I felt the need to give everyone a heads up - exams in less than two weeks! Don't expect much activity!

Otherwise! Here's the latest in Hiccup in the Nest.

Odd, I looked back on my story and found that there was a kinda storyline emerging when I originally had the idea of every chapter being an independent oneshot ... funny how things just happen, isn't it?

Anyway! There's going to be an exploration of Dragon Culture, specifically their speaking habits and titles of each other. It may be a bit confusing so I'll round it off at the end to clear anything up.

Also Hiccup visits Berk. But not in the way you'd think.

Anyway! Love all the comments, especially the deep ones, so please drop a few in the inbox on your way out and have a nice day~

Night was falling again.

Stoick poked the fire in his temporary house and warily watched the dragons flying around outside. He sighed heavily and looked down at the note he had written for Gobber and the Viking's of Berk, not explaining anything, just encase they thought that he had gone mad, but saying that he was alive and working on making his way back to Berk. It also said to stay clear of Drago Bludvist, and to fortify encase he came looking for Berk.

However he still needed a way to send his letter.

Valka would be back soon, she had gone off somewhere, but when she returned she would know what to do. He had asked Hiccup where she had gone, he had to call up a cliff as the boy was still too wary around him to be on his level alone, but he had sat cross legged and listened with a respectful attentiveness that had been lacking before.

That could only be an improvement.

"Where's yer Mother?"

Hiccup tilted his head and then glanced over his shoulder where the Night Fury was scratching his neck against a rock. He chittered briefly at the larger being, and made several hand gestures which Stoick suspected had some meaning, he also stomped a foot and rolled a shoulder … was he uncomfortable?

Toothless's ears rose at the … question, and he softly barked and cooed an … answer(1). His tail moved up Hiccup's spine like a hand stroking, then going up over his head, messing his hair and landing in his lap where Hiccup began to patiently stroke and scratch, an absently fond expression on his face.

Stoick assumed that they had forgotten about him, and was about to ask again when Hiccup spoke: "All Champions are patrolling. Curfew may be lifted if my Mother and my Guardian think we are safe," he looked at Stoick as he spoke, but his hands were never still, massaging and rubbing the tailfin in his lap. Toothless let out several little groans and shivers, if Stoick watched closely he would see the pressure and rotating movements of Hiccup's fingertips change with every noise. A highly fine-tuned method of communication.

Stoick nodded, to show he understood, but confusion was written all over his face no doubt. 'Champion?' 'Guardian?' what did that mean? When he had asked Hiccup young man had frowned as he thought.

His hands stilled as he thought very hard, his face falling into a frown of intense concentration.

Toothless raised his head to watch and huffed to get his attention after a while. Hiccup looked a bit sulky and muttered something too low for Stoick to make out.

"I do not have the Viking words to tell you," he admitted at last.

He murmured to his dragon and the dragon offered a few coos back, exhaling so he ruffled Hiccup's hair.

Hiccup hummed to himself "Mother can tell you properly. But Guardian is a protector of a lonely young one, Champion is the chosen point, other Defends listen," he explained, but only made Stoick more confused.

He had sat himself down and went back to his temporary home to try and carve a brick of wood with a fork – all other sharp weapons were absent. Hiccup had asked if he wanted a claw, but Stoick declined and went back to his struggling, only pausing to watch Hiccup frolicking with the younger dragons and fly from the back of Toothless.

Their partnership in flight was something to behold. He couldn't fathom how Hiccup kept his grip and balance through several of their twists and dives. But the happiness on his face and the loud laughter mixed with indignant roars of those they shot past, and the equally overjoyed shrieks of the Night Fury distracted Stoick from his pondering.

It didn't matter how. They had done it and were enjoying every second.

To an onlooker it was a thing of beauty. Even Stoick was amazed and had spent several long minutes watching the pair.

Even though it was Toothless who owned the wings, Hiccup was contributing just as much as the dragon. He leaned, called, looked where Toothless couldn't, used a free hand to grab or knock aside moss or rocks. Hiccup's hands moved in several differently placed grips on the dragon's shoulders and the dragon's wings moved accordingly as if automatically set to a new position … or was it Hiccup's hands moving when the wings urged them to?

Same with Hiccup's legs, their grips and positions would move as the dragon urged, or to urge the dragon. Sometimes it seemed one way, the other time it seemed the other party was taking the reins. But it mostly looked as if they were moving in perfect synchronisation. More perfect than any machine, instrument, or song.

He had left and written his letter when Toothless had flown out of sight. It was a task that couldn't wait any longer.

Now he was just waiting for Valka.

As he absently watched the dragons outside, in the same way he once absently watched the movement of waves on the sea, he noticed a sudden increase of dragons. A sudden stream of entering dragons poured in like seeds out of a split in a woven sack. Valka and her four-winged beast leading the way.

He watched her.

She waved her staff and shouted in the din, her wood and bone staff never hitting a stray wing, and her voice mingling through the din, through her shell-like blue armour and her horn-crowned mask. Cloudjumper roared too, hovering as the other dragons flew past. The mob of dragons roared back and dispersed in a naturally chaotic way. Never getting in each other's way nor crashing.

Valka continued to wave her staff and call out, Cloudjumper circling as if to help carry her message, and all around the dragons of the nest began to chatter, move, roar and hum as if discussing.

It was loud, yet dispersed.

The only quiet happened when the large white-dragon-king raised his head and sighed deeply, the earth rumbling with his lungs.

In the following echoes of silence all the dragons held still.

Then they exploded in what could only be described as celebration.

They jumped, flew, pounced and wrestled, shouted, roared, howled and tumbled into everyone around them. They flipped in the air, twisted and collided only to raise again unharmed. Tongues of fire lit the sky, making explosions and causing bright flashes and smoke.

Stoick saw Valka jumping around on Cloudjumper's back as he soared like the rest. Hiccup soon appeared, standing upright on Toothless as he sped to their elder's sides. Hiccup jumped from Toothless's back and the black dragon caught him and threw him over and over, in flips and flails, in unconcealed glee.

Stoick was sure they were laughing, all four of them.

The celebrations carried on for a long time, long enough for the awe to wear off. Stoick sat, the only broody soul in the midst of celebration, waiting for his wife and son to explain the situation to him.

He was lost in thought and so jumped when Valka appeared beside him, sliding off Cloudjumper's wing to his level, the larger dragon occupying a ledge above, pulling her head free of her mask moments later. Hiccup was still circling overhead with Toothless, crowing and tumbling joyfully.

Valka's face was flushed and her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths, the celebrations had exhausted her, but she was smiling widely. She laughed to herself and sat beside him on the log that was laying conveniently, "It's been a while since we've had that kind of reaction," she brushed her hands over her skirt absently.

Stoick grunted "What's the news?" he asked.

Valka beamed "Drago's ships have left the area, and the Alpha has lifted the curfew as soon as the storm on the horizon hits. Everyone had been so bored and restless here, to fly free is worth their reaction," she looked up at Hiccup "The boys will be very pleased, they love storm-riding."

Stoick looked at the dragon and boy who were in an odd formation with the other dragons, Hiccup stood up and let Toothless glide with trust that he wouldn't throw him off balance. His arms spread out and his face tilted upwards towards the sky. It seemed that Hiccup couldn't wait for the upcoming freedom.

"Where were you today?" he asked.

Valka was cleaning her helmet with a tuft of pulled grass "Patrolling, that's why we came back with the news. I took several Defenders just encase, but there was no need, we're quite safe."

Stoick remembered what Hiccup had said earlier "What's a Defender? And what's a Champion or Guardian?"

Valka looked at him in surprise "How do you know those ranks?" she asked.

Stoick looked up at Hiccup "Hiccup mentioned them, what do they mean?" he asked, giving her his attentions.

Valka looked thoughtful "How to explain …" she muttered, tapping her finger against her cheek as she sifted through her thoughts.

Stoick decided to help "Hiccup said a Guardian is a protector, and a Champion is a leader," he recalled.

Valka nodded absently "Yes, that's partly right," she agreed. She put her helmet down and twisted to face Stoick "A Champion is a rank given by the nest to those who've earned it with great deeds. Myself and Cloudjumper are Champions," she looked up at her dragon, who was flying with Hiccup and Toothless, the smaller pair flitting around his larger wings comfortably. "When I first came to the nest Cloudjumper had earned his Championship by rescuing fellow dragons from the war with Vikings, before he was a Defender – one who willingly puts themselves forward on the front lines of danger to lay down their lives for the Alpha and nest, and all who live there," she smiled. (2)

Stoick nodded "So a Defender would be a soldier, and a Champion the leader of the soldiers?" he clarified.

Valka nodded "Yes, that's mostly right, it's a little more complicated than that." She went on to explain how the Champions were the peacekeepers inside the nest and the ones elevated by other Defenders and nest mates as ones worthy of following. They were like mini Alphas in a way, problems were taken to them to be sorted, they could command dragons but only if they kept their respect, it was easy to lose. But the longer one was a Champion the more likely you'll never lose it.

Bottom line, if you didn't have the respect, trust and support of almost the entire nest you wouldn't be a Champion any longer.

Valka brushed her hair shyly "I earned my Championship when I guided a troop of Defenders in how to turn away some of Drago's ships, and take out the traps. It was a clean victory and no dragons were lost." She looked over at the Alpha "They brought me before the Alpha and sang my praises for many nights, and I was named a Champion of the nest, several troops of Defenders willingly follow me now. It's a lot of responsibility." She cleared her throat slightly "Because I work closely with Cloudjumper, my brother, we're the second highest authority next to the Alpha. We've had to do a lot to earn it," she sighed. "Disable traps, free dragon, protect the nest, turn away dangers that get too close, solve internal squabbling, and much more. The freeing of dragons falls to myself and Hiccup mostly, our hands find it easier than teeth or claws. But because I'm so useful and know so much I've got the respect needed for most of the dragons to follow my lead."

Stoick was slightly awed, his wife was a commander of dragons. They had accepted her as one of their own and given her a high rank in return for her loyalty. It was an oddly political game that he understood well.

However …

"Your brother?" he asked. "Are you adopted or somethin'?"

Valka blinked "Oh!" she covered her mouth slightly "No, not in that way, it's just an honorific," she explained.

"A what?"

Valka rolled her eyes, a little bit of her huffy nature leaking through "A term of respect or affection, or insult – an honorific. I call Cloudjumper brother-mine to symbolise our close bond."

She twisted her fingers together "There are a few ways to name another dragon with honorifics, but Brother-mine or Sister-mine are the highest terms of affection that only rival the terms for a love or a mate." She tilted her head "Sometimes a mate is second to a brother or sister, depending on the individuals, but I think that'll be the case with Toothless and Hiccup if they ever settle down. They're too close for another to come between them, they're practically one person." (3)

Stoick looked confused, he took a few mental steps backwards and asked again "Cloudjumper calls you Sister? Why?"

Valka tapped her chin "It'll be easier to explain the degrees first." Valka paused to look up at a group of circling dragons, and waved at them quickly before turning back to Stoick. "For biologically related dragons, they refer to each other as Kin, for example you would call your brother Kin-Spitelout. It's a way of acknowledging them as family, to not is an insult or disowning move."

Stoick hummed to himself, it was oddly formal for savage beasts, not that they were showing much savage behaviour recently …

Valka spoke again once she was sure Stoick understood "For dragons who are especially close as friends they are call 'friend' formally or their names are used without any tag to show it is purely them informally; no honorifics. Like you do with Gobber, you don't call him 'Gobber the Belch' every time you speak to him, do you?"

Stoick shook his head with a small chuckle, "He'd never be that formal."

Valka shared his laugh.

"Strangers often refer to each other by What they are; appearance or even species at first. Then upon a forming friendship it becomes less about What and more about Who they are. The dragon who names the other first is putting themselves at a higher rank than the second speaker, but rank depends on certain factors – whose home territory it is, size of the flock, age, size of the individuals, individual ranks such as Defender or Champion, and some others."

She thought of it in Viking terms and explained it to him "For example you would greet a new chief for the first time by full title, like 'Oswald the Agreeable', and keep up the title of 'chief' when in his village."

Stoick nodded "I understand all that, but what's sister or brother got to do with it?" he grumbled.

Valka muttered something about his impatience before answering him "Finally, for dragons who are especially close, as close as a pair can be without romantic feelings, and they don't have to be related, they are tagged with 'Brother-mine' or 'Sister-mine'. For dragons Brother and Sister is like an unshakable best friend, the one who holds all their faith and all their trust, the one they would never betray and never be betrayed by. In a sense they believe themselves to be entirely connected in heart, soul and mind so they are one but with two physical forms. I believe it best translated into Viking terms as your best sword and your good hand, both work entirely as one, as do Brothers and Sisters."

Stoick rubbed his forehead, as easy as Valka was trying to make it for him he just wasn't ready for it. He was too old fashioned, his mind was traditional and his thoughts were not easily changed "Do Parents have such unnecessary systems?" he growled

Valka nodded her head and rattled on "There is 'Mother', she who births and nurtures them, if she dies or is unable to care for her clutch another will take her place and be referred to as Surrogate, as a name or a tag with her name. There are exceptions to this rule, sometimes adopted dragons will still call their Surrogate just 'Mother' if she wins their affections strongly, or if they don't remember their real Mother."

"For example, Toothless calls me Mother," she looked very happy at the endearment the black dragon had given her.

Stoick raised an eyebrow.

Valka saw his look and quickly defended herself "Hiccup and I found him injured in a trap when he was still at the age of dependency on his Mother. But she was nowhere to be found. So I took him back to this nest and raised him beside Hiccup." She smiled to herself "At first I was going to find another dragon to raise him after his wings healed, but when they were finally better I had grown too attached to him, and so raised him myself with Hiccup as his adopted Kin."

Stoick grunted "Why not just find another Night Fury for him?"

Valka sighed, looking very sad at the question "I … it may be possible that Toothless is the last of his kind," she confided quietly.

Stoick glanced between the Black dragon and his sorrowful wife, a little surprised at this revelation.

She looked at him with sad eyes "There's no-where else for him to go, and Night Fury's are rare anyway, but Toothless has been the only I've seen since I took him in." Valka used the same tone of voice as if speaking of an orphaned child.

Stoick wasn't sure what to feel. He was sad his wife was sad, and the unwilling sympathy that had been growing the longer he stayed around these beasts was feeling a slight pity for Toothless, and yet he also felt some of his old Viking instincts rejoicing that there would soon be one less dragon breed to fight.

Valka wiped at her eyes, oblivious to Stoick's inner conflict and spoke again "There's one more Term for a Mother, mostly used by the young ones," she checked that Stoick was paying attention before speaking on "A Mother-figure or ideal female role model will have their name tagged with '-nah', or 'Matriarch'. Quite often a parent is both biological and ideal to the child, in which they won't call anyone Matriarch."

Stoick thought about it "Would it be like the children calling an elder Lady, miss or Lord, mister?" he asked at last.

Valka clapped her hands once and her eyes lightened with respect and impress "Yes exactly! I was struggling for the right words," she laughed.

Stoick felt pleased that he had manage to understand that all on his own. "I guess Fathers have complicated names too, right?"

Valka chuckled "Unfortunately for you," she teased. "I'll be brief: Sire means the male who impregnated the female and raised the offspring. Guardian means the male who raises the hatchling- oops, I mean child," she corrected herself, consciously keeping to human terms for Stoick's ease of mind. He smiled at her weakly. "Guardian is who raises the child but is not the Sire. Finally Patriarch, or '–mah' means a personal male ideal, someone the child aspires to be like, a male dragon- sorry, person who holds all the qualities they most admire," she explained.

Stoick nodded when he had finally absorbed all this information. Dragons were strangely … complicated.

"So Sire is the true Father, Guardian is the adopted Father, and that –mah noise means ideal male role model," he checked.

Valka hummed in agreement "Yes."

Stoick's eyes widened in a gut kicking realisation "So … Hiccup calls Cloudjumper Guardian …" he said sadly.

Valka winced a little "He was the most constant adult male in his life, it's to be expected. Cloudjumper was quite helpful in raising Hiccup and Toothless, more than you'd expect," she sighs "If he ever finds a mate he'll be a brilliant Sire," she smiled fondly, baby four-winged dragons playing through her mind.

Stoick was less than pleased "Is Cloudjumper getting between me and Hiccup, is he stopping him from calling me Father?"

"Sire," Valka corrected almost as a reflex "And no, he's not. It's always been clear to Hiccup that Cloudjumper is not his Sire, just a parental figure," she leaned back on her hands "I told him from when he was young that his Sire was a Viking … he wasn't comfortable with the idea, but Cloudjumper assured him that it wasn't blood that mattered, it was soul, and Hiccup is free to choose who he wishes to be."

Stoick wasn't any happier, he glared at the four winged dragon. For once insanely jealous of a dragon for having Hiccup's parental respect that should rightly belong to him. His next question was out of his mouth before he knew it "Does Hiccup have a Patriarch?" as soon as he spoke he knew he'd regret it.

Valka chuckled "Well … he doesn't call him that anymore, it's considered a little too childish for adolescent," she covered her mouth again as she interrupted herself with a laugh "But he used to call the Alpha that, I think the Alpha was flattered," she kept laughing.

Stoick glanced out at the white giant and grumbled softly. Hiccup couldn't be big or breathe ice, how was that gigantic dragon supposed to represent all Hiccup's most admired qualities? There was nothing Hiccup could imitate and they were nothing alike …

Reluctantly, Stoick supposed it was his personality and wise judgement that he was attracted to. Two things Stoick didn't have unless it was Vikings he was dealing with.

He curled his hands into fists, frustrated as to how two dragons beat him in his rightful place as his son's Father – the human term Father. Why did the Alpha and the four-wing have to be so special to Hiccup? It made little sense to him.

He stood up and Valka's laughter stopped "Stoick?" she asked worriedly.

Stoick sighed deeply in frustration "It's hopeless."

Valka silently got to her feet, staff retrieved "Stoick?"

He turned to face her with a deep frown "How am I supposed to become his Father if he's already got replacements?" he growled. "We're nothing alike, and those dragons have everything for Hiccup already!" he felt useless and misplaced, dragons had already taught Hiccup how to fight, survive, fish, interact, cry and laugh. What could Stoick do if he was unwanted and, he slowly realised, unneeded?

Valka looked sympathetic "I can't answer that Stoick. You'll find a way," she smiled slightly "Yer too stubborn to give up just like that."

Stoick grunted negatively.

Valka looked up as their child and his dragon flew overhead "He has yer stubbornness too, he's got a Viking's determination that confuses him at times. When all seems hopeless he keeps at it, other dragons giving up, but he won't until he's got what he set out to do. It's an impressive quality, but one that he doesn't have the guidance to deal with," she sent him a smile "Maybe if you both have the same goal you can share that boar-headed stubbornness."

Stoick chuckled humourlessly "When are we ever going to agree on anything?" he muttered, walking beside Valka as she gestured back to the house.

Valka shrugged elegantly "I have no idea, but you'll think of somethin'."

In the house Stoick was reminded of his letter, it sat on the table innocently, but it couldn't wait any longer. He picked it up and put a hand on Valka's shoulder as she threw a few more logs on the fire. "I need to get this to Berk," he said at last, holding it out for her.

Valka read the letter and hummed thoughtfully "Yes … I see," she tapped her staff against the floor, mimicking how a dragon might tap the tip of its tail, as she thought. Eventually she handed the paper back and said "I'll ask Hiccup to leave it where they'll find it, Toothless is the fastest dragon around, and Hiccup's got the only waterproof pouch."

Stoick raised an eyebrow "Will he really do me a favour?" he asked.

Valka nodded, confident, "He's been cooped up in here so long he'll leap at the chance to get out of curfew early, even for this," she stepped outside and brought her hands to her mouth. After a deep breath she let out a loud call which sounded like a Night Fury's.

Stoick jumped a little.

A moment later there were two answering roars.

One devolved into delighted crowing and they soon saw why.

Hiccup was dangling from Toothless's front paws, and was being casually tossed up into the air and caught again before he fell too far. Toothless looking like he was having as much fun as Hiccup, his eyes were large and round and his mouth open to let out a series of calls and huffs which sounded similar to tumbling dogs playing.

Finally Hiccup was dropped, he landed with a smooth yet awkward side and front roll, on the grassy bank where the waiting adults were. Hiccup still laughing with bright eyes as he waved and stumbled, a little punch drunk and dizzy, to his feet. He settled into an almost crouch, but stood fully upright when he saw that his Mother was.

Valka was chuckling, but still pinched his nose and made a few scolding noises when he got close. Hiccup just shrugged, his only human gesture that came naturally besides rolling his eyes, and answered back in a carefree way.

Toothless let out a delighted rumble behind him and nudged his head under Hiccup's legs to have the smaller being sit on his back, Stoick got the impression that Hiccup had said something nice about Toothless, judging by the dragon's reaction. Hiccup grinned and hugged Toothless's thick neck tightly as the dragon leaned up to return the hug, both humming happily.

Valka shook her head in fond exasperation "What am I going to do with you two?" she chuckled, reaching for the letter "Stoick as a favour to ask of you Hiccup," she said cheerfully.

Hiccup glanced up from inspecting Toothless's ears to give Stoick a curious look, his head tilting with a questioning whine.

"Toothless too," Valka added. Toothless perked up at the sound of his name and also fixed Stoick with a curious expression.

Stoick held his letter up "I need this to be taken to Berk, where the men of my village will find it. It will stop them from acting out of line, and coming to find me."

Hiccup kept staring at him for a long time, his green eyes boring into Stoick's as if to wheedle out a lie. Toothless lightly sniffed the air and crooned up at Hiccup, looking at him as best he could. Hiccup was quiet, then rumbled too.

Hiccup relaxed at last and leaned forwards on Toothless's head to look at the letter, taking it with a gentle hand. So he knew paper was fragile. His eyes scanned over it in every which way - he could read! - then he opened up a pouch on his forearm armour and stored it away with surprising delicacy. He looked back up and nodded.

Stoick smiled and nodded back "Thank you."

Valka grinned then snapped her fingers and spoke to them. Her staff moved in a fast gesture, she started a call in high pitch before lowing, only to raise it again at the end, her free hand twisted to land on her heart and her final noise was one of worry and sadness.

Hiccup's eyes softened visibly, a soft smile on his face. Toothless purred and stepped closer to rear up and lick her cheek. Hiccup leaned forwards after Toothless and kissed her other cheek.

Valka looked happy and surprised.

Hiccup smiled widely and puffed out his chest, Toothless copying, they both spoke over each other, noises and body gestures too subtle and many for Stoick to begin guessing what they were talking about.

Finally Valka conceded, she laughed and patted Toothless's head proudly, and covered Hiccup's heart as soon as she was finished.

Hiccup grinned and let of a soft sounding bark and Toothless quickly took to the air, leaving the adults staggering in the aftershocks of the strong black wings.

Flying over Berk wasn't something that Hiccup and Toothless did often. Too dangerous, too close to the monster Queen's calls, too close to murderers and imaaraan. However, it wasn't their first time viewing the place.

The first time they'd come across it was when a raid was happening, drawn by the noise and fire and light. Once they arrived they had merely circled and observed. They hadn't interacted at all, not to help a fallen dragon nor a dying Viking. They were younger back then, and hadn't seen the true cruelties of war, so it wasn't just detachment which held them back. It was fear, confusion, hate and so, so, so much rage.

Rage at the evil Queen.

Rage at the Viking murderers.

Rage at the injustice.

Since then they had occasionally come back to help the imaaraan victims, but the sadness of this place, and the rage, brought out Hiccup's bloodlust and so out of fear of his own nature, his natural ability to engage in war, he and Toothless agreed to avoid Berk unless necessary.

Hiccup leaned over the side of Toothless's shoulder to observe the settlement, the Viking's nest, below. It hadn't changed much. There were big wooden buildings, cut and pressed together like individual nests, with the skill and precision of a Whispering Death's nest-building skills.

There were torches of fire, because they didn't trust their eyes and ears. Also lots of sharp things lying about and hung up for a moment's notice should they wish to engage in war.

Noisy, fluffy, grass-eaters dotted the hills and grassy areas around the Viking's nest. Food sources, apparently. Hiccup didn't see how the fluffy things could be tasty. His Mother had explained to him that it was the meat inside that they ate, she called it mutton. Hiccup had tried some before, it was okay, but he still didn't see the appeal. It took too long to cook, Toothless had problems coughing it back up for him to eat, and even then it was full of blood which made eating messy and not very tasty. He preferred Icelandic cod.

Below were the rock-rivers that the Vikings walked around on, not appreciating the terrain of pure earth. There was a water pit in the middle of a large open area, a few fields with growing things – Hiccup had helped himself to several farms all over the isles in his time – the plants were always tough and tasteless.

He leaned his head against Toothless's neck, sighing deeply.

Toothless's ear perked. He crooned deeply in his throat, deep and loud enough for Hiccup to feel it in his bones. He smiled as his Brother asked; Concern. Brother-mine you are burdened?

Hiccup huffed again and hesitantly answered. He gestured below and then to himself as he shook his head and whined and clicked in confusion, many layers of emotion showing in his voice as Toothless couldn't see his body while they were flying as one. Confusion. I was born in the Viking's nest, but I cannot imagine how I could live as they do.

Toothless purred again and flew a little higher to wash fresher air over Hiccup's masked face. It is because Brother-mine is dragon in your heart.

Hiccup smiled into the fresher air. Unconsciously raising his arms to embrace the openness all around him, Free … his entire being whispered, not in conversation, but he said it all the same. Hiccup leaned down and nuzzled Toothless's ear through the mask. Love. Thank you, Brother-mine. He placed a hand under Toothless's chin towards his chest, he couldn't reach his heart but Toothless knew anyway. Happy. My heart is lighter because of you.

Toothless cooed. Happy. Happy when Brother-mine is happy.

Hiccup grinned and leaned back down against Toothless's back. He mused through a hum and a click. Curios. Where to leave the thin-thing-Viking-marks?

Toothless, with his better eyes, looked as they circled yet again. He grunted and nudged to the left. Here?

Hiccup looked down and saw the big flat-woods which Vikings liked to pull open and push shut. They were like giant eyelids.

Hiccup hummed agreement and Toothless dived seamlessly through the shadows, dodging the reaching light of the torches, and landed on the grass beside the flat-woods in the stone hill. Hiccup pulled out the letter, there wasn't a dragon word for paper, letter or written words, so Hiccup had to call it a very wordy name for others to understand what he was talking about. Toothless was very understanding, other dragons just got confused.

Hiccup glanced around and saw a dropped sharp thing, a … dagger. He picked it up with reluctance as he got off Toothless and made his stealthy way to the big doors of the Viking's main hall. Not that Hiccup knew that.

He held the paper against the door and stabbed the dagger through the middle, the doors were solid wood, so Hiccup had to lean into the dagger for a moment or so afterwards to ensure that it wouldn't budge until pulled out.

He took a step back to admire his handiwork, then dove out of the light and back into the shadows. Toothless wrapped a wing around him at once, sniffing him briefly for signs of harm or fear.

Hiccup didn't mind his Brother's fussing this once, the Viking nest made him nervous.

How could this have been his birthplace? It smelled of death everywhere!

Hiccup knew the smell, he had been taught the slight differences in scent for the air, earth and people. His gut instincts also told him, as well as his nose, that this place was covered in fear, and the earth had soaked up more blood than what the Alpha owned in his colossal body.

If this place was so uneasy for him, it had to be worse for Toothless.

Toothless was immune, in part, to the emotional sides of the nervousness, but his nose caught every death, every species, and even some hints at the various ways creatures met their end. He didn't like this place. It always made Hiccup tremble and nervous. It always made Toothless edgy and he never wanted Hiccup out of his sight. He nudged his smaller brother once more and began insisting on flying away this moment.

Hiccup agreed by instantly swinging himself into place. They had to leave, they didn't belong here.

Once in the sky and out of sight from the Viking's nest they turned their thoughts towards the oncoming storm. The clean and fresh air removed their anxieties, soon they could feel the static as they flew towards home.

Soon they were buzzing in excitement, the static turbulence in the air making their blood race before even the first storm cloud was seen!

Hiccup's sounds flew form his mouth so fast there wasn't really a particular noise to describe the string of excitement. Excitement. We shall chase the storm again, Brother-mine! Ride the lightning, none shall best your speed in the air.

Toothless was buzzing too, his legs absently snatching at the air as if to capture the mood, his wings beat harder. Excitement. I shall be faster with Brother-mine with me. Love. Brother-mine inspires my greatest strengths.

Hiccup fondly shook his head and lay against Toothless's back, cooing endearments and compliments. Love. Brother Toothless is always strongest, I do not aid your wings, you carry my no-wing body and make me free. Pride. Toothless is the best dragon, most dear to my heart.

Toothless nudged him back. Love. Sad. Happy. It is Hiccup which makes me so. My heart is stronger with you in it, my heart makes me strong, Hiccup makes me strong.

Hiccup softly disagreed and murmured more praise for Toothless, it was one of their oldest games and banters. Each insisting that the other was the stronger one.

Hiccup insisted that Toothless was the better one because he could fly, was the fastest, could see and smell and hear as a dragon could, and was still the best even with his dead weight on his back. He was a real dragon.

Toothless would disagree and insist that Hiccup's strong heart led him to heal his wings as a young dragon, gave him his flight so it was only right that he shared. He thought that hiccup saw, heard and sensed things that dragons were blind to, and that Hiccup made him stronger out of love and inspiration for Hiccup, and out of the determination that Hiccup taught him.

Determination which was not dragon-like, but had shaped the two of them so completely.

Each disagreed when the other insisted on humbling themselves in favour of promoting the other's greatness. In the end the disagreeing, loving banter devolved into what it normally did – compliments of themselves as a single entity, loving emotions over their luck to have the other, and warmth.

However their little bubble was broken when the first lightning strike shattered the night in the far distance.

It was time.

1) This is Stoick finally figuring out that dragons do actually have a sort of communication, he's finally seeing it and starting to accept it.

2) The honorifics can be confusing so I'll list them:

Brother-mine = my closest, most trusted friend.
Guardian = adopted Father.
Patriarch/-Mah (eg Toothless-mah) = most respected male/ male role model
Matriarch/-Nah (eg Valka-nah) = most respected female/ female role model
Surrogate = adopted Mother.
Sire = Father
Mother = ... speaks for itself doesn't it?
-Kin = family member by blood
Friend (eg Friend/ Friend-Hiccup)

Champion = Chosen leader of supportive followers. (no one grants them this title, there has to be overwhelming majority approval to get this title, so an individual will have had to do something that will impress the rest of the nest, eg take the lead of an attack, save several dragons, free Imaaraan, win against the odds - in a way a champion is like a local-folk hero. But this position can be lost if the dragon's support goes elsewhere.)

Defender = first in the ranks of dragons to fight for the nest and Alpha, like the first line of defence.

3) This point of a Brother or Sister being potentially more important than a mate, I apply this to Hiccup and Toothless very strongly, even outside of this fic. It's why I have a little trouble shipping Hiccup and Astrid since I think that Astrid is still playing second fiddle to Toothless in Hiccup's priorities.

Poor Astrid. If Hiccup loses Astrid Toothless will keep him going, but if Hiccup loses Toothless then he'll never recover, even with Astrid there.

But that's just my view. And I'm sticking to it, so I don't want to have lots of comments saying things like 'nooo you HAVE to ship them together, what are you saying? Crazy dweeb!'

Hicstrid is not going to be a big theme in this story. Just saying that right now. So if you are on the edge of your seat looking for a Hicstrid story then please go look elsewhere, it's not happening.

On the other hand, I never said it WON'T be a theme altogether. Maybe I'll just hint at it a bit, Hiccup's not the same as the movie version here, not sure how they'll react or if they'll even work out at all. But the bottom line is, even if there is some Hicstrid tension, she's ALWAYS going to be in second place to Toothless because he's the most important person to Hiccup. No girl is going to come between them.

Anyways, reviews would be nice. Place them in the inbox as you exit the fanfic, have a nice day and come back soon~

If you could please comment on these issues I'd be very happy!

Hiccup's reaction to Berk
Dragon's honorifics
Storm-riding idea

Thanks!