53. A doubt

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Each new day brought the promise of something. Good or bad, there was always a surprise to behold.

That was something Hiccup had been taught by his many teachers and experiences around the world. And it was something he was realizing to be quite true in the past few days.

The weary eyes and shoulders of Hiccup's that had beheld many a surprise in the last few days were brought some small relief by the crisp and cool wafts of northern air. He and Toothless ascended into the skies of Selardalr, breathing in those winds untainted by soot and steel, and the potential of spilt blood. Each day brought the promise of something, yes, but in tandem with earthly dilemmas, it also brought the anxious anticipation of what would come in the next.

His son Alvis had told him of an unknown dragon rider sailing above the skies; whether said rider was friend or foe was yet to be determined. He'd have liked to believe the chance of the former, who would no doubt need such a loving and open heart, but truthfully, his methods weren't exactly a necessity to gain the majestic winged beasts as allies. Many beyond the Norse islands could have figured out their own ideas or were blessed to have had some similar peacekeeper do so for them in the past. And with the course of human history or ambition flowing in every which way it did, there would be those who might have grown dissatisfied with their current power. It didn't take seeing his detestable, greedy cousin again to confirm such thoughts along that line.

Thoughts of his ex-family and Berk actually still plagued his mind, them and what the new day might bring from them in particular. It made his head throb in pain, caught tightly in apprehension's vice, that he held his hand to attempt to soothe it. As always, the act failed to escape Toothless' ever watching, ever concerned eyes.

"You know, I wish you'd take a day off with the dragon nanny stuff." Hiccup joked in a tired tone.

"You make that impossible." Toothless grumbled back with a light ear-slap to the face.

"Gah! Thanks for the wake-up call, I guess." He mumbled before looking down solemnly. "Really, thanks."

"I know that look. You're still thinking about it, aren't you?"

What Toothless referred to were two things in one, a previous meeting, and a rift of distrust that had begun to form between Hiccup and the veteran heads of Selardalr as a result.

Many of the Silent Wolf' higher ranked clans had come to him with words of protest not long after the birth of his daughter. Though he had proven his worth in rebuilding the island, Hiccup's inexperience in tribal politics had truthfully sprouted seeds of doubt the day he succeeded to the role of chief. The Hooligans' unexpected infiltration had brought to his attention the thoughts of those who still clung to the old ways and questioned the stability of their new lives or wondered about the elevation of another island's heir to Selardalrian power.

Despite his personal vendetta against his former home, Hiccup's desire for peace drove him to a stand of inaction against Berk. Harold had approved, though the same could not be said for the other clans, who viewed his moderation as a clear sign of weakness or lingering emotional attachment. His more vocal critics went as far as pointing fingers and asking just whose side the young chief was on.

His shoulders were weighted heavily that afternoon with the blame for the new woes Selardalr faced, as the men in the Great Hall criticized his every word. Inside, by the warm fire and with the morning sun at their grimly stocked backs, they discussed what the best course of action was to appease a growing fear in the people's hearts. A possible return to war:

~~

"So daddy and friends come to kidnap you and ambush us, and we're s'posed ta sit on our keisters an' do nothin'?" One man cried. "Fine kettle o' fish, tha."

"Look, you're talking to a guy that's taken it lying down for years, I get where this is coming from. But if we strike back, where does that lead to but another war?" Hiccup declared.

"Well, applause, applause." Another growled, slamming his fist down on the table. "Spoken like a true diplomat – we don' get enough o' yer kind 'round these parts. Clearly the boy's spent too much time playin' nice with dragons and forgotten how Vikings do things!"

"For better or worse, yer the chief, and if you were any less fortunate, you'd have been whisked away to the isle of Berk with none here the wiser, not even your Night Fury." One of the elders chimed in. "The discontent of the villagers is proof enough your grasp of a chief's responsibilities is naïve at best."

"Selardalr's got thousands o' dragons watchin' it, and the bastards still got in!"

"Asmund tells some o' them ain't too bright, at that."

"Ya know people are really gonna get irked about it soon enough!"

"Actually, we have discussed it and there are those among us who believe perhaps your ascension to rule was much too soon, son of Haddock." Another man chimed in, looking to where Harold sat at the seat to Hiccup's right in the place reserved for the previous chief, crossing his arms and looking in silence. "To remove a vital figure such as our esteemed former leader in haste for celebration has indeed proven impetuous, if not costly."

"The boy's pro-dragon agenda does a number on yer guard, far as I've seen. Gets you pretty lax."

"T-That's..." Hiccup muttered. Toothless, who was wrapped around his seat at the table, began to utter a low growl and glare straight across at the offending men.

"If it does, I hardly see how that's their fault," chimed in Harold. Titan gave his reassurance in the form of a firm rumble as well. "Let's not forget that it's the dragons' decision to guard the island, Hiccup never actually set them to it himself. A sign of their more-than-gracious loyalty to their former enemies."

"With all due respect, Harold, don't go speakin' for him. Chief or not, he's still only a lad and needs to learn ta be a proper leader on his own."

"Aye, an' shut that dragon up, too. Who let them in, anyway?"

"We don't control them THAT well." Harold chuckled giving a wink to Hiccup, who offered a small grin back.

"Well then that, I'd say, IS the fault of our new chief." A new voice spoke up. "His idea to have them live with us. On our island, they follow OUR rules!"

"And I suppose next up Toothless and Titan get their own chairs?" Hiccup joked, earning a returned chuckle from Harold.

"This is no joke, boy!" The elder spoke up again. "Decisions made by emotion are a costly mistake. Already the wives with their taste for gossip are talkin'. Have you even heard what people in the streets are sayin' about you?"

"What?"

"People are learnin' the hard way not to get their hopes high." The first man said.

"Hey, I'm only human."

"At any rate," another elder spoke, "this matter has brough' the whole island to a crossroads. And it's all on you."

"At any rate," another elder spoke, "this matter has brough' the whole island to a crossroads. And it's all on you."

"What is it you intend ta do about this?"

~~

"What am I gonna do about this?" He asked himself in returning fatigue. "Argh, you know, THIS is why I didn't wanna be chief!"

"If leadership was easy, your kin wouldn't have come to you."

"The last thing I need is a bunch of ticked off clan heads starting a chest-beating contest. Do they think I'm not aware of the problem or something?" Hiccup screamed clutching his head.

The black dragon looked back to his friend with ever-growing concern, subconsciously slowing the pace of his wingbeats and flying speed while warbling comfort. "Hiccup, calm down. It's okay."

"They could have at least let me be happy with the fact that my daughter was born today, but noooo, celebration gets you too off-edge! That makes two things Vikings can afford to lose: edge, and pounds!"

"Loss leads to gain and gain leads to loss. The ever-complicated lifestyles of humans." Toothless chuckled.

Hiccup sighed. "To say nothing of the grief you're starting to get. It's like they're asking you to sleep with one eye open."

"They can't ask me to do what I'm already doing. That Torch isn't gonna get the drop on me, let me tell you now."

"Spare me the dragon pity, bud. It's only been one day and already I'm making mistakes." He clutched his eyes tightly to blink out the sting and raised his arm to soothe another headache rising. "Maybe I was right and I don't have what it takes to be a leader."

What was simple pity suddenly turned to aggravated yet concerned annoyance as Toothless looked back to his rider. He hated how Hiccup would always get into these spells of self-depreciation from time to time again, waters of doubt filling and drowning him from the inside. A snort of strong, almost inflamed air spouted from his nostrils and his eyes turned to slits as his once calmed flaps turned to a powerful smash of his wings, sending the two of them rocketing into higher altitudes.

"Wh-Toothless! What are you-!? Gaaaahhh!"

Without a hint of warning, the Night Fury darted every which way through the sky with wild and ferocious energy. Barrel-rolls, zig-zags, dive bombs, 360 loops, and every kind of stunt in between was part of this spontaneous air-show. Hiccup, completely unprepared, had to hold tight to his dragon's saddle and keep his eyes shut while straining with all his might to keep from vomiting. Adrenaline savvy as he was, an unplanned flight did a number on his stomach.

"Toothless! Bad dragon! Bad dragon! Stop, enough!"

The Night Fury paid little heed to the desperate pleas of his rider and just darted on. He dove into the sea and rose up again, repeating this more and more in mimicry of any sea-faring dragon around the island. With a shake of his head, he let his tongue flap out and darted for a nearby sea stack to use as a leap point before rising to the sky again.

In the midst of this aerial mayhem, Hiccup's eyes burst open with a flash of realization, crossing gazes with that of the dragon for a split second. In tandem with the feeling of Toothless' back muscles overly strained for such simple yet random maneuvers under his hand through layers of scale, he knew.

"Alright, I get it! Bad rider! Stupid rider! You can stop now!"

"About time, even I was getting sick."

if Hiccup's insults to himself were a switch to freeze or reverse time, the Night Fury halted his movements and made a small descent. From there the pair returned to a simple and gentle flight with gliding upon the currents of air instead of seeming to break through invisible walls of wind and sound. All in sight became as stable as it ever was, allowing the unwilling Hiccup a chance to recompose himself and swallow his dinner before it had a chance to come back up again.

Hiccup's breaths were heavy and uneven as he attempted to stabilize his rapid heartbeat. Beads of panicked sweat rolled down his face that were swept away while he gulped down and gave an intense glare towards his steed. "For crying out loud, that's your idea of a pick-me-up!?"

Toothless gave a rumbling chuckle and a toothy grin looking back. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

"You know what? I correct myself – bad dragon! Next time you wanna go and make me happy, consider something other than vaulting me across the ocean!"

"Listen, Hiccup." The gaze his dragon companion gave to him seemed to be a direct channel into his mind. Each second they looked directly into each other's eyes was a word engraved into their spirit that could not be forgotten, clearer than actual speech could ever be. One of those moments between them. "Anyone can strut around with a fancy pelt and say they're a leader – your brain-dead cousin is proof of that. But you consider the best for everyone."

"Toothless..."

"People are on edge, it's only natural given the potential for war we face. Don't think for a second that any of this reflects on you. Venting gives them a small sense of comfort, and you're the one they feel it's appropriate to take it out on. Just remember to keep your cool and know that you're not alone..."

"..." Hiccup only stared, trying to give Toothless's words, or rather his warbles as far as his actual ears knew, a chance to sink in.

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~~TO BE CONTINUED~~