"To be honest with you Astrid, it's not as hard as you think. It's mostly body language and confidence. Just show them you're not scared and our alpha friend here will do the rest. She wants her people to be safe and has taken us up on our offer to help. But she's not sure her people will accept humans. You go and show them you're not trying to kill them. Spend a few days getting used to them and, them you, and come back as friends. Not that hard."
"Easy for you to say, dragon boy." Astrid chided.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure that the alpha keeps an eye on you. If anything happens she'll take care of it. It's not like I'm trying to send you to your death."
"That's reassuring."
"And thinking on it." Hiccup turned to the Nadder alpha. "A Nadder might just be the perfect fit for you." He held out his hand to Astrid. She was hesitant but took it and was yanked on to her feet. Instead of letting her go he snatched her wrist and moved her into position in front of the alpha. He put her hand close to the Nadder's neck and let go. "Firm, but gentle." He instructed. Astrid shot daggers at him but refocused her attention on his hand. The Nadder alpha stayed ever still for her. With a deep breath Astrid moved forward and made contact with the dragon's skin. "Good." Hiccup praised. "Now remember they're not pets but give her a good rub like you would a dog." Hiccup again instructed. She took a moment to herself before moving her hand.
"Let me give you some info on these guys so you know what you're getting into. Nadder's are smart, fast, and confident. Which can come off as arrogance. While they tend to be smaller than most other species they aren't afraid to fight and have no problem taking on larger opponents. They have poor flame breath, really only used as a last resort or to simply start a fire. They're main way of fighting is the spikes that grow all around their bodies, mainly on their tail. Only taking a few days to regrow to full size, as long as they're eating correctly that is. With that said, Nadder's are probably one of the most sensitive species to their diet. What they eat can drastically change how well or poorly their spikes grow and form. Lastly, like most dragons they have a nasty bite. But for Nadder's this is their biggest weakness, because of the shape of their head they have a hard time seeing anything close up to them. If you need to fight one for some reason hide in their blind spot. They'll have a very hard time doing anything about you. Oh and one last thing." Hiccup took Astrid's hand and moved it to the base of the Nadder's neck. "Give her a good scratch around this spot." Astrid followed his instructions confusedly until the Nadder alpha fell on top of her. The alpha jumped back up right away and Hiccup was already waiting with his hand out ready to help Astrid up. She wasn't very happy but grabbed his hand and stood up. "All dragons have some sort of weak spot like that on them. But It'll only work if said dragon trusts you. Use it as a way to assure your new friend that they've been doing well. Or as a way to help them when they're in need. Dragons get angry, scared, and sad, just like we do. When you make a bond to one they'll look to you for help first. But unlike your human friends, getting physical with them is okay. Giving them a scratch, or a pat, or a hug is not only wanted but needed. Dragons are very physical with each other and they'll sorta expect you to be as well. So don't be afraid to push yourself against them or scratch them."
"But how would I know I'm doing it right?"
"You'll know." Hiccup assured. "Mind laying down so she can get on you?" Hiccup asked the Nadder. The Nadder alpha did as he asked. "Get on Astrid." She looked at him hesitantly. "Well you're not going to swim there, this is the only way." Astrid slowly and carefully climbed into the back of the Nadder alpha, who immediately stood up once she was in place. Hiccup put a hand to her snout. "Please keep an eye on Astrid. She's lived here whole life in fear of you. Show her what you've all shown me."
The Nadder bowed to him. "She'll return no more fearful than she already is. I hope less, of course."
"Good. Be safe and fly well." Hiccup stepped aside and let the pair go. He watched as they disappeared, a bit apprehensive but hopeful.
"So what now?" Toothless asked.
"We probably get the leads together and tell them to make room and be ready to feed even more mouths."
"They'll understand Hiccup." Toothless consoled.
"I really hope so."
"Hiccup you know they aren't going to complain that much. Everyone knows what's going on and when they learn that another flock was attacked they're not going to have much to say against not helping. Everyone here knows at this point that if someone needs help we're going to be the ones to do so."
"I just don't want people's trust to erode even more than it already is. Everyone is about to snap and we're going to the targets when that happens."
"Then that's just how it is. Sometimes being the bad guy is doing the right thing. But you also know that plenty of people here aren't going to question you at all. They know that all you want to do is help. Even if it costs us some of our sanity."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Hiccup sighed. "Would you start to get them assembled for me?"
"As you wish." Toothless bowed, and turned away. He found a few of the others to help and they all left.