"For now. The older I get the less often I'll want to, you know." Hiccup chuckled.

"Eh that won't be an issue. I know where to lick and nibble to get you going. Most times I don't even need to get that far, I can just ask and it's an immediate yes."

"It is hard to say no to you." Hiccup smiled.

"So why did you walk of like that?"

"Because I remembered something and I thought I had notes on it somewhere but I must have just dreamt it. But basically there's this stuff the farmers use for their animals. It's basically this coloured powder that they put in there to mark them.

But I was thinking we could use something else like paint so that we could quickly mark everyone before a right so that you can just look for the mark and know they're ours and not to attack them." Hiccup sat for a moment thinking. "I just can't remember what's used to make it right now.

Dad?" Hiccup asked. "Do you know how to make paint?"

Stoick pulled at his beard a bit. While he was trying to remember, the Nadder alpha made her presence known.

"Welcome." Hiccup greeted. "Come sit and we'll speak in a moment."

"To be honest with you Hiccup I don't remember. Your mother and I made it once while she was pregnant with you. I'm sure Gobber knows." Stoick nodded. Hiccup held out the notebook he had.

"Would you go ask him and write it down for me? I have to speak to our friend here."

"Aye, I can do that for you." Stoick took the notebook and left. Astrid didn't know if she should leave with him or stay with Hiccup. She figured that since he was supposed to help her later on that she'd simply go to her sleeping spot and wait for him to find her later on.

"Now, what can I do for you?" He smiled at the Nadder.

"You can assure my people's safety?"

"I can't make any guarantees but like I said, this place is much more defendable than where you are now. Especially if it were to attack you out right.

I can guarantee that you and yours will be treated as our own. As long as you're helping us there won't be any problems."

"Will I remain in control of my flock?" She asked.

"I'd rather it be that you integrate into ours. I know that's a big step down but you'd remain in a position of power. I know you can lead so like the others who help keep people organized and lead, you'll be invaluable not only in a fight but just in general. You're people already look up to you and will come to you for answers and I just ask that you answer in ways that align with what we're trying to accomplish."

"About the humans you mean."

"If you do intend to join us I could send you with one of them to meet with your people before they have to meet all of them."

"Who?"

"Her maybe?" Hiccup motioned his head towards Astrid. "Much like all the humans I'm more or less requiring them to bond with a dragon. She's been reluctant to the idea, but with her friends all having opportunities, she's felt a bit left out. We were supposed to go around and find someone here but, if you wish, you could take her with you and introduce your people to the humans before they show up here."

"They won't hurt anyone will they?" The Nadder alpha looked at Astrid.

"The humans have been told that they're not to fight any dragons unless it's to defend themselves. So as long as they don't do anything, she won't." Hiccup paused. "But I'll warn you now, if you take her along, she's still a bit skittish around dragons. She's been born and raised to hate all kinds of dragons and this is all new to her. I just ask that you be a bit patient with her in regards to things like being sniffed at." Hiccup explained.

"If those are your terms, then I suppose I can accept them."

"I'm sorry if they're not to your liking. But we can't give you special interest. Letting you become a head here is the best I can do in terms of you keeping your power while here. We just don't want people getting confused as to who leads here."

"No, no I understand. My people's safety comes before my position."

"Well if you're good with those conditions." Hiccup stood up. "Let's go get you and Astrid properly introduced so you two can set off." The three of them walked over to Astrid, who was looking down over the hoard of colours and sound swirling around below. Hiccup walked up beside her and looked down as well. "Kinda pretty isn't it? How they can move and glide around each other so easily."

"What are they even doing?"

"Some are working, some are wondering, some are getting food. A few are probably relaying messages between two of the species heads, especially with the other alphas showing up here today."

"It was a bad thing right? It's hard to understand when you're only getting half of it." She looked up at him.

"This time it was. One of the other flocks was attacked. So we're all trying to figure out what to do." Hiccup explained.

"What are you going to do?"

"Right now I'm not going to do anything. But you're going to be leaving here with one of them."

"I'm what?" Astrid looked at Hiccup confused. "I'm not doing that Hiccup." Hiccup crouched down.

"Yes you are." He looked her in the eye. "You're going to be friends with one of these damned things whether you like it or not. All the others are out somewhere today befriending one of them. Or at least trying. And while you're opening up to it, who knows how long it would take for you to actually act on it.

So I'm having you go with the Nadder behind me to go meet with her flock. She'll be moving them all here in the next few days. You're going in my place to act as the go between. So go there, befriend one of them. She has a few daughters who were interested in me and wanted to meet a human last time I saw them. And show them that we're not their enemies. I'll even let you have the bragging rights of convincing them to join us. You know if Snot was here that would make him mad as Hel." He joked.

"But I can't talk to them like you. How am I supposed to convince them of anything?"