Chapter 7: On the Doorstep

Hiccup stood on the edge of a cliff, the village of Berk bustling with activity beneath him. Dragons were swarming above the buildings as Vikings raced to and fro: moving livestock and food, some carrying weapons, others bringing their children to the Great Hall. A state of alarm was felt throughout the island, humans and dragons alike preparing for impending battle. Hiccup himself had donned his armored flight suit, his trusty fire sword resting in its clamp at his belt. He had ordered the island to be made safe as soon as scout dragons had brought warnings, and as he gazed through his spyglass, he let out a curse. It seemed with Toothless gone, his luck of avoiding problems was not as good as the Viking had hoped. Maybe the gods still hate me, just a little, Hiccup thought, as he gazed over a sea filled with ships.

The fleet had appeared on the horizon yesterday, and had taken the entire day to consolidate in their present location, a few miles west of the barrier statues. Thankfully they had sailed no further, which both relieved and confused the Viking chief. Having sent Snotlout and other riders to regularly survey the fleet, they confirmed Hiccup's suspicions. They were all dragon hunter ships alright, with similar designs and weapons that he had seen many times before. What interested Hiccup is that the vast majority of the vessels bore an insignia that he had never seen before, a golden chalice overflowing with wine. Or blood, he reminded himself. There had to be at least 600 ships, the largest fleet he or any other Berkian had set eyes on. And there they sat, simply waiting, a great pile of dots across a canvas of blue. Two days before his wedding.

A squawk brought the young Viking's attention away from the ships, and Hiccup lowered his spyglass to see Astrid and Stormfly emerging over the cliffside. Surprisingly, the large red shape of a Rumblehorn—Skullcrusher, with Eret son of Eret in the saddle—followed close behind.

"Any change in the fleet?" he yelled, as both dragons thudded to the ground behind him.

Gracefully sliding from her mount, Astrid holstered her axe on her back as she came to stand by her soon-to-be husband, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face. "Not a damn thing; all the ships have anchored. This is strange, Hiccup."

The chief brought one hand up to his chin, deep in thought, as the other found Astrid's hand and squeezed gently. "We have more than enough dragons and warriors to defend the island," Hiccup noted. "But this fleet is even larger than the one Drago had. If this comes down to a fight, a lot of people are gonna get hurt this time."

Astrid turned to face him, putting her spare hand on his shoulder. "We're all with you, and our ancestors would turn in their graves before we let Berk fall. But this all just seems weird!" She gestured to the armada stretched before them, motionless in the water. "Look! They're just waiting, 2 or 3 miles away. Why come with all these ships just to sit there and lose the element of surprise?"

"Perhaps they don't actually wish to fight?" Eret had come to join the two of them at the cliff's edge. "The fleet is huge, but I've never seen so many golden chalices before."

Hiccup shot him a look of realization. "You know where they come from?!"

"Aye," said Eret. "Can't answer a lot of questions, but that chalice is unmistakable. It's from Velesheim, a great trading city far to the west. They're outside the Archipelago, so I have no idea what they'd be doing here."

"Why's a trading city have so many dragon hunter ships?" Astrid asked suspiciously.

"Well that's just the design, I'd think." Eret shrugged his shoulders. "Velesheim's a huge island city with a lot of shipyards, they've gotten pretty good at designing boats like that. They've got more money than this entire island 10 times over… Strange."

"What're you thinking?" Hiccup questioned.

Eret frowned as he gazed at the horde of ships. "Well I've never really heard of Velesheim sending ships to war themselves, they can just pay off mercenaries or hunters to do their dirty work… So why in god's name would they be here? I'd wager they hardly knew anything about Berk 'cept its existence, probably just tales from other trading boats."

"Hiccup, look!" Astrid pointed to the ocean.

Bringing the spyglass back up to his face, Hiccup squinted at the still motionless armada of boats—except for one. A single ship had broken away from the group and was now headed in the direction of the docks, strikingly different from the others. The design was the same as the flagship that Drago had sailed on; a large main hull, with two attached sections for additional deck room and weaponry. It appeared almost twice the size of all the other largest ships. Much to Hiccup's dismay, the entire vessel appeared to be covered in what he could only assume to be dragon-proof steel. Great shipyards, Hiccup thought, the images of both Drago's fleet and those of older foes—like the steel clad inventions of Viggo Grimborn—appearing in his imagination. While the other boat's sails were white this one bore black sails trimmed with golden edges, the chalice of Velesheim front and center. A clear flagship, and yet it looked like a toy boat compared to the vast armada that it now sailed away from with increasing speed.

"Well," the chief spoke, collapsing his spyglass, "It looks like we're going to have visitors."

Astrid's jaw was set as she turned to mount Stormfly. "This smells like a trap, but at least their best ship gets hit first if all goes to hell."

Hiccup quickly ran up to her with a hand extended, which Astrid took without hesitation, helping him up. As he positioned himself on Stormfly's back, he shouted back; "Eret, I'll meet you at the docks as soon as I can. We're going to find my mom and the others so they know what to do. I want you to tell me everything you know about our guests before they hit the dock."

"I assume you've got a plan?!" the former dragon hunter yelled, grinning as he raced to Skullcrusher.

"Bits and pieces of one; we're prepared to defend Berk, but I want to know what these people want without having to sink the fleet, if possible!"

As Stormfly leapt into the air, Hiccup took another look at the titan ship racing towards Berk. Battle or no, this was going to be interesting. I could really use you right now, bud…

Back on Aylan…

Toothless glided above the treeline, scanning the island for any sign of Ash. Having just returned to the cave they had slept in the night before, only to find it empty, the Night Fury figured she had gone to meet friends somewhere on Aylan. But he had to admit, there wasn't much to gain by staying above the forest. Other than the grotto and the mountain caves the rest of the island was a sea of thick vegetation, and the Alpha didn't think it would be worth poking his snout in every single cave. And he had been wanting to look at more of the forest anyway. Finding a gap in the trees, the dragon dove down as the bright sunlight dimmed to gentle waves of green. This part of the forest is heavily filled with mushrooms, sprouting from the tree trunks in a variety of colors; hues of green and red, with waves and freckles of orange and brown across their rough surface. Toothless looked around — Ash could be anywhere.

"You look lost!"

He turned; another male Night Fury, one that looked to be on the younger side, was hanging batlike from a tree a few dozen feet away. He eyed Toothless with curiosity; You're the newcomer, right? So it is true, you do fly with a fake tail."

"Yep, that's me." Toothless replied somewhat dryly. "And I'm looking for Ash, but I don't really know my way around here yet."

"I can probably help!" The other Night Fury released his tail from the tree, landing on all fours with a soft crunch of grass. Deep green eyes peered back at Toothless. "My name's Thorn."

"I'm Toothless. You have any idea where she might be?"

"We could try the hatchling grounds! That's where most of the eggs are laid, and parents bring their kids there to learn how to live as a Night Fury; breathe fire, first flights, etcetera." Thorn gingerly stretched his wings, then leapt into the air. "C'mon, I'll show you the way." he called down as he circled Toothless once.

The Alpha quickly sprang into the air as well, gliding slightly behind Thorn as they began traversing the forest. They seemed to be headed to the more eastern side of the island. After a few minutes of silence, Thorn twisted his head under his chest to look back at the Night Fury trailing behind him.

"So, you live with humans back home, huh?"

"I do. You don't seem to disprove as much as some of the others."

Thorn titled his head to one side. "Why should I? Most of the Night Furies here haven't even seen a human; they don't sail these waters basically ever, so we just hear about them from the elders." He lifted his head back up to avoid a tree, before lessening his speed so he now flew side by side with Toothless. "Personally I think it's cool, your tail. The human who made it must be pretty smart, must like dragons a lot too."

Toothless chuckled. "Right on both counts. Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"You heard about what the Watcher's did, right? And that a fleet could be on its way?"

Thorn's ears flattened. "Yeah, everyone heard. Not something I'm looking forward to if it's true, and it's not like we can go check either. Humans can sail across open water for months, but there's no islands west of Mystholm for us to rest if we send a search pack."

"So you do think they're coming?" Toothless followed up.

"I mean it's definitely possible! I'm just hoping it's not." Thorn looked dejected. "There's not enough of us who've fought before, I mean really fought. Like don't get me wrong, a couple thousand dragons is powerful, but humans are crafty and there could be a lot more of them."

Toothless started; "Well, that's kind of why I'm here. I'm going to help Ash convince the other two colonies to join us."

Thorn suddenly stopped, hovering in midair as he turned towards Toothless. "Woah, hold on. You're not thinking of going to Seregon and asking for help, are you?" he panicked.

"I mean, don't you think the situation could call for it?" Toothless asked.

Thorn groaned. "Ok maybe true, but that's not the point! Night Furies on Seregon don't talk, they kill things. You enter their sky and they will just shoot you without a word!"

"I still have to try!" Toothless argued. "And maybe I'll be able to convince them to meet because I'm not from Aylan. No offense…" he added sheepishly.

"None taken." Thorn resumed his path through the trees with a loud exhale. "Ok, but good luck getting a single word in. Talking to a dragon from Seregon is hopeless."

As they continued to fly, Thorn continued to talk. "I guess talking to the Watchers isn't completely impossible, I've just never heard of anyone doing it just for conversation. You're either there to join them or you leave them alone. High and mighty bastards…"

"You don't like the Watchers?" Toothless asked.

"Don't get me wrong, having a fighting group that anyone can join has its uses, like if you're older or don't have anyone tying you down. And I suppose saving dragons is a good thing…" Thorn growled. "But they think that gives them the right to shut themselves away from the rest of us! If there is a human fleet coming, it's because they caused it by torching a city in the name of 'virtue'. And we'll be the ones paying the price, not them. They don't have attachment to home like we do, and hatchlings and elder Night Furies to protect."

He had to admit, the idea of the Watchers—while the mission was somewhat appealing on a moral level—was slowly filling him with anger. Whoever led them was either extremely self-righteous or had completely given up on a normal life, or both; Toothless couldn't help but feel a little rage at the fact that these Watchers caused all this impending danger, and seemed to have no regard for the other Night Furies that this would impact.

"I can see your point. Though who knows? Maybe the threat will shock them into reintegrating with the real world, don't you think?"

Thorn grunted. "Maybe, but I doubt it. They've been close-jawed and aloof for over a century. Still, I suppose it's worth a shot."

"Oh, we're almost there!"

They were coming to the edge of the forest, and Toothless could begin to see clear ground covered in rocks. Faint hissing grew louder as they approached, and Toothless could see multiple fissures in the ground spewing hot steam upwards, likely giving heat to various pools of water that lay scattered amongst the rock. The cliff's edge could be seen as well; they were at the northwesternmost edge of Aylan, Nightmare's Eyrie easily visible amongst the blue ocean that stretched outward. Night Furies lay lounging amongst the rocks and geysers, and a few hatchlings were running about. As they landed, Toothless smiled; Ash was here and surrounded by a group of hatchlings, who gave her their undivided attention as she appeared to be telling a story.

As him and Thorn walked up to the group, Ash looked up mid-sentence, her wide-eyed expression of storytelling giving way to a mischievous grin. Pointing a wing at Toothless, she whispered loudly. "Look, there! That's the big bad Night Fury from my story! Get him!"

Before he knew it, he was almost knocked over by several Night Fury hatchlings, who began to play bite and grab his wings and tail. Feigning defeat, he reared up before gently falling on his back; "Argh, there's too many of them! No!" Toothless playfully swatted a paw at one hatchling, wincing through a laugh as he felt another bite his ear.

Ash giggled, watching the Night Fury struggle to fend off the pile of child dragons that had dove on him. After a short time she growled low to regain the children's attention, then smiled. "Ok kids, storytime is over for the day. Go find your parents, I have to talk to my friend." A collective groan of dissapointment rose up from the hatchlings, who climbed off of Toothless and began to disperse.

As Ash approached him, she regarded Thorn with a warm look. "It's good to see you, Thorn! How're things?"

"You too! I can't complain, I was just showing your friend around hoping to find you." With a nod in Toothless's direction, Thorn took to the air. "See you around you two, and good luck!" he called down, sailing back into the forest with a gust of air.

"C'mon, let's fly! We can talk up there." Ash said, and Toothless followed her as she leapt into the air. The pair of Night Furies began to circle the island as they gained altitude, not another dragon in sight.

"So?" Ash questioned. "How was your meeting with Moonlight?"

"Good! She's quite a dragon; I think I can see why you respect her so much." he answered, looking in the direction of the crescent peak. "She told me about the Cataclysm, too. Things make a little more sense with that in mind."

"Yeah," Ash remarked, slightly embarrassed. "I figured I was already asking a lot of you to believe me, I didn't want to add that we never recovered from a catastrophic war 150 years ago, ya know?"

"No, I get it. So how are we gonna move forward?" Toothless looked at her. "If we want to unite all the Night Furies, we've got to talk with someone from Seregon and with someone from the Watchers."

Ash's mouth twisted, not unlike a human smirk, but when she spoke her voice was laced with displeasure. "So we have one mysterious colony with an unknown leader, and one warlike colony where the leader might kill you. Do you want my honest opinion?"

"Of course."

Ash made eye contact with Toothless, and he could detect a flicker of fear in her expression. "I think you should go to Seregon, and I don't think it's wise for me to go with you. They'll know I'm from Aylan and even if we were allowed to speak, they wouldn't respect me. And if it comes to it, you have a much better chance of fighting your way out than I do."

Toothless was silent for a moment, thinking hard before speaking. "I think I agree. So I need to try and talk to this 'Angalon', if he calls the shots."

"Right. They'll shoot first, but if they allow you to talk they'll only take you seriously if you prove yourself to be strong-willed. Angalon is old, but he's strong and proud, and he's not an idiot. Whatever you do, do not insult him."

"What about his son, Talon? Could I convince him?" Toothless questions.

"Maybe, he's… nicer than the others." Ash remarked as they continued to fly. "I met him once, about a year ago. Talon isn't as bloodthirsty as the majority of them, but he's proud too, and he loves his father. It wouldn't hurt, but I wouldn't count on it."

"You met him, huh? Wonder how that came about."

Ash chuckled dryly. "I'll tell you all about it after you get back. Just promise me you'll come back in one piece."

"I promise. Don't worry, I'm not under any illusions. I know Seregon is dangerous." But so am I, Toothless thought, before continuing. "What are you going to do?"

Ash looked in the direction of the ocean, eying the great shadow of a mountain that rose up from the horizon. "I'm going to the Eyrie. If I can get someone from the Watchers to talk to me, maybe I can find direction towards whoever's in charge. After that, I have no idea what to expect."

"Thorn didn't seem to have a very high opinion of the Watchers." Toothless mentioned. "They don't seem to be the predictable type, or trustworthy I guess. But I have faith in you."

Ash smiled at him. "I'm flattered. We should wait until tomorrow morning to leave, to make sure we're well rested." They flew in silence, each of them contemplating what they were about to attempt.

Finally, Ash spoke up again. "You know, the day's still young… Ooh! There are caves in Aylans mountain that I need to show you, with walls that glitter like starlight! There are gems the size of large fruits in there."

She turned back in the direction of the island, surging ahead with a blast of air. "C'mon! Don't fall behind!"

Toothless grinned, the air whistling past his ears as he changed direction to follow her. Seregon could wait until tomorrow.

Author's Note: Vacation ended so I'm back at school, apologies for how long it took me to get back to this. Two weeks of track camp before school starts and I have to start writing my honor's thesis