the better of him.

How did you do that? I don't even know when I lost!* She chortled good-naturedly, then hummed in a motherly fashion and continued to groom him. He squirmed in vain.

I am three times older than you, you know. So I have all the right in the world to wrestle you into submission and treat you like a jumpy fireling.*

I am not a fireling.* Toothless grumbled, but even he couldn't deny it sounded like it came from a fireling. Then he realised. *So I am not a hatchling anymore?*

The grooming stopped for a second, then Stormfly suddenly released him and turned him over onto his back. He flailed his paws in the air reflexively, and she chortled again, then turned to her mate, nevertheless keeping one of her legs and most of her weight on his stomach. Toothless fidgeted again but made no serious effort to wrestle himself free, half because this whole scene made memories spring up, and he pushed them back, not wanting to space out right here and now. He figured out that recalling what led to them triggering will make it happen again.

Right! I forgot, my mate. Could you fetch some, rrr…* "diapers?" *We can't have this hatchling making a mess!*

Toothless groaned and crossed his forepaws in a gesture picked up from humans.

Does that mean we are a higher tier now?* Stormfly's mate said.

Oh, look, spoil-fun. The Night Fury swiftly twisted his torso, brought his tail back, enclosed Stormfly's paw in it and yanked hard with a good half of his body, making her leave him and stumble, but not fall. Wrrr, irritating.

He got up and faced Stormfly's mate, the happy smirk of which evaporated at seeing Toothless's very displeased expression.

There is no strict hierarchy you are used to here. Deal with it.* It came out more offensive than intended, but being a Night Fury was all about offence, so he pressed on. *Some people have more influence, some less, but no one is organised into those wretched tiers. An alpha serves his people, not the other way around, and they have authority over him! It is far more fine by me than this nightmarish hierarchy ever present in fireborn nests!*

The male squawked in indignation. *There is a hierarchy; it is just less obvious. And it is about the alpha, not hierarchy. Our old queen didn't rule over us; she left us to our own devices whenever we weren't sent out. If she had managed and set up the hierarchy properly…*

Toothless sat on his hunches and waved his paw with an extended claw at the Nadder. *You would be grovelling before me instead of talking back, doing whatever I demanded, and I would be free to kick you senseless while you would be punished for defending yourself. Now how nice would that feel?*

His elation over the Nadder's completely lost expression was short-lived, as Stormfly took this moment to thwack him with her tail, spikes folded in, of course. *Don't make my mate think too hard; he may be hurt!*

Okay, his elation wasn't short-lived after all. *Friend, I want to get some human stuff and I have money to get it. Do you want to go with me so we can get yours, too?*

The female nodded swiftly with a big, silly smile. *Sure, sure! Gleamer, take care of the hatchlings.*

Gleamer wasn't feeling cooperative though. Therefore, Toothless took it upon himself to solve the problem.

They are not hatchlings anymore, they are firelings, so it is your turn to take care of them!*

That would make me care for two out of three stages of their growth! Unfair!*

Besides that, they were eggs for about, what, two, three days? It doesn't even count!*

While they argued, Toothless silently opened the door into Hofferson's clan house proper and crooned at Astrid, sitting near the fire with a toothless smile, her bad eye covered by a leather patch. She went after him; he trotted over to the fledglings, and then she was completely lost.

A loud bark served to interrupt the rapidly escalating argument. Both Nadders snapped their heads towards him and stared intensely, which would be frightening if they didn't instantly spot Astrid cooing, awwing and playing with the fledglings, easily outmanoeuvring them whenever they tried to stray.

Stormfly leapt up happily, impaling her horns into the wood, then yanking a few planks down with her, not caring in the slightest about it. *Oka-* "Okay, Norse speech mode! Let's go! I know where to find the jeweller; he should be up and pretty bored by now. What do you want, by the way?"