Chapter Text
Snow. Ice. Raging winds and angry tides. Nearly half of Skogsbo’s year was spent just below freezing. Same thing every year: thigh high snow drifts, footpaths and wagon routes carefully carved after every storm, deep sea fishing halts, most of the hunting stops, the docks are abandoned, fireplaces are never unlit. No matter how early you prepare you’re always short of time and supplies. Every year the town's stores are nearly depleted by the end of the five months that make up the island's winter.
Knowing this, having spent seventeen winters on this island, one would think that I would have known better. Got up a little earlier, dressed a little nicer and definitely warmer,left the house a bit sooner, but no. As per usual I’m late. Having spent the previous night drawing new illustrations for the scribes' record books, I now find myself overwhelmed and underdressed rushing through the streets to the main hall hoping to sneak in the back. At least this way there's a chance Aunt Koya may not realize I was late. For anybody else being ten minutes late would have been nothing, in fact some prefer to skip the overly formal introductions. However, those people didn’t have an Aunt Koya. My mothers sister took over as chief after her late husband was lost in a dragon raid, the same one that took my parents, just over seven years ago now. Leaving me, Aunt Koya and my favorite(and only) cousin, Kian, to pick up the pieces and move on. Thank god it was Skogsbo’s turn to host the renewals this year. At Least this way there's a chance Aunt Koya may not realize I was late to these renewals.
The renewals, ordinarily an enjoyable event, were already taking an odd turn. Normally held in the summer months “the renewals” referred to a two to four week period, every 4 years where the local clans would meet at a predetermined island to update and reinstate treaties and trade agreements. Bergsmän, commercial traders, Floden Hem, several tribes to the west and south and previously Berzerkers. (Skogsbo had stayed out of that fight. Too many close contacts on both sides and not enough information on why they were fighting, as neither side would speak on it.) Now this year is weird because Berk is here, again. The renewals had already taken place, but Aunt Koya suddenly asked everyone to gather in the main hall to announce adjustments to the treaty.
I mean I knew something was off a few months ago, Hiccup was cagier, his eyes constantly drawn to the tree line scanning, watching, waiting for something he wouldn't tell me of. Even his letters felt like he was leaving pieces of his stories out. We only see eachother once every four winters but we wrote bi-monthly to each other. Since the last Renewals he’s always telling tales of his friends, a girl called Astrid, a set of twins and even one with a strange name(even by archipelago standards)- Toothless- who is not actually toothless. But Berk is back, their flags are high on the guest logginings and Koya has been extra stressed the last few days.
After several minutes of marching, I’ve finally reached the hall's back entrance. Sliding through the oak doors, I inch along the right wall, flanking most of the crowd. The walls are rough on my coat as I slide behind several tapestries trying to get as far forward as inconspicuous as possible. The pointed wooden arches of the ceiling and the clan banners that hang from the support posts gently sway. The stone fire pit in the middle of the room provides ample light, and a mini stage where my Aunt, Stoick the Vast, Chief of Berk and Hiccup stand. The hall is as quiet as it gets, the white noise of scribbling scribes, low mutters and the crowds shuffling can be heard behind my aunt's voice.
“"Now, that we’ve made it through our formal introductions. It is time to bring to a head the reasons for our meeting in this season." Her voice is crisp and calm, matching demeanor. If you weren’t family, there was no way to notice how her face twitched almost imperceptibly. She was nervous. As the crowd murmurs, I take a moment to look at her. Her thick fur coat is unfastened, resting loosely against her thin frame(had she always been that thin? no , that was new, last month maybe). She was dressed much like me, white cotton shirt and yak hide skirt would leave her chilled today. “
"We thank you for your time and your patience, Berk has much the same weather as you, we well know a winter's wrath." Stoick's well paced assurance settles the crowd, and Koya continues.
“I have gathered you all here today, to ask of you a question. We all know that the dragons who once plagued our people, have abandoned the habits that made them our enemies. We no longer repair dragon burnt huts, guard our flocks from winged thieves and we no longer count our losses nightly.”" The crowd breaks into cheers, I can’t help but smile. I was never any good with a spear or mace, much preferring a pencil and ink paints to any weapon, though I am a decent archer. With the fighting stopped I can much more freely devote my time to sketching. “While I have heard of the following event , I have not heard the story myself. I wish for us to listen to their words, hear their tale and their truths and decide if we shall continue an active alliance with Berk. Keep in mind, my people, war is not an option.”
" Leaving the audience more confused than ever, my aunt sits. Hiccup begins to speak. "
“This is Berk, it’s twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It is located solidly on the meridian of misery. My village in a word, sturdy. It’s been here for seven generations, but every single building is new" ….”
The hours pass unnoticed. Hiccup continues to speak, his expressions and gestures are as captivating as the tale spins. He brings out this book of pages filled with diagrams. Though I can’t see the details from here, he explains how he built the artificial tail fin, learning to ride, building the saddles and eventually he comes to the big test. Throwing down the helmet (Stoick grimaces at this). His voice breaks as he recounts how seeing toothless in the muzzle, the fear of losing them. His conversation with Astrid, and then the final battle. “ "Waking up without my leg, then finding all those dragons in the town. I thought I was dead. " he finally sits down. Dragons, riders, dragon riders. Dear god. Hiccup.. Toothless is a dragon?!
"You came close son." Stoick set a heavy hand on Hiccup's shoulder, " you gave it your best shot but I wasn't letting you go that easy." They smile. No one breathes, my aunt's head is still in her hands.
"Is this a joke? " Suddenly the silence is broken, I wince. I know that voice. Kian stands from his place in the front. "You expect us to believe that you not only shot but rehabilitated and befriended a Night Fury?! Then went off to fight a RED DEATH and won. sorry but I'm going to need some solid proof of that." Kians disbelief is palpable, and with his exclamation, the hall erupts. All at once people began to shout, others laughed and some demanded vengeance for the lies and the time they have wasted hearing them. Hiccup has never lied to me, but this this is a lot.
“Are you kidding!"
"We came all the way out here for this!" The guy to my left all but screams in my ear.
"Are you mocking us!"
"Tell it again! Tell it again!" The children giggle
"Got to be a joke!" The women in front of me turn to leave.
"Chief Koya! Turn these traitors out!" at this Stoick, Hiccup and my aunt stand,
"Oh for the love of! Toothless!!" Hiccup shouts at the top of his lungs, cutting through the crowd's uproar. The rafters shake, and a thud sounds on the beams above me.
"Night Fury! Get down!" People scream, some hide but others like me, watch as Toothless crawls across the beam and jumps down behind the Berkians.
"Calm down everybody. Hey bud" he scratches the Night Fury's chin. "He won't hurt you, everyone this is Toothless, Toothless everyone"
"Hiccup?" Finally finding my voice I step forward. Eyes trained on the Night Fury. "Hiccup, why.. why didn't you tell me?" He flinched
"I wanted to swear but"
"Don't blame him, lass "Stoick cuts in "I asked him to keep it under wraps until the next renewals."
"Thalia, just um please, come here. He won't hurt you." Hiccup holds out his hand, but just as I begin to move, the dragons attention shifts to me and I'm stuck looking at his face. Green eyes, green eyes like mom.
"Hiccup.. I don't like this.." my attention shifts to my cousin, the dozens of people around us forgotten. Kian nods at me, and moves to stand at my left flank.
“ Know this,” Kian locks eyes with Stoick, “ if the beast harms her, I'll take your boy's head off his shoulders." Toothless growls, Stoick lets out a remarkably similar sound.
"No need for threats boy, she'll be fine." Stoick nods at my Aunt. As I step forward, Hiccup grabs my hand, and Toothless sits… almost like a dog, waiting to be pet. Hiccup steps behind me guiding my hand palm out to the dragon's nose. I turn my head away.
"He's staring." Hiccup laughs My hand makes contact. Smooth, cold and purring? I turn my face and Toothless begins to nudge and push at my hand, encouraging me to pet him. The townsmen let out a collective breath, and suddenly Toothless is pushing his head at my chest asking to be hugged.
"Like this" Laughing I turn to Hiccup, watching him mime the movement Toothless is signaling for. Arms out wide to cradle the dragon's face and head bent, nuzzling an imaginary Toothless. The room once again ignites with noise, children pushing forward asking to pet and ride toothless, while some shake their heads and leave the hall most are turning to each other and too Stoick to ask questions. Kian approaches from behind me, asking Hiccup about the dragons top speed and their success with other breeds. After several minutes of this my Aunt shouts for quiet.
"Now to answer the question we first posed, shall we continue our friendship?" Her voice is loud and clear and our peoples rise up to join her in an almost entirely unanimous-
"YES CHIEF!" A mass exodus ensues, and it seems even the weather is in favor of our renewal. When i first approached the hall the winds were vicious, now the gray skies are quiet leading to a joyous round of celebratory drinking.
"Stoick, Hiccup, my children, I would meet with you quickly please." My aunt turns down the street without waiting for an answer.. Stoick marches beside her and Hiccup and Kian kindly but quickly return the children petting Toothless to their parents.
“What do you think she wants?” Kian's question is understandable; there are many things she may wish to discuss.
"Thalia, you aren't mad right?" Hiccup looks sheepish as he catches up with us.
"No, I understand your decisions. That doesn't stop the hurt entirely, but I know it wasn't anything I had done to warrant the missing information."
"No of course not, I'm glad we're good though. Looks like I'll be keeping my head right where it is." He grins as Kian smirks. "You'd never actually do it, right?"
"In a heartbeat my friend, but I would mourn for a few hours over the loss of a perfectly good neck joint." We laugh as we enter the hut a few feet behind the Chieftains, who wait by the huts' fireplace.
"Stoick, as you know my son turns 23 this spring and will begin the next phase of his studies."
"Aye, I realize." He spares a glance at Hiccup who immediately looks away. Must not have started his standard learning yet.
"As such it is important that he stays here and absorbs his lessons as best he can. So he is not an option" Kian nods, trying to figure out where she's going with this.
"Yes"
"However, as both your friend and a Chief I would be remiss if I did not seek more information about both your dragons and your new problem."
"Problem?" Kian cuts in.
"Dagur has escaped from his prison." Hiccup explains finding trader Johan and the discovery of hunter ships and objects.
"I would like to send one of my own back to Berk with you, to gather information and evaluate the situations." Stoick nods
"Of course Koya, I wouldn't have expected less. Who are ya wishin to send?"
"Thalia"
"WHAT?!" My cousin breaks out, even Stoick Looks vaguely surprised.
"I won't question ya, you know your people better than I could tell ya. She's welcome on my land and in my tribe for as long as she likes." He nods at me
"Mom! She can't hardly lift a sword let alone wield it, how is she supposed to defend herself without us watching over her!" I turned to him,
"Hey! I'm a good archer. Aunt, are you sure you want this? I hardly have time to prepare, you're shipping me off without notice!"
"We can stay a few days more, let you pack your things and say a few fair wells." Hiccup is quick to reassure me looking excited. "You'll finally get to meet the gang and maybe if you want we'll even get you your own dragon."
"Ha Ha Ha no. Not happening thanks though"
"you'll change your mind."
"Im sorry Thalia, but this is the best solution. I need Kian here with me and you are plenty smart enough AND strong enough," she shoots a look at Kian, "to defend yourself or learn to. I admit I never should have allowed your hand to hand lessons to stop when we gave up on weaponry." I don't know what to think, I've only left the island once, when it was Ozwald the agreeables turned to host renewals. Berks climate is similar to ours, even if the seasons are off by a month or two. I'll have to bring clothes and my book and my supplies and my things and I'll want to get some of the-
"Thalia, you in there? Get lost lass?" Stoick sets a hand on my shoulder and smiles. "It's a lot girly, I know, for now start your packing, everything in crates except whatever you need that ya can't replace. We can send for the rest when the winter breaks, get ya new clothes and essentials at Berk."
"Okay.." I'm numb, almost excited and scared and tired. "Kian, come help me would you?"
"Sure thing.."
~ Three days later~
Standing on the forest edge watching the townsmen move. Their midday activities go on without a care. Nothing and yet everything has changed. Here I am waiting for Hiccup to come pick me up. I’m dressed in travel clothes ready to ride a dragon. God I sound crazy, who would have thought I'd say that and mean it. Since Skull Crusher is taking my art supplies and my books, I'm going riding with Hiccup on a night fury.
"Ready to go?"
“ "Odin Beard!“ I scream falling back, Hiccup laughs from above me. Him and Toothless hover the height of a hut off the ground. "Yes." Aunt Koya and I said goodbye this morning, before heading off to review the ration stores. And Kian.. well he's never been good at emotional stuff. His quick hug and a ‘don’t get yourself killed before snoggletog’ was about all I got at lunch. Though I know he’ll miss me. “
"HahaHa, well then on the dragon and off to Berk yes?"” He lands and reaches out a hand, pulling me up. “Hold tight to me, Toothless is a steady flier but these winds could pick up and create some disturbance"
"Aye, alright."” Wrapping my arms around him, it hits me. I'm leaving, this is really, oh my god I'm on a dragon. Before I can scramble together a protest we’re taking off.